Cory Cross & The Burden

Cory Cross & The Burden play Secondhand Ranch on Friday, October 23, with the set starting at 9:30 PM. Cross is a Texas native who has spent more than a decade building a sound rooted in classic country with a rough-around-the-edges rock 'n' roll spirit. He works in the songwriting tradition of Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, pairing honest storytelling with the energy of Texas honky tonks, dance halls, and dives.

The Burden fills out the live show by bringing together steel guitar and fiddle with fuzzy electrics and a hard-driving rhythm section. It's a full-band sound that keeps the country roots front and center while leaning into the louder, rockier side of the equation. The band has played Texas institutions like Austin's Continental Club and the Fort Worth Stockyards, and has shared stages with Joshua Ray Walker, Summer Dean, and Jeremy Pinnell.

If you're not familiar with the Texas country scene, it's exactly what the description suggests: songwriting that doesn't shy away from a good story, backed by a band that knows how to play a dance hall. The steel guitar and fiddle provide the traditional country colors, while the electrics and rhythm section push it toward something a bit more rowdy. It's that mix of the two that defines the set.

Secondhand Ranch is at 1148 Frankford Ave in Fishtown. The show starts at 9:30 PM on Friday, October 23, with a $5 cover at the door.