One Of Texas' Coolest Music Scenes Can Be Found In This Unique Tiny Town In Hill Country

While Texas' scenic Hill Country has no shortage of quaint old burgs, the tiny settlement of Luckenbach holds a special place in the collective imagination. Situated near the popular wine trail hub of Fredericksburg, this unincorporated community is today a smattering of old clapboard buildings on a sweeping dirt lot. It more closely resembles a ghost town than a cultural wellspring. It was, however, made famous through the 1977 Waylon Jennings song, "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)."

Though Jennings had actually never set foot in Luckenbach before recording this No. 1 country hit, he succeeded in making the rural hamlet famous. Since then, the community has become a center for American roots music. Luckenbach hosts concerts, dances, and informal jams seven days a week, all of which draw musicians and both deep country music fans and casual spectators alike to this singular piece of Texas heritage.

This status as a mini-country music mecca has birthed a very exciting home-grown music community. The history, rustic atmosphere, and friendly, laid-back attitude that Luckenbach is famous for — its motto is "Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach" — has cultivated a scene where people from around Texas and beyond come to explore the musical traditions of Americana.

Luckenbach, Texas, was founded by immigrant German farmers in 1850, and for years it operated as an otherwise obscure outpost that was home to a general store, post office, saloon, and dance hall. In 1970, the whole town went up for sale and was purchased by legendary Texas eccentric and writer John Russell "Hondo" Crouch for $30,000. Crouch's idea was to preserve Luckenback' singular charm while also making it a haven for country music.

While most people know Luckenbach from the Waylon Jennings song, it was actually Texas singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker who solidly put the town on the musical map. Recorded live in 1973 at the Luckenbach Dance Hall, his record "¡Viva Terlingua!" helped pave the way for the outlaw country movement and is held in high regard by aficionados of the genre. According to Texas Highways, noted music critic and radio DJ Joe Gracey once called it "the best record anyone in Texas will ever make."

"¡Viva Terlingua!" helped launch Luckenbach's reputation as a place where music magic happens, giving it a kind of mythical status in the world of country and western. Hondo Crouch died in 1976, though his vision has lived on. Since then the town has hosted luminaries such Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson, who, aside from singing on the Waylon Jennings hit, has held several of his renowned 4th of July Picnics in Luckenbach.

Other than attracting more visitors, modern Luckenbach has changed little from the settlement purchased by Hondo Crouch in 1970. The general store and saloon are still going strong, with the former having been converted into a gift shop, and the dance hall regularly hosts two-step hoedowns. Among these old wooden structures is a massive beer garden where visitors can relax at picnic tables and sip from cold bottles in the shade of 500-year old oak trees, while musicians ply their trade at one of two outdoor stages.

The music at Luckenbach varies from fully amplified bands to the kind of solo singer-songwriters Texas is famous for. More informal — but just as vital — are the picker circles that take place under the trees, where anyone with an instrument and a bit of confidence is free to join in.

This cross-pollination of artists, audiences, and ambiance has not only kept Luckenbach alive: It's caused it to thrive. The town is a sparkling gem in the middle of Texas Hill Country that has successfully managed to embrace its storied musical past while still very much living in the present. For more small-town Texas travel guides, check out our guide to the art-lover's paradise of Marfa.