bellamies with sam

The longer I am in this world of entertainment, the more experiences I have with a variety of bands and performers. I am sure it is like any other group of people, doctors, lawyers, teachers, or any other profession; Some are easy to deal with and professional and others are…well let’s just say they are on the other extreme!

This past Saturday Granbury Live had the thrill of having one of the great names in music, The Bellamy Brothers, appear on our stage. These guys perform over 150 shows a year! They just got back from performing in Sri Lanka and Dubai and they have performed all over the world for over 40 years! From the time they arrived at GBL until they walked out the door, they were nothing but professional and courteous. They put on a memorable show which left the audience wanting more and they left the theater admiring the quality of our sound and the unique intimacy of the theater. It was especially cool for me how all the guys in the band commented about our performance space and how great it was to be so close and personal with the audience.

From their bus driver to the Bellamy Brothers themselves, everyone on their team was a person who you would like to call a friend. I can’t wait to have them back and I do hope if you missed this sold out show you will get your tickets early for the next show! They are something to see!

holly1

When a show comes together, there is an electricity in the room and an excitement which is almost palpable! Such was the case this past Saturday night as Holly Tucker joined the Granbury Live Follies to present “Classic Country”. The Texas CMA Female Vocalist of the Year did not disappoint, as she sang songs across the country music landscape, and ended with a crowd-pleasing rendition of “How Great Thou Art”.

Joining Holly and the rest of the amazing Granbury Live Follies crew was Andrew Sevener and Wisper Cox; Andrew being the Champion of our recently concluded Texas Spotlight competition and Wisper being a finalist. Both young talents knocked it out of the park and there were a great many people in attendance who commented they anticipated seeing those young performers on the national music scene someday!

Have you ever been to one of our Follies show? If you haven’t you missed a great one this past Saturday. Our next Follies show is March 24th and is called “The Times They Are A Changing” and will feature some of the best songs from Rock and Roll from 1964 to 1974. So if you like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Motown, the California sound, and all the other music which may this time of change so memorable, you won’t want to miss it!

samhat

It has been many years ago, but I had the privilege of seeing Hal Halbrook perform his award-winning play, “Mark Twain Tonight!”. Mr.  Halbrook has performed the show for over fifty years and still manages to “pack em in” the theater! This was also the first one-man plays which I had ever witnessed. “Truly remarkable” were the only words I could muster, as Mark Twain literally came alive before my eyes. I could feel his wit, sense his eye for observation, and could touch the sting of his barbed tongue as he humorously made comment after comment on life, love, politics and the world. Having been named after the iconic Texas figure, my next thought was: “Sam Houston’s story is a whole lot more interesting and exciting than anything Mark Twain could say!”, and so I pledged to one day write a one man show about General Sam and perform it before the great citizens of Texas.

On Feb 16, March 11, April 20 and April 22 I will be performing “The Lion of Texas-An Evening with Sam Houston” at Granbury Live. I believe our theater is the perfect venue for this show. I have performed the show at many places; Stage West in Ft Worth, MCL Grand in Lewisville, the Municipal Auditorium in Greenville, in Plano, Paris, Sherman and many other towns throughout Texas, but I am not sure I have been in a theater which is better suited for the production than Granbury Live. This intimate setting will truly allow me to bring the personality and character of General Sam to life before the audience. The production is humorous, insightful, and with sound and visual effects, it becomes very powerful and dramatic.

This show has been very well received by the critics and by the audiences. They leave feeling inspired about who they are and where they came from as a people. With so many people moving into our state every month, I have found new Texans are particularly found of the show and are often shocked by the true story of General Sam and the birth of Texas. I have frequently heard from audiences, “Now I know why these Texans are so proud!”

Take a look at the schedule and get a ticket for one of these performances. I do not think you will be disappointed. There is no greater story than the story of Texas and of Sam Houston. I also think there isn’t a better venue to tell the story than Granbury Live! If you are a Texan you will love it, and if you are not, we will all feel sorry for you! You wont be disappointed!

Johnny Rodriguez at Granbury Live

When I was a young man in college, I went to the oilfields of Oklahoma during the summer for work. Having been raised in the city I was not much of a Country music fan, but each day as we rode in a pickup from one worksite to the next, Country music was on the radio. One sound which really captured my attention was a young guy named Johnny Rodriquez. Who would have thought forty years later Johnny and I would both be at Granbury Live and I would have the pleasure of introducing him to an overflow, sold out crowd!

He gave a masterful performance and the audience loved it. As I spoke with people after the show, it was so interesting how for many of them the Johnny Rodriquez concert had been their first visit to Granbury Live. They were blown away by the sound, the intimacy and the entire aura of the theater! I got repeated comments about our wonderful hospitality and how folks had never been to a venue which seemed more intimate or got you closer to the performer! They loved the sound and the feel of the theater and said they couldn’t wait to see some of the upcoming acts like Doug Stone, Gene Watson, the Bellamy Brothers, and Moe Bandy!

If you get the chance, come to the New Granbury Live and experience the “most intimate venue in Texas”! It is an experience unlike any other