Head first into good old pickin’, Walker and the Texas Dangers sling a lively concoction—gritty stories told with slapped up treatment. Bound like downhill freight, the songs indicate no desire for slowing. “Grass is always greener on the other side,” colored by a nasal cry, Brett Walker leads the band with broad fervency. The music these boys make canters and spills out across the packed house. Bluegrass with a demon’s edge, they sit a couple of notches away from speedgrass’ infamy. With just enough push on the needle, they get the beast rumbling. There’s a call from out front, huffing and puffing; through the set, the crowd rides the shakes and shudders as the songs carry them along the wilds of open country.

Started by Brett Walker and Dan Hardick, former members of Fort Worth’s The Dan Family, The Texas Dangers have engineered something special. In early 2011, Walker and his guitarist set out for Nashville where they connected with...