“A delightful, immersive experience for those who appreciate the rural West’s boundless creativity.” –Western Folklife Center
Such is Life in the Far West is a night of Western storytelling, humor, music, and lived experience from people who still work the land.
Join us for an intimate evening where working cowboys and ranchers share stories, songs, and poems drawn straight from contemporary life on the range. These are tales of weather and work, grit and grace—sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always real.
Presented in partnership with the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada, this special event brings together some of the most respected voices in modern cowboy culture. Expect a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere—more like a campfire gathering than a formal performance.
Featuring Gail Steiger, Darrell Holden, Lara Manzanares, R.P. Smith, and Brigid & Johnny Reedy.
Come for the stories. Stay for the laughs. Leave with a deeper connection to the West.
Gail Steiger
Gail Steiger is a cowboy, songwriter, filmmaker, and poet who has worked on ranches across Arizona and created the award-winning PBS documentary Ranch Album.
Darrell Holden
Darrell Holden is a fifth-generation Utah rancher and cowboy poet who writes and performs work drawn from his life, his family, and West Desert.
Lara Manzanares
R.P. Smith
R.P. Smith is a fourth-generation cattleman and cowboy poet from Pine Crest Ranch near Broken Bow, Nebraska, who hosts the weekly show after years of performing across fourteen states and Canada and working with leading voices in western entertainment.
Brigid and Johnny Reedy
Brigid and Johnny Reedy are a Montana-born sibling duo—singer-songwriter-fiddler-poet Brigid and multi-instrumentalist Johnny—who perform together, blending their shared musical roots, wide-ranging influences, and deep connection to Western culture.