He’s Got Liquid Courage! Meet Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow

I met up with Steel Skarecrow front man Kurt Shobe to chat about the band’s “Dance Hall Revival” style and high energy performances. Check out Kurt’s high energy acoustic performance of Liquid Courage!

 

Sue Bonzell 

Exactly. That’s right. He is the king of country. So there’s a country. So who else would you want to be? That’s a great answer. They’ve had some success on the Texas radio charts and a new single coming out and a video, steal. Scarecrow is the band and I’ve got the lead singer Kurt Shobe is here. Welcome, Kurt.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Thank you for having me.

 

Sue Bonzell 

So we’re so we’re here in Nashville. And you and I were just at the country radio seminar. Was that have you been to that before?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I didn’t even know that existed until about two months ago.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Well, there you go. How was your experience?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Oh, it’s fantastic. Fantastic. What

 

Sue Bonzell 

was your favorite part?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Well, my favorite part was meeting Shenandoah.

 

Sue Bonzell 

So you got to meet Shenandoah,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I got to reach out and do it sit and talk with Shenandoah for about 15 minutes. Marty and the guitar player? Absolutely amazing.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Yes. Did you learn anything that you didn’t know or that was helpful for you?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

At CRS?

 

Sue Bonzell 

Well from Shenandoah in general, I will both both.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Yeah, yeah. It’s all a lot of so a lot of people met a lot of people learn a lot of things. I always learn things when I come to Nashville. It’s Nashville is a town where you never know if you get the blade or the hills. But yeah, that was a very, very good experience. I’m glad it did it.

 

Sue Bonzell 

So now you’re not necessarily new. As as it were. How long have y’all been around and been together as a band? Cuz you’ve got a pretty big band and a lot of elements to that too.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Yeah, we were Yeah, we started in 2017. Did our first album and 2020 did another one and 2021 did another one this year. So yeah, we’ve been we’ve been kicking around for about five years now. I’ve been playing since I was 13. So okay, this is my third go around in Nashville.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Hey, you know what? You’re never too old. Right? Nope. Never too old and you love the music. You got a passion for it. The style of your guys’s music. I love it’s like I’m calling it dance hall revival. So, uh, you know, kind of what I think because when I hear you guys play, see you play on stage. I mean, it is a party and there’s no way that you’re going to be sitting down while y’all are playing. I hope not. It’s a it’s a get up and dance. It’s the dance hall. You’ve got steel guitar, you got fiddle all the classic elements. So let’s talk about the new music. So you released queen of Memphis? Yes. As well as a new video is out for that. Tell us about filming the video.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

The video was great. Yeah, we had a young couple that were fans of ours. And we met him at a bar, you know, it was his birthday,

 

Sue Bonzell 

the old fashioned way. It’s how you meet people in the bar. 2424 years old,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

hadn’t his birthday. And they just they loved what we were doing. And so we got to know him and started and they started following us. And when we get ready to do the video for Queen of Memphis, I knew these two were perfect. That was perfect. And they did a fantastic job with it. I think the video turned out very, very nice. Everybody that seen it has really enjoyed it. But to start the show or coordinate God or the they made it happen.

 

Sue Bonzell 

That’s awesome. Now you’re working on a brand new song right now that we’re going to hear in just a little bit. liquid courage. Tell us about this song.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

This one I actually got the idea to write this song at the award show in Texas. And I was talking to a group of guys and they were we were talking about writing songs. And I’d had kind of the idea of spin around my head you know liquid courage you gotta get your liquid courage to go meet the girls right right. And it’s also my daughter’s kind of say this too. They need a little liquid courage before they can go do something silly which I discourage them to do of course of course not in the song the song but so that’s where the idea came from and wrote it as a as a party song for playing in the bars and and so we’re doing that everybody here but he really loves it because it’s a really fun so it is fun. And it’s got a good story I think you know about what happened to the guy when he had a little too much liquid courage I did a show with Peyton Howie here a while back and I love Peyton Yeah, and she had she has a party song too about what happens to the girl. Okay, so we were doing a dual thing she did her songs Okay, I’m gonna do my song about what happens to the guy worked out kind of cool.

 

Sue Bonzell 

I love it. i Okay, so you I liked the idea that you have a lot of storytelling in your songs. Like, like there’s almost like, you can see the visual before you. You before you see the video that you created things like that. You listen to the lyrics and there really are storytelling like, like the old days.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

That’s country music.

