Casper Rawls

Casper Rawls plays The Continental Club on Thursday, August 20, for a James Burton birthday celebration. The show starts at 6:30 PM, with doors opening at 6 PM, at 1315 South Congress Avenue.

Rawls has been a fixture of the Texas music scene since the 1970s, when he left his hometown of Helotes to find a place in Austin's roots community. He built his reputation as one of the city's most respected sidemen, playing on more than 75 albums and sharing stages with Toni Price, Doyle Bramhall, The Derailers, The LeRoi Brothers, Miss Lavelle White, and John Juke Logan. His signature sound centers on the B-Bender Telecaster, and his first solo album, Brave World, finally put his own songwriting and vocals front and center.

He's also a longtime presence at the club: in 1992, he founded the annual Buck Owens Birthday Party at the Continental Club, a benefit concert that became a beloved local institution for more than two decades. As a regular on the stage, his shows blend classic country, Bakersfield twang, blues, and rockabilly, mixed with stories from a lifetime playing alongside some of Texas' finest musicians.

This particular night is a James Burton birthday celebration, and Rawls will be the main feature. Tickets are $20 cash at the door, according to capacity. Doors open at 6 PM; the show starts at 6:30 PM.