Downtown Marble Falls Music on Main series opens March 1
Country artist Pauline Reese is one of 20 artists scheduled to perform during the Music on Main spring 2024 season at Old Oak Square in downtown Marble Falls. Shows are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting March 1 and continuing through June 15. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
Music on Main returns for a second year in downtown Marble Falls with 20 artists and groups already scheduled to play. The free outdoor shows at Old Oak Square are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from March 1 through June 15.
Performances are from 5-8 p.m. each evening as well as noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
The 48-night series debuts with the Billy Scott on March 1. Other scheduled acts include the Ruben V Band, John Arthur Martinez, Anthony Wright, Pauline Reese, Tyler Cannon, and Wake Eastman.
“It’s free music that’s open to everyone,” said Music on Main organizer Mitch McManus, who owns Old Oak Square. “It’s fun.”
Top changes this year are a split schedule to avoid the brutal Texas heat in the summer and a revised number of acts to ensure patrons remain entertained.
“I kind of figured it out a little bit,” McManus said about the event’s second year.
Last year’s historic summer heat left its mark on the inaugural series.
“Who could have predicted 108-degree weather?” McManus said. “It was so miserably hot, but I couldn’t cancel because then I’d lose all credibility.”
The 2024 series will end on June 15 and pick up again in September for a fall encore to avoid the hottest temperatures.
“By doing it in the spring and fall, it’s actually more exciting because it’s not a marathon,” McManus said.
He also cut the list of hired talent from over 30 acts to around 20 to make sure Music on Main meets his standards.
“I wanted to raise the quality,” he said.
The specially curated list of musicians, all picked by McManus, includes 10 local groups and another 10 acts out of Austin.
“It’s about half country and the rest is like Americana,” McManus said.
He said he learned a lot since booking acts for the first time in 2023.
“I thought I was going to be dealing with egomaniacs,” he said of the artists. “It’s actually the total opposite. It’s really fun. They’re hardworking and very humble. There’s just so much talent out here.”
Every net dollar generated by the Music on Main series will go toward marketing to hopefully bolster the local economy, McManus said.
“Everything is designed to promote Main Street and downtown Marble Falls,” he said.
For the full Music on Main schedule, visit the series’ Facebook page.