Parker McCollum plays at The Wharf on July 26

Parker McCollum plays at The Wharf on July 26

Parker McCollum (pictured) will bring his “What Kinda Man Tour” to The Wharf Amphitheater on July 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Laci Kaye Booth and the Randy Rogers Band are the openers, and tickets are available at ticketmaster.com or at The Wharf box office. One dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to The Ruger Fund. McCollum is touring in support of a just releaded self-titled album.
“It is the best thing I’ve ever done. It is honest, it’s raw. This record is one thousand percent authentic,’’ he said.
McCollum announced his arrival in the country music mainstream with his 2020 debut album, Gold Chain Cowboy. His second release, 2023’s Never Enough, bristles with honesty and attitude with rock guitar and country songwriting.
“This town can eat you alive, the music business can eat you alive, with artists trying to remain relevant and have hit songs. That’s something I never cared about,” McCollum said. I’m trying to just write songs that can potentially stand the test of time.
“What I do best is write songs from a very real place and sing country music. I try to sound like someone else,” Parker added. “We definitely did that on this record. Every one of the 15 songs sounds different.”
Definitely different is “Handle on You” and its iconic line: “I tell myself that I should quit/but I don’t listen to drunks.”
“That song is a nod to some of the great records I grew up with,” said Parker, who counts George Strait, Willie Nelson, and Chris Knight as heros.
Parker scored his first No. 1 country hit with “Pretty Heart,” his debut single. “To Be Loved by You” also was a No. 1.
McCollum will sing “Wait Outside” and “Meet You In The Middle,” as well as “Burn It Down,” “Handle On You,” and “I Ain’t Going Nowhere.’’
“I’m just a guy who started playing shows at The Firehouse Saloon, and now I’m selling out shows. It’s like I’m living in a movie,’’ he told the audience in a shout-out to his Conroe, Texas hometown when he played at The Wharf last July with special guests Corey Kent and Dasha. He also played at The Wharf on Sept. 2, 2022, with Corey Smith and Frank Foster opening.

Booked Wharf Concerts
Other upcoming Wharf shows: Aug 23: Little Big Town w. Ashley McBryde & Carter Faith; Oct. 14: 21 Pilots; Oct. 24: Coral Reefers Tribute To Jimmy Buffett