Jalan Crossland: Wyoming’s Native Son Returns To Beartrap

Jalan Crossland. He’s made quite a name for himself in Wyoming and beyond…the Tensleep fella who plays a mean banjo and guitar. His song lyrics aren’t the sappy fluff of top 40; he at once manages to capture life as we know it in the Cowboy State while also educating us about the seedier side of life. Country, rock, bluegrass…all delivered through this singer-songwriter’s thought-provoking, sometimes funny and quite frankly, sometimes disturbingly accurate material.

Here are 10 things we find really interesting about Jalan Crossland…

His release Singalongs for the Apocalypse was awarded Wyoming Public Radio’s People’s Choice Award for best Wyoming release of 2017 – and also features song titles like “Post-Apocalyptic Love Song,”  “Creeper Van” and “Aliens Took my Baby.”

Jalan has released 7 albums of primarily his own songs, and performs throughout the U.S. and occasionally Europe, when he takes the notion.

Has a friend named Rooster – who is a “great musician, entertainer, and helluva’ nice fella.”

Has toured with, and played shows with Texas folk legend Robert Earl Keen, Jr.

Jalan and his band shared the Beartrap Summer Festival stage during the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s encore set back in 2014.

Also in 2014, had “a most excellent painting” of himself playing guitar added to a traffic light electrical box at the corner of Terry and 17th in downtown Cheyenne, curtesy of Cheyenne artist Jordan Dean.

Offers some mighty fine swag on his website, including cds, shirts, baseball cap and a coozie that states “There ain’t enough likker in the county to drink the ugly offa you.”…

Garnered this comment from someone on YouTube named Daniel Griffith on his video “Moonshiner” - “if this song got used in the background music of a movie…he would be very famous very quickly…” (We agree, Daniel!)

Paste Magazine included him and his ensemble as being among Wyoming’s top bands. Heck, yeah.

Here’s what his website says about getting on his mailing list… “To receive updates by email, fill out the form below. This information is not shared nor sold, except to the highest bidder.” So. Now you know…

There’s more where that came from, folks. Check out said website at jalancrossland.com, and don’t miss him on the Beartrap Summer Festival stage once again this summer!