By C. J. Vetter
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Local venue, Stone Valley Music Park, will be hosting a live performance on July 9 by the Wyatt Weaver Band followed by Anthony Smith, a songwriter for country stars such as George Strait, Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw.
Some of the profits will be directly donated to Patriots' Hall, a veterans center located in Dripping Springs.
The live music event will kick off at 6 p.m. and begin with the Wyatt Weaver Band, before a solo acoustic performance by Anthony Smith. General admission to the performances will be $15, although there are VIP options for an upper deck ticket and a picnic table ticket, both of which are $50.
Food and drink will be available for purchase, and guests are able to bring their own chairs. However, outside food and drinks, backpacks, non-service animals and recording devices are prohibited.
Smith and the show's promoter, Bart Burk, met in Nashville during college, and worked together on a few songs before Burk moved back to Texas. Smith remained in Nashville and went on to write popular songs such as “Run,” “Cowboys Like Us” and “If That Ain’t Country.” In addition to being a songwriter, Smith is also an acoustic guitarist, and was invited to perform by Burk.
"He just sounds so good, and he sounds so full. It's like he has more players up there with him,” Burk said.
As a former veteran, Burk is giving his share of the profits to Patriots' Hall. Currently, the retreat has a functional meeting hall, but has plans for further construction, including a wellness clinic and gathering hall. Burk is also hosting a silent auction for a guitar autographed by Smith, with all proceeds from it going to Patriots' Hall.
"It’s just a place for veterans to come to when they need a place to be around each other, to be with like-minded people with the same experience and who have gone through the same things as they have,” Burk said.
In addition to helping fund Patriots' Hall, Burk has also made it a point that this show is for the entire community alongside those veterans within it. The selection of Stone Valley was made as an effort to help build up the venue, following the closure of the nearby Nutty Brown Amphitheater.
The Nutty Brown, a staple of the live music scene in Dripping Springs for over 20 years, was closed in 2021, and the property will be turned into a new H-E-B. Burk hopes that by helping promote Stone Valley, it can help fill the gap left by the closure.
“The Nutty Brown was around for years and years, and was a very similar venue. It had a patio and picnic tables, and they had tons of concerts out there. They closed that location and moved out to Round Rock, but this venue is very similar,” Burk said. “Honestly, when you see the place, it’ll blow you away. The backdrop is the hill country and the sunsets are beautiful, it has a giant 50-foot covered stage, a second level VIP area with its own bar, staff and restroom, and the bottom is a large bar and kitchen.”
To find out more about the venue or purchase tickets, visit www.stonevalleytexas.com.
