Open your ears and hit the road for a sound-themed Texas road trip.
7 Ways to Explore Music (and History) in Texas

Luckenbach Texas is an unincorporated community in the center of the state that was made famous by a Waylon Jennings song about a couple that the singer thinks should ditch their highfalutin life and return to the simple ways of Luckenbach. Today, music is still baked into the identity and culture of the place; in the 1990s, Willie Nelson hosted a number of his Fourth of July Picnics here. With a small population and old-time feel, its main buildings are a post office, a working saloon, a general store, and a dance hall, where you’ll find live music daily. In 2009, a group of people in Luckenbach achieved the Guinness world record for “most guitar players gathered at one time to play continuously for at least five minutes."

Long before he took over the airwaves—or even went to Folsom Prison—Johnny Cash was a young boy in love. Specifically, a young boy in love in San Antonio. In 1951, before he shipped off from basic training, Cash was dating a young woman named Vivian Liberto, whom he would often stroll with along the River Walk. One day, as they strolled along, Cash pulled over at a bench along the river and carved “Johnny Loves Vivian” into its cedar wood. Today the markings remain, less visible but just as poignant. The couple would later marry, and then divorce; the bench would outlast them. Today, it’s in the hands of the B. Naylor Morton Research and Collections Center, where you can view it by appointment only.

San Antonio has a rich musical history, and Jaime’s place is one of the greatest places to hear live music—both old and new— in the city. This bar on the West Side opened during the pandemic, but has quickly become a beloved gathering spot for locals. They offer live music nightly, and occasionally feature bands playing conjunto, a style of folk music unique to the region. Here in the 19th Century, German and Eastern European immigrants brought button accordions, waltzes, and polkas to the area; the existing Tejano music culture adopted and adapted these traditions, and the result was conjunto music, also known as conjunto tejano. Each year, San Antonio hosts a Tejano Conjunto Festival—this year will be its 41st—which is the first and longest-running conjunto event globally.

Stand behind the glasses at this Lubbock, TX landmark, and you can sing those famous Weezer lines: Ooh wee ooh, I look just like Buddy Holly. An enormous reproduction of Holly’s signature black, oversized glasses sits in front of the Buddy Holly center, not far from where Holly’s grave also lies. Holly was born in Lubbock in 1936, where he learned to play guitar at home and sing along with his also-musical siblings. Today, the glasses offer a fun photo opportunity, while the center bearing the crooner’s name is a performance space and arts center dedicated not just to Buddy but also the music of West Texas more broadly. Lubbock is also home to the West Texas Hall of Fame, started by Waylon Jennings, born just a year after Holly in nearby Littlefield. 

In the town of Brady, Texas, you’ll find a small but mighty museum dedicated to the history of the south’s favorite musical genre. The Heart of Texas Country Music Museum hosts a wealth of paraphernalia related to classic country music stars: instruments, stage costumes, posters, and more. It’s part of the Heart of Texas Country Music Association, which had amassed a collection of country music costumes—a collection started, in part, by local radio DJ Tracy Pitcox—and decided they needed a place to show them. The Museum opened, thanks in part to donations from community members, in 2005, and has since become a beloved local gem where visitors can check out stage outfits from Patsy Cline and Minnie Pearl. There’s even an old touring bus—which Jim Reeves used to travel the country—on view.

To some, the sound of a beer can opening is as beautiful as the finest sonata. At the Beer Can House in Houston, the sound of thousands of empty beer cans chiming, clicking, and clanging together can be just as sublime. John Milkovisch lived here until his death in 1988, drinking a six pack a day and saving the cans. After retiring in 1960, he decided to turn that pile of cans into a work of art. The remains of 39,000 beer cans now cover the house, fence, and even a nearby tree, creating not just an architectural armor but a series of wind chimes, mobiles, and windmills from the cans and caps. This strange sculpture has made its own sort of music.

After driving around the state listening to—and learning about—music, you’ll likely want to pick up a vinyl record or two. After all, Waylong Jennings’ crooning just doesn’t sound right on ten-dollar drug store headphones. One of the state’s best vinyl shops is Houston’s Cactus Music, open now for over 40 years, is beloved for its wide selection and independent ownership. Cactus was started by the sons of a “legendary record man”, Pappy Daily, and it became one of the country’s first music superstores. Today, it offers an array of vinyl and other physical music formats, as well as memorabilia and gifts. Cactus also hosts regular live music shows; check their calendar before you go.