Last year, we dug into the increasingly fertile soil of what we called "Texas country tourism," with a look at five different musically-enriched, out-of-state trips brimming with so many audio attractions you may skip the tourist-rich sights of destinations including Dublin, London, and Key West.
And speaking of the Conch Republic, in February, we even took one of those trips ourselves, hitting the inaugural Mile 0 Fest and receiving a bottomless taste for why such a destination festival like this is so special. Unlike the more well-known mega-fests like Austin City Limits or Lollapalooza in Chicago, where the lineups feature a smorgasbord of musical styles, Mile 0 and those of its ilk offer a more focused menu. Not only is there a focus on the music, but the regional nature of things is pretty cool too.
Looking around the crowd at the Truman Waterfront Park Amphitheater while local twangy stars Cody Jinks, Pat Green and the Old 97's performed, the festival carried the tribal vibes of a college football team's fans traveling to an away game. It was us versus them, but without any animus aimed at an opponent.
Each of the five events from last year's piece is back and seemingly better. But there are a couple of other trips that also provide a great deal of wanderlust-sating roaming and Texas-flavored tunes in one exotic package that you should know about.
Texas Music Takeover
Where: London, England
When: Oct. 7-15, 2018
The Texas talent: Vaden Todd Lewis, Koe Wetzel, Sam Riggs, Kylie Rae Harris and more.
Featuring its largest lineup in its third year, the Texas Music Takeover has a truth-in-advertising feel. And with the addition of hard rocker Vaden Todd Lewis of the Toadies, this lineup will give merry ol' London a rather Fort Worth-intensive feel. texasmusictakeover.us
Texas Red Dirt Pub Crawl
Where: Dublin, Ireland
When: Nov. 25-Dec. 2, 2018
The Texas talent: Dirty River Boys, Mark McKinney, Bri Bagwell and more.
El Paso's the Dirty River Boys blend dusty West Texas twang with boot-stomping Celtic jig-style tunes, which makes them more than ideal for this star-studded musical journey around the Emerald Isle. texasreddirtpubcrawl.com
The Music Fest
Where: Steamboat, Colo.
When: Jan. 5-10, 2019
The Texas talent: Jack Ingram, Reckless Kelly, Josh Abbott Band and many more.
The granddaddy of all Texas music getaways, now in its 34th year, is the model so many other similar excursions are fashioned after. I mean, what's not to like here? A massive lineup of A-list and exciting young talent performing in large, party-ready outdoor settings, and intimate fireside lounge-style setups too. themusicfest.com
Mile 0 Fest
Where: Key West, Fla.
When: Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 2019
The Texas talent: Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, Charley Crockett and more.
Last year's inaugural effort was a smashing success we witnessed firsthand. Building on that strong foundation, the fest has grown in number of days, bands and total stages used. The lineup extends far more outside of Texas than the others, too, with Minnesota's Trampled by Turtles, Kentucky's Tyler Childers and the Latin-inspired country hitmakers the Mavericks, adding a great deal of variety to the bill. mile0fest.com
Red River Songwriters Festival
Where: Red River, NM
When: Jan. 24-26, 2019
The Texas talent: Jack Ingram, Drew Kennedy, Kelly Mickwee, Walt Wilkins and more.
What this annual mountain affair lacks in size, it makes up for in the highest quality songwriting of pretty much any festival, anywhere. With a focus on stories and connection, this acoustic-driven fest is the ideal counter-programming for folks who like to sip and savor rather than chug and holler. redriversongs.com
Eric Nadel's Havana Behind the Scenes Through Music, Baseball and More
Where: Havana, Cuba
When: Feb. 6-12, 2019
The Texas talent: Ruthie Foster
As a Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Texas Rangers, Eric Nadel has earned a reputation as a music aficionado with impeccable taste. In partnership with Cuba Educational Travel, Nadel has created an itinerary that features not only live music from Austin's blues-folk queen Ruthie Foster and noted blues man Seth Walker, but plenty of native talents in some of the area's greatest venues. Also featured on the trip also a tour filled will be historical sightseeing and a deep-dive look into Cuba's rich baseball heritage. cubaeducationaltravel.com/eric-nadel-2019
The Outlaw Country Cruise 4
Where: Tampa, Fla.
When: Jan. 27-Feb. 1, 2019
The Texas talent: The Old 97's, the Flatlanders, Dale Watson and more
Departing from Tampa and making its way to the island of Nassau, the 2019 cruise is the fourth edition of one of the most popular trips on the musical travel schedule. Headlined by southern rock giants Drive by Truckers, Lucinda Williams, Margo Price and Steve Earle, there are dozens of rootsy, twangy, gritty acts to be heard. More Texas types include Jonathan Tyler, Reckless Kelly, Terry Allen, and Jesse Dayton. outlawcountrycruise.com
