Courthouse Nights set for 4th year
By Kyle Mooty
LPR Editor
Courthouse Nights returns next week for its fourth year in Lockhart with a five-month schedule which will include a wide range of artists from traditional country music with a contemporary twist, psychedelic country, a Grateful Dead tribute band, a Paul Simon tribute band, and a band that has become a Tejano TikTok sensation.
Courthouse Nights is courtesy of Rach and Rhodes Presents (Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes). This year, they hope to have an expanded tailgate area at Courthouse Nights, with all of Market Street from Main to Commerce street closed, as will be the south-bound lane (closest to the courthouse) of Commerce Street.
Courthouse Nights will be held each third Friday of the month from April through August in downtown Lockhart. DJ Island Time (Rhodes) will be DJ’ing for entertainment from 7-8:30 p.m., with the featured artist on stage from 8:30-10 p.m.
Dale Watson will get things started at the first Courthouse Nights on April 19.
Watson, who has lived in Texas, now resides in Memphis, Tennessee where he and musician Celine Dee have Edible Memphis, a restaurant/bar.
Watson and his Lone Stars will be performing early Friday (4:30 p.m.) at the Lone Star Rod & Kustom Round Up in Austin at The Continental Club before making their way to Lockhart for an evening performance at Courthouse Nights.
“People know Dale,” Rhodes said. “It’ll be fun. We are super happy to have him back.”
On May 17, the EZ Band from Houston will show why its suddenly has 409,000 TikTok followers and growing.
“They will do popular songs that everyone will know, from Radiohead to George Strait, but they do it in a Tejano way,” Rhodes said. “It will be one of those things where people will say, ‘I can’t believe they’re playing this song.’”
Deadeye, a Grateful Dead tribute band of Austin, will play Courthouse Nights on June 21.
Rhodes said Deadeye is “somewhat of a super group” formed by members of various bands.
“They play really cool stuff,” Rhodes said. “They sell out 1,000- to 2,000-seat venues. They got our interest when they played Commerce Hall and sold out with people coming from all over, including as far away as Houston.”
Rattlesnake Milk, which hails from the Texas Panhandle but now calls Lockhart home, will play its brand of country – it’s been called psychedelic country – will be on stage at Courthouse Nights on July 19.
“The band has spent a lot of time on the road lately, including a European tour.,” Lingvai said.
Rattlesnake Milk played at Texas Monthly barbecue festival last year in Lockhart.
Rachel: they are kind of killing it right now. They are good looking kids.
Will: they are probably the hardest working band out of Lockhart.
Their music has been described as psychedelic country.
The season finale of Courthouse Nights will be Aug. 16 with the band. Simon Says. It is comprised of a conglomeration of members from several bands from Austin and beyond. The 13-piece band has several horns and drums. They are a Paul Simon tribute band.
“They promised that the Congo line we experienced with the Talking Heads tribute band last year would be even bigger,” Rhodes said.
Rach and Rhodes Presents has been recognized by the City of Austin for what they have brought to Lockhart with Courthouse Nights.
Courthouse Nights Schedule:
April 19 – Dale Watson
May 17 – EZ Band
June 21 – Deadeye
July 19 – Rattlesnake Milk
Aug. 16 – Simon Says
