Western Musicians & Cowboy Poets Performing in Lockhart
June 19-21, 2026We're bringing Matt Robertson, Sam Platts and the Windmill Hill Dance Band, Dakota Robinson, and Rusty Phillips to downtown Lockhart, Texas June 19-21, 2026. Get tickets now - seats range from $20-35, with a weekend pass (up to 7 shows) for $98.
Matt Robertson
Matt Robertson has been writing and playing music for over 20 years, inspired by his life as a cowboy and horseman. His music tells stories of the American West and the people who live there. He has released several albums: Too Pretty for the Wagon (2026), Arizona (2024), Bronc Scholar (2022), The Dusty Ones (2022), Bronc Star (2019), Just Cowboyin' (2018), Makin' History (2017), and The Voice (2017).
Arizona was named 2024 Western/Cowboy Album by the Academy of Western Artists, and "The Letter" was named 2024 Western/Cowboy Song. Matt was also awarded 2024 Western/Cowboy Male Vocalist by the Academy. He has been a featured artist at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada; played the Ahern Hotel in Las Vegas as part of the Ahern Goes Country event; performed at the 2026 Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine; and travels extensively performing in the Mountain West. He performed at the Dusty Vaquero Days in Gillette, Wyoming in 2025 and will be there again in 2026.
Sam Platts and the Windmill Hill Dance Band
Sam Platts is a singer, songwriter, and band leader focused on bringing traditional country music to modern audiences. Now based in Texas, Sam was raised in a small Wyoming town. He first stepped on the bus with a touring country act in his early 20s, and later played lead guitar for Wylie and the Wild West, which took him all over the country and world. After moving to Montana, Sam started his own band, which he led for many years, playing venues, festivals, and events throughout the region. During this time, he met his wife, Lilly, who became the group's fiddle player. Looking for a more robust music scene and a closer connection to traditional country music, the couple made the decision to move to central Texas. Since landing in the Lone Star State, they have built a strong presence, backed by a five-piece honky-tonk band. They split their time between playing venues and dance halls in the state, and traveling to Western music events throughout the country.
Sam's songwriting is inspired by his roots in the West, his family's history, rural community, Texas dance halls, Western Swing, and traditional country music. While his music is guided by these traditions, Sam has always been focused on creating something new, and connecting with modern audiences. The band performed at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada the past four years. Sam recorded his latest album — Right Where I Belong, which will be released in early 2026 — at Tommy Detamore's Cherry Ridge Studios in Floresville, Texas.
Dakota Robinson
Dakota Robinson is a cowboy poet from Texas. While working on ranches from Texas to Kansas, Wyoming, New Mexico, and back again, he has experienced firsthand the many challenges and rewards the lifestyle of a cowboy can bring. Inspired by the likes of Red Steagall, Ian Tyson, Baxter Black, and Waddie Mitchell, he soon started filling his solitary hours in the saddle with an internal narrative of prose and rhyme. The cattle, horses, and his wife were among the first victims of his early experimentation. Now a full-time farrier back in Texas, Dakota spends his days shoeing horses to support his poetry habit.
Dakota received the 2026 Buck Ramsey Scholarship from the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, which includes performance opportunities at the Gathering, and performed at the 2026 Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Bastrop, Texas.
Rusty Phillips
Cowboy poet Rusty Phillips is a native of Texas Hill Country, with ranching roots dating back to the Republic of Texas. Growing up with stories of the Great Depression and the 1950s drought, his heart dug roots deep in that hard Texas ground, always hoping for rain in the forecast, diesel in the tank, and a good stand of grama grass. After college, he left home with clothes, some basic tack, and a whole lot of try. Before he returned to Texas for good, he'd worked on cow outfits from Arizona to Montana. And poetry, and horses, had captured his heart. He now sells real estate to support a ranching habit he can't shake.
Rusty performed at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko in 2026.