Garth Brooks is coming to San Antonio!

photo via garthbrooks.com
Garth Brooks set to play AT&T Center on July 22nd and 23rd, tickets go on sale NEXT Friday (6/3) at 10am!

Read more at mySA!

Jerry Jeff Walker at Gruene Hall

In the light of some of the major blows we have had in the music world in 2016, I've begun to re-prioritize my musical outings a bit. Jerry Jeff Walker is one particular Texas music legend that I had never seen live, so I fixed that this past Friday night at Gruene Hall! If you're unfamiliar with Gruene Hall's seated shows, the half of the hall closest to the stage is set up with rows of chairs, and the back half and sides are set up with the picnic tables. Everything is on a first come, first serve basis, but there isn't a bad place in Gruene Hall to watch a show from. I sat in the chairs near the stage so I was up close since this was my first time to see him! He sounds great, he played all your favorite Jerry Jeff songs, including not only those he wrote, but songs by Guy Clark, Ray Wylie Hubbard and others. He also sang a little Haggard! The video below gives you a taste of the show, but I highly recommend seeing him for yourself, too!

Quaker City Night Hawks

Quaker City Night Hawks just released their GREAT new album El Astronauta, and they had a CD release show here in New Braunfels at River Road Ice House! There is a good chance you missed it because of all the rain and the fact that River Road had a spot under water so it was closed, but if you knew the alternate route and were there like me, you saw a FANTASTIC SHOW from a GREAT BAND! Austin Gilliam opened this show full band, and sounded GREAT!

I saw QCNH for the first time in the summer of 2013 at Galleywinter's 13th Annual Greenfest, and I immediately knew this was a band I was going to like and follow as long as they exist, and I can't tell you through words or even through video (below) how great this show was! You really need to go see them for yourself when you have a chance, and in the mean time PLEASE pick up a copy of El Astronauta, you WILL love it!

El Astronauta on iTunes

20th Annual KNBT Americana Music Jam

TODAY's event is SOLD OUT!

The 20th Annual 92.1 KNBT-FM Americana Music Jam is today at noon at Gruene Hall and is officially SOLD OUT! Proceeds are benefitting the Crisis Center of Comal County and the Braunfels Foundation Trust!

Here's the final line up with exception of one final surprise guest planned for the 4:25 time slot...

12:25 pm – Tina Wilkins (Amazing Grace)
12:30 pm – Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros
1:10 pm – Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines
1:45 pm – Ed Jurdi & Gordy Quist
2:25 pm – Jamie Lin Wilson
3:05 pm – Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers
3:45 pm – Seth James Band
4:25 pm – Very special surprise guest!
4:45 pm – Pat Green (acoustic)
5:20 pm – Ray Wylie Hubbard
5:55 pm – Randy Rogers Band
6:40 pm – Monty Byrom with Midnight River Choir
7:30 pm – Jack Ingram Band
8:20 pm – Uncle Lucius
9:00 pm – Cody Canada & The Departed
9:40 pm – Sean McConnell
10:30 pm – Reckless Kelly

Guy Clark has gone to be with his beloved Susanna

At 74 years of age, Guy Clark has passed into the great beyond. He lost his wife Susanna in 2012, and continued to tour until his health faded, but he is finally back with the love of his life. This photo is the cover of his 2013 release My Favorite Picture of You, and it is as masterful a piece of work as any he ever did in his long and fruitful career. Guy leaves behind a legacy of amazing songs and stories, and will be greatly missed...

"Guy died after a long illness at 3:41 this morning. His caregiver Joy and Verlon Thompson were at his side. Guy was wearing a pink Shawn Camp T-shirt, it was his favorite shirt and it made me smile to think of him wearing it at the end. Guy has been suffering so much these last months and I'm grateful that he is no longer in pain. I will love him forever and I know he loved me. What more can we ask for? I hope you will all listen to some Guy Clark music today." -Tamara Saviano

Guy Clark on iTunes

Guy Clark - My Favorite Picture of You (Music Fog)

Guy Clark - The Cape (Music Fog)

Charlie Daniels Band & Kimberly Dunn at Gruene Hall

I love living in a town that's so cool that it has the best historic dance hall in the world hanging just outside the loop on the beautiful Guadalupe River. We can see living legends like The Charlie Daniels Band! It was a great show, everything you could hope for, and Kimberly Dunn was a fantastic and high energy opener!

