Live from the Highland Lakes!
Local venues attract top talent for live performances
By Connie Swinney As Reckless Kelly launched their performance on April 9 on the Burnet square, resident Angela Moore and her family basked in the breathless thrill that comes with front row seats. “When you’re outdoors, you can feel the music and go with it,” she said. “You can sway to the music. You can dance. It’s all good.” Moore served as co-chairwoman of Bluebonnet Festival organizers who invited the band to perform.
Down to Earth “We knew we were going to get up close,” she added. “It’s an earth-moving experience.” Like hundred of others around the outdoor stage, the Moores have followed the group, known for a rockin’ Red Dirt and Texas country sound, since their debut on the national stage in the 1990s. “The two front men, Cody and Willy Braun, are from Idaho, and we’ve been following them since they moved to Austin,” she said. “My grandkids were up there singing. We teared up when Willy looked at my granddaugther and flicked the (guitar) pick to her.” Outdoor concert performances have become a staple of the Hill Country with renowned and award-winning artists accepting invites to play venues off the big city path. In the 1990s and 2000s, the likes of David Allen Coe, Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, honky tonk legend Joe Ely and Jimmie Vaughan made it a point to rock the crowds under the stars in the parks and rural concert venues in the Highland Lakes. “It’s small town. Like a lot of Texas music artists, they don’t sell themselves to the Devil like going to
Nashville,” Moore explained of their accessibility. “They don’t have a big label telling them what to do.” A Bit of Soul One such artist who has succeeded in both worldwide and local stages is John Arthur Martinez. He is well known for his appearances and second place win in the first year of the nationally-syndicated Nashville Star. The show aired for six seasons on USA Network in the early 2000s. Since then, the singer/songwriter has recorded several albums, including a studio album for Dualtone Records, which produced a single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Martinez,who grew up in the Hill Country, has chosen to reside and perform close to home, along with international gigs, due to the local appeal and support from both residents and visitors. “It’s the fans that have enabled me to make a living. This area is a draw for people just aesthetically,” Martinez said. “Fans plan their vacations to come here and some to come see our shows.” When at home, Martinez performs regularly at Trailblazer Grille, 216 Main St. in Burnet. “It’s nice to see the regulars who come support those shows on a weekly or monthly basis,” he said. “They know that I’m sharing a bit of my soul. When they react to it, it means I’ve connected to some experience they’ve had as well.” Martinez and fellow singer/songwriter Pauline Reese perform at the venue the fourth Tuesday of the month. He and local musician Mike Blakely perform the second Thursday of each month. Music continued on page 16 2022 Spring/Summer Page 15
