Cowtown Unplugged: A Songwriter's Showcase in Fort Worth, TX

When Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper and Brennen Leigh – three accomplished singer-songwriters who have forged their own unique lanes in country music – joined forces as a power trio, there was no more appropriate moniker than Wonder Women of Country. At the end of 2021, after serendipitously sharing bills separately several times, Willis approached Leigh and Carper about teaming up and playing some shows together. Wanting more than your standard songwriter-in-the-round arrangement, the three learned each other's songs to create a more integrated, band approach. Those first few shows together were so much fun and so well-received that they decided to continue. Wonder Women of Country have discovered that, together, their own individual superpowers come alive. With Leigh playing lead guitar and mandolin, Carper on upright bass, and Willis playing rhythm guitar, they support each other's distinctive original material with beautiful three-part harmonies.

Their six-song EP, Wonder Women of Country: Willis, Carper, Leigh, was recorded at Bismeaux on the Hill in Austin, TX in December of 2023. It features two songs by each artist, including a couple of Carper/Leigh co-writes, and one reimagined John Prine tune. Each track captures the magic these three create night after night on the road. Wonder Women of Country are the super heroes we've all been waiting for, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Cowtown Unplugged stage on Labor Day Weekend!

We can’t wait to welcome Sunny Sweeney to the stage for the September 1 Cowtown Unplugged concert! Sunny is a genre-bending, songwriting spitfire who has spent equal time in the rich musical traditions of Texas and Tennessee. Born and raised in Texas, her music was noticed after college and her first album “Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame” debuted in 2007. That was only the beginning, as her following albums, “From a Table Away” (2011) and “Provoked” (2014) topped the American country charts, and her critically acclaimed 2017 “Trophy” album topped both the American folk and independent albums charts. In 2023, Sunny’s fifth studio album “Married Alone” was released. Co-produced by beloved Texas musician Paul Cauthen and Texas Gentlemen’s ringleader Beau Bedford, “Married Alone” is Sunny’s finest work yet, bringing together confessional songwriting, image-rich narratives and no shortage of sonic surprises for a loosely conceptual album about loss and healing.

Opening 2024’s Cowtown Unplugged series is Grammy-nominated John Fullbright. An American singer-songwriter from Okehmah, Oklahoma, he began playing the piano at age five and got his start in the music industry as a member of Turnpike Troubadours. Fullbright released his debut studio album in 2012, From The Ground Up, which received a Grammy nomination in the category Best Americana Album. He also Americana Music Association Emerging Artist nomination and awards from ASCAP and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. “If you can’t say it, you don’t have to,” sings John Fullbright on “Bearden 1645,” the opening track to his new record “The Liar.” The album utilizes emotional and instrumental dynamics in ways Fullbright hasn’t allowed himself to explore fully before.

Your ticket to this exclusive, live music event is a stay at Omni Fort Worth Hotel. There are two different ways to stay, play and experience an unforgettable night at Cowtown Unplugged.

If you book our Cowtown Unplugged Star Package, part of the event is a uniquely crafted dinner before the concert. Executive Sous Chef Naveesh Laul has created specially designed dinner stations just for Cowtown Unplugged.

Part of what makes Fort Worth special is our commitment to local partnerships. Learn more about the sponsors of Cowtown Unplugged.