We miss all of you and we are ready to see you again. We have been in contact with local officials and we are working hard to prepare the theater to re-open in a safe and healthy environment. We have sanitized the theater and the concession area and we have free Granbury Live masks that we will hand out as you arrive. We will also perform temperature checks using a non-contact thermometer. Your seats may be adjusted on the day of the show to make sure we follow the social distancing recommendations. Stay safe and see you soon!!
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Whoever wrote that song sure had it right because we have some great, big time performers coming to The New Granbury Live in the next few months. I am especially excited about our new “Thursday night start your weekend right” shows! Let’s face it’ by the time a person gets through hump day on Wednesday, we are all ready for the weekend to start!
To get the ball rolling, on June 6th at 8pm The New Granbury Live will present Confederate Railroad! Confederate Railroad first rolled onto the national country music scene in the early 90’s with its unique sound and style. With hits like “Queen of Memphis”, “She took it like a Man”, “Jesus and Mama”, and “Trashy Women” they have become favorites to a wide range of music lovers. Grammy nominated, and the winner of the Academy of Country Music’s “Best New Group” award, Confederate Railroad has sold over 5 million albums and has had 18 charted hits! This is a special Thursday night presentation so start the weekend a little early and enjoy one of the special sounds in country music.
On June 13th at 7pm Jason Petty brings “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes” to the New Granbury Live. Jason Petty took New York’s theatre district by storm over two decades ago, first starring in ‘Hank Williams: Lost Highway,’ which played to sold out audiences at the Little Shubert Theater. Audiences and critics alike were taken back by Petty’s amazing acting ability in his portrayal of the legendary icon which forever shaped the world of country music – Hank Williams. He won rave reviews from all the major critics, including the New York Times, Variety and Rolling Stone. The NY Post stated it best, “At times it seems as if Petty is not just offering an impersonation of Williams but channeling his ghost.” His brilliant performance was honored with an Obie Award for “Outstanding Actor”.
Since then, this veteran actor and singer has performed in theatres across the United States, Canada and Europe. Petty began portraying the country music legend in 1996 at the world-famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Since that time, he has appeared in national tours of “Lost Highway” and “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes”, a musical revue which Petty authored, and stars and his acting ability has afforded Petty roles in film, television and theatre. His musicianship and songwriting abilities have won him numerous performances on The Grand Ole Opry. In the latter production, Petty takes his audience on a time-travel visit with several of the greatest entertainers and influencers on the future world of country music as we know it today. Audiences coast-to-coast are floored each time they see this masterful singer, actor and historian re-create the magic that echoes the larger than life personalities which come to life on stage through Jason Petty the performer. If you are a fan of traditional country music and its origins….do not miss this stunning performance!
Two big time shows which are sure to please! Get your tickets today and come to “Thursday Night and Start Your Weekend Right” at the New Granbury Live. You will not be disappointed!
See you at the shows!
I have a little confession to make to you all: As General Manager of the New Granbury Live, one of my many duties is to book acts for the theater. From the outside that may appear to be an easy job. During the course of a week I have occasions for people to approach me and suggest an artist to bring to Granbury Live: “Get Vince Gill” (tickets would have to be $300 for us to break even!), “George Strait” (I’m in if George is!) or someone they saw In a bar where they did not pay admission (why are people going to pay Granbury Live to see someone who regularly performs for free?) I must find talent which has a reasonable cost, people must want to come and see the entertainer, and the entertainer must perform at a high level. Even with doing my homework, on rare occasions an artist does not deliver. This past year we had an occasion where a very well-known performer appeared and to say his presentation was poor would be a great understatement. I disliked the show, so did the public, and they won’t be back! Most of the time I get it right and we have good shows. Occasionally, I even surprise myself with how good the results are!
