Western swing performer Georgia Parker will play at the Doug Smith Performance Center June 6.
The Georgetown Palace Theatre will host Western swing musician Georgia Parker for an unforgettable performance of jazzy, bluesy, honky tonk music June 6 at the Doug Smith Performance Center.
Ms. Parker’s sound developed over years of listening to country greats like Willie Nelson, Cindy Walker and Bob Wills.
“I’m bringing an upright bass player this time,” Ms. Parker shared, in reference to her 2025 Georgetown performance that had audiences asking for more. “We’ll have bigger harmonies and a fuller sound. I’m looking forward to showing that off.”
The Hill Country Texan spent much of her youth at her family’s country home in Boerne. She started her professional career as a bassist in 2013. Living in Austin at the time, she had the opportunity to tour, play with and learn from some of the best musicians in the country.
Western swing is a lively country subgenre with a strong Texas background. It’s rooted in fiddle music of Irish/Scottish immigrants and borrows from African jazz and blues and Hispanic mariachi. The imprint of polkas and waltzes of German and Czech settlers is present.
“It’s considered a traditional Texas music, which is funny considering that it is only a hundred years old,” Ms. Parker explained.
The music came out of the Great Depression.
“They blended everything and anything to get people to come out to dance halls and have fun and be together and build community and build the economy back up,” she said.
Ms. Parker admits Western swing is dance oriented. “We play a lot of dances. Since I'm a songwriter too, I also like to play for a listening room. In a dance hall, people aren't really listening to your melodies or your lyrics.
But there'll be some toe tapping for sure. If not, we're doing something wrong!”
Ms. Parker discovered Western swing while working as a stage manager at the Kerrville Folk Festival.
“Someone I had not known very well asked if I ever listened to old Texas swing,” she said.
He handed her mixed CDs and then walked away, never to be seen again. It became a life-changing moment.
“I loved those CDs. I wore them out. I had Bob Wills and Milton Brown, and one that was just called Podunk Blues,” she remembered. “I was soon on the search for who plays this kind of music. I found one person, and then that person introduced me to one person, and it was like a whole world opened up.
“Now all I really want is to be able to survive and to feel any sense of growth. Just one step at a time, one year at a time, one season at a time. To feel like I'm not stagnating in whatever little pool I'm in. Those are big challenges in themselves and keep me plenty busy. I love the people that I play music with and we have a ton of fun together.”
Find out more about Ms. Parker at georgiaparkermusic.com. “Western Swing with Georgia Parker” takes place June 6 at the Doug Smith Performance Center, 206 West Second Street, Georgetown. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the 7:30 p.m. event. Go to georgetownpalace.org.
Correction: The date of the concert is June 6. The initial date published was incorrect, and has been updated.
Linda Dwyer has lived in Williamson County and written for the Williamson County Sun since 2014. Her columns focus on food related topics, theater productions and local points of interest. She can be reached at dwyer@wilcosun.com.