 

Sue Bonzell 

There you go. That is you don’t

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

have a story. You don’t have a song as far as I’m concerned. Yes. So that’s where all my songwriting starts.

 

Sue Bonzell 

It’s a good it’s a good story. Now you guys are based out of Kansas. Yes. And so i Where are you playing? Are you expanding? Are you coming to Nashville? What are the plans?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Well, we just was talking to a guy last night about about coming back to Nashville in June and, and doing some shows for him. Met some folks at CRS going back and talk to them about doing some booking and so yeah, that’s why I very much want to get back to Nashville and play but we’ve right now we’re playing of course Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, primarily and so but yeah, we want to with the new with the new release, we want to take it a little bit bigger.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Okay, good. I love it. I think it’s time to take it a little bit bigger. Now the name of the band is steel Scarecrow and it scarecrow with a K.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Yes. Okay.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Those were cool. K for Cool. Cool. Cool. So now, a lot of people maybe don’t know what a steal scarecrow is. So tell us about that. And about how you got the name.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I’m really glad you asked that. Nobody knows what to steal Scarface. But still scarecrow is a windmill. In my neck of the woods in Kansas, the grown up I mean, everybody knows there’s still Scarecrow, the old windmill out there. I didn’t realize we named the band that that was pretty much confined to my home country. Yeah, there you go. So every show we always ask what is still scarecrow is and kind of make it so it’s kind of a way of interacting. Then we show him a t shirt.

 

Sue Bonzell 

It’s got the windmill There you go. Yes, the windmill. I love it. I love it. So you did bring your guitar? Yes, ma’am. You want to do a little acoustic performance of liquid courage for us? We’ll give it a try. Okay, great. Well, when we come back, we’re going to do truth or truth my famous game. And if you’d like to see current play that acoustic performance of liquid courage, you can click the link in the description and check it out there. It’s truth or truth. Well, we’re back with the world famous game truth or truth that we do here at the up and country studios in Nashville. Kurt, are you ready to play this game? I’m not sure. It’s okay. Everybody wins. Everybody wins. scares me a bit. Okay, we’re gonna you’re gonna have your pick. Pick question. God.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

What’s your biggest regret? Oh,

 

Sue Bonzell 

Steve, we’re going deep with this one. Oh, yeah. That is deep. Oh, my first wife. Oh, okay. Well, there’s an honest answer right there. That’s gotta be it. That’s gotta be it. And that was how many years ago? Long time long time was y’all. young and dumb. young and dumb. Yeah, that happens when that does happen. Yeah, well, that’s a pretty common regret, I think for a lot of people. And you know, there’s a lot of country music written about that. Yeah,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

actually, I wrote something about that.

 

Sue Bonzell 

See? I don’t know that there.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

But if I hadn’t made that mistake, I wouldn’t have had a kid so there’s there’s that exactly. There’s light at the end of the silver lining.

 

Sue Bonzell 

There’s always something that comes out of it. That’s that’s better than what you thought. Right? Yeah,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I have four grandkids. So

 

Sue Bonzell 

there you go. wasn’t all bad. Was it all about? Exactly, exactly. Okay. Well, that’s good. That was an honest answer. I’ll take that one. You get another one.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Oh, fake the next answer it Oh, no.

 

Sue Bonzell 

No faking here. This is called Truth or truth. Oh,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I like this one. If you could swap lives with anyone who would it be?

 

Sue Bonzell 

adored St. George Strait. Oh, that’s a good. Okay.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

That’s kind of a no brainer.

 

Sue Bonzell 

What do you think would be the best thing about being George Strait? He’s George Strait. Well, obviously,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

country, you know, but George Strait is cool. He is. We have a story about George Strait. I’ve never met him but we were doing a show in Ponca City, Oklahoma. And it planted a club. It’s called right die now it used to be called norms. And it was it was the place for him back in the day for up and coming acts to come through. George Strait actually did two shows there. Ah. And he the night he was at pakka city doing those shows was the night that he lost his daughter in the car. Oh, wow. So it turned out to be a very sad night for him. But we were playing there about a year ago. And this guy brings up this Polaroid picture. George Strait known as club Yeah, wow. And so I’m standing on the same stage that George Strait stood on so that was that was then he told me this story because it kind of ruined the moment a little bit. What? But still Yeah, that’s what he’s done the way he’s done it. You know, nobody else has started.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Exactly. That’s right. He is the King Country. So this country, so who else would you want to be? That’s a great answer.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Yeah. That would force y’all. You know, a Captain Kirk would be fun. Okay.