This past Friday night I hit a home run…no wait: I think I hit a grand slam! Wade Hayes was in the house and did a magnificent job! His voice, his songs, his attitude and emotion, were as crisp and pure as his outstanding guitar playing. Wade made a wonderful career for himself before stage 4 cancer struck him and nearly took his life. Well, I am proud to say he has beaten the cancer, and he is back writing great songs like “Who Saved Who”; a story about a rescue dog Wade took in who helped him in life as much as Wade rescued the dog! The crowd loved the story, Wade’s emotional explanation of the song, and the sound! Make no mistake about it, this is a tremendously talented man, and he deserves your attention for his musical talent and for his humanity.
I have already reached out to Wade and his agent. I want them back and maybe this next time with a full band. I promise, when he comes back to the New Granbury Live, get a ticket because it will be an experience you will not soon forget. In my mind, he is clearly one of the top 5 shows we have EVER HAD! Pull up some of Wade’s new songs from your favorite music provider and listen. This is not a guy who wants to live in the past, singing only the songs which brought him his initial fame, but is seeking to add to his legacy with a whole new set of wonderful tunes.
If you weren’t in Granbury Live on Friday night you really did miss something special. The good news is when he comes back, you will have a second chance; just like Wade has gotten.
God Bless you all and God Bless my new friend Wade Hayes and his terrific music!
I love it when we have a busy weekend at the New Granbury Live: especially when those who attend walk out of the theater have a big smile on their face!
This last Friday night we had my friend Max Stalling perform and gosh darn he put on quite a show! I think everyone’s favorite song was at the very end of the show, when Max and the band disconnected their instruments and the mics and sang without power! The acoustics in the room were spectacular and the experience was memorable! Every time Max comes to Granbury Live, he generates a whole new group of devotees! A truly fun show! If you have never seen Max Stalling, you are missing something truly special. A wonderful, world class songwriter and performer.
On Saturday and Sunday, we had a total of three performances by “The Return” a Beatles Tribute Band. Since it was the 55th anniversary of the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, the performers wore similar costumes and sang all the early Beatles tunes. People were singing along, remembering where they were when they heard the Beatles for the first time, and some even danced in the aisles! The sold-out Saturday night crowd really got into it and the magic in the room was evident. I am already negotiating to bring “The Return” back to Granbury Live, only this next time we will have them sing some of the later Beatles stuff as well! People had such a great time!
We have got great shows coming up, but I must steer you to “You’ve Got a Friend: A Tribute to the Music of Carole King, James Taylor and Carly Simon”. What great songs and the stars of the show, Stephanie Lyles, DeAnna Woods and Joseph Neville, are all terrific and will do justice to this wonderful collection of music. Talk about bringing back some memories and wanting to sing along! I think both shows on March 16 will be sold out and we will have an outcry to bring the show back on a future date. This is going to be one of the best shows we have ever had! Get your tickets now because you don’t want to miss it!
This week we have a sold-out Gene Watson show on Saturday and a sold-out Josh Weathers in our new series, The Road Less Traveled. You need to check it out. My pal Drew Meyers is bringing his Defining Audacity Radio show to Granbury Live and will be featuring live interviews and the music with some of the best young songwriters in the land. Going to be another fun one!
Have a good week everybody!
Can you believe that 2018 is almost over? My mind tells me I should be looking for Easter or St Patrick’s Day, but no, the year is almost over!
When I look back at how far Granbury Live has come in such a short period of time, it gives me a great sense of pride and satisfaction. I love the great performers who have graced our stage like Radney Foster, the Bellamy Brothers, John Conlee, Moe Bandy, TG Shepard, Gary P Nunn, Shenandoah, and many others. Rising stars like Michael Hix and Holly Tucker have been wonderful! Our Follies shows never failed to provide first class entertainment, and I am so excited about new shows like THE BEST SHOW EVER!
We have had to endure a remodel, the square going through months for construction, and the normal growing pains of a new business. Through it all, there has been a great deal of satisfaction of knowing we were moving forward and constantly striving to provide a unique and memorable experience to our patrons. Our best is yet to come as we constantly are moving forward towards our goal of being the best
entertainment venue in Texas!
I hope the New Year brings you lots of joy and happiness and you share part of your time during 2019 seeing some of the great shows we have coming up. I am tremendously excited about what we are going to bring to the table and I think you will be excited too!
Happy New Years!
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!