The sun is already poking its head out and pretty soon it will be full on festival season. This usually involves a sunburn and some quality time with a few thousand of your closest friends. For a more intimate alternative, try out the fifth season of the Courtyard Texas Music Series, which runs on the first Thursday of the month from March through November.
CTMS is one of the many triumphant efforts of the Downtown Plano Arts District to make the downtown area the creative center of our growing city. The series grew out of a desire to better utilize the Courtyard Theater, which also houses dramas, comedies and musicals. With a capacity of 321 seats, the Courtyard offers an up-close-and-personal experience with some of the Lone Star State’s favorite musicians.
Michelle Hawkins, the mastermind of the series, has had some help from Josh Jones over at radio station KHYI 95.3 in landing a Texas-sized sampling of really sweet acts for the series. Speaking of her personal favorites from the past five seasons, Michelle included institutions like The Tejas Brothers, The Bellamy Brothers and Johnny Lee, as well as new favorites like William Clark Green.
Plenty of other smaller venues get by on standing room and a bar area that is just as loud as the band. That’s not the vibe at the Courtyard, which Michelle calls a true “listening room.” She believes that one reason CTMS season tickets sell out so fast is because the amazing acoustics in the theater create a relaxing environment for an audience that is truly devoted to the act and can appreciate a nice seat to call their own. This respectful space allows the musical acts to tell stories from the road, reminisce on the origins of their songs and even engage with members of the audience.
Courtyard Texas Music Series focuses on bands that are either Texan or evoke the Lone Star lifestyle. This year, Reckless Kelly will be first out of the gate with a performance on March 3rd at 7:30, with Jason Boland and Asleep at the Wheel following up in April and May.
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