KZSM — Songs and memories in Kissing Alley
Our KZSM Kissing Alley Concert series returns this Thursday, October 20, 7-9 p.m. with a celebration of San Marcos singer/songwriters. Over the years and into the present, our city has fostered an impressive range of musical creativity. On Thursday, you can enjoy songs by Dee Bartlett, Ike Eichenberg, George Ensle, Nate Guthrie, Molly Hayes, Mark Jungers, Missoula Slim, and Kathleen O’Keefe.
The inspiration for this celebration of San Marcos talent came from Tony Wilson, a veteran of the local singer-songwriter scene, a founder of KZSM, and the host of “Roots and Branches,” an eclectic music show that airs Sundays 2-4 p.m. He chose the performers and was planning the concert when he passed away September 28. Dee Bartlett and Steve Jones, hosts of “Veterans Hour,” Sundays 11 a.m. to noon, are honoring his memory by completing his project. “Tony Wilson has long celebrated and mentored local musicians, myself included, and I think this Kissing Alley will be reflective of that,” Bartlett explains.
Twilight in historic Kissing Alley, just off Hopkins opposite the Courthouse, makes a perfect setting for this blend of entertainment and memories. Deepening shadows and moonlight make the space magical. “This is the perfect time of year to do a song swap,” Jones quips. “If only they’d let us build a campfire in the alley . . .” According to Bartlett, the eight singer-songwriters performing Thursday “represent some real music history in San Marcos.”
KZSM has been presenting Kissing Alley concerts since 2017. This year’s fall series will continue November 17 with country music by the Wimberley-based Foster & Quinn, with Sam Downing opening. The December 15 concert will celebrate the winter holiday, featuring groups from the San Marcos CISD such as the Miller Middle School Jazz Band and Nuevo Cascabel, the San Marcos High School Mariachi. Our 2023 concert series is sponsored by the San Marcos Arts Commission, and the October concert is also sponsored by the Cheatham Street Music Foundation.
In keeping with our mission to showcase the diversity and creativity of our community, KZSM.org also supports local singer/songwriters by featuring them live on our shows and playing their music between our programs. We’re honored to feature them, and to remember Tony Wilson, with this month’s concert. “It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the simple yet critical relationships fostered through music,” Bartlett adds. “I think Tony would have liked that.”