In the 60's and early 70's Charlie Daniels was a hard working songwriter and multi-instrumentalist session musician who had a song he co-wrote recorded by Elvis Presley in 1964 and he played on recordings for Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, The Marshall Tucker Band and many more! In the meantime he wrote and released numerous albums of his own, and began to get some traction on the charts with his third album "Honey In The Rock". He won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Group or Duo in 1979 for "Devil Went Down To Georgia", and has won awards from just about every organization that hands them out for country, southern rock or gospel music.

Daniels turns 80 later this year, and will celebrate at his 41st Annual Volunteer Jam with guests Kid Rock, Larry the Cable Guy, and more acts to be announced at a later date. He will also be inducted into the CMA Hall of Fame later this year along with Randy Travis and Fred Foster.

Click here for tickets to the Volunteer Jam/Birthday Celebration!

Photos:

2016 Farmgrass Fest

Farmgrass Fest is up in Niederwald this Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th. They raise money for Gro-Act (Growers Alliance of Central Texas) which helps with healthcare costs for producers of natural & organic foods. Find more information at farmgrass.org, but here's the LIVE MUSIC line up!

SATURDAY MAY 14, 2016

8:30 Shinyribs
​7:30 The Lost Pines
6:00 Wood & Wire
5:00 Bottom Dollar String Band
3:30 Doug Moreland
2:30 Guy Town
1:30 Doors Open
​​

SUNDAY MAY 15, 2016

7:30 Danny Barnes & Barn of Wood
6:30 Jenny & The Corn Ponies
5:00 Dawn & Hawkes
4:00 Sour Bridges
3:00 The Deer
2:00 Fog & Bone
1:00 Contest Winner: The Mismatch
​12:00 Doors Open

Ray Johnston Band EP #GoesGoodWith drops May 27!

Nashville, TN-(May 10, 2016)-The Ray Johnston Band has built a solid foundation over the years based on melodies and lyrics that always seem to lean on the positive side of life. His previous album “No Bad Days” not only put Ray Johnston on a much larger map as a genuine songwriter and artist, but also stands as a shining example of how much music fans gravitate to his special brand of “happy.” Now, after a year and a half of keeping up with the demands of a successful album, Ray is set to impart more of those buoyant vibes with the release of his new EP “#GoesGoodWith” on May 27th. In celebration, an intimate “VIP release party” will happen in Ray’s hometown of Dallas. Details will be released soon via his social pages. As part of the interactive EP release, RJB will also launch their #HouseCalls contest. At the beginning of each month, the band will list the shows for that respective month on @rayjohnstonband social pages. First responders to the #HouseCall post will have a chance to win a private house concert.

“I like the songs I co-write and sing to be like a good romantic comedy. The right balance of humor, joy, love, honesty, wit, and always more sun than rain. This is how I would describe “#GoesGoodWith.”

Ray’s abiding engagement with fans and heavy social media presence inspired his new six-song EP with repeat producer Eric Herbst, recorded at the Panhandle House in Denton, Texas. The EP offers that signature feel-good ambiance that is a trusting side-kick down life’s many roads. Songs like the Tex-Mex infused “Little Lupe,” the straight up countryfied “My Liver Don’t Live Here Anymore” and “Make Mine A Double,” the sequel to his hit single off his previous album “More Crown Than Coke,” has got you covered for the satirical sides of life. “Beautiful You” is pure “love song” and the finest tune in this collection, written with Paul Overstreet, Roger Creager and Matt Boggs. The company Ray has kept among his songwriting peers has definitely stepped up his game, so sitting in a room writing a song with a #1 hit songwriter like Paul Overstreet is what Ray likens to, “The equivalent of me ever getting to play basketball with Michael Jordan.” “Watching The Lord Turn On The Lights” is an outdoorsy type, at home in the majesty of nature, a quiet respect taught to him by his father throughout his life. A stand out on the EP “Horses And Hearts,” a retro country music throwback sang as a duet with 17-year old prodigy from Ft. Worth, Abbey Cone.

Ray’s social media prowess has built him a solid rapport with his fans, and what they think about his music is paramount. The #GoesGoodWith” campaign will be an ongoing open platform for fans to weigh in on, their comments a welcomed source of inspiration for Ray’s next project, and a way to incorporate new sponsors and brand alignments with Bud Light, Alabama Sweet Tea, Zodiac Vodka, & Levi's. It will also stand as a vehicle for giving back as RJB teams up with Luke’s Fastbreaks, designers of apparel to enhance the cancer patient experience by providing chemotherapy shirts in soft, comfortable colors that children (and adults) can wear during their treatment. The shirts were designed by Luke, a 9 year old cancer survivor who felt “more sick” when wearing the traditional gown. Ray, a five-time leukemia survivor, will also make hospitals visits acting as an ambassador for these comfortable new alternatives. Ray’s feet-to-the-pavement work ethic securing partnerships with Luke’s Fastbreaks and Be The Match, a sponsorship deal with Bud Light, national music placements and a growing tour schedule certainly exposes a sharp mind, but at his core, Ray is all heart.

