Dallas Burrow is bringing his new album home to Texas's oldest dance hall. The New Braunfels troubadour plays a release show for his upcoming record, Modern Day Vagabond, at Gruene Hall on September 7, with doors opening at 7 pm and music starting at 8 pm, featuring fellow act West Texas Exiles.
The 14-track studio album will not officially hit shelves and streaming services until September 25, when it drops nationwide through Forty Below Records, according to Apple Music. That means the Gruene Hall gig serves as an early hometown preview, giving local fans a first crack at hearing the new songs live weeks before the rest of the country can stream them. As News 4 San Antonio reported, Burrow visited the station's studio to talk about the record, which blends elements of country, gospel, and blues.
Recorded Live in the Hill Country
Modern Day Vagabond was recorded live at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, not far from New Braunfels in the Texas Hill Country, and co-produced by Red Dirt musician Mike McClure alongside Grammy-winning engineer Adam Odor, per Saving Country Music. The record's title track has its own local origin story: Burrow wrote it on a mandolin he bought from Bryan Duckworth, a former Robert Earl Keen fiddler who runs a violin shop in New Braunfels, according to a report from MAGNET Magazine.
The album also carries a family thread. Burrow's father, Mike Burrow, performs on the record, and the elder Burrow was blood brothers with Texas songwriting legend Townes Van Zandt after the two met in the 1970s, the outlet noted. That lineage surfaces again in the tracklist, which includes a cover of Van Zandt's “Rake” featuring flute player Donny Silverman, who once recorded with Van Zandt himself. Other guests on the album span a wide swath of the Texas music community, including Susan Gibson, Kelly Willis, Kelley Mickwee, Will Sexton, Lloyd Maines, Katie Shore, and Kullen Fox.
A Venue With Deep Texas Roots
Gruene Hall itself carries plenty of history. Built in 1878 by Heinrich D. Gruene, the 6,000-square-foot hall is recognized as Texas's oldest continually operating dance hall, retaining original touches like side flaps that once allowed for open-air dancing, according to the Office of the Texas Governor. After Pat Molak acquired the venue in 1975, it went on to help launch the careers of country stars including George Strait and Lyle Lovett, and it now sits within the Gruene Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, per KENS 5. Fans can reach the venue, located at 1281 Gruene Rd. in New Braunfels, at 830-606-1281.
Burrow's connection to the local scene runs deeper than a single show. He and his wife, Stacy, own and operate the Red Bird Listening Room in New Braunfels, a venue built around intimate, quiet songwriter showcases. The city has become something of an adopted hometown for Burrow, and this release show follows an earlier collaboration with the night's opening act.
A Familiar Musical Partnership
West Texas Exiles, who join Burrow at Gruene Hall, previously teamed with him on the single “Old Time Revival,” also recorded at Yellow Dog Studios and released in October 2024, according to Americana Highways. That earlier track featured an 11-piece ensemble, laying groundwork for the two acts sharing a bill again this year.
Modern Day Vagabond follows Burrow's 2025 album The Way The West Was Won, which earned a four-star review in MOJO magazine, according to antiMusic. Per the San Antonio Living segment, Burrow also plans to tour Europe with the new record starting in October. Fans can find more information on the album and upcoming shows at dallasburrow.com.
