The fascinating history of Houston’s iconic concert venue Anderson Fair
This quirky Montrose listening room has thrived for five decades, becoming a legendary launchpad for musical icons and entertaining Houstonians nightly.
Before the days of Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift famously said, “People haven’t always been there for me, but music always has.”
Taylor is not alone. For many, music unifies, celebrates, and comforts. The love of music is universal, as seen in sold-out arenas and festivals where people from all walks of life come together. After all, music on the radio is great, but music performed live is epic.
Here in Houston, we are fortunate to have widespread live music venues of every size and catering to every taste. But the grandaddy of them all is Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, an oddly named listening room that since 1970 has hosted musical legends—and it’s still going strong. The story behind Anderson Fair is fascinating, and once you’ve heard it, you’ll be so impressed you’ll need to check it out for yourself.
The unusual Anderson Fair house
One glance at the house where Anderson Fair was built, and you’ll think to yourself, well, that’s just weird. And there’s a good reason why.
The house was built in Montrose sometime in the late 1800s as a single-story structure, and its first tenants staffed a law and real estate office, albeit a noisy one. The old Grant Street streetcar turned around right in front of the property, bringing customers and activity to the spot.
In the 1920s, the historic house was purchased by General Victor A. Barracco, who salvaged local materials and built a large, three-story addition that would serve as his own private residence. That barn-inspired portion of the house would later host legends, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Still more additions were created in the 1930s—a piece here and a piece there—using materials from the bulldozed Brazos Hotel. The piecemeal construction of the house is entirely unique and a huge part of the Anderson Fair experience.
The strange birth of Anderson Fair
After all of its growth, the house hosted any number of businesses. At any given time, it was a grocery store, a laundromat, a photography studio, and even a head shop. At one point, someone realized that the acoustics in the three-story portion were especially good and set up a recording studio in the space.
It was an omen of what was to come. In 1969, two businessmen, Marvin Anderson and Gray Fair, bought out the space and turned it into the Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, essentially a hole-in-the-wall spaghetti joint. But it didn’t take them long to discover the excellent acoustic potential in the building, and in 1970, they began inviting local folk singers to Anderson Fair.
Customers loved being able to hear live music in Houston, and singers flocked to the venue for a chance to be heard by an appreciative audience. It was already a win-win.
The musical legends who played at Anderson Fair
They didn’t know it at the time, but Anderson Fair gave a stage and a mic to early-career performers who would eventually become superstars. Some even returned to produce their own albums in that very spot.
The list is impressive. Singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt got his start here and went on to write the Billboard country chart topper “Pancho & Lefty,” made famous when it was covered by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.
A young Lyle Lovett developed his tongue-in-cheek lyrics and genre-bending style of country, folk, big band, and pop in front of an Anderson Fair audience. He said of the experience, “There’s something about the feel of the room that you can just hear your heartbeat when you’re on that stage.”
And Grammy Award-winning artist Lucinda Williams may have channeled her drive to that stage into her most lauded album, “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,” for which she won three Grammys.
Then there’s Vince Bell, Eric Taylor, Richard Dobson, Katy Moffatt, and Steven Fromholz, all contributing to a list of big names who started, at least in part, right here in Houston. An impressive cadre of musical talent continued to entertain at Anderson Fair as ownership and clientele changed from hippies to indie-folk aficionados.
During that time, songwriters Ken Gaines and Wayne Wilkerson took on the challenge of constructing a new stage. And the recording studio got more use than ever. Buttermilk Records artists like Lucinda Williams, Eric Taylor, Don Sanders, and Linda Lowe have cut tracks right there at Anderson Fair.
Anderson Fair today
Between the recording studio and live performances of soon-to-be stars, Anderson Fair became a popular live music venue well-known to music lovers across the U.S. But it was a documentary that would truly thrust it into the limelight.
In 2009, Ghost Ranch Films of Houston released the documentary film “For the Sake of the Song: The Story of Anderson Fair,” which made its world premiere at South by Southwest and went on to garner much attention at a number of independent film festivals. The secret was out, and Anderson Fair was no longer just a music venue at the end of the tracks.
Here in Houston, the film premiered at the Museum of Fine Arts, where those who had yet to discover Anderson Fair were first exposed to the central character of the film, owner Tim Leatherford.
Leatherford’s no-nonsense approach made for great entertainment. He had a policy that any patrons talking during the performances or allowing a cell phone to ring would be escorted out. It was a window into just how seriously Leatherford prized the talent and maintained a respectful environment.
The film also highlighted the incredibly unique staff at Anderson Fair. Since its conception, this music venue has been run entirely by volunteers. During the summer, they gather to clean and refurbish the venue, and when the venue reopens in September, it is fully staffed with volunteers. From the front door to the bar to the seats, everyone you encounter is a volunteer who does it for the love of the music, making a visit to Anderson Fair all the more special.
In fact, Anderson Fair has never made a profit, something that doesn’t matter to them in the least. It’s all for the love of the music, after all.
What to expect at Anderson Fair
So what can you expect from a night at this iconic live music venue? In many ways, you’ll find the space largely unchanged. It is still a small, intimate venue that holds about 80 people in total. The bar serves only wine and beer and takes only cash—just the same as it has for decades.
The physical layout hasn’t been altered, nor has the music format. Today you’ll enjoy singer-songwriters like Shake Russell, a four-time recipient of the BMI Writers Award, and bassist Freebo, who toured with Bonnie Raitt for 10 years and is featured on records with the likes of Ringo Starr and Neil Young. These songwriter showcases bring in well-known and emerging talent, and the layout of the room makes you feel like they’re performing a private concert just for you.
When you visit AFair, as it is now commonly called, take note of the vintage posters and signed photos featuring the impressive line-up of performers who have taken the stage in the last 55 years. Take a cozy seat next to your fellow music lovers and just a few feet from the performers. Order from the laid-back menu that includes “a nuked potato,” microwaved popcorn, and “killer nachos.”
And settle in for the kind of performance you won’t see often—original music performed by passionate artists just feet away from where you sit. You’re in Houston’s most iconic live music venue, so hold on and enjoy the ride.
Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant is located at 2007 Grant Street in Montrose. Shows start up again on September 19, and tickets can be purchased online.
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