By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
Two world-class country music performers from Nashville, TN. entertained and edified a cafeteria brimming with educators, visitors and elementary school-age students at San Benito CISD’s Angela G. Leal Elementary School Tuesday morning.
The performance was made possible by the Harlingen Concert Association (HCA) Board of Directors which contracted the Nashville-based Garth Brooks tribute band, Key of G Live! to perform in Harlingen later that evening, marking the conclusion of the HCA’s 2023-24 Concert Season.
On hand Tuesday morning representing the seven-piece band was its lead singer and guitarist, AJ Bisto and multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and Houston native, 23-year-old Meagan Allen, who expressed her heartfelt appreciation at the sight of the Freddy Fender water tower off of Expressway 83, explaing to campus staff that the Resaca City’s favorite son was one of her grandmother’s most cherished singers.
According to campus fine arts teacher Nayelli Quiroga, the collaboration between the musicians, the HCA and the school came about when HCA Vice President and Educational Outreach & Sponsorship Chair Julie Ng contacted former Miller Jordan Middle School Principal Elsa Lambert, now at Dr. Garza STEAM Academy, whom the HCA had worked with in the past, hoping to once again collaborate. The administrator suggested to Ng that she parlay with Quiroga, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“It was an awesome opportunity that fell into my lap, and it just so happened to also be Music in Our Schools Month, so it worked out perfectly,” Quiroga said as she also recognized the support of campus staff and Principal, Diane Jacquez.
Ng said the HCA’s student outreach program is made possible by sponsors, and this season marked the fourth year that the HCA has distributed scholarships to high school seniors who plan on majoring in the fine arts at the collegiate and university levels. At Tuesday night’s concert, the association awarded three $1,500 scholarships to deserving high school seniors.
Allen, who’s the band’s primarily fiddle player, has a degree in songwriting, and moved to Nashville for her undergraduate studies. Allen and Bisto met through Bisto’s wife, who is one of Allen’s mentors and a co-writer of a number of her songs.
Bisto’s first gig was at age five, when he sang at his cousin’s wedding. According to his biography, by the age of eight, he was filling in on lead vocals for the local American Legion house bands and continued singing through his high school years for several bands, ultimately landing numerous lead roles in school musicals.
At the age of 16, he started his own business, performing at weddings and events. In 2015, Bisto and his wife, Josie moved to Nashville to be closer to the music scene. He’s since had the opportunity to open for acts such as Jamie O’ Neal, Ty Herndon, Andy Griggs & Anita Cochran and performs in various Nashville venues.
Born and raised in Houston, Allen’s love of music began at the age four. Watered and fed by a diverse range of sounds (from George Strait to Billie Holiday), this love manifested in music composition. At 14, she began to perform at local venues in her hometown.
In 2017, under the guidance of Christian rock sensation and mentor Sarah Kelly, Allen recorded and released her debut album, entitled, “Critical Emotion,” which culminated in a headlining show at Houston’s Dosey Doe. “That was my first taste of the industry,” Allen recalls. “I think that was the first time the magic of performing felt more like a reality than just a dream.”
After graduating high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in artistry, earning a degree in songwriting at Belmont University in May 2021.
Later Tuesday evening, the band brought Garth Brooks’ chart-topping hits to the stage in a special, high-energy concert at Harlingen’s Christian Fellowship Church.
Having first performed as Brooks in a cruise line variety show, Bisto was inspired to create his own tribute to the #1 selling solo artist of all time, and thus Key of G Live! was born.
This high-energy show features the band performing all of Brooks’ biggest hits, including, “Ain’t Goin’ Down,” “Rodeo,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Amarillo by Morning,” and “Friends In Low Places,” among others.
Rounding out the band is Seth Cook playing lead guitar, bassist Kimberly Dahme, keyboardist Curry Winborn, drummer Adam Renfro, and Brady Markham on steel guitar.
The HCA has been presenting internationally-acclaimed artists to the community since 1933. For the past 91 years, this all-volunteer, nonprofit organization has been committed to enriching the cultural life of the Harlingen area through live performances. Thanks to loyal season ticket-holders and sponsors, these concerts are offered at affordable, family-friendly prices, explained HCA board member Dennis Lester.
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