Musical Events

Kelly Willis, named by NPR as “alternative country’s golden goddess,” will perform a free concert Saturday evening at 9:00 pm on the Red Poppy Stage.  A singer, guitarist, and song stylist/writer, Kelly Willis possesses a pure, classic country voice once described by Rolling Stone as "throaty, lonesome and blue." Her sultry vocals, "drop-dead natural-blond beauty" (Texas Monthly), and a keen sense of song have gained her press accolades and a legion of fans that span the country and rock genres.

Texas band Two Tons of Steel might be described as equal parts Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello, with a liberal dose of Buddy Holly and a dollop of The Ramones. It’s a one-of-a-kind sound that bandleader and frontman Kevin Geil likes to call “countrybilly.”  Gather up your friends for a boot scootin' good time with Two Tons on Saturday evening at 7:00 pm on the Red Poppy Stage.

With a flair for entertainment, the Lonestar Bluegrass Band has charmed audiences since 1982 with their traditional and contemporary bluegrass tunes. The Lonestar Bluegrass Band won the Houston Press Music Award, Best Bluegrass Band in 2002, 2003, and 2004. And that's not the only glory this band has earned! Guitarist Chris Bagley, won the 2006 Texas State Flat Picking Guitar Championship! Come dance a little jig while listening to them at 12:30 pm, Saturday on the Red Poppy Stage.

Latin jazz band. The Brew, is based in Austin and formed around three brothers, Michael, Mark and Joe Rodriguez, who have played together for more than 30 years. Best known in the California area for their remake of Hall & Oates Sara Smile,they have been played extensively on radio stations WAVE in Los Angeles, CA, various radio stations in Sonoma County, CA, the WAVE in Houston, and OASIS in Dallas. The Brew has Headlined many of Austin's music events and well-known venues such as Austin's Blues on the Green, Auditorium Shores, and at Pease Park. Last June actor Matthew McConaughey jumped up on stage at Speakeasy, a favorite local club where the Brew was headlining, and joined in on the congas playing with percussionist Joe Rodriguez. Beloved by other musicians and fans alike, The Brew has managed to maintain a solid base of loyal fans for many years. They will perfom Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm on the Red Poppy Stage.

This dynamic showband performs your favorite Rock 'n' Roll hits from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and also shares the electrifying talents of rock stars from the past. You can swivel your hips with Elvis, find a pretty woman with Roy, surf with the Beach Boys, twist and shout with the Beatles, sing the blues with the Blues Brothers, go to the YMCA with the Village People, and much much more. Off The Record gives their audiences a visual time warp with costumes and dancing. Having performed in the Austin area since 1994, they leave their audiences begging for more.  Off the Record will kick-off the Red Poppy Festival on Friday evening at 8:00 pm on the Red Poppy Stage.

Joe McDermott is a nationally recognized children’s artist based in Austin, Texas. Since childhood, Joe has possessed a notable talent for music. He learned to play the drums as a child, and the guitar in his teens. While teaching pre-school, Joe realized that children were an unending source of inspiration for songwriting. His first children’s recording was a tape he and the school children recorded as a Christmas gift for the parents. To date, he has written and released five children’s recordings. His first nationally distributed CD entitled, I Am Baby, won a Parents’ Choice Recommended Honor in1998; and his 2001 national release, Great Big World, and his 2003 release, Everywhere You Go, have both won the esteemed Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award. Joe was honored with his first NAPPA Gold Award for Everywhere You Go, which includes the Children’s Music Web Award winning song, “Baby Kangaroo.” McDermott’s proficient songwriting abilities enabled him to compose music for children’s video games and educational software. One project teamed Joe with Stan and Jan Berenstain, authors of the classic Berenstain Bears books. Impressed by Joe’s work, author Stan Berenstain enlisted him to adapt ten of their books to song. After working with Joe, Stan Berenstain said, “Joe McDermott is not only a magnificent songwriter, he’s also an absolute wizard at communicating with children through music.”