Venue Spotlight | Gruene Hall
When you hear ‘Gruene Hall’, what comes to mind? For many, it’s the hot summer nights cooled by cold beer, listening to the band you traveled across the state to see. Or the sound of the wooden floors under boots, making it seem as if you’ve stepped back in time.
For me personally, as a New Braunfels resident, I think of Gruene Hall almost as a backyard. A gathering place for locals and tourists alike to come together over a shared love for music. It’s welcoming and familiar.
Living here, I get the opportunity to see Gruene Hall in all its forms. On Fridays when people head there straight from work for KNBT’s Friday Afternoon Club. On a weekday when local musicians play to listeners sitting at the picnic tables brought inside. On Tuesdays when people line the streets waiting to get in to dance to Two Tons of Steel. And on a Saturday night when the tour bus pulls in and there’s an energy throughout Gruene unlike any other. One venue with so much to offer.
Gruene Hall’s stage has hosted legendary artists such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Strait, LeAnn Rimes, Garth Brooks, Lyle Lovett - and that just barely scratches the surface of the one-in-a-generation talent that has played The Hall. You’d be tired of scrolling before I was able to list them all here.
To no one’s surprise, Gruene Hall is among one of the final nominees for Best Venue at the 2024 Texas Country Music Awards. Gruene Hall has won this award with the Texas Country Music Association in the past.
TCMM got the opportunity to talk with Trey Jackson of the Molak Corp. to hear more about the legendary Texas venue.
What does Gruene Hall mean to the Texas Country community?
For Texans and fans of country, nearly everyone has a story about Gruene Hall. There’s something about those old wooden floors, cold beer, and amazing musicians that pull people together. No matter who you are you can find a home at The Hall. It also helps that the rest of Gruene feels like stepping back in time with our brand of Texas hospitality with retail, restaurants, and other venues.
What legacy does Gruene Hall intend to carry on in the years ahead?
Next year marks 50 years of Gruene Hall being owned by the Molak family – that’s 50 years of influencing the Texas music scene. We are consistently rated one of the top entertainment venues in Texas and we take that seriously – not just with the music, but with the entire experience for our friends and guests.
What is something people might not know about the history of Gruene Hall?
There’s a legend about The Willie Door, an entrance that many artists use that has direct access to the stage. Back in 1998 at the Flood Benefit, Willie Nelson needed a way to get to the stage without going through the sold-out crowd. Mattson Rainer of KNBT 92.1FM pointed out the issue and along with our longtime audio engineer Dennis Peek, they tore up the chicken wire and created the new door. It’s not pretty, but many artists take photos at The Willie Door to signify their time playing the legendary venue.
About how many ticketed shows does Gruene Hall have a year?
Gruene Hall has about 135 ticketed shows a year.
How does Gruene Hall support local, or up and coming, artists?
The team spends a lot of time scouting local and up-and-coming talent. Many of our weekday show artists end up on the main stage headlining the Hall at some point.
Who books the live music? Is it one person, a team, etc?
With the leadership and direction of our longtime and recently passed owner, Pat Molak, I’ve been booking the ticketed and cover shows for more than two decades. Weekday free shows and support spots are booked by Tracie Ferguson. Many of the Molak staff is very interested and invested in Gruene Hall, so we get great suggestions from our internal team, too.