Memorial Day weekend I ended up at my dad's house in New Braunfels, TX, and it's just about two miles from Gruene Hall - one of my favorite hang outs. It claims to be "Texas' oldest dance hall," and that may very well be true. The honky-tonk was built in 1878 and adding to it's historical charm, are dozens of autographed headshots of past performers. My favorite is one of Hank Thompson in his early thirties.
We walked in at 10.30 and meandered a bit checking out the history on the walls before grabbing a couple of beers. I had my usual while my friend ordered a Coors Light; evidently that's a West Texas favorite. Neither of us had heard of Chris Knight and we didn't hear a lick of the opener, but who cared? It was Saturday night and a three day weekend. The place was packed with river rats, frat boys, and a few locals alike. There sure wasn't anything special about the band, but the vibe was right and the company was excellent.
The large crowd was well behaved and only seemed to get a bit fired up when Chris slurred some Texas nonsense composed around the word "fuck." It just ain't no country otherwise, right y'all? It's probably a good thing Gruene Hall only sells beer and wine. The band played for a solid two hours while a few danced but most just drank. Gruene Hall is always a hill country favorite no matter who's playing; it's just a bonus it's so close to my dad's house.
