On September 6, the Odeon hosts a special evening with seven accomplished singer-songwriters and musicians from Mason and the surrounding counties. The concert will feature performances by artists well known to Hill Country audiences, including Luke Johanson, Justin McFarland, Matthew Zarder, Wes Creech, Logan Bell, Geer Gillespie, Tony Taylor and Matt Kirk. This promises to be a not-to-be-missed evening of outstanding entertainment.
Meet the performers
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Luke Johanson is a balladeer with deep roots and wide-ranging stories. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he grew up in a lively Irish Catholic family where Irish folk music was the soundtrack of daily life. Luke studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, then moved to Los Angeles to pursue both acting and music. Now based in Menard, Texas, he lives with his beautiful wife—an introspective songwriter and talented actress—and their two gifted daughters. A lifelong lover of storytelling through song, Luke is a sucker for a good lyric and a well-turned phrase. It’s a wonderful privilege to be able to tell his story through music. His influences include legends like Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Daryl Scott, and Billy Joe Shaver—songwriters who, like Luke, write from the heart and live for the song.
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Mason resident Justin McFarland’s passion is writing lyrics that tell distilled stories, contemplate the good life, and at times ponder the mystery behind it all. The music that moves the lyric is grassroots with a little alternative edge when the mood fits. His musical experience is woven together from 15 years of song writing and 25 years of performing a variety of genres from blues and jazz to gospel and alternative. Straightforward Americana music with occasional overdrive. Music and lyric are gifts from God for good conversations, from the powerful and profound to the jesting and light-hearted. These musical conversations shape our lives, sometimes providing the backdrop and soundtrack, while at other times offering the very key to making sense of it all for a particular moment in the journey.
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Matthew Zarder’s musical style weaves together the gentle threads of folk and bluegrass, adorned with subtle hints of Texana. His unique fingerpicking style, born of the fusion of classical right-hand guitar technique and the evocative sounds of bluegrass banjo translated through a six string guitar, lends his music a distinct and captivating quality. Drawing inspiration from the melancholic storytelling of the late nineties and early 2000s indie folk scene from the likes of Bright Eyes and Elliott Smith, Matthew's songwriting captures the essence of raw emotions and intimate narratives. In 2022, Matthew took a significant step forward in his musical career, releasing his first full studio Indie Rock EP titled “American Machine” with producer, drummer and keysmith Marshall O’neil under the pen name “Plaintiff.”
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San Antonio native Wes Creech grew up with the sounds of classic country and old cowboy tunes. He purchased his first guitar in his teens and started mixing in 90’s rock with his best Willie Nelson and Tom T. Hall impressions. During Creech’s college days in Kerrville, he participated in the folk-rock evolution of the area, and did a short stint with a Kerrville-based psychedelic folk band The Stacks. In 2013, shortly after moving to New Braunfels, Creech started learning new styles of guitar playing including fingerpicking Piedmont, Travis style and slide guitar in various types of tunings. Today, he still enjoys resurrecting endangered tunes that were given up long ago and reinterpreting them to 21st century audiences, singing in a voice that’s warm and expressive.
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Logan and Geer are a couple of silly gooses who have been making music together since they started falling in love a decade ago at Geer's mom's house. Geer does the hard work of writing the songs and Logan just harmonizes and encourages Geer to write more music. They live in Menard County on family land and raise goats, poultry, horses and a child and sometimes have time to play music, too.
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Matt Kirk was born and raised in the Texas Hill County. He is a second generation musician and released a debut album in 2022.
Tickets are $25 per person if purchased in advance and $30 at the door (cash only at the door). Tickets may be purchased below with a credit card or Paypal. Please note, tickets are NOT issued. Your receipt is your ticket. Please print and bring with you or be able show receipt on your phone. Your name will appear on the WILL CALL list at the door.
NEW: Students 18 and under $10 at the door, if seats are available
For additional concert information and questions regarding reservations, email concerts@TheOdeonTheater.com.
Wine will be available for purchase by the glass and bottle from 1900 Vineyards.
Doors open at 6:15 p.m.