SAN ANGELO, Texas — The Wild West Fest is headed back to the Bill Aylor Memorial Sr. RiverStage in San Angelo Friday and Saturday evenings, with a few extra pre-shows at downtown venues added in starting Thursday.
The idea for the concerts was created by the Wall Ag Boosters as a way of fundraising for students. Because those events were 21 and up events, none of the students involved with FFA could participate because they were underage, festival organizer Thomas Halfmann said.
Then, about 2018, Halfmann started working with the Ag Boosters.
"And then over the next few years, we had Parker [McCollum] and Koe Wetzel, who have now gone on to be super stars," Halfmann said. "And then William Clark Green and Flatland [Calvary] and that's how it started with the Wall Ag Boosters."
Halfmann said he came in and took it over in 2020, right before COVID hit, and added more beneficiaries.
"Now we benefit West Texas Counseling & Guidance, La Esperanza Clinic and Wall FFA, and we've grown it from a one-day event to a three-day event. So, it's just started as a way to involve everybody in these fundraisers, instead of you having to be 21 and up, or you have to have at least $200 to buy this table," Halfmann said. "It's just a way we can bring kids in, we can bring families in and help involve everybody - help raise money and have fun doing it - you're never going to not have fun at a concert."
Halfmann grew up in Wall and said being able to give back to his West Texas community feels amazing.
"Especially our main beneficiary, West Texas Counseling & Guidance. They help so much with the community and the mental health crisis we're in. I know Tom Green County, our suicide rate is double the state, and double the national average and to be able to give back to them and help people work through their issues - whether it's PTSD with veterans or just normal people - it feels amazing to be able to do that and then this year, bringing in La Esperanza Clinic, it's along the same terms with WTCG, but they focus on physical health. You come in, it doesn't matter if you have insurance, doesn't matter if you're rich, you're poor - you're going to get help if you need it," Halfmann said.
To help the community in those aspects, he said, is a blessing to use the Wild West Fest to do so.
"And then with the Wall FFA, you know, agriculture doesn't get as much funding, per say, as athletics do," he said. "So to be able to give back to the program that got me here today, it's real special, it's a whole circle that's come back around."
The three-day, multi-location event starts Thursday with the Wild West Fest Bar Crawl where concert-goers start at the Martial Pint, listen to two bands, then have a 30-minute intermission to walk over to The House of FiFi DuBois for the next two bands. Another 30-minute break allows time to walk to Blaine's Pub for two more bands.
"That's the first day. It's $15 at the door or online per bar, or you can buy all three bars online for only $40," Halfmann said.
On Friday, the music kicks off again at The Martial Pint with two free shows. Then, a walk through Martial Pint takes you to the RiverStage, where the music kicks off there at 6:30 p.m. Giovannie & the Hired Guns will headline Friday's show at the Riverstage, followed by after parties at FiFi's and Blaine's.
And on Saturday, the pre-shows again start at the Martial Pint, walk to the RiverStage where that night's show will be headlined by Gary Allan.
Giovannie & the Hired Guns is a band Halfmann said he's been trying to book for a couple of years. In 2020, the band was booked for the festival, but that was canceled.
"We finally got him back this year, and since then, he's blown up. He just won iHeart Radio Rock and Alternative New Artist of the Year, which is a huge award. So, we're excited about that. He brings in that rock and roll feel but with Texas Country lyrics."
And then you go to Saturday night, and Gary Allan who holds the third-highest attendance record at San Angelo's RiverStage, he said.
"He's had hit after hit after hit. I know whether you're my age, or older, for the last 20 years, Gary Allan's been a staple piece of the country music scene so we're super excited to have him here," Halfmann said.
One artist returning as a participant to the festival is no stranger to the RiverStage or to San Angelo.
Mark David Manders has played in San Angelo since the 1990s. In 2022, he played at The Martial Pint. This year, he will be opening Friday night's event at the RiverStage.
"San Angelo is a city unlike any other city I've ever been, it's my favorite place because I love the music scene out there, the people - I always tell people I can remember going into Blaine's Pub for the first time years ago and there was a college kid sitting next to a ranch hand sitting next to a fraternity guy - everybody gets along," he said. "There are a lot of bars in San Angelo, it's a fun place to visit. I couldn't live there, because I'd be in trouble; but I love to visit."
Manders said his favorite thing about San Angelo is meeting up with friends.
"It's like a homecoming everytime you go there, and I love Angelo."
The singer/songwriter enjoys telling stories between songs, something he says are about his life.
"The problem with my songs is I've lived most of them and so there's always a backstory," he said, "I have this kind of mantra that there's no bad day, just better material and so it's kinda my get through life excuse that no matter how bad I screw up, I'll get a song out of it."
Songs, songwriters, community and a good time, all while raising funds for West Texas nonprofit organizations, is what sums up the Wild West Fest one weekend a year.
Tickets to the RiverStage shows are still available, the wait in the beer lines is expected to be shorter, and there will be free water available throughout the entire festival.
For more information, go to wildwestfest.org.
Wild West Fest schedule
Thursday, July 27
The Martial Pint, 19 E. Concho Ave.
- 5 p.m. - Eddie Flint
- 6 p.m. - Case Hardin
The House of FiFi DuBois, 123 S. Chadbourne St.
- 7:30 p.m. - Graycie York
- 8:30 p.m. - Colby Acuff
Blaine's Pub, 10 W. Harris Ave.
- 10:30 p.m. - Cole Barnhill
- 11:30 p.m. - Palmer Anthony
Friday, July 28
The Martial Pint, 19 E. Concho Ave.
- 4:45 p.m. - Mila Rae
- 5:30 p.m. - Travis Roberts
Bill Aylor Sr. Memorial RiverStage, 16 E. Avenue A
- 6:30 p.m. - Mark David Manders
- 7:15 p.m. - Braxton Keith
- 8:30 p.m. - Tyler Halverson
- 10:15 p.m. - Giovannie & the Hired Guns
After parties
The House of FiFi DuBois
- Midnight - Jesse Daniel
Blaine's Pub
- Midnight - Trenton Fletcher
Saturday, July 29
The Martial Pint
- 4 p.m. - Alex Aguilar
- 5 p.m. - Cooper Morhmann
Bill Aylor Sr. Memorial RiverStage
- 6:30 p.m. - Holly Beth
- 7:15 p.m. - Jacob Stelly
- 8:30 p.m. - Treaty Oak Revival
- 10:15 p.m. - Gary Allan
After parties
The House of FiFi DuBois
- Midnight - 12 Mile
Blaine's Pub
- Midnight - Wynn Williams
(The attached videos were originally aired in 2022)