In the fall of 2016 while driving through clusters of historic buildings in Downtown Brenham, John Elford had a vision. He was about to leave town when he suddenly came face-to-face with an abandoned laundromat. As soon as he walked through the door of the dilapidated building, Elford knew what he wanted to do with it.
He saw a music venue, a building that could become an entertainment complex for local people and visitors of Brenham. Immediately, he took action — ready to make his vision come to life.
“I had my assistant track down the owner of the property on a Sunday night; I met him that Monday, and bought the place Tuesday,” says Elford.
Having been a musician since he was 12 years old, Elford possesses a deep love for music, but he had not considered building a music venue before. Elford was a successful general contractor before he decided to purchase and renovate Brenham’s newest concert hall.
Rich with history, the renovated building originally served as a horse-drawn carriage manufacturer in the late 1800s, before it became a laundromat in the latter half of the 1900s, Elford explains. Several vintage pieces from those days are now on display throughout the 4 Star complex.
The renovated building opens to a small, bright white-walled lobby, with stairs to the right and an entrance to another room to the left — the main concert hall.
Up the stairs, there are various rooms where music is produced, where artists can lounge before shows, and more. The main upstairs attractions are the Skyline Room and the Mezzanine, where tables can be booked ahead of showtimes.
Courtesy of Christi Vest
“Our beautiful Skyline Room is where people can book private events and parties before shows or any other time,” says Jessie Baldwin, the general manager at 4 Star. “You can actually see the whole Brenham skyline from this room.” The Skyline Room is great for parties of up to about 50 people.
Downstairs, the room connected to the concert hall is the Tavern. The Tavern’s bar — the SideBar — lines the whole right wing of the room. On the side wall of the bar, a square opening is knocked out to cater to concert-goers, so they can grab drinks without having to walk through the Tavern. Right outside the Tavern is a patio with tables and a stage.
4 Star, which is a 21 and older establishment, hosted its big debut on Sept. 26, 2018. Their opening night show was a benefit for Habitat for Horses featuring Jack Ingram Band. More than 150 people came to see the show.
There are multiple large shows a month in the main concert hall, but visitors can enjoy music at 4 Star any day of the week. “We have music seven days a week at any of the five stages currently on location,” Elford says.
Jessica Jarrett, 4 Star’s talent buyer, works hard to book talent to bring Brenham locals and visitors entertainment every day of the week. She has big plans for future artists to play at 4 Star.
4 Star also works to expand the complex in other ways. Currently, two 100 year-old buildings next door, which were in similar condition to the concert hall when Elford found it, are being renovated to become a restaurant and sports bar.
“The restaurant will be Royers Alamo Kitchen, on Alamo Street, [independently] operated by Royers in Round Top, but will be one of the entities of 4 Star,” Elford explains.
Elford, Baldwin, and Jarrett say to stay tuned on social media for the near-future date of the grand opening of the restaurant and sports bar, and for dates of future performers.
“The people of Brenham have been so kind in supporting everything we’re doing here,” says Baldwin. “In return, we’re trying to emphasize that Brenham is a great, whole-package destination weekend. There are so many adorable bed and breakfasts, restaurants, shops, and more.”
To purchase tickets for upcoming shows, visit www.4starbrenham.com/calendar. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office during regular hours to avoid online fees, or even at the door on nights of shows that are not sold out. Additionally, 4 Star is working to implement a live broadcast system, for which virtual tickets can be purchased for $10 to $15, says Elford. Ticket purchases are nonrefundable.
Upcoming Events in March
- March 5 Caleb Hoelscher
- March 6 David Lee Holt
- March 13 Jimmy Pizzitola
- March 14 Taylor Graves
- March 15 Julia Hatfield
- March 22 Sunny Sweeney
- March 30 Shooter Jennings