“Ray Johnston has experienced the cancer fight firsthand, so he understands exactly how much something as simple as a shirt would make a patient feel a little bit happier while they are in the hospital. Luke’s FastBreaks hopes to have a positive impact on our community and children across the world by making the pediatric cancer fight just a little bit better. Ray Johnston's positive outlook on life is contagious. We hope our shirts can have a similar impact on patients, and we are so thankful to partner with an artist like Ray Johnston who believes in our mission. We hope that throughout the #GoesGoodWith tour we can join Ray Johnston on hospital visits and pass out Luke’s Fast Breaks shirts with his logo on the front in communities he performs in, so that we can team together to share Ray Johnston’s mission and upbeat music with the world (and cheer up cancer patients in the process)!” -Britton Lynn/Luke’s FastBreaks

links:
rayjohnstonband.com
@rayjohnstonband (Twitter)
/rayjohnstonband (Facebook)
rayjohnstonband (Instagram)

2016 Wein & Saengefest

Wein & Saengerfest is ALWAYS a great place to see great music, and this year is no exception!

Hill Street Stage:
2:00The Nightowls
5:30Seth James & Jessica Murray

Main Stage:
3:30Kori Free & The Groove Hounds
7:30Shinyribs

2Tarts: Wes Crouch & Reagan Treadwell

The Phoenix Saloon: The Georges

GOODFEST 2016 Line Up!

The 3rd Annual GOODFEST will be bigger and better than ever this year! Not only will they have an all day 2pm to whenever music blowout, but the "Original Allan Goodman Band" pre-party they did last year at Tavern in the Gruene on Saturday night will happen again this year, plus the OAGB will also perform Friday night at Adobe Verde from 5 to 7, and there will EVEN be a Thursday night Texas Hold 'Em tournament at Scores Sports Bar! And if that's not enough, there's also a RIVER FLOAT on Saturday morning at Gypsy River Resort starting at 10am, $25 gets you breakfast, toob rental and parking!

WHAT? FOUR DAYS of GOODFEST?!?

Here's all that again "schedule" style...

Thursday, June 9
Scores Sports Bar:GOODFEST Texas Hold 'Em Tournament
 
Friday, June 10
Adobe Verde:Original Allan Goodman Band 5-7
 
Saturday, June 11
Gypsy River Resort:RIVER FLOAT at 10am ($25)
Tavern in the Gruene:#PREPARTY w/Original Allan Goodman Band, Zack Walther, Matt Briggs, Austin Gilliam and Tony Taylor
 
Sunday, June 12
Billy's Ice:3rd Annual GOODFEST 2pm until ??
 Acoustic: Tony Taylor, Matt Kersh, Jordan Minor, Matt Easley, Myles Smith & Seth Hearron
 Full Band: Zack Walther Band, Colton O'Neill Band, Slim Bawb & The Fabulous Stumpgrinders, Austin Gilliam & The Politicians and The Original Allan Goodman Band's AG Tribute

TICKETS AND MORE info here!

Where It All Began by Jesse Stratton Band

Jesse Stratton Band's new album Where It All Began is now available on iTunes and at a show near you! This is a very solid sophomore release for Jesse, and it comes in at almost exactly one and a half years since his first release Broken Strings. Where It All Began shows a marked maturity over his freshman, solo album Broken Strings, both in his songwriting as well as the instrumentation and production value. Jesse has transitioned from a solo/duo to regularly performing with full band, and the members of his band were also the same musicians that recorded this new album in the studio. The full band includes the standard 4-piece with drums/vocals (Kenneth Martinez), bass guitar (John Ohlinger), lead guitar (Tony Garossino) and Jesse on rhythm acoustic and lead vocals, but Jesse also rounds out the band's sound with the occasional saxophone and harmonica, plus Tony Garossino also plays mandolin and lap steel.

