Written by Dave Clements

There are not many places across our country where you can spend a long weekend and go listen to terrific live music on a half dozen stages, all unique, all within walking distance from one another, with great food and drink options along the way and all at a very reasonable price.
Guess what? My wife and I were blessed to experience precisely that this past weekend. Where? You got it, and it was right down the street from where we live in Montgomery County and less than an hour drive north of Houston.
The Second Annual Conroe Texas Crossroads Music Festival took place this past weekend and what a treat to be able to ‘cover’ it and enjoy some special up and coming artists and veterans alike during our multiple strolls around the Downtown Conroe area on two nights of the festival.
If you haven’t been to Conroe lately you are missing a treat. Downtown Conroe, and really the entire surrounding area, has become a music mecca with an asterisk. You ask what is the asterisk is for? And the answer is that is so much more than just music.
Conroe has been officially designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts as a Texas Cultural District and a Texas Music Friendly Community by the Governor’s Office. They have the historic Crighton Theatre, the Owen Theatre and numerous taverns, pubs, restaurants, tap rooms, wine bars, boutiques and other shops… and did I mention an art gallery besides all this?
Although we couldn’t make it the first night, the festival started on Thursday and that evening had shows at four different venues. One of my favorite singers Sheila Marshall and her husband Scott performed at the Red Brick Tavern (a must place to eat if you’re headed to Conroe) And if you haven’t caught Sheila before she is also a must see performer. Marshall was on the talent show Nashville Stars several years ago. Frankly she was beyond good enough to win and so surprising that she didn’t but then again that’s show business!
Others to perform that Thursday night were Dustin Welch with HalleyAnna, Armadillo Road, Cannon Brand, Curtis Grimes and Adam Hood. These men and women bring a lot of talent to the stage and are worthy of your entertainment dollars if you haven’t seen them perform. Better yet, they are worth seeing multiple times!
Friday night featured local up and coming band Southern Disposition featuring lead singer Debbie Glenn as well as the Chubby Knuckle Choir out of Austin, a band I have been following and enjoying for many years now. Steve Krause, Supper Club, Keyun & the Zydeco Masters, Zack Walther, the Chad Cooke Band, Drew Kennedy, Possessed by Paul James and the South Austin Moonlighters all hit one of the five Friday venues. Really wish I could have seen them all.
On Saturday evening there were six different stages each featuring multiple acts (we especially enjoyed Bonner Rhae at The Table at Madeley!) with the exception of the Owen Theatre that provided the stage for James McMurtry only. McMurtry has a unique story-telling style that I find very appealing as does my wife and we were both glad we were able to catch some of his show.
You can see some images from the McMurtry performance as well as a few others from the weekend all under the photo section of our website.
For its sophomore year as a music festival, I was very impressed with what I saw during the time we were able to spend there. Artists were on time, enthusiastic about their shows, had good sound & good lighting and some nice outdoor and indoor cozy venues/rooms for listening.
The Red Brick Tavern is always a nice and intimate place to listen to a singer/songwriter, as is The Corner Pub just across the street. I was very impressed with Frank Jackson’s relatively new The Table at Madeley. It is within walking distance of downtown or you can hop on the Conroe Connection shuttle. This venue is just a fun place to go, enjoy a cold brew, their food trucks’ many selections and of course the covered stage was a pleasant touch. We got to spend some time, for the first time, at 202 Main and found the venue very clever as was 219 Social, formerly Martin’s.
My hat’s off to the staff at TEXAS MUSIC MAGAZINE that produced the festival. They had so many balls to juggle and they managed to keep them all in the air from what we witnessed.
Hope the festival is back next year, with more of the same level of talent and more people making the drive North, or South, or otherwise to enjoy all Downtown Conroe has to offer.
Until next time please help keep live music alive.
dwc