Dale Watson hasn't yet left that overpriced condo heap known as Austin, Texas, but he might be closer to affording a little lake place here in Minnesota after his appearance last night on "The Late Show With David Letterman." The old-school honky-tonk hero and Lee's Liquor Lounge mainstay took to NBC to tout his new album for Red House Records, "El Rancho Azul," which became the St. Paul label's first release to ever make it to Billboard's country album charts (it debuted at No. 57).

Letterman himself reportedly got a listen to the record and made the request to get Watson on the show. You can tell by the clip below he was genuinely excited to have him. The performance might have been the biggest broadcast audience Watson has played to since his last time on "A Prairie Home Companion."

Dale will be back in our neck of the woods for another Lee's gig on July 29. He'll also be at Rollie's in Sauk Rapids a night earlier. Then he will return less than a month later to the Minnesota State Fair – where he's a favorite player on the Heritage Square stage – for multiple sets Aug. 22-23.