The owner of the Redbird, Dallas Burrow, opened the small venue alongside his family. Burrow has written and performed music since he was a teenager and was inspired to create a space for songwriters to comfortably share their work in an intimate setting.
“My experience as a performer and a songwriter was really the inspiration to want to create a place that was the kind of place that I would want to go play at,” Burrow said.
The Redbird has created an environment in which songwriters display their craft, mainly in solo performances, Burrow said. Those in the audience are asked to silence their cell phones and refrain from speaking in order to immerse themselves in the lyrics.
All songwriters across every genre of music are welcome to the Redbird to perform their original work, but the venue most frequently features country, blues, folk and Americana music. The venue also gives songwriters the opportunity to share the story behind the lyrics they were inspired to write.
“I have been pleasantly surprised as to the reception that we’ve received from the community in general,” Burrow said. “As well as from a lot of great artists who, once having played here, most oftentimes, all want to come back again.”
Burrow said some of the inspiration behind creating the Redbird was to carry on the legacy of Kent Finlay, the original owner of the Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos.
The Redbird was built after an extensive renovation of a home built in 1933. The completed project incorporates the rustic charm of the original home with a new functional space that seats 60 people.
“[Performing artists] are always enthusiastic about what a wonderful room it is and how great it sounds in here,” Burrow said. “All this old wood makes for just a really great listening experience as far as the acoustics go.”
The Redbird Listening Room
1260 Business I-35, New Braunfels 830-606-7886 • www.redbirdlisteningroom.com
