Legendary Americana musician Robert Earl Keen sold out the Festival Hill concert hall this spring with a benefit concert that earned over $100,000 in scholarships for young players attending the iconic performance venue’s Summer Music Festival – a renowned program that shapes future career musicians from all over the world. 

The Texas Heritage Songwriter Hall of Famer is known for his support of young musicians, having raised over $1 million for Kerrville’s Hill Country Youth Orchestra through annual benefit concerts. 

Robert Earl Keen performs at Festival Hill

Keen performed a 16-song set list in the historic Festival Hill concert hall. Fans sang along to favorites like Corpus Christi Bay, The Road Goes On Forever, and I Gotta Go. A standing ovation brought the band back to the stage for encore performances of No Kinda Dancer and Feeling Good Again. 

The audience was as enthralled with the music as they were the entertainer’s anecdotes between songs. Keen joked that he was pleasantly surprised not to be playing between “a pile of ancient Indian crockery and twenty-first century macrame” in Round Top – a nod to the town’s famous thrice annual Antiques & Design Shows. 

Jokes aside, Keen praised the performance hall repeatedly during song breaks, promising to return with longtime bandmates Bill Whitbeck, Tom Van Schaik, Brian Beken and Kym Warner. 

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Linda Van Wart, Erin Fenton, Kathy Jackson, Robert Earl Keen, concert underwriter Melissa McNair, Mary Haskins, Pete Haskins.

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Robert Earl Keen and Festival Hill founder James Dick.

About 80 young musicians will benefit from the funds raised at Keen’s concert through scholarships to attend Festival Hill’s Summer Festival. Talented young musicians specially selected for the program will perform concerts daily June 2 through July 12. Learn more about the festival and get tickets for what is sure to be a memorable summer of music, here.