Jesse Raub brings the Honky-Tonk to Seguin

Story by Chris Austin Courtesy Photos

ATexas singer-songwriter who has scored multiple hits on the Texas Music Chart and Texas Radio Report will be headlining this year’s KWED Freedom Fiesta at Seguin’s Central Park. Jesse Raub, Jr. will hit the downtown stage on Saturday, July 1.

“We are excited to be coming to Seguin. It’s always great to pick up a new market,” Raub says. “To be called on in these places is always phenomenal for us. And to be coming to Seguin, we’re super excited to even get the opportunity.”

The Houston-born and Magnolia, Texas-raised singer is no stranger to traveling to new places. In the past two years, Raub and his band have been all over the country, discovering new cities and towns on a tour bus. They’ve been up to the Great Lakes, toured the Southeastern United States, and played many dates in the Lone Star State. Raub says seeing new faces relate to his songs is a thrill.

“For people to connect to our music is just awesome,” Raub said of performing to new crowds. “For people to be singing our songs when we get somewhere is the biggest compliment you can give anybody who plays a song.”

Raub has shared the stage with the likes of country stars Lee

Ann Womack and Mark Chesnutt. He’s also graced the stage countless times with his good friend Cody Johnson, whom he’s known for nearly two decades.

“Cody and I have been running the roads probably close to 20 years now, somewhere in that vicinity,” he said. “And we used to write every song together and play every show together.”

Raub and Johnson have collaborated to write several songs. For example, Raub was a co-writer on Johnson’s songs “The Way She Loves Me” and “Dance Her Home.” The latter tune scored Raub’s first gold record and reached number one on the Texas Radio chart.

Johnson has garnered a lot of mainstream success, and Raub says he’s happy to see the success his friend Johnson has had by promoting a brand of traditional country music.

“Obviously, we’re super stoked for the lift that he’s getting and just seeing him go out there and just fly the flag for the rest of us and really try to get back to our roots of country music. You know, obviously, we’ve seen it kinda steer away from that,” Raub said. “Not that’s a bad thing, but man I couldn’t do that and sell it. Cody couldn’t do some of that and sell it. We sell our channel in country music.”

Raub has had twelve recordings of his own chart in the top 50 of the Texas Music Chart and the Texas Radio Report. The long list includes: “Blame It on the Music,” “Bad Intentions,” “Good Man Go Wrong,” “Plead the Fifth,” “She Can Forgive,” 2017’s #1 “She’ll Put the Hurt on You,” 2018 #1’s “Mistakes” and “Sittin’ Here,” 2019 #1 “Touch the Water,” 2020 #1 singles “Good Times” and “I’d Look Good on You” and 2022 #1 “Working Man’s Woman.”

When it comes to songwriting, Raub takes a cue from a fellow songwriter.

“One of my friends Jim Collins told me, ‘Jesse, good songs are written, great songs are rewritten.’ And man, I’ve always taken that to heart,” Raub said when talking about the advice from his songwriter confidant. “So, we always battle for the greatest lines. And surrounding yourself with great songwriters like that and to actually go in a room and battle for the best song that you can possibly come out with, I love writing with those guys.” Raub added. “You just kinda gotta check your feelings at the door and say ‘hey we can beat that, we got a better line for that.”

Just three years ago, Raub was working at a lucrative construction job while pursuing a music career. He made the decision then to quit the construction business to focus solely on his music. He says it was a tough choice that he could not make without the support of his wife, Rachel.

“When I decided to do that, I came home and told my wife I was gonna quit a very well paying job.” Raub said. “And she never even batted an eye. She just said okay. And I said, ‘you’re not gonna talk me out of this?’ And she said, ‘No, I been wondering when you were gonna take the leap.’”

With his wife behind him, Raub leaped full-time into the music business in 2020. Then an unforeseen challenge came right at the beginning of that decision. I made the choice to do it and then Covid hit. That was just God I believe anyways going, ‘hey all true visions will be tested for authenticity.’ And if this is really what you want to do, here’s the first little road block.”

As the music world and everything else was shut down, Raub went back to pen and paper and began to write songs.

“I gave my manager Brian my bucket list of writers and he just started reaching out to publicists. And so, it became at that point just songwriting for a year. And then when the shows started coming back around, we just said ‘let’s figure out where this goes.’ So, we’re in a good position. We did that and now I look back at the job I quit and I’m like, ‘I’m so glad I’m not doing that anymore.’” Raub said. “I mean I always ran dozers and backhoes, track hoes, you know I could always run anything. But man, I just didn’t miss it like I thought I would. So I feel like we’re right where we’re supposed to be, doing what we’re supposed to do.”

Raub will do what he does on July 1st at Freedom Fiesta and hopes the new faces he sees will be prepared for a good time.

“We want to come down there and share our songs and party with you guys,” he said. “We’re gonna turn Seguin into a honky-tonk for a night so, I hope y’all are ready.”

Jesse Raub, Jr. will headline Freedom Fiesta on Friday, July 1st. The concert is free and open to the public. Freedom Fiesta gets underway at 6 p.m. at Central Park in downtown Seguin. •

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Saturday, July 1, 2023

Featured Events

Featured Events

June 10

Seguin Field of Honor

The Seguin Field of Honor will have opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 10 and closing ceremonies at 10 a.m. June 17 at the Faith Lutheran Church, located at 1326 E. Cedar St. in Seguin. Flag dedications are being accepted for $25 each. Proceeds benefit the American Legion Post 245. For more information, visit www.healingfield.org/ event/seguintx23/.

4th of July Parade Applications

DEADLINE: June 19, 2023

The City of Seguin Main Street program has Fourth of July Parade Applications available online at www.seguintexas.gov/fourthofjuly or at the Seguin Visitor Center, located at 116 N. Camp St. in Seguin. The application deadline is Monday, June 19.

June 12

Science Mill Summer Camp

The Science Mill Summer Camp will be offered by the Seguin ISD for elementary students (those entering third through current fifth grade) the weeks of either June 12 or June 19 at Camp May Day. There are a limited number of spaces available and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Register at www.tinyurl.com/CampSC123.

July 10-14

Music Camp Registration

Registration for the July 10 through July 14 Summer Strings and Choral Camps, for grades 2 through 6, runs from through Saturday, July 1. The camps will be held at the Schuech Fine Arts Center on the campus of Texas Lutheran University. The cost is $125 and discounts are available. For more details and to register, visit www.tlucma.org.

July 21

TLU Nursing Fair 2023

The Texas Lutheran University Service Learning & Career Development will have its Nursing Fair 2023 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 21 at the New Braunfels Campus. Register on Handshake. For more information, email pgentry@tlu.edu.

June 17

Red, White, Blue Art Show

The Seguin Art League will accept entries from veterans and members for its Red, White, Blue Art Show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 17 at 104 S. Austin St. in Seguin. The show will hang through Saturday, July 15. A prospectus can be found online at www.seguinartleague. com. For more information, call 830-3050472.

August 8

Master Naturalist Training

The Guadalupe Master Naturalist Chapter will offer a Master Naturalist Training Classes will be held every other Tuesday from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 8 to Nov. 18 at the AgriLife Extension Building in Seguin. The Cost is $125. For application and class information, visit http://txmn.org/guadalupe Learn more about the program at http://txmn.org.