This record starts out with a fast moving, rock-like tune, transitions into a well constructed landscape not unlike the Texas Hill Country! These tracks reflect Jesse's current stage of life. This is Life is about savoring the moments that happen in the day to day with wife and kids, because these moments go by very fast! Speaking of kids, if you listen real close to the end of track 4 (Never Touch The Ground), you might just hear some guest vocals by Jesse's daughters and Kenny's daughter!

It's also worth mentioning, Jesse released the single Wimberley last summer after the devastating floods of Memorial Day weekend, and donated all proceeds through My Neighbor's Keeper (a local 501(c)3) that works directly with affected residents and is run completely by volunteers.

Not only does this album show Jesse's musical maturation, it also shows great promise and I can't wait to hear what's coming next! Jesse Stratton Band is in the middle of some CD release shows, find one near you soon, and pick up a copy of Where It All Began!

CD Release Schedule
April 29Kebabalicius
April 30Cornyval Festival in Helotes
May 6The Coop in Fredericksburg
May 7Twin Sisters Dancehall in Blanco
May 13Uncle Gary's in Pflugervillie
May 14The Phoenix Saloon!

Medicine Stone 4

Tahlequah, OK (May 3, 2016)-In the very short time since the event’s inauguration in 2013, MEDICINE STONE has drawn thousands of avid fans from around the country, multiplying attendance numbers with each passing year. The fervent love and respect for Red Dirt music has never been more palpable and speaks to the momentous cult-like following of a unique genre made of motley sounds cultivated out of Oklahoma soil. The 4th Annual MEDICINE STONE will kick off September 22nd through the 24th at the scenic Diamondhead Resort in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The 2016 lineup has just been released on the event website. Artists include Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Turnpike Troubadours, Cody Canada & The Departed, Randy Rogers Band, Stoney LaRue, Reckless Kelly, Micky & The Motorcars, Billy Joe Shaver, The Damn Quails, Randy Crouch, The Great Divide , William Clark Green and American Aquarium to name a few. Tickets for accommodation packages (camping, hotels, reserved RV spots and bunkhouses) go on sale June 1st at 9:00 AM. As a special promotion, the first 100 tickets sold on June 1st will receive a Medicine Stone koozie and be automatically entered to win a pair of Meet-N-Greet passes for this years’ event. Single day tickets go on sale August 1st. Tickets can only be purchased on the website at www.medicinestoneok.com.

The 4th Annual event will feature a new additional stage at the Diamondhead Resorts Gravel Bar & Grill, the restaurant and bar open all day until 2:00 AM. Music will continue well past stage times at both the Gravel Bar & Grill and Mary Ellen’s greenhouse stage open for all daytime shows and “after party” showdowns. MEDICINE STONE offers a delicious array of food, beautiful landscapes and an endless supply of delectable music to keep you fully satisfied!

MEDICINE STONE announces “The Deputy Chief of MEDICINE STONE 2016” contest. One incredibly lucky individual will get the chance to see it all from the other side, up close and personal. As Deputy Chief you will serve as a direct liaison between festival goers and the festival production team. You will kick off the event and introduce the first band on opening night from the main stage. You will receive two (2) three-day VIP access passes to the event and meet-n-greets with all artists, and a 2016 MEDICINE STONE T-shirt and koozie. Winner will be announced on Monday, May 16th.

"There's no music festival like Medicine Stone. It's hard to describe what it feels like to be there! It’s like taking the most amazing artists and music and mixing in fans, families, and camping. It's one of the best weekends of the year. From the minute it ends, you're already making plans to go again next year. "
-Troy Eckelhoff/Program & Music Director 99.9 KTCS Ft. Smith, AR

"Medicine Stone is all the GREAT parts of Red Dirt. Amazing people, incredible moments, and extraordinary music--the kind that seeps into your soul and leaves you wanting more!"
-Erin Harper/The Twister Tulsa-iHeartMedia

"Medicine Stone 2015 was a gathering of family. This festival clearly defines Red Dirt music. As the days go on the musicians and the fans become the same. After the main first acts are done for the night, you can continue to hear music throughout the many camp sites. The Illinois River is the perfect setting for the Medicine Stone Event. The 2016 festival cannot arrive soon enough!"
-Justin Neighbor/WDAF Kansas City and KMXN in Lawrence, KS

"My Town Media and our stations in Pittsburg, Independence, Chanute and Pratt, Kansas have loved being a part of the Medicine Stone music event for the past several years! We have been behind Red Dirt Music for quite a while…back to when people would give you a funny look and ask ‘What the heck is Red Dirt Music?’ Medicine Stone is a warm, friendly event with a family feel that just keeps you thirsting for more! We look forward to being a part of Medicine Stone 2016."
-"Uncle" Joe Manns/My Country 101.7FM

About the creators
Jason Boland and The Stragglers circa 1998 has become one of the most successful artists in the Red Dirt/Texas country music scene. Oklahoma born and bred, Boland has released nine acclaimed albums including the latest release “Squelch” in October of 2015, and has been praised as one of the most poignant writers of his generation.

