Bill Kirchen first gained renown as lead guitarist and a vocalist for Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen. The resonant twang of Kirchen's battered Telecaster drove the now classic "Hot Rod Lincoln" into the Top Ten in 1972. He's been nominated for a a Grammy, and was dubbed a "Titan of the Telecaster guitar" by Guitar Player Magazine. His music resembles what we now call "Americana music",  where country music meets rock-n-roll, meets blues and bluegrass.......and does so in the Western swing style of a Texas honky tonk. Bill played the Friday night show at last year's FJETW and blew everyone away. Here's your chance to see him one more time!

....   Kevin Welch       (1:45)   1:45)
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Kevin Welch's  poetic songs paint pictures of real people--people you know, people you've seen--so clearly that you realize quickly he's a keen observer of the human experience. His songs have an almost film-like quality in their vision and beauty. Kevin has had his songs recorded by numerous well-knowns, but one is simply mesmerized when he performs them himself.  He's well known around the world, and does especially well in Australia, Canada, (and Central Texas!) Read more about his accolades here.
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.....Jon Dee Graham    (3:45)  

.....Butch Hancock   (4:45)  

One of the most prolific songwriters on the Texas music scene, Butch Hancock hails from Lubbock, Tx., and is an original member of the legendary group, The Flatlanders (Joe Ely & Jimmy Dale Gilmore).  His songwriting has been compared to Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt and if Fred Eaglesmith were from Texas, he might be Butch Hancock. Living in Terlingua with his family for the past few years, Butch doesn't get to Central Texas very often anymore, so we are pleased to present 2 shows from our friend, one on Saturday night and this appearance at Texas Summer Nights on Sunday.

Fred Eaglesmith was first introduced to Gruene Hall in 2001 and it didn't take him long to prove himself. With 30 years of relentless touring, playing for scores of fans scattered about North America and beyond, Fred is a Canadian rebel who has done things his own way. He has an amazing ability to write a song and his show, which is sometimes funny and other times painfully honest, is always entertaining. In 2005, the producers of Texas Summer Nights, decided to team up with Fred and his fans as a part of the 4-day mini-festival,  The Fred Eaglesmith Texas Weekend.  There's tons of great music presented throughout the weekend, culminating on Sunday with the 22nd Texas Summer Nights Concert, where Fred plays his last set for the Weekend. 

With only 2 cd's to his name, Hayes Carll has quickly moved his way up the ladder of notoriety and has established himself as a well respected artist in the Texas music scene. Looking a bit like aike a guy who's just woken from a restless sleep with a horrible hangover, his dead-pan humor combined with innate ability to penn a good tune has brought him large audiences and record breaking cd sales. Hayes is a favorite of the Fred-Weekend fans and has played at the previous two gatherings. This is his first time on the Texas Summer Nights roster and he makes a great addition to the line-up.

We always likes to introduce to our audience at least one new act that we feel is a step above the rest. Hal Ketchum and Robert Earl Keen and many others all played TSN in the early years. This year we present Brian Keane, who's work bears  resemblance to the early work of Hal Ketchum, Townes Van Zandt, and other notable songwriters. The summertime release of his debut cd has gained critical acclaim and earned him a spot on the Americana charts. He's lovable and warm and sometimes playful on stage, then he turns around and hits you with songs that will resonate through your head for days to come. His top-notch band adds just the right amount of spice to his songs.  This set will be one of the highlights of the day, so don't miss it!