Society Hall  "where community celebrates!"

Jeff Plankenhorn is a highly respected musician known for his skill as a slide guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist. He's gained recognition both as a solo artist and as a sought-after session musician. Plankenhorn's musical style encompasses elements of blues, folk, Americana, and roots music, creating a sound that's uniquely his own. He will be featuring songs from his new 8/1/25 album release The Bend.

For Plank, there's nothing quite like the feeling of bringing people together to experience the joy music brings. He's so good at it that he's been recognized with Austin Music Award nominations for Musician of the Year, Best Guitarist, and won for Best Misc. Instrument - for “The Plank” a hybrid lap steel guitar Jeff designed himself. In 2016-2017, he also earned Album and Song of the Year nominations for his album, SoulSlide, and the single "Trouble Find Me." Listeners quickly get that Plank loves a good groove, but he's also become quite accomplished at composing ballads, as proven by two of the album's other standouts, "Bluer Skies" and “You'll Stay." These days, Plank happily finds himself on the road over 150 days a year. "I like the idea that people get uplifted at my shows; just one of the great ways to escape the hubbub of day-to-day living. I like the idea that everybody who walks in — I don't care if you're a biker or a drag queen — I want you there. Music is supposed to bring people together."

Jeff Plankenhorn's songwriting, expressive vocals, and musicianship are front and center on his latest album, Alone At Sea, produced by Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Keb Mo.) New sonic territory is explored on this gem of a long player. The title track, "Alone at Sea," is a poignant ballad nestled between two of the album's many up-tempo tunes.It envisions an adventurous soul who's searching for self-awareness and learns to appreciate solitude, not unlike Plank's experience of moving to Canada's Vancouver Island from a 20-year stint in the landlocked confines of Austin, TX.

“Jeff Plankenhorn has become an Austin institution, sought after by many artists to lend his musical talents to their albums and performances. Calling him a guitarist doesn’t do him justice, though. Sure, he’s designed his very own guitar – a custom lap steel guitar called, perhaps not surprisingly, “The Plank”. And you can give him just about any stringed instrument and he’ll no doubt get it singing.” —Mayer Danzig, Twangville

“Plankenhorn made his name in Austin as a preeminent guitar slinger, especially as a slide specialist. Now he's put pen to paper and is increasingly known for his impressive songwriting and powerful voice. With the recent release of “SoulSlide” he has completed his bona fides as both a master instrumentalist and an important songwriter and singer.” —Austin Songwriter

"Yes, it turns out that Plankenhorn has recently relocated to Vancouver Island. For his followers, who have long associated him with Austin where he resided for twenty years, this is quite a change, and aptly the sonic territory is also new, still bluesy in a few spots but leaning more into a folk vernacular. His vocals here take precedence over his guitar mastery. The title track likely traces to the peace Plankenhorn has found in his new locale, as the protagonist learns to appreciate solitude rather than the desperation of being alone. It’s one “Plank” plans to offer in Spanish and French versions in November. Plankenhorn is not as easily pegged this time, indicative of an artist willing to venture into new turf - the brighter moments have staying power.”
- Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine

Society Hall is thrilled to host an amazing gathering of four premier singer-songwriters for an evening of powerful music to benefit Howlin' Dog Music Group, an Alamosa-based non-profit that raises money to award small grants to musical artists to help them get their music out into the world. The concert will be held Sunday, Septmeber 7th at 7:30 PM. Appearing will be Pat Byrne, Susan Gibson, Walt Wilkins and Alamosa's own Don Richmond. Doors will open at 6:30. Tickets are $30.00 and are available at the link below or in Alamosa at the Green Spot. The concert will also stream on the Society Hall Facebook page and You-Tube channel.

Howlin' Dog Music Group, a 501c-3 non profit organization, is starting its fourth year of raising money to help singer-songwriters record their music. With the disappearance of physical media, it has become more and more difficult for artists to even recoup the money that they have invested in making a good recording, and HDMG hopes to make that just a little easier for those whom it is able to help.

And since there happen to be four stellar artists, all of whom have a connection to HDMG, in the area around September 7th, the folks at HDMG thought it would be a great opportunity to invite the public to a great evening of music, and hopefully help raise some money to help keep the music coming!