Long-time friends and Oklahoma natives, Turnpike Troubadours, a band of country rock prodigies that snagged a national spotlight with their 2012 release GOODBYE NORMAL STREET. Celebrated for their lyrical style that boasts genuine story telling wrapped in deep emotion, Turnpike Troubadours were cited as “the most unjustly overlooked Americana album of 2012” by the Washington Post. Their latest self-titled album release in September 2015 garnered more national acclaim including Playboy Magazine who cited them as a band that are, “wrenching country music out of a staid rut and turning it into something else entirely.”

VIDEO: Cory Morrow at Freiheit

Cory Morrow brought his phenomenal lead guitarist John Carroll to Freiheit Country Store in New Braunfels on April 21st for Freiheit's Thursday music series to play an acoustic show. Angie Keilhauer from the current season of The Voice and Zach Nytomt opened the show to a pretty substantial Thursday night crowd. Below is video of Angie doing her original song Let It Ride, Zach doing Tracy Chapman's Give Me One Reason and Cory & John doing Nothing Better.

As hard as this is to believe, this was my first time to see Cory Morrow live! He was one of the first "local" artists I really liked and started to explore his music quite a few years ago, but when I immersed myself in all the music that the "Wurstplex" has to offer, I drifted from some of those in my original list and never made it to a show. He's very talented and entertaining, and paired with John Carroll's sometimes blistering but always tasty guitar licks, you can't go wrong!



Summer 2016 at River Road Ice House

River Road Ice House near the beautiful banks of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels Texas has a reputation for some great shows to help you unwind and cool off after a long day of tubing the beautiful Comal or Guadalupe rivers, hanging out with friends on scenic Canyon Lake or spending the day at Schlitterbahn, "World's Best Waterpark" according to Amusement Today poll for over 15 years. This year there is a very noticeable trend of River Road Ice House upping the ante for their summer schedule! Not only will you find Galleywinter's 16th Annual Greenfest and some of the best Country, Texas Country and Americana acts there this summer, but there's also the 9th Annual Dia De Los Toadies, Mark McKinney's 6th Annual River Fest and SO MUCH MORE!

Here's what we know about so far!
Friday, May 6Two Tons of Steel TICKETS
Friday, May 13Poor J Brown w/The Reed Brothers TICKETS
Saturday, May 14Dalton Domino w/Austin Meade TICKETS
Thursday, May 19Quaker City Night Hawks (cd release) TICKETS
Saturday, May 21Rob Baird (cd release) TICKETS
Thursday, May 26Gary P Nunn TICKETS
Friday, May 27Bart Crow w/Flatland Cavalry TICKETS
Sunday, May 29Whiskey Myers w/The Band of Heathens TICKETS
Friday, June 3Wade Bowen w/Jim Lauderdale + Will Knaak RESCHEDULED
Saturday, June 119th Annual Dia De Los Toadies TICKETS
Friday, June 17Wade Bowen w/Jim Lauderdale + Will Knaak TICKETS
Saturday, June 18Kyle Park TICKETS
Friday, June 24Darrell Scott w/Cory Branan TICKETS
Saturday, June 25Stoney LaRue TICKETS
Saturday, June 30Dave Fenley TICKETS
Friday, July 1Casey Donahew w/Jon Wolfe + Sarah Hobbs TICKETS
Saturday, July 2Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers TICKETS
Saturday, July 9The Spazmatics TICKETS
Saturday, July 23Galleywinter's Greenfest 16 including Southern Brothers TICKETS
Friday, July 29Tanya Tucker TICKETS
Friday, August 5Tracy Byrd TICKETS
Thursday, August 11Chris Stapleton TICKETS - READ MORE
Saturday, August 20Josh Thompson TICKETS
Saturday, Ausust 27Mark McKinney's 6th Annual River Fest TICKETS
Friday, September 2Cody Jinks & Whitey Morgan TICKETS
Saturday, September 3Jerry Jeff Walker TICKETS

Chris Stapleton returns to River Road Ice House!

CHRIS STAPLETON is returning to River Road Ice House on Thursday, August 11th!!!

TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT 10am!!

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