Texas Music News — September 17, 2026
Fort Worth’s music scene descends on Nashville today for the sixth annual Cowtown GitDown showcase. The free, all-day event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Tennessee Brew Works. It happens every year during AMERICANAFEST, the week-long Americana music celebration. Musicians from Panther City fly in to remind the world where the sound comes from.
Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter Abraham Alexander headlines this year’s lineup. He shares the bill with JAMBALOO Music Prize winner Matthew McNeal, Leon Bridges collaborator .MARCEL., and honey-voiced songstress Mollie Danel. Meanwhile, 95.6 The Ranch, the largest Americana radio station in Texas, will be on-site capturing interviews for future broadcast. Attendees get complimentary food and cocktails from La Pulga Spirits and free swag from Printed Threads.
Panther City Sends Its Ambassadors
Hear Fort Worth, a division of Visit Fort Worth, organized the showcase. The group has spent a decade sending local talent to national stages. Fort Worth earned recognition last year as AMERICANAFEST’s spotlight city, cementing its reputation as “The Unexpected City.” Tom Martens, vice president of creative and music for Visit Fort Worth, compared the musicians to diplomats.
“When Fort Worth artists take the stage at Americanafest, they’re not just performing,” Martens said. “They’re serving as ambassadors for a city with deep, authentic music identity.” That identity runs deep across town. It stretches from the honky-tonk floors of Billy Bob’s Texas to the singer-songwriter rooms where Matthew McNeal cut his teeth. Nashville gets a taste of it every September, and this year’s crowd should be no different.
Fort Worth doesn’t just export music. It exports a feeling, one part grit, one part heart, and Cowtown GitDown packs both into a single afternoon.
Details at KXT 91.7
More Texas Music News
Metallica will steamroll into San Antonio’s Alamodome next summer. The M72 World Tour stops there Saturday, May 22, 2027, with Limp Bizkit and Avatar opening. Fan club presale tickets start Monday, Sept. 21, and general sales begin Friday, Sept. 25. Details at San Antonio Current
San Antonio’s INOHA is chasing a sold-out headlining tour. The indie-rock quartet’s nationwide run kicks off Saturday at Paper Tiger. It follows their new album, This Might Be Useful, out since Sept. 4. All four members grew up in the Alamo City. They built a following through DIY videos like the one for “Seventh Heaven.” Details at San Antonio Current
Dallas nonprofit Amplified Minds hosts its second annual Louder Than Stigma Fest on Sept. 19. Oak Cliff native Tye Harris headlines the benefit at the Kessler Theater. The night raises money for free mental health services for the city’s creative community. It also pairs live music with a wearable-art auction. Details at KXT 91.7
The Downtown Dallas Arts & Music Festival returned to Main Street Garden after weather pushed it from spring to fall. The free two-day fest featured homegrown acts like Haley Marie and Salako Music across two stages. Texas Music Project also ran a “My First Ukulele” activation for kids. Details at KXT 91.7