Over the course of time, country-rock artist F.C. Westcott has grown in his writing, playing and listening to music. In this rare interview on concerts he shares his views on some of the performances he has attended that have left a mark on him musically.

Steve Earle, Emmy Lou Harris, Jackson Browne
Santa Barbara, CA
1999
The music was amazing and was a trifecta of three of my favorite artists. I was working on an offshore drilling rig for an extended hitch. The night of the show, I caught a boat back to shore, drove to Santa Barbara, watched the show, then drove back, slept in my truck until dawn and then caught another boat back to the platform in the morning. I wasn’t very popular on the rig but it was worth every bit of the scrutiny.

Ted Nugent opening for 38 Special
Rapid City, South Dakota
1986
This was my first concert. I was 16 years old and totally freaked out by Ted Nugent’s show. He was crazy, screaming, twisting around, shooting flaming arrows at spinning targets. It was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. I knew that I would never perform like that but it affected me.

John Fulbright
Austin, TX
2016
How the music was for you: He is an amazing talent, instrumentalist and songwriter. Watching him was humbling and made me want to be better.

Chuck Cannon
Austin, TX
2016
How the music was for you: Chuck is a great hit songwriter out of Nashville with a very unique guitar style. I picked up some of his open tuning technique and have begun to incorporate aspects of it into my own stylings.

Merle Haggard
Grand Junction, CO
2013
How the music was for you: Merle Haggard is a huge influence and he was in his later years but still sounded outstanding! His performance was truly inspirational.