With bus, Bonnett's set for the big time
By Cathalena E. Burch
cburch@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.02.2009
Gary Bonnett parked his 40-foot "Blue Bonnett Express" tour bus with West Virginia plates behind the legendary Maverick King of Clubs last Wednesday.
The bus's generator hummed in the parking lot as Bonnett and his four-piece band were kicking into their original red-dirt country for a crowd that peaked at about 30.
The 40-foot bus is a symbol not of excess or inflated ego so much as of necessity for a guy who believes he's on the road to bigger and better things.
The bus will be parked backstage at Rillito Park Saturday when Bonnett and his band play their biggest show ever — the KIIM-FM 99.5 Freedom Fest.
The festival pairs him with veteran twanger Tracy Lawrence and fellow red-dirter Pat Green. But the names on the bill are not what makes this Bonnett's biggest career show. It's the fact that he will stand before a crowd that could number at least 5,000, double his biggest show to date.
"We're not scared to play the biggest festivals down to the smallest club," Bonnett said a few hours before his Maverick debut on June 24. "You're hitting a different audience every single night. We're paying our dues and trying to build our fan base and write songs and get our music out."
For many in the Fourth of July audience, it will not be the first time they've seen Bonnett, with his military-issue haircut, wide smile and boy-next-door good looks. In the year since he transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base with the Air National Guard, he has charmed his way into dozens of Tucson bars, resorts, restaurants and patios. If there's a mic and an audience, he's there. "The community has embraced us with open arms," the 28-year-old said.
Bonnett has been performing a hybrid of Texas country and bluegrass, with hints of commercial Nashville, since he was a teen. His passion for music became an obsession when he moved to Tucson, where he was bowled over by the weather, then sucked in by the hospitality.
Bonnett has snagged some enviable career boosts here, including opening slots for Nashville artists James Otto, Jamey Johnson and Trent Tomlinson. In the past year, he also released his debut indie album, "The Long Road Home," which earned 3 1/2 stars in Country Weekly.
His Maverick appearance was something of a tryout, club owner Jay Zucker said.
"Gary brings a freshness," Zucker said as a few couples made their way to the dance floor. "He has great covers, great sound, great stage performance."
Read more about Bonnett's new single, "Red Dirt Songs," at go.azstarnet.com/tunedin
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