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But it didn鈥檛 quite work out as the Americana/country singer-songwriter had planned.

When it comes to this whole quitting thing, 鈥淚鈥檓 failing fantastically,鈥� he confessed.

He took some time off, but then he faced some financial obligations and personal life disruptions that lured him back out there. Once there, Keen discovered 鈥淚 really missed performing.鈥�

鈥淚 tried woodworking, but that wouldn鈥檛 work. And then I tried synchronized swimming, and I didn鈥檛 enjoy that because the rest of the band wouldn鈥檛 synchronize with me,鈥� he joked during a late June phone call from Texas to talk about his show at on Saturday, July 12.

鈥淚 realized that performing and writing songs, those are the two things that I鈥檓 really good at, and everything else I鈥檓 just abysmal.鈥�

Saturday鈥檚 concert is Keen鈥檚 first in Tucson since his fall 2021 post-COVID show at the Rialto, a makeup for his March 2020 concert that he pulled out of when the World Health Organization declared the global pandemic. Keen was one of the first artists in the country and the first heading to Tucson to cancel a date because of COVID-19.

He comes here in the midst of making 鈥淲ailing War鈥� with noted Memphis producer ; he hopes to finish recording this summer and release the album in early 2026.

It鈥檚 Keen鈥檚 first studio record since 2015鈥檚 鈥淗appy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions鈥� and comes three years after he and the band released 鈥淲estern Chill,鈥� a compilation of his and his band members鈥� songs that they recorded during the pandemic at his Snake Barn Movie Ranch Studios.

Keen said he took time off from making studio albums after becoming discouraged with the overall industry.

鈥淚 made records real consistently, every two to four years from the first record I ever made in 1981,鈥� he explained. 鈥淎nd then somewhere in about 2012, I felt like I wasn鈥檛 getting any attention. The sales plummeted. Interest was really low. I had a hard time even getting my name on the back page of some kind of radio promotion thing, you know. I lost a lot of heart.鈥�

But once he started talking about quitting and slowing down, his phone started ringing.

鈥淛ust seems like one of the things that I did by 鈥榬etiring鈥� was I piqued a lot of people鈥檚 interest,鈥� he said, including the , which invited him to make his debut in March. 鈥淚 have a lot more knocking on my door these days.鈥�

Keen鈥檚 concert Saturday at the Rialto, 318 E. Congress St., begins at 8 p.m.; open the show. Tickets are $43.50-$76.30 through .