![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/burrow2.jpg\")
Texas native Dallas Burrow has had a life surrounded by music. He will play El Vaquero Winery with his band this Sunday afternoon. (Contributed)<\/p>\nDallas Burrow, who plays with his band at El Vaquero Winery this Sunday afternoon, was pretty much born and bred to be a Texas troubadour. The Sentinel recently caught up with him to learn how the native Central Texan has had a life surrounded by music and what he\u2019s bringing to the Aug. 23 show.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was raised in New Braunfels, Texas,\u201d he said. \u201cIn this part of the world, a lot of the roots music scene makes a stop here. Plus, my dad\u2019s a songwriter and was (literally) blood brothers with Townes Van Zandt.\u201d (You can\u2019t get more Texas than that.)<\/p>\n
Adding to influences is The Redbird, his family-run listening venue in New Braunfels. \u201cWe only seat 60 people,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s BYOB and there\u2019s no talking. I come from that school. And I have a strong appreciation for that atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burrow has been in good company at The Redbird: Americana (and local) favorites including Fred Eaglesmith, Butch Hancock, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Robert Earl Keen have all played that intimate room. In fact, it was Bryan Duckworth, Keen\u2019s former \u2014 and still occasional \u2014 fiddle player \u201cwho connected me to Santa Cruz and your part of the world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also spent time on the road and around the world. \u201cI\u2019ve been a (wanderer) my whole life,\u201d Burrow said. This year is no exception. The bulk of 2026 has kept him touring for \u201cThe Way the West Was Won,\u201d his latest full-length collection of songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween live recordings, early EPs and albums, I think this is our 12th project or so, plus I have another new album coming out in September,\u201d Burrow shared.<\/p>\n
That many projects in, he\u2019s still finding inspiration. \u201cAs a songwriter,\u201d he said, \u201cthere are times where you\u2019ll stop and ask yourself, \u2018Have I already written about this?\u2019 Because you don\u2019t want to repeat yourself. But if you\u2019re still finding things talk about, you keep going. And sometimes it takes more than one song or more than one album to work through all of the processing of what you\u2019re going through. If you\u2019re not running out of stuff to say at that point, you might be good for the long stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas native Dallas Burrow has had a life surrounded by music. He will play El Vaquero Winery with his band this Sunday afternoon. (Contributed)<\/p>\n
I would add that as you get older and have different experiences, you as a writer looks at an older song differently or at least play it in a different arrangement. Burrow agreed: \u201cI have this song on an older EP called \u2018No Problem\u2019 that I\u2019ve recut with the full band. I think sometimes when you play a song a lot or maybe have a different set of people you want to record it with, you want to see every song have their day in the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last time he was in town, Burrow managed to squeeze himself and his band into a sold-out show at The Ugly Mug in Soquel. This Sunday, they\u2019ll stretch out on El Vaquero\u2019s outdoor stage. No matter what the venue, Burrow welcomes every experience and knows it only makes you grow as an artist: \u201cYou have to just enjoy every little gig,\u201d he said. \u201cThink about every funky little place that Willie Nelson played before he finally made it, any place with a flatbed truck. Or even Bob Wills. All those days they\u2019re all rolling around in a station wagon in Texas with no AC and every low-budget venue and PA (public address system) they dealt with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burrow looks at every gig as an opportunity: \u201cAt some point you say, I\u2019ve seen this before. I know what to do. I\u2019m gonna stand right here and do my thing. You have to think about how to get the molecules in the room centered around you and think about what kind of material will work in that room or what\u2019s the right cover song to draw them in that you follow with an original tune.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this band, over the years, we\u2019ve played every kind of gig you can play. We know how to play in dance halls. For Sunday\u2019s show, I\u2019ll do a couple of tunes people can dance to, but I\u2019ll still tell stories and get into the songwriting side of it. It\u2019ll be a listening concert along with an occasion or two to dance. But I hope people come to listen as much as anything,\u201d Burrow said.<\/p>\n
Michael Gaither is a performing songwriter, trivia host, radio DJ and the music writer for The Santa Cruz Sentinel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
IF YOU GO<\/p>\n
What: Dallas Burrow.<\/p>\n
When: 4 p.m., Aug. 23.<\/p>\n
Where: El Vaquero Winery, 2901 Freedom Blvd., Corralitos.<\/p>\n