Cowboy up

Admirers of the open range and the spoken word will congregate in Elko this weekend for the annual 2007 Cowboy Poetry Gathering. If you can’t make it to this year’s event, there’s still a chance to hear the music and poetry of America’s country-western balladeers. Singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey will perform this weekend in Carson City. Murphey enjoyed a string of country music hits during the 1970s and 1980s, most notably the single “Wildfire” off his 1975 album Blue Sky, Night Thunder. During the 1990s, Murphey focused on reviving old cowboy songs at a time when country music started to turn to pop and rock influences. The first of his Cowboy Songs collections went gold, and has been followed by other successful albums featuring vintage cowboy songs and Murphey’s original compositions. Michael Martin Murphey performs at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Bob Boldrick Theatre at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $22 for students, seniors and Brewery Arts Center members. Call 883-1976.