Jon Pardi is the man.

If you haven’t heard his brand-new song ‘Old Hat’, you’re missing out.

Why do I love this song so much? Why do I think it’s so important for Texans to listen to it?

Well, there are many reasons. I reside just north of Austin, one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. I’m hard-pressed to meet someone who grew up in the area. The few that have tend to complain about the folks who moved here from “California” (anywhere that isn't Texas) for a tech job.

I’m not bothered by the world coming to us. I just hope we welcome the world the right way. The Texas way.

Old Hat’s narrative focuses on how old-fashioned hospitality seems to be something of the past. It’s not the first time a song has hit that drum, but it hits it just right with a toe-tapping sound to match.

Pardi is a musical genius in my opinion. Listen to the 34-year-old in any interview and his knowledge of traditional country music is impressive. He’s the definition of a neotraditional country artists, blending the traditional sound with an occasional contemporary beat.

Oh, and Jon isn’t a Texan himself. He’s from the great state of, you guessed it, California. Pardi’s a class act and seems to feel right at home in the Lone Star State. In the audio-video for Old Hat, he appears to be at ‘Best Hat Store’ in Fort Worth.

Much like Pardi’s music, we can take the best of tradition and blend it with a hint of new in our lives. Texas is moving forward, but we don’t want what makes this state great to get lost. I don’t think it ever will.  There’s a lot of us ol’ cats, wearing old boots and old hats that ain’t ready to give old hat the boot.

 

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