Texas Music Revival

Getting the stage set up

First printed in North Texas Best Times, August issue

It’s seldom one can know, before even buying a ticket, that a music concert will be not only 100 percent appropriate for children, but also be spiritually uplifting and just plain fun. But when Kevin Deal puts together such an event, that’s a certainty.

Every year, Weston resident, musician and stone mason Kevin Deal produces a unique festival, unique in that it features a considerable spicing of Christian music accompanying a full menu of Texas music. This year’s Texas Music Revival was no exception.

Held inside the historic McKinney Courthouse, the July festival featured Austin Cunningham, Davin James, Fritz Schultz, Walt Wilkins, and Kevin’s own band which includes his son, Stone Deal, on fiddle. Texas Hall of Fame radio personality Allan Peck hosted the stage, adding his own knowledge of Texas music and each artist’s contributions to it as he brought them out onto the Courthouse Theater stage

Uplifting and spiritual? Yes. Cunningham brought an original to the stage which he based on a character in his hometown. “Buck Clayborn,” according to the lyrics, was a drunk, but one who taught the boy Austin to play checkers and how to live life in general. The story involves another town resident, Mrs. Beasley, who was Buck’s most judgmental critic. Then, the hook comes:

But what a preacher could not teach me about how to talk to God

I learned from Buck a prayin’ when we buried his old dog.

He said, ‘Please take him to heaven, Lord, if you let an old dog in,

And bless dear Mrs. Beasley. She’s a peach. Amen.”

Humor with truth. And that was the feel of the fest.

Allan Peck, MC for the day and Texas Radio Hall of Famer member

Wilkins, who had attended seminary in his earlier years, writes like his life depended on it, often like he’s trying to rope a tornado. Dramatic, and always with deep meaning.

Davin James and Fritz Schultz both said they like playing festivals in general, and specifically this one. Schultz said, “Playing a festival like Texas Music Revival is so much more rewarding than just going out and selling music. This has a much deeper reward — spiritually.” And James agreed, saying, “This type of festival is unique, and I love playing my songs here. Most of my songs have a gospel or message feel to them, and it’s nice to get to play them for this crowd.”

Kevin releases his own music on CDs quite often, and one of his most recent was a Christian/Gospel music project. His secular songs also have goodness and family feel in them. All his songs reflect his character and devotion to his , family, church and God. After all, you can’t teach what you don’t know.

The sideline of all this is that Deal and his family donate the proceeds to a charitable organization. This year’s charity is as unique as the festival itself.

Deal said his wife, has long been a local supporter of Exodus Cry, a foundation committed to abolishing sex slavery through Christ-centered prevention and intervention, and the holistic restoration of trafficking victims.

Here’s just an idea. Maybe if two people from every church in North Texas would purchase tickets for the 2015 Kevin Deal Texas Music Revival, well… he’d have to find a larger venue. But, the advantage to those who attend will be the positive, great feeling they will have on the drive home, and probably will find themselves humming a bit out of a new song they heard.

For more information, go to either of these Websites: exoduscry.com and/or KevinDeal.com

For Kevin Deal band pix, click here

For Walt Wilkins pix, click here

For Fritz Schultz band pix, click here

For Austin Cunningham pix, click here

For Davin James band pix, click here

Tags: featured

Category: *- Features