Texas Music News — September 7, 2026
Robert Earl Keen wraps his fifth annual Fan Appreciation Day today, a free thank-you to the fans who built his career. Still, the party happens at Floore’s Country Store in Helotes, Texas. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the music runs until Keen and his band close the night. Roughly 3,500 fans get in on a free lottery ticket, because Floore’s simply can’t hold more than that.
Keen’s connection to Floore’s runs back to the early 1990s. But he had to talk the venue into giving his style of songwriting a chance. He landed a Sunday afternoon slot and drew about 1,500 people. After that, he became a regular at the historic hall, and he kept coming back for decades. So when he looked for a way to repay that loyalty, the answer was already sitting in his own backyard.
The idea came from irritation, by Keen’s own telling. “I got where I was yelling at my radio going, ‘Well, what are you doing for your fans?’ And then I thought, ‘What am I doing for my fans?'” he told KSAT. The answer, five years running now, is a free concert built like a family reunion. Keen books the lineup himself, and he leans into the full range of Americana — traditional country, rock, pop and blues alike.
Robert Earl Keen’s Homecoming Weekend, Not Just a Concert
Now in its fifth year, the run stretched across all three days of Labor Day weekend. First, Saturday brought a full-band celebration of Keen’s #2 Live Dinner, his seminal live album recorded at Floore’s three decades ago. Next, Sunday turned indoors for a “Songs & Stories” guitar pull. Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Poltz and Suzy Bogguss traded songs and tall tales alongside Keen. Then came today’s finale, the free show that started it all.
Still, Robert Earl Keen doesn’t see an end to any of it. “If I retired again, I’d still do Fan Appreciation Day,” he said. Floore’s has clearly earned that kind of loyalty back. After all, it’s the dance hall on the National Register of Historic Places where Willie Nelson cut his teeth decades ago.
Details at KSAT.
More Texas Music News
Now, Lubbock’s Flatland Cavalry lands a slot on one of Americana music’s biggest stages. The band joins Robert Plant, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price at the 25th Annual Americana Honors & Awards. The Sept. 16 show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium will also pay tribute to the late Dolly Parton. Also, Flatland Cavalry recorded this year’s album, Work of Heart, at Austin’s Matchbox Studios. Details at MusicRow.
Meanwhile, Arlington, Texas, native Maren Morris joins a Nashville songwriters’ round for a good cause. She’ll perform alongside Ashley McBryde and Luke Dick at a Nov. 4 charity night hosted by hit songwriter Laura Veltz. So, proceeds will send a local 12U baseball team to Cooperstown Dreams Park. Veltz promised a four-part harmony singalong of “Choosin’ Texas” before the night is through. Details at MusicRow.
Also, Austin’s Levitation Fest returns to the Red River District Sept. 10-13. Headliners American Football, Bikini Kill and Molchat Doma lead the bill. More than 50 acts will play Stubb’s, Mohawk, Empire and other East Side venues, with one more mystery headliner still to come. Details at CultureMap Austin.