Appearing will be Pat Byrne, who is from Ireland but based in Austin, Walt Wilkins, born and bred in Austin, Susan Gibson, who splits her time between Wimberley, Texas and Flathead Lake in Montana, and singer-songwriter, music producer and multi-instrumentalist Don Richmond, from Alamosa. Pat Byrne is one of the 10 HDMG grant recipients in 2025, Walt Wilkins is a patron of HDMG, Susan Gibson is on the board, and Don Richmond is also on the board and is one of the co-founders of the organization. Richmond remarks, “We all feel strongly that this is an organization worth supporting, as we all know how difficult it is to make your way in the world of music, and it's getting harder all the time. HDMG is our way of doing our little bit to help.” For more information on HDMG or to donate, visit their website at www.howlindogmusicgroup.org.

Here's a little more about the artists appearing for the concert-

An Irish singer-songwriter, Pat Byrne has come a long way since his first deal with Universal. In late 2017, Byrne began his migration to Austin, Texas. In 2019, Pat took the US by storm, with breakout performances at the 30A Festival, SXSW, Kerrville Folk Festival and the Americana Festival. Being immersed in the Texas music scene, Pat's sophomore US release, Into the Light, has an edgier feel underscoring both emotional depth and greater confidence, while blending new influences with his rich Irish heritage. Pat will be starting a new album project at Alamosa's Howlin' Dog Records the week after the concert, partially funded by his 2025 HDMG grant.

From Walt Wilkins’ website - “Songwriter, singer, traveler, troubadour - the calling I answered, the life I chose, the way I make my way. I chose to go full time on this road 30 years ago. It's been a spiritual quest, an amazing trip, at turns heartbreaking & transcendent. In that time I've made 12 solo records, 4 records with The Mighty Mystiqueros, 1 with my wife Tina, and a live record with my friend Kevin Welch. I've had 100 or more songs recorded by other artists, traveled a fair part of the world, and had some very, very large times.

I get to work with some inspiring artists on their records. I play all over Texas & as much as the US as we can get to, and even in Europe, where our second home is The Netherlands. I know a wide, beautiful variety of mighty poets, pickers, philosophers, artists, and wild spirits. I am a most fortunate man. Mostly, I drive, play & sleep & dream. It's a rich experience, a wild ride, and the way I make my way. I hope to meet you if I haven't. If I have, I hope to see you again soon on this path.”

Susan Gibson is best known for writing the CMA Song of the Year and smash hit for the Dixie Chicks “Wide Open Spaces”, which, along with 24 other songs, was recently inducted into the Library of Congress' music registry as one of the “defining sounds of history and culture” in the United States. She has released more than a half dozen CDs and traveled hundreds of thousands of miles taking her music to her many fans throughout the country.

Susan's no stranger to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, having recorded her EP “Remember Who You Are” with Don Richmond at Howlin' Dog Records just outside of Alamosa. She has also played Alamosa several times – in local house concerts, as a featured performer at Adams State, and previously at Society Hall, both solo and with the Red River Songwriters traveling show. She's very much looking forward to reconnecting with her many fans in the area.

Don Richmond has been a professional performing musician for more than fifty-five years. He regularly performs and records on more than a dozen instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, violin, viola, dobro, pedal steel guitar, banjo, harmonica, accordion, trumpet and percussion and is an award-winning songwriter. He has released 7 solo CDs, 4 other albums with the Colorado band Tumbleweed earlier in his career, 3 with the Taos, New Mexico based group Hired Hands, 7 with the New Mexico based group The Rifters, 3 as a duo with David Clemmer, and 2 with his older brothers as the Richmond Brothers.

Don is also the founder of Howlin' Dog Records, which has recorded and released hundreds of other recordings by many local, regional, and national artists, and is also a board member of the non-profit Howin' Dog Music Group, which raises funds to assist musical artists in making their recordings. He has also been an Artist-In-Residence and Aesthetic Institute instructor in Colorado Council of the Arts’ Art in Education program. Don has also created and recorded the music for several nationally distributed documentary films. In late 2004, Don published a book on performance psychology and creativity titled Getting Your Music Past the Fear.

Don says, “It's going to be an amazing night! These folks are not only dear friends, but are some of my favorite musical artists anywhere in the world. We hope everyone can join us for a musical night to remember, and to help keep the music coming from a bunch of other folks too.”