Introduction
Dwight Yoakam – Since I Started Drinkin’ Again: A Grit-Soaked Snapshot from the Roxy Stage
Dwight Yoakam – Since I Started Drinkin’ Again (Live at the Roxy, Hollywood, CA, March 1986) is the kind of performance that reminds you why live country music can hit harder than any studio recording. This wasn’t just a young Dwight showcasing his Bakersfield-inspired sound — it was a moment when the edges were still rough, the stakes were high, and the songs felt like they came straight from the smoke-filled corners of a roadside bar.
The Roxy Theatre in 1986 was a far cry from the polished arenas Yoakam would later fill. It was intimate, raw, and alive with the buzz of an audience who knew they were witnessing something special. The performance of Since I Started Drinkin’ Again that night carried an unfiltered honesty. Dwight’s vocals had that trademark twang — sharp, aching, and full of character — but there was also a looseness, the kind that comes when an artist is feeding off the crowd’s energy in real time.
The song itself is pure, hard-country storytelling. It walks the familiar path of heartbreak and self-destruction, but Yoakam’s delivery turns it into something personal. There’s a lived-in quality to the way he leans on certain phrases, letting them linger in the air just long enough for the audience to feel their sting. Behind him, the band keeps it tight and driving — crisp Telecaster licks, steady drums, and just enough steel guitar to wrap the whole thing in that unmistakable honky-tonk warmth.
What makes this performance stand out is how it bridges tradition and rebellion. In an era when mainstream country was drifting toward a slicker sound, Yoakam planted his boots firmly in the dust of his influences, carrying forward the spirit of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard while injecting his own edge.
For fans and newcomers alike, this Live at the Roxy version of Since I Started Drinkin’ Again isn’t just a song — it’s a time capsule. It captures Dwight Yoakam before superstardom, playing like he had nothing to lose and everything to prove, and in doing so, it delivers a performance that still cuts straight to the bone decades later.