God Bless you Kent. "If it wasn't for Texas, If it wasn't for Kent."
Cheatham St. Warehouse ROCKS!!!
So, I was looking through this website, reading all the reviews, and I saw that Kent Finlay was in here to review. That's so cool. I go to Cheatham St. Warehouse a lot. It's a pretty cool place. I don't know Kent very well, but he seems like a pretty nice guy. His songs are really good...that's for sure. I've seen him play a couple of times at the Wed. night songwriters night at Cheatham. He's got some great songs. Some of them are really funny, too. Especially the one that Randy Rogers covers - Plastic Girl. So, if you need somewhere cool to go to listen to live music you should check out Cheatham. Does anyone know if Kent has an album out? I'd like to have his songs to listen to whenever I want.
Although I was only recently introduced to Cheatham St. Warehouse, I have found it to be one of the best music venues in the area. The owner, Kent Finlay, seems to take good talent and turn them into local favorites. He offers new artists an opportunity to showcase their talent on a stage that is shared by many well-respected musicains. I wish Kent and Cheatham many more years of good music, and look forward to my next visit.
I'd like to point out that Kent Finlay has been a huge supporter of local musical talent. Kent hosted my bands many times at Cheatham St. Warehouse and promoted us endlessly. God bless Kent Finlay!!!
I first stepped into Cheatham Street Warehouse in the fall of 1999 to see a Ray Wylie Hubbard show. I was new to San Marcos and knew nothing about Kent or CSW. Now, I can honestly say that Kent and CSW are part of my identity. Kent and his dancehall have provided me with many, many nights of music, entertainment, and stories, and being a fiction writer, I know that the environment has fostered me as an artist. But more than anything Kent and CSW have fostered songwriters. Kent is more than a venue owner to Texas musicians; he is a mentor, a father figure, and a voice to be followed. He is a songwriter of the finest breed. He is nothing less than a Texas treasure. Kent and Cheatham Street Warehouse are inseperable, invaluable, and hold a place for us that we should never take for granted.
I'm not as familiar with Kent as a musician as much as I am with him being a club owner. Kent has done so much to promote local live music in the San Marcos area. He gives so many of us the opportunity to showcase our music in front of a live audience. Cheatham Street Warehouse is a magical place to play considering all of the "big names" who have played there. Keep up the great work Kent. Good luck.
What can you say about Kent Finlay? The guy can write songs, he can give you a place to watch songwriters show case their talent, he can walk up and shake your hand even if he doesn’t know you, he can tell you stories about the people he has met, and he can make you feel at home in a crowded room full of unfamiliar faces. I have personally watched a number of shows in Cheatham Street and have heard Kent sing his merry little tunes while on stage with some of Texas’ most respected songwriters. Kent can get on a stage with anybody and make them want to listen to what he has to say. The man gets and deserves that kind of respect. I have very fond memories of sitting in Cheatham Street and listening to songwriters sing about their life’s triumphs and failures. The best thing about Kent’s little "art gallery for Texas music" is that you can sit in the crowd during a show and rub shoulders with music legends. I have met people in Cheatham Street that I still talk to on a daily basis. I don’t think Kent ever knew my name but he would still come up and greet me like I was a welcomed guest in his home. I would personally like to thank Kent Finlay for giving me a place to listen to homegrown music and meet people that I can still call friends. Thanks Kent.
I used to think that heroes were supernatural; the stereotypical being that would appear out of nowhere and save someone's life. After getting to know Kent Finlay, I have realized that a hero doesn't have to be a fantastical character. Kent is a wonderful songwriter - I call him the "Father of Songwriters." Creative and wise, Kent's songs offer inspiration, and quite often, a humorous approach to life. He has touched the lives of so many through his musical influence and his teachings. Kent is the backbone to many up and coming musicians, as well as many well-known musicians. His insight and generosity have helped carve so many artists into what they are today. Cheatham St. Warehouse is Kent Finlay in a nutshell. When you walk in you can feel the kindness, and even better, you can hear the awesome music. Whether it be the music on the jukebox that captures the sounds of musicians that played there long ago such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Strait, or the new music coming from the stage with the Texas flag behind it; it's all good. And, it all tells the story of Kent Finlay - a living legend. Now, when I think of heroes, I think of Kent Finlay.
