Treaty Oak Revival brings a beer-soaked West Texas party to Syracuse

Treaty Oak Revival made its New York debut Thursday night, bringing a headlining set built on West Texas country, heavy guitars and plenty of flying beer to Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview.

Frontman Sam Canty told the Syracuse crowd that the Sept. 24 show marked the band’s first in New York, a milestone reached during its “West Texas Degenerate Tour.” Before Treaty Oak took the stage around 9:30 p.m., Ben Quad and William Clark Green opened a night that moved through three distinct corners of the band’s musical world.

Oklahoma City’s Ben Quad started the evening about as far from traditional country as the bill would travel. Formed in 2018, the band has built its following on a blend of emo, pop-punk, post-hardcore and math-rock influences. Guitarists Sam Wegrzynski and Edgar Viveros helped drive a heavier opening set that hinted at the punk and alternative-rock influences also woven into Treaty Oak Revival’s sound.

William Clark Green followed, pulling the evening firmly back toward Texas.

A longtime fixture of the Texas country and Red Dirt scene, Green has spent more than a decade touring behind records including Rose Queen, Ringling Road and Hebert Island. He’s also part of The Panhandlers, a Texas supergroup featuring Josh Abbott, John Baumann and Flatland Cavalry frontman Cleto Cordero.

His set provided a natural bridge into the headliner, and Green’s night wasn’t finished when he left the stage. He later returned with his dog, Gumbo, joining Treaty Oak Revival during “West Texas Degenerate.”

Treaty Oak opened its own set with “Port A” before moving through “Missed Call,” “West Texas Degenerate,” “Happy Face,” “Have a Nice Day” and “No Vacancy.” The 18-song set pulled heavily from the band’s latest record while mixing in songs from across its catalog.

Canty spent much of the night moving from one side of the stage to the other, often with a can of nonalcoholic beer in hand.

Canty has spoken publicly about his sobriety — a striking contrast to a live show where beer-soaked chaos has become part of the spectacle. Throughout the night, he cracked open cans of Budweiser Zero and Athletic Brewing nonalcoholic beer, often taking a sip before shaking, spraying or launching them into the crowd. Fans along the barricade rarely stayed dry for long.

And then came “Boomtown.”

Fans familiar with Treaty Oak Revival seemed to know exactly what was coming. As the song reached its signature moment, drinks launched skyward across the pit in near-unison, creating a brief explosion of beer above the crowd. For a cool, dry September night in Syracuse, the sudden downpour around the pit was entirely self-inflicted.

The beer shower captured much of what distinguishes Treaty Oak Revival as its audience grows: a live show that can shift from country storytelling to distorted guitars and near-chaos without settling into one genre.

The band carried that energy through the back half of the set with songs including “Misery,” which features Muscadine Bloodline on the recorded version. Before playing it, Canty told the crowd he wished the Alabama country duo could have been there. Treaty Oak followed with “Fishnets” and “See You in Court” before “Ode to Bourbon” closed the main set and “Leaving Hell” wrapped the night as an encore.

For Treaty Oak Revival, the night marked one more first for a band whose reach keeps expanding far beyond West Texas.