Five Hill Country Stages to Know for Live Music

Hill Country live music comes in a lot of shapes. Five stages in particular show what the region has to offer: a dance hall from the 1870s, a hamlet that a song made famous, a Main Street hangout in Fredericksburg, a winery on a creek in Comfort and a downtown theater in Kerrville. Here is a little about each one, what is on the bill this weekend and where to check who is playing next.

Gruene Hall in New Braunfels is where many people start. The hall sits at 1281 Gruene Road in the Gruene Historic District, and its own website says it was built in 1878 and calls it Texas' oldest continually operating dance hall. By the hall's account, little has changed: a 6,000 square foot room under a high pitched tin roof, side flaps for open air dancing, a small lighted stage in the back and a big outdoor garden.

The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas says Henry D. Gruene built a mercantile store here in 1878 and soon added a cotton gin and the dance hall. By 1950 the town was a ghost town, and a 1970s revival brought the dance hall back to weekend crowds.

Gruene Hall live music runs on a rhythm locals know. The hall advertises live music every day, with recurring nights it calls Two Ton Tuesdays and Honky Tonk Thursdays, plus a free Friday Afternoon Club from 4 to 7 p.m. Its FAQ says parking is free across the street. Coming up, according to Gruene Hall's own calendar: Dylan Wheeler with opener Keaton Adams on Friday, Oct. 16, Max Stalling with special guest Owen Temple on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Linda Gail Lewis on Sunday, Oct. 18.

Luckenbach Texas live music has a story all its own. Luckenbach is a small community in southeastern Gillespie County on Grape Creek, and its official address is 412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg. According to the Handbook of Texas, German farmers settled it in the late 1840s and early 1850s, the general store still stands in its original building, and the dance hall was rebuilt by the early 1930s with a maple dance floor.

In 1971 Hondo Crouch of Comfort bought the town with partners and styled himself its mayor. Jerry Jeff Walker recorded Viva Terlingua there in 1973, and in 1977, the year after Crouch died, the Waylon Jennings hit "Luckenbach, Texas" made it famous nationwide. Luckenbach's own site sums it up as "Making Music, Memories and Friends Since 1849." This Saturday, Oct. 17, Luckenbach's ticketing page on HoldMyTicket lists a free, all ages dance hall show celebrating Fredericksburg's certification as the 100th Music Friendly Texas Community, with a two step lesson at 6 p.m., Kathryn Legendre at 7 and the Theo Lawrence Band at 8. On Sunday, Oct. 18, Jay Boy Adams' official site lists him and the Friends Band at Luckenbach from 1 to 3 p.m.

For live music in Fredericksburg, TX, the Luckenbach story runs straight into Hondo's on Main at 312 W. Main Street. The restaurant is named for Hondo Crouch and says it is owned by his youngest daughter, Cris. Its motto borrows one of his lines: "You can't forget memories."

Hondo's calls itself a place for "Texas food, Texas music, and Texas fun." It is self serve, with ordering at an inside or outside bar, and it is first come, first served, with no reservations. Hondo's posts its own live music calendar on its website and notes that it is subject to change, so check there for who is playing this weekend.

Live music at a Comfort, TX winery is a different kind of evening. Singing Water Vineyards, at 316 Mill Dam Road, says it was founded in 1997 on a farm and ranch outside Comfort, tucked between oak studded hills with a creek running through the property.

The tasting room is, in the winery's words, a classic 1880s barn built in the German agrarian style, and the winery is veteran owned. Singing Water lists its hours as Thursday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., and names live music among its offerings. On Saturday, Oct. 17, Singing Water's own event listing on Texas Wine Lover shows Greggie and The Jets, an Elton John tribute band, from 6 to 9 p.m., with tickets listed at $15 to $20 through the winery's booking page.

The Cailloux Theater in Kerrville is the pick when you want a seat and a curtain. It sits at 910 Main Street downtown, and the theater says it first opened its doors on March 27, 2003, with a performance by the San Antonio Symphony. The Hill Country Community Journal says it grew out of a renovation of the aging Kerrville Municipal Auditorium.

The theater is part of the Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts, which also includes the VK Garage Theater and the Kit Werlein Annex. Playhouse 2000, Kerrville's community theater, manages the center on behalf of the City of Kerrville. The Symphony of the Hills plays its season there, including its holiday concert, Comfort and Joy, on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Coming up this weekend, the theater's own site lists One Night in Memphis on Friday, Oct. 16.

Our guide to Hill Country live music venues that aren't Gruene Hall, on the LSN blog, is a good companion.

Is there free live music at Gruene Hall? Often, yes. Gruene Hall's FAQ says listings without ticket information are free shows, and its Friday Afternoon Club runs free from 4 to 7 p.m.

Can I bring my dog to Gruene Hall? Gruene Hall says dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden, except during ticketed events.

Do I need a reservation at Hondo's on Main? No. Hondo's says it is first come, first served and does not take reservations.

Schedules change, so check with each venue before you head out. Know a stage we should write about next? Let us know.