The July 4 floods in central Texas, which took over 130 lives, will leave a lasting scar on the state and its citizens.
While the torrential waters have receded, the grueling, heartbreaking work of recovering bodies, cleaning up damage and attempting to rebuild lives is only just beginning.
But, in true neighborly fashion, a multitude of Texas-born, -bred or -based artists have rallied together to help raise awareness and funds for flood relief. On July 16, Fort Worth singer-songwriter Pat Green, with an assist from several friends and contemporaries, raised over a million dollars during a livestreamed concert from Globe Life Field.
Below, a round-up of more flood relief benefits scheduled locally and elsewhere for the coming weeks. Please, if you’re able, donate to help those impacted by the floods recover.
Strait to the Heart (July 27 at Estancia at Thunder Valley, Boerne)
A titan of Texas music, George Strait, is putting his full weight behind helping raise funds for flood victims, with an intimate, high-dollar (tickets start at $1,000) fundraiser featuring Strait and a slew of high-profile guests, including Jamey Johnson, Ray Benson, Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, William Beckman, Riley Green, Dean Dillon and Kyle Park. For tickets, email [email protected].
High Waters, Lone Stars (July 29 at Three Links, Dallas)
Presented by the Dallas Entertainment Awards, in conjunction with the Dallas Music Office and KNON, this loaded bill features an eclectic array of noteworthy Dallas artists, including Sam Cormier, Flozilla, Justin Pickard, Jake Quillin and Carson Lewis, among several others. Dante Martinez will host the event, and all proceeds (a donation of $10 is suggested) will benefit the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.
Kindness for Kerr (Aug. 4 at the Barley House, Dallas)
Five artists — Brent Best, RTB2, Armchair Rebels, Max Hartman and Mr. Fantastic — will take the stage inside the Barley House to benefit disaster relief for flood victims. Donations can be made via PayPal or Zelle using [email protected], or donations can be made at the door the evening of the event.
Song in the Storm (Aug. 12 at the Paramount Theatre, Austin)
A pair of Texas legends, Lyle Lovett and Michael Martin Murphey, are banding together to help ease suffering in the Hill Country. They’ll be joined by Oak Cliff native Jimmie Vaughan, Juliana Rankin and Andy Hedges. All proceeds will benefit the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund (organizers are also encouraging those who can’t attend but would like to support the cause to donate to the Central Texas Flood Recovery Fund).
Band Together Texas (Aug. 17 at Moody Center, Austin)
Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum teamed up to wrangle a staggering number of fellow Texans to help raise funds for the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country and Central Texas Community Foundation. In addition to Lambert and McCollum, the bill includes Kelly Clarkson, Cody Johnson, Ronnie Dunn, Lyle Lovett, Jack Ingram, Ryan Bingham, Jon Randall and Lukas Nelson. Matthew McConaughey and Dennis Quaid, among others, will also make appearances.
Applause for the Cause (Aug. 28 at Whitewater Amphitheater, New Braunfels)
Kerrville native Robert Earl Keen is wrangling Tyler Childers, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram, as well as Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cody Jinks, Josh Weathers, Sarah Jarosz, Kelsey Waldon, Vincent Neil Emerson and many, many more to help raise funds for the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky (@prestonjones.bsky.social). 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.
