Granbury Live

We had another big sold out show at Granbury Live this past weekend when country music legend, Johnny Rodriquez came to town! I know Johnny’s fans were happy to see him, but I do not know if anyone was more excited then I was. I started listening to Johnny when I was working in the oilfield during summer breaks from college. I grew up as a rock and roll guy but all the guys I worked with listened to country and so I got exposure to a genre of music I probably would not have otherwise sought out.

Now truthfully, some of the country I heard did not appeal to me at all, at least at first, and it took a while for me to appreciate Tammy Wynette and a few others. I liked Johnny Rodriquez right from the very start. His great lyrics and delivery really reached me and made me want to listen to more country music. As a result, a country music fan was born.

Well a lot of water has gone under the bridge for both Johnny and I since back in the early to mid-70’s! My hair has turned white and Johnny has got the look of a well-played album cover; worn and tattered but still holding a lot of great sounds. I really enjoyed listening to his concert unfold and allow myself to be taken back to those days of 40 years ago when my waistline was slimmer, my whole life was before
me, and Johnny Rodriquez music made me smile and appreciate country music. Isn’t that one of the great things about music; it can transform you to another place in time!

Hope to see you at our next show and maybe we can stir a few memories in you!

What we you doing this past Friday night? If you were not at the New Granbury Live you missed my friends, Ray Reed and Gator as they rocked the house playing their “House Party Blues”. What are “House Party Blues”? It is a combination of some great blues sounds mixed in with a little Motown and some occasional pop. The female vocalist in the group, Miss Alice was wailing away like nobody’s business and I am here to tell you, her infectious enthusiasm got the crowd going! Gosh, I love to hear a harmonica echo and a bass really get stroked!

I spoke with a lot of people after the show and they agreed with me, it was one fantastic presentation. I cannot imagine anyone coming to this show and not having a good time. It rocks!

Ray Reed and Gator are going to be back at Granbury Live on January 11. Get your tickets now and don’t miss this fun filled evening. You will not regret it!

It was quite a weekend this past week! At Granbury Live we had a couple of great performances of the Tony Award winning play, Same Time Next Year; one on Friday night and one on Sunday afternoon! The Director Don Shook brought two wonderful actors to play the roles of George and Doris; Nancy Chartier and Greg Mansur. These experienced performers were wonderful, and the audience seemed to really appreciate this light hearted, romantic comedy, especially in our intimate theater setting!

On Saturday we had two performances of Chris Collins and the Boulder Canyon Band in their tribute to John Denver. I was away from the theater performing my show, but I am told they were outstanding and the nearly sold out crowds were awed be the John Denver like performances. We are already looking into bringing Chris back to Granbury for an encore performance!

As I said, I was not at the theater as I was performing “The Lion of Texas-A Conversation with Sam Houston” to a crowd of west Texans at the Fort Chadbourne Museum in Bronte. For those of you who have never been to Fort Chadbourne, it is an old cavalry outpost and was an actual military base from 1852 until the mid to late 1870’s. Many of the actual building have been restored and the museum was FANTASTIC! If you are ever in the area, please go by and see Fort Chadbourne, cause it will be worth the visit. The fundraiser seemed to be a success and the audience was very kind and gracious in their affection for my show. I know I will always enjoy playing the roll of General Sam and seeing Texans excited about their heritage! A special thank you to Garland Richards and his wife Lana, and to Ann Pate for inviting me to perform at this historical location. What great hospitality and such a great group of people. I know Fort Chadbourne is a little off the beaten path, but it is SUPER COOL and worth the visit!

Now it is time to get ready for the Granbury Live Follies show this weekend! If you haven’t got tickets, you better get on the stick cause this rock and roll/Motown show will be something to see and hear!

We were very fortunate to have legendary performer TG Shepard appear at the New Granbury Live on Friday of this past week! Naturally he sold the house out, and the fans were treated to a steady diet of great #1 songs. The five-piece band was extraordinary, and the backup vocalists were certainly top notch. A wonderful all-around production.

As TG spoke to his adoring fans during the show, I could tell some of them were surprised to learn Elvis and TG were great friends and in in fact, TG lived at Graceland with Elvis for over 7 years! Elvis even GAVE a tour bus to TG!

Of course, I was very pleased when TG announced to the crowd “a lot of famous people in Nashville have been telling me, TG you have got to play Granbury Live cause you will love it! They are right because this is a great venue and I do love it”. It is so nice to hear great artists like TG appreciate our facility and our staff, our sound, and the intimacy of the theater. There is no place else like it and that makes me very proud. We work very hard to give both our customers and our performers, a unique, memorable experience.

With stars like TG Shepard singing your praises, the reputation for excellence at Granbury Live will continue to grow! Thanks for all your support and kind words!

Until the next show!

When people ask me what type of show at Granbury Live is my favorite, I get all sorts of mixed emotions. I love our Follies show because they are always something new and exciting and the musicians and vocalists which are a part of the show are so darn good! I love when we have big name starts like the Bellamy Brothers, John Conlee, and T G Shepard; people I have been a fan of for years! Of course, it is fun to have the tribute artists like our upcoming “Lost Shaker of Salt Band” perform and see how they bring back memories for the audience. Yet with all that being said, I have a special place in my heart for Texas singer songwriters!

This past Saturday we had the pleasure of having Max Stalling perform at GBL and I feel very comfortable there was not a person who was in the theater who did not have a good time or who was not impressed by the quality of the show. Max does such a good job of telling a story through the songs he writes and his band, especially his wife on fiddle, did an extraordinary job! We are going to have more Texas singer songwriters coming to Granbury Live and I hope people come and enjoy the experience. Some may not be performers who you have heard on the radio, or who have big names, but they are true talents and people who present OUR Texas music in a unique and memorable way. If you have never been to a show which features Texas singer songwriters, give it a whirl. You will not be disappointed.

See you at the shows!