West Art welcomes Trenton Wagler (of The Steel Wheels) & Andrew Pauls!

This is going to be special! After 20 years as the driving force behind the belovedThe Steel Wheels, Trenton Wagler is stepping into new territory, introducing a brand-new solo project to the world. This is a great opportunity to experience his songwriting in a more intimate, stripped-down setting. Joining him is Andrew Pauls, a Lancaster-based songwriter whose music is as thoughtful as it is moving. And what better setting for this than The Sanctuary, the beautifully intimate listening room on the second floor of West Art? Grab a friend, order your tickets, & come spend the evening with us!

>> The doors will open at 7, and the show will start at 7:30.

>> Tickets are $20, and as always, we’re proud to present an all-ages show with discounted tickets available for students.

>> Seating: This will be a seated show.

>> Our space is ADA accessible, and we will do our best to accommodate any specific needs. Please note that all ticket sales are final. Thank you for supporting great music!

Trenton Wagler Bio:

“I’ve got some work to do, only I can do.” After 20 years of touring with The Steel Wheels, Trenton Wagler has written and recorded a collection of spirited songs on his 2025 solo project,“This Might Be My Prime.” As eclectic as it is immediate, thealbum deals with topics rangingfrom imposter syndrome to international conflict–college student bad decisions to county fairtractor pulls. Raised on Mennonite harmonies and midwestern farms, and transplanted to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in the late'90s, Wagler draws on a wide variety of musicalinfluences. Clawhammer banjo, rock n roll, and vintage family recordings turn the personal into universal. He explains, “Every once in a while, it’s good to sign up for something you don’tknow how to do. For this project, I tuned up the ‘oud I hadn’t played in 20 years and re-learnedhow to play bass. My sister agreed to play piano and my daughter and dad sang harmonies on the title track.”

Wagler’s work deals with themes ofdeath and renewal, vulnerability and transformation, and has been described by Americana UK as “a heartfelt, hard truth”where “resilience and positivity win through every time”. Wagler notes, “Culturally, there’s a pressure to be having the time of ourlives all the time. As if we’re either in the prime of our lives, or we’re completely missing out. Sometimes we need songs, however aspirational, to remind us to appreciate whatever moment we’re in.”

“It’s cold now, my fingers are gone,

But if this looks like it’s an ending

All the gardens we’re tending

Turn death into dawn”–Death Into Dawn

Wagler's writing has earned The Steel Wheels numerous Independent Music awards (IMAs) andtop 40 radio play on the Folk/Americana charts and his songs have been featured on AmericanSongwriter, Billboard, Paste, and NPR music. In 2013, The Steel Wheels founded the Red WingRoots Music Festival in Mt. Solon, VA to cultivate and celebrate great music in the Shenandoah Valley.

Andrew Pauls bio

Andrew Pauls writes songs about everything from rainy days to Spain to space travel. But all of his songs have one thing in common: they’re about the relationships we have with ourselves, each other, and the places we call home.In Andrew’s music, listeners will hear echoes of songwriting veterans John Prine and Jackson Brown swirled with the flavors of contemporary artists like Watchhouse (FKA Mandolin Orange) and The Tallest Man on Earth.

Raised amidst the fertile farmland of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Andrew grew up on a steady diet of Mennonite four-part hymn singing and Paul Simon. Andrew was never satisfied with singing other peoples’ music; soon after receiving a guitar for Christmas at age 12, he wrote his first song. Nearly twenty years later, Andrew is still writing, inviting people to lean in close and bear the weight of the world together.

Host or Publisher West Art Community Center