 

Sue Bonzell 

All right. Oh, good, fictional character. That’s good, too.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Okay. Luc Picard would be awesome. Could it be Star Trek? Okay.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Oh, now we’re getting it. I see original Star Trek or the new stuff. I’m

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

a fan of everything. I’m watching. Watching the new stuff now. Okay. Strange dual roles as Captain Pike is now in the car to courses out with a series if you’re not watching mathway you’ll be a Star Trek fan. Second, you started watching. Picard is fantastic. That the what they’ve done with that series. It’s just amazing, but I like it all. Okay, I’m a diehard Star Trek fan. When you know, when the kids were growing up, we would all lay down and watch the next generation we’d all lay down on the floor. And what and that was our thing. You know, watch watch the next generation every week. Oh, family night. Floor together with our pillows on the chairs and watch tng.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Oh, that’s cool. All right. So we didn’t i This isn’t I did not know about you did not know that. You were like this. The tricky Star Trek? Oh, yeah. Diehard. Okay, well, then there you go. We know what to get you as a gift. Yes. So moving forward. If you would like to get Kurt a gift. If it’s Star Trek related or Mountain Dew will be good Mountain

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Dew, or an autographed signature from autographed picture from William Shatner would be nice.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Okay. Well, he’s got the wish list. Or letter. Do you mind? That’d be fine, too. Either one is fine.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

We’re divorced Kelly. Or Patrick Stewart up it is yes.

 

Sue Bonzell 

We got lots of choices. Lots of choice and you want to be good. Excellent. Would you like to do one more? Sure. Okay, let’s do one more. That was fun. Yeah, fun.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

What’s the biggest prank you’ve ever played on someone?

 

Sue Bonzell 

Are you a prankster?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I don’t do that. Okay, so we can pick another one. Or we can talk about why I’m not a prankster. I

 

Sue Bonzell 

want to know why you’re not a prankster. Well,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I, I’m a I’m a very literal person. Which sounds strange since I write songs and play music, but I’m the one that they play the pranks.

 

Sue Bonzell 

All right. So you don’t like that?

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I know. I don’t like that. Because I believe anything. They tell me. Because they say okay, yeah, this just happened. Me. Oh my god, I’m so sorry. They’re all laughing you know? I’ve never been able to figure out that part of human nature. When you’re when you’re trying to kill me and when you’re not. So when I tried to do it, it just turns out

 

Sue Bonzell 

horrible. See, well, there you go. See he’s a true player of truth or truth because it’s all about the truth. You don’t play the pranks don’t do the lies, the you know, the teasing the whatever, it’s, you know,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

No, I never learned how to do that. I was the big brother. So I had to be growing up. You don’t have to be or I was it didn’t have to be I guess but I was you know, the responsible. Okay. And, but that experience, I think is why I can manage a band. Okay, because if you can, folks that are artists know this, if you can manage a band, and all the things that go with it, you can do anything. Seriously, you can run for president, nothing else will be that art.

 

Sue Bonzell 

That’s true. That is That is true.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

So I learned that early on and it did give me managerial skills when I moved into adult life and, and and started businesses and that sort of thing. So that I was lucky

 

Sue Bonzell 

managerial skills and then the ability to work with lots of different personalities and people who are pulling their weight and not pulling their weight and all of the things right oh yeah, all the things Yeah,

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

I don’t like conflict it’s always hard to say no or right side Nora that sort of that that’s really really hard for me to do. But you know, you learn how because yeah, some of these guys in the band are no offense to you guys. Some of you guys are a little weird.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Musicians like you know they have the right to be weird that like makes them endearing. Right.

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

Doesn’t make them endearing. Or really difficult.

 

Sue Bonzell 

Depending on which side you’re Yeah, exactly. I

 

Kurt Shobe of Steel Skarecrow 

go during the difficult I’ve had both that it wasn’t it guys. I love you but I can’t stand you.

 

Sue Bonzell 

You gotta go. Well, there you go. We got the real truth out of Curt Showbie from steel scarecrow. Thank you so much for being here. And we’re gonna keep a keep an eye on you on the Texas charts. Thank you very much for having me. Absolutely. Thanks for watching up in country. Be sure to like and subscribe And leave us a comment. We do new episodes every Tuesday and be sure to follow up and country on Instagram Tik Tok and Facebook and you can follow me to add Sue Bonzell on instagram facebook and Tik Tok