9th Annual Texas Reds Festival, Music, Grapes & Steak

by

Compiled by Insite Staff

The Downtown Bryan Association is gearing up for the ninth annual Texas Reds Steak & Grape Festival in Historic Downtown Bryan. This year’s festival, to be held Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, will attract visitors from across the state of Texas and feature more than 20 Texas wineries, numerous craft beer breweries, more than 30 bands performing on five different stages, talented artists from across the country, the annual steak cook-off, the popular Kids Zone, and a variety of food vendors.

Thanks to a partnership with Bryan’s own J. Cody’s Steaks and Barbecue, the beef will be back in a big way at the 2015 festival. Admission to the festival is free. Tickets must be purchased for Wine Tastings, Beer Tastings, the Saturday Night Steak Dinner, and Kids Zone participation.

The Saturday night headliner at this year’s Texas Reds Festival is Austin-based musician and artist Bob Schneider. The former lead-singer of Ugly Americans, Bob has headlined major venues across the Lone Star State as a solo artist including Austin’s historic Paramount Theatre and Austin City Limits. This crooner’s performance will have audiences swooning with his smile and that special twinkle in his eye.

Band With Every Beat

Nashville songwriter, Texas Female Vocalist of the year (2013 & 2014) and road veteran Bri Bagwell calls the highway home with more than 120 tour dates per year. Bagwell started her band, titled “The Banned,” in 2011 after a top 10 finish on CMT’s Next Superstar.

Cody Canada & The Departed is a southern rock band focused on packing as much expertly curated song-craft into each show as possible. Former front man of Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cody Canada, and his band channel the power chords and raw-bone ballads, which vaulted Canada into the status as Red Dirt’s biggest name.

Singer-songwriter David Ramirez knows no luxury; all he needs is an acoustic guitar and the words in his mouth to share his story. Ramirez’s career has spanned two full-length albums and three EP’s, as well as touring for the last several years to many sold-out houses. His 2012 album, Apologies, debuted at No. 2 on iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts, garnering praise from The New York Times, American Songwriter and PASTE.

El Tule is for those who love to dance, feel good, and enjoy the positive expression of music. For the last decade, the band has been honing its unique sound combining influences of Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, and Reggae – sharing the stage along the way with The Gipsy Kings, Grupo Fantasma, The Texas Tornados, and many others. Their high-energy live show has made them a festival favorite all across the country and at SXSW.

Speaking of Grupo Fantasma, the nine-piece 2011 Grammy Award-winning Latin funk orchestra from Austin will hit the Texas Reds Festival stage, too. Known for incorporating funk, mambo, merengue, and cumbia, they are one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre. In addition to playing major festivals and venues across the globe, the band’s music has been enjoyed in a variety of television shows including Breaking Bad, Weeds, Ugly Betty, and Law & Order.

Jonathan Tyler describes his band’s sound as “rock with a twist of blues and country.” The Dallas-based musician and band promise a set filled with lots of good times.

Bryan/College Station native Katye Hamlin returns to Texas Reds Festival after performing at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and sharing the stage with country music legends Tracy Lawrence, John Conlee, Johnny Lee, Jack Ingram, and more. She will perform songs from her recently released self-titled EP, including the chart-climbing hit “Love Is Like Rain.”

Austin-based band Roxy Roca is a powerhouse of southern soul with a gritty and infectious sound. Founded by green-eyed front man and soul shouter Taye Cannon, the band enjoys a reputation for getting an audience to its feet and in motion with a sound that has been described as Dynamite Texas Soul.

Another veteran of Downtown Bryan’s Summer Sunset Series, The Nightowls is a 10-piece band that uniquely blends vintage and modern soul music with high-energy, foot-stomping live performances. When The Nightowls rev their musical engines, they channel the Motor City’s classic dancin’-in-the-street beats to create an irresistible neo-soul sound that’s all their own.

Bandmates Taylor Young and John Pegigo formed The O’s in 2008 after performing together in many other bands and groups, including Polyphonic Spree, Young Heart Attack, and Rose County Fair. The musicians’ quirky and often times hilarious personalities mix perfectly with their brand of foot-stomping rock.

