Typically, regional music only does good in a small area or in the region it is developed in. On occasion, a style will take off and get some national attention, but as a whole, it will be more of a novelty than a staple. In that way, the music business is a tough one to make a living in. One of the regional styles that has no appeal outside of its own state is Texas music. The arrogant, rough and rowdy, yet slightly humorous nature of the music, simply doesn’t mean anything to other Americans. Ironically, Texas Music is a hot export. The folks in Europe are crazy about it.
Texas, as a whole, took on plenty of bad publicity during the Bush Administration, but the music coming out of the state found itself as a darling of the European Union. Many touring companies and record businesses overseas are aggressively signing Texas musicians to their rosters. The fans adore the musicians, too. Festival are a big business in Europe, and the fans who attend still love to explore something new. The big record industry is not as successful in swaying Europeans as it is Americans. Coupled with the Texas mystique, many musicians would be out of business if they didn’t have such good export sales and tour success in Europe.
Europeans still love the intimate passion of a good song and an even better time. They love the Texas charm. They are fascinated with the Texas way of life. Music business people who have caught onto this are doing a good business on the American export called Texas Music.