A Recap of The Second Annual Fort Worth Music Festival — And How Chef Tim Love Is Making It a Family Business

In 2023, Tim Love approached two music festival veterans (singer/songwriter/festival organizer Larry Joe Taylor and Live Nation’s Anthony Nicolaidis) with the idea of launching a music festival and conference in Cowtown. What they managed to pull off with less than five months of lead time was truly impressive. The inaugural Fort Worth Music Festival and Conference event drew over 3,500 attendees from 25 states with over 50 live performances.

The second installment of the event, which took place from February 28 through March 2, swelled this year to include more than 80 live performances. Expanded to four days, the festival was spread across eight stages in the Stockyards, including a new outdoor Busch Light Stage in front of the Live Stock Exchange Building ― giving even non-festival-goers the chance to get in on the sounds of the music fest.

While it was mostly country artist performances in year one (out of sheer necessity due to time constraints), the 2024 line-up of artists included various genres.

Highlights of the 2nd Annual Fort Worth Music Festival

Austin’s Nick Parr and the Selfless Lovers brought their tight rhythm and blues to Tannahill’s stage — bringing a taste of Sixth Street to Cowtown. Larry Joe Taylor gave fans something to scoot their boots about inside the White Elephant Saloon. San Antonio’s Mike Ryan returned to the festival, and Flynt, Michigan-based Whitey Morgan and The 78s took over Billy Bob’s stage.

Of course, there was plenty of home-grown Fort Worth talent on display as well. Local band Grady Spencer and The Work packed the house at Tannahill’s, bouncing between country, blues, and rock and roll, while headliner Abraham Alexander returned to his hometown for the first time in a long while.

Alexander and his soulful voice, which I first described last April as channeling “a modern-day Sam Cooke,” has been busily traversing the nation following the release of his debut album, SEA/SONS. He played an intimate concert Saturday night inside The Cowboy Channel studios.

Tim Love and The Future of the Fest

We also caught up with one of Fort Worth Music Festival’s co-founders, Tim Love, at Tannahill’s Music Hall. He happened to be joined by his son, Tannahill Love (who is, of course, the venue’s namesake).

Now that this college senior has officially hung up his cleats and bid farewell to his four years on The University of Texas at Austin’s football team, Love is happy to report that his son plans to go into the family business after graduation this spring.

Anthony Nicolaidis is Live Nation’s Dallas market president and one of the co-founders of Fort Worth Music Festival. Live Nation really knows how to put on a show, or in this case a four-day festival and music conference. Tannahill Love got the chance to work for the entertainment company last summer and he might have found his calling.

Tim Love says, “Tannahill will be heavily involved in the leadership of the festival going forward.”

“It takes three years to build a festival,” Love tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “So, no surprise, it’s gonna lose money again this year. But you expect that since it’s just ramping up.”

“It’s like making beef stew,” the famous chef-turned-music festival founder unfolds a more tangible analogy. “First you add the meat to the carrots, celery, and onions. Then, you add some wine and simmer. You season it a bit, then let just it go, and the next thing you know ― that stuff is really good.”

In Love’s estimation, (as well as many of the attendees that we spoke to) the conference portion alone, “was twice as good this year. The musicians made the festival,” he says.

The founders of the Fort Worth Music Festival expect that in three years this festival will be a great one ― fully seasoned and simmered to perfection. And from what we can see, it’s well on the way.