Keegan McInroe, a long-time fixture of the North Texas music scene, often finds himself at festivals across the country and around the world.
Recently he wondered: Why doesn’t Fort Worth, a city with a rich tradition of singer-songwriters, have some sort of event celebrating its heritage while showcasing the next generation of talent?
“It’s got such a rich history for musicians, but in particular, songwriters,” McInroe said during a recent conversation. “So many people, not just in the past, but also in the present — I just thought it was kind of strange Fort Worth didn’t have [a songwriting festival].”
While there are long-standing events like ArtsGoggle, the Fort Worth African American Roots Festival or the Main Street Arts Festival, none of these are focused solely on songwriting and songwriters.
With help from the community and a team of collaborators (including Afallon Productions, Hear Fort Worth and Amplify817), that gap has been addressed, with the launch of the inaugural Fort Worth Songwriter Festival, kicking off Nov. 7 and continuing through Nov. 10 at multiple venues throughout the city.
It is a sprawling, ambitious undertaking — four venues (Southside Preservation Hall; Rose Chapel; The Cicada; Magnolia Motor Lounge) are playing host to more than 50 musicians over the run of the festival — and one which aims to illustrate the breadth of songwriting.
“That was definitely intentional,” McInroe said, of the eclectic line-up. “That was one of the big problems we had, because we had this very big response. I was actually surprised by the number of responses we got back to the submission process. So I was introduced to all these great new artists. … But it really did allow for curating a broader experience at the festival, which was really important to me.”
Headliners include Willis Alan Ramsey, Alejandro Escovedo, John Fullbright, Summer Dean and Patrice Pike, among many others (McInroe will also be performing). Tickets, ranging from a day pass option to a four-day pass, are available now.
In addition to the musical performances, a handful of educational workshops will be offered, covering topics like publishing, how to properly place microphones and music theory. These workshops, some presented in conjunction with the Fort Worth Public Library, will be free to attend, and open to the public.
The festival will also not be a one-off undertaking: The Fort Worth Songwriter Foundation, a non-profit organization, was created to host the festival as its flagship event, but McInroe said the goal is to help close information gaps, and strengthen the city’s creative infrastructure, so that tomorrow’s artists can navigate a clear path between inspiration and execution.
“I really love bringing people together, and helping build and strengthen support in the community,” McInroe said. “I don’t know that live music has really recovered on the local level in a big way. … I want to help create a space that allows for strengthening and building and networking. … I wanted to not just create a place for people to come and rub shoulders and see great music, but for it to have a practical benefit.”
The inaugural Fort Worth Songwriter Festival at various venues, Fort Worth. Nov. 7-10. Tickets range from $30-$150.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