Before there was Americana and Texas Country, Two Tons of Steel frontman Kevin Geil and his band rocked a sound that blended the best of musical worlds and pushed the envelope of Texas sound with a signature brand of high-energy country meets raw punk. Best known for their standing Two Ton Tuesdays engagement at Gruene Hall, the San Antonio favorites are celebrating their 20th anniversary together this year.

Fresh off their highly anticipated release of their fourth album The Light, Uncle Lucius comes to Texas Reds Festival as part of their country-crossing tour of gigs and performances. After years of spreading their message across the Lone Star State, this latest album, out since June 15, is forecasted to be the vehicle that could take the band to the national level.

When it comes to down ’n’ dirty roots ’n’ roll, nobody in the wide world of Americana music today does it better than Ray Wylie Hubbard. After riding a decade-long career resurgence into the national spotlight with 2012’s acclaimed The Grifter’s Hymnal, the iconoclastic Texas songwriter is back to continue his hot streak with his 16th album, The Ruffian’s Misfortune.

Ishi’s (JT Mudd & Brad Dale) vision was to blend the classic, soulful story-telling and organic instrumentation of traditional folk music, with the infinite sonic possibilities offered through electronic production. With their latest album Digital Wounds, Ishi offers a multi-sensory live show that allows them to engage their audiences in high-energy dance combined with the subtle undertones of inner-exploration to create a concert experience that is unequivocally one-of-a-kind.

Based out of B/CS, Midnight Express specializes in classic rock from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, along with some current top hits. Big, brassy and sassy, this big band, consisting of nine professional musicians including a four-piece horn section, will make you think you’re listening to the original artists.

A culmination of talented individuals with a vision of creating a self-identifiable rock sound, The Docs are local College Station boys who have emerged in grandiose fashion since their inception in 2010. The story goes, four young heroes happened upon the humble church of Southern Rock. They held council with Pastor Jack White and Preacher Robert Plant, and thenceforth spread the gospel of rock ‘n’ roll as “The Docs,” sermonizing with their own rowdy brand of experimental, yet undeniably classic, rock ‘n’ roll.

Fresh off his first SXSW appearance, and eighth consecutive performance at Levitation (Austin Psych Festival), Chris Catalena is glad to be back in Bryan. Born and raised in the Brazos County, this singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has tirelessly backed a variety of groups varying from country music, to pop, to psychedelic rock, and even folk groups.

Hailing from Austin, The Sideshow Tragedy is an indie blues-roots-rock duo consisting of front man Nathan Singleton and drummer Jeremy Harrell. Austin Live Weekly put it this way: “Only having two members in the band, it’s hard to believe how much noise comes forth from the duo, Sideshow Tragedy. Singleton has the stage presence of Iggy Pop and Keith Richards combined, and he wields his steel guitar like a warlock, playing overdriven riffs with a feral intensity.”

Texas singer-songwriter Austin Meade brings grit and honesty to his craft. The last two years have led Austin on a journey, forging together a band and hitting the highways. You can find Austin’s music somewhere between his Americana and Blues influences.

Austin English comes from a musical family and was raised on bands like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and The Eagles. He learned to play guitar at 13 and started a band at 16, playing clubs and festivals while still in high school. He has recorded two albums, continues to tour Texas heavily, and has recently released a new radio single, “Crazy.”

Central Texas-based alternative rock band Lonely Hunter is hitting the road again with their brand new EP, When Winter Comes. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Collin Brewer, guitarist Tyler Kern, bassist Jacob Massey, and drummer Austin Laskowski. Having performed in multiple showcases with SXSW and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lonely Hunter’s live shows captivate audiences with their fresh alternative sound.

A band of musical brothers, T. Sax’s grooving harmonies have created a signature sound of suave R&B, funk, and pop. Covering songs ranging from the classics of Michael Jackson, to the contemporary hits of modern hip-hip/pop stars, their music can be described as electric and innovative.

Daniel Gonzales is a singer-songwriter based out of College Station. Daniel and his group of experienced musicians create an upbeat and energetic show that provides a memorable experience for every type of listener. Since his start in 2012, Daniel has shared the stage with Gungor, Graham Colton, Jay Nash, Matthew Mayfield, Nick Verzosa, Josh Grider, and many other artists.