Texas Music Theater - San Marcos

Live music is easy to come by around here, but not all the venues are really worth noting. Last night we attending the opening of the new Texas Music Theater in San Marcos, and it is definitely worth noting as a venue, in addition to the great performances.

The newly remodeled theater is located on the square in downtown San Marcos, Texas, between Austin and San Antonio. In 1941 the building opened as the Plaza Theater. It was remodeled in 1958 as a movie theater with two screens and renamed Holiday Theater. Most recently, it was a venue called Gordo’s that featured live music. Not having experienced any of its previous incarnations we can't compare, but we can say they've done a nice job with the remodel and there's plenty of dance floor, 3 bars, and a great view from the upper level where we were lucky enough to get a corner table overlooking the stage. Looking down on the dance floor we could survey the crowd - mixed ages, but largely the college set. Guys in crisp plaid shirts and cowboy hats skillfully twirled young ladies across the floor, and they had plenty of partners to choose from. The show on the floor was as good as the one on the stage!

The opener for the show was Eagle Eye Williamson. This guy gives new meaning to the concept of "one man band", playing the guitar, drums and maraca at the same time, while also singing, and then later switching up to a lap electric slide. Truth be told, he was our favorite performer of the evening, maybe because his sound reminded us of the early '70s stuff we listened to while in college. Watching him perform is by turns distracting, and then mesmerizing. His so adept at switching up instruments all the while singing, it's an amazing experience to watch him perform. Williamson is from the Austin area so we may get a chance to see him again.

The Dirty River Boys were next on the bill. The bio page of their website states "The Dirty River Boys make music with the type of sound and texture that is soaked in the realities of the hard-scrabble city they call home in the far west Texas desert." (That's El Paso, in plain English.) They're classified as "Americana", but I rather like the term they used, "Outlaw folk".

Whatever you call them, they were pretty good, but as is usual in this type of venue the instrumentals drowned out the vocals, which is a shame as creative lyrics are what they are particularly noted for. Headliner Cory Morrow popped on stage to do a number with the Boys, followed by three more numbers before they finished the set.

Cory is based here in the Austin area too, with an extensive discography to his credit.

Part of the Texas Red Dirt scene, Cory denies the typical image of "country" performer, and puts on a lively show bouncing around the stage sans cowboy hat, and barefoot! Kevin Fowler was in the audience, and joined Cory on stage for a number. Again, the instrumentals drowned out the vocals - we know they have a great sound system in the theater, and we love the band, but we also want to hear the vocals!

All things considered, great music all the way around, and a grand start for the theater.

We had arrived before the doors opened, so took the opportunity to walk around the town square. A classic bronze statue of John Coffee Hays, for whom the county is named, occupies one corner.  It's classic Texas - an elaborate county courthouse (topped by Lady Justice) surrounded by other classic buildings and, as this is a college town, lots of pubs!

Lot's more pics of the evening here in the album.