Fredericksburg is a live music town. Just a short drive from Austin, a city nationally dubbed the “live music capital of the world,” Fredericksburg would rival the nearby metro with the vibrant sounds of singing and guitars ringing throughout downtown. Here we mention three local performers sure to entertain.
Mike Blakely
Combination cowboy poet, novelist and songwriter, Mike Blakely has built himself a gathering family of fans throughout the area, regularly performing at Western Edge Kitchen & Cocktails on Tuesday nights for almost six years.
“We have a pretty loyal audience that comes out,” Blakely described. “Everybody knows each other, but then we get the tourist traffic that comes through sometimes from all over the world. That’s the way it is here in Fredericksburg.”
Blakely cut his writing teeth as a journalist turned novelist, now having published 19 fiction books. These stories add inspiration and depth to his songwriting, with a lifetime of songs recorded by Alan Jackson, Flaco Jimenez, Gary P. Nunn, Johnny Bush and others.
Catch a Blakely show and you will find yourself enjoying great cowboy-style storytelling, laughter and his famous “holler and a ‘swaller” drinking toasts.
Jake Martin
Nobody in the music scene encapsulates the culture of the Texas Hill Country more than Jake Martin, a songwriter and performer who was drawn here after visiting and experiencing the magic of nearby Luckenbach, Texas.
“There’s something about the Hill Country I just fell in love with,” Martin said about his many childhood visits to the area.
After many years of sitting in the picker’s circles at Luckenbach, Martin became, and still is, the host of the Sunday evening song circles that often bring in the area’s most talented musicians.
“There’s a regular group that comes out,” Martin said of the Sunday evening tradition. “It’s a very welcoming environment and you just never know what songs you’re going to hear. It’s always a surprise and I just love that aspect of it.”
Mary Elizabeth
When asked about her involvement with the music scene of Fredericksburg, Mary Elizabeth describes that it saved her life.
Mary Elizabeth’s journey as a writer began in the mountains of the west where she recalls writing her first song surrounded by the expansive landscape of Yosemite where she grew up.
Mary Elizabeth’s journey took her the distance from the west to Florida, and an almost decade away from music. She recalls, “I kind of shelved it for ten years, but I couldn’t get away from the urge. It (music) was always there.”
That urge spurred her to move to Music City. “I had really wanted to move to Nashville,” she recalls. “So, after about six years I packed up and went to Nashville and tried my hand at songwriting.” A series of difficult circumstances brought her to Fredericksburg where she now surrounds herself with the area’s most talented songwriters.
Hosting picker’s circles at local venues such as Luckenbach and Bankersmith, Mary Elizabeth values what she describes as an exceptional local culture where musicians support and encourage each other.
Local Music
These three musicians make up a small part of an ever-growing live music culture in Fredericksburg that consists of radio-charting songwriters to vibrant up and comers. When strolling along Fredericksburg blocks, take a cozy seat and give a listen to some of the best music Texas has to offer, right here around us.
Information about Mike Blakely can be found on his website at MikeBlakely.com.
Jake Martin is online at JakeMartinSongwriter.com.
Mike Blakely, Jake Martin and Mary Elizabeth’s songs can all be found on music streaming services.
Live music is common in venues throughout Fredericksburg. Popular live music spots include:
- Luckenbach Texas
- Albert Ice House
- Hondo's on Main
- Rockbox Theater
- Western Edge Kitchen and Cocktails
A calendar of live music events can be found at VisitFredericksburgTX.com.