Brass Hall Live Music Venue

Live Music from the Highland Lakes

Brass Hall

By Judith Shabram

The measure of a man is not in what he has accomplished but how he accomplished it. For Norman Lucas—a man who sees a need then seeks the solution; the answer lies in the simple philosophy of putting others first.

Norman, CEO of Elevated Minds Music Group, the owner of the Brass Hall music venue in Marble Falls, got his start serving others in New Orleans’ Lafitte Housing Project. He became part of a 19 member youth group called LYMAC, Lafitte Youth Making a Change.

As a teen, he asked his counterparts, “How can we serve people in our own community?” Collectively, they decided to open a pizza restaurant since no local businesses would deliver to the residents of his housing development.

LYMAC worked to receive a mayoral economic development grant and open the restaurant across the street from the housing development. The group also secured a contract from the New Orleans Housing Authority to paint the hallways of the development as part of a beautification project.

His innate qualities for service and handling business won him the NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship) national award for Entrepreneur of the Year at age 19 as he transitioned into the music field he remains in today.

He always had a vision for a music company that would have the ability to handle everything in-house and to maximize the artists’ potential to maintain control of their projects. “I wanted to help them navigate the ins and outs of the industry,”

said Norman. In 2001, Elevated Minds Music Group was started in New Orleans, and a dream became a reality. However, the dream was postponed in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina severely damaged the Recording Studio and Headquarters.

Just before Katrina devastated New Orleans, several locations were scouted for Elevated Minds expansion, and the potential of Austin, Texas, was chosen as a viable option for expansion. Already home to South by Southwest, an annual meeting of film, interactive media, and music festivals, Austin was a perfect fit for a growing company.

While developing the company in Austin postKatrina, an opportunity connected Marble Falls resident Anthony’” Tony” Jones to Norman and venue owner Grant Dean. The three would discuss live entertainment in Marble Falls and the current status of the building.

This live music venue in Marble Falls, originally named Lorraine’s, was started by Grant Dean and local music legend Debbie Walton. The name Lorraine was derived from the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where a wide range of musicians would meet and record at Stax Records. Lorraine’s was several names before eventually being rebranded to Brass Hall.

Several artists such as Joe Ely, Bob Schneider, The Subdudes, and Junior Brown have performed in Marble Falls. The lake view of the city while crossing the bridge offers unique visual characteristics of the multi-cultural community. Brass Hall, in Marble Falls, was born from the desire to bring quality entertainment to the Hill Country that would offer entertainment from options for all walks of life.

“Our vision was to utilize Elevated Minds’ connections to provide high-quality entertainment and offer a different kind of experience in an intimate environment with big-name entertainers who still enjoyed the appeal of smaller audiences. A lot of the artists like to hang out after the performances allowing the patrons to engage with them on a personal level,” said Norman.

The successes of the last seven years pay tribute to a man who has maintained the highest level of integrity in a highly competitive and challenging industry. He has done this while keeping his eye on the community’s needs. Upcoming Entertainers range from Bob Schneider, Lil Flip, Dirty River Boys, and Zoso, the ultimate Led Zeppelin, to contemporary R&B artist Jon B.

Brass Hall is open seven days a week for billiards, arcades, and pinball. In addition, there is a full bar for your favorite beer, wine, or cocktails. On Tuesday, patrons enjoy open mic as well as Karaoke on Sundays. Check the website www. brasshall.com for NFL games, UFC fight nights, and upcoming performances. Subscribe to Brass Hall YouTube to recap past events and concerts.