On most weekend nights in La Grange, some of the finest musicians in Texas, and from around the world, take the stage at 1051 N. Jefferson Street. But at The Bugle Boy, nobody is shouting over the band. That’s the point.
“It’s a listening room,” explains Executive Director Heather Allbright. “The musicians know you can actually hear the lyrics, so they use the opportunity to tell a story in song. They often play different music here than they would anywhere else.” The result is an intimate concert experience that’s hard to find, even in Austin or Houston.
From Coffee Shop to Cultural Landmark
The Bugle Boy started in 2005 as a coffee shop that hosted live music. “It just never made a profit,” Heather laughs, so in 2008 it became the nonprofit Bugle Boy Foundation. Theater seating followed in 2009, and today the venue books around 90 shows a year. Artist procurement is handled by Richard Skanse, who brings in acts from all over and, five years in, still works the door. Recent bookings include Los Texmaniacs, and many acts are discovered through the Songwriter Serenade competition held each year in St. John/Moravia.
A Destination for Music Lovers
The Bugle Boy draws audiences from far beyond Fayette County. Some shows have been as much as 75% out-of-town guests. This month, two brothers from Norway attended their second Bugle Boy show while following their favorite band, Hot Club of Cowtown, around the world. And a fan named Peter in Australia regularly watches the live webcasts online and has made the trip in person twice. Those visitors fill local hotels, restaurants and shops, which makes The Bugle Boy an important part of La Grange’s tourism economy.
Music That Heals
The Bugle Boy’s mission reaches well beyond its stage. The organization leads the Fayette County chapter of Swan Songs, an Austin-based program that brings live music to hospice patients. Heather’s favorite story comes from one of those visits. The musicians arrived to play for a local man who had requested polka music, but he could not be awakened. They played anyway. On the third song, he woke up, made a request, and enjoyed the music until they left. His family said it was the most time they’d had with him in a long while.
When Heather stepped into the hallway to collect herself, she found the entire nursing home gathered outside the room, listening. One resident told her, “You should play for all of us.” That was the beginning of the Bugle Boy’s nursing home concerts, now so successful they are being rebranded as Senior Concerts.
This year alone, The Bugle Boy reached more than 6,000 people through performances, outreach and education, including:
- 929 residents, staff and visitors at Senior Concerts
- 147 hospice patients, family and friends through Swan Songs
- 152 participants in SongBuddies workshops and concerts for adults with learning challenges
- 7 students in grades 7–12 at the Sound Engineering Summer Camp
The Bugle Boy also supports the Reveille songwriting retreat for veterans in Moravia.
Coming Up
Don’t miss The Peterson Brothers on Saturday, November 14. The Bastrop-raised brothers have played Austin City Limits and Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and Gary Clark Jr. has called them “some of the baddest cats in the world.” The following Saturday, November 21, Grammy-nominated blues guitarist Sue Foley brings her “One Guitar Woman” show, a tribute to the women who pioneered the guitar. In-person and webcast tickets are available at thebugleboy.org.
How You Can Help
The Bugle Boy is “Patron Powered – Talent Driven,” and donations keep the music playing for musicians, seniors, hospice patients and young people alike. Give online at thebugleboy.org/donate. Local businesses are also welcome to leave their business cards at the venue, and gift cards make a great holiday gift for the music lover on your list.
The Bugle Boy
1051 N. Jefferson St., La Grange, TX 78945
979-968-9944 | thebugleboy.org
