Executive Director Cheryl Fisher said the venue has a tradition where artists sign a guitar following a performance to mark where they’ve been in their career.
“Many artists have signed them on either side,” Fisher said. “We still continue to do that.”
Long story short
Inspired by the signed guitars, Fisher said she had the perfect idea—to create a new space for a bar and concession stand while also displaying an array of guitars for people to learn about the venue’s past.
“We have all these signed posters and guitars, so I figured that we call it the Guitar Bar,” Fisher said. “It’s a display of the live music tradition here.”
Previously, seven Brauntex employees had worked in the space.
Fisher said that they had to do something with the empty space after they rented offices across the street.
A closer look
There are two guitars inside the Guitar Bar that have collected signatures from countless artists who've performed at The Brauntex from 2017 to the present.
These include local bands, singer-songwriters and more.
The shining staple of the display, however, is a blue acoustic guitar signed by country music star Johnny Cash.
Not only does the theatre have one signed by Cash, but there is another signed by modern country phenom William Beckman.
Aside from the guitars, the new area can also host private events and provide respite for the audience during intermissions at shows, Fisher said.
“It’s more than just a bar, it’s a celebration of music history and the artists that come here,” Fisher said.
“From the time we opened in 1942, this theatre has always been about the community,” she said. “We’re always thinking, what’s next?”
- 290 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels
- www.brauntex.org
