Kevin Kaarl brings Paris, Texas tour to SLO this week

Paris, Texas is a real place, but it’s also a state of mind — if you’ve watched the 1984 movie “Paris, Texas” as Kevin Kaarl did, those words bring to mind a journey of personal growth and self-discovery.

Kaarl has used that state of mind as a guidepost in making his latest album and tour. On his international Paris, Texas Tour, which makes its next stop at the Fremont Theatre this Tuesday, March 7, Kaarl spins a web of contemplative folk-pop, speckled with influences from alt-rock and the corridos of Kaarl’s native Chihuahua, Mexico.

Kaarl specializes in introspective, unadorned songwriting — in an interview with Rolling Stone, he talked about his instinctive creative process: “I’ll write how I’m feeling at that moment — the things that I’m thinking about in my life at that moment and a message that I want to give out,” he said. “If I don’t have the inspiration at that moment, it’s very hard for me to write the song.”

On stage, this translates to an intimate, emotional night, perfect for letting out tension as we students edge closer to finals week. Tickets are available through the Fremont Theatre.