Cowboy Poetry And Western Music Take The Riverbend Live Stage Friday

Cowboy poetry, Western swing and stories inspired by life on the range will fill Riverbend Park as four performers come together for a special roundtable Friday night.

WINSTON, Ore. - Stories from the saddle, songs from the range and the traditions of the American West will take center stage Friday during Riverbend Live!’s Cowboy Poetry & Western Music Roundtable.

The free performance begins at 7 p.m. Friday, July 24, at the Riverbend Park Outdoor Amphitheater in Winston. Rather than featuring a single headlining act, the evening will bring Andy Hedges, Dakota Robinson, Kristyn Harris and Jake Riley together for a mix of music, poetry, humor and ranch-life storytelling.

Hedges is a Texas songster, guitarist, storyteller and collector of traditional cowboy songs and poems. Raised in the small community of Tokio, Texas, he developed an early interest in Western music while listening to his father’s collection of cowboy song recordings.

His performances stretch across several corners of American roots music, including classic cowboy poetry, lesser-known Western songs, Dust Bowl ballads and blues. Hedges also hosts the “Cowboy Crossroads” podcast, which features conversations with musicians and poets carrying Western traditions forward.

He has frequently performed with folk musician Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2023 and brought his album “Roll On, Cowboys” to Carnegie Hall in 2024.

Robinson’s poetry comes directly from his years working on ranches throughout Texas, Kansas, Wyoming and New Mexico. Long hours in the saddle eventually became an opportunity to build poems around the challenges, personalities and humor found in everyday cowboy life.

Now working as a full-time farrier in Texas, Robinson continues writing and performing poetry shaped by his experiences with cattle, horses and ranch work.

Harris will bring the musical side of the West to the roundtable. The Burleson, Texas, singer and songwriter is known for combining Western swing with original songs and familiar classics inspired by agricultural life.

Her performances feature rhythm guitar, yodeling, storytelling and a strong connection to her own experiences raising cattle and working with horses. Harris has toured Europe four times and has been named the International Western Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year six times.

Riley grew up in Colorado’s upper Arkansas Valley, where rodeo, roping and time spent helping on ranches sparked his interest in cowboy culture. He began writing poetry while still in school and later shared his work publicly at church and the Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

His writing often takes a contemporary and animated approach to ranch life while still making room for the classic poems that helped shape the tradition. Riley has performed at gatherings across the West, including six appearances at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada.

Riverbend Live! performances generally run about two hours. Audience members may bring lawn chairs or blankets, along with outside food and picnic meals. A local food truck is also expected to be available. Pets and smoking are not permitted inside the concert area.

The performance is part of Riverbend Live!’s 30th anniversary season. The summer series concludes July 31 and Aug. 1 with the Riverbend Live! Youth Theater production of “Into the Woods JR.”