Texas Musician Tristan Roberson: Building a Large Audience One Stage at a Time

Roberson's DFW Roots

Tristan is in his senior year in private school in the DFW area and after school he has learned music from many of the finest musicians in the region at Frisco School of Music and the Performing Arts — vocal training first, then acoustic guitar (mostly self-taught by “picking stuff” up), followed by piano.

His band is built around members from his best friend’s old group The Bandanas (the friend headed off to college). For those very first shows a couple years ago, Roberson brought in The Bandanas plus his music teacher. The tight-knit group now features a fantastic lead guitarist— Carlos—and other standout DFW musicians.

The TikTok Grind That Paid Off

It took 1.5 years of posting every single day on TikTok before the numbers started to click. Then the live shows began to grow the old-fashioned way:

• First shows: 15 people  
• Then 30… 40…  
• “Every week we saw more people”  

Soon he was selling out full-band nights in Frisco and across DFW with 100 or more fans showing up. Now he’s taking the exact same playbook to new markets — including right here in San Angelo.

Songs Born From Real Life (and One Wild Night in Dallas)

Roberson is refreshingly honest about songwriting: “Pretty flawed,” he laughs — but he surrounds himself with the best. Producer Brandon Bell “added the magic” to the debut album One Night in Dallas, and Roberson couldn’t be happier with how the songs are performing.

He pulls ideas straight from real people’s stories — the kind that end up scribbled in his notebook. For example:

• “One Night in Dallas” – sparked when he heard about a legendary night of partying in Dallas. “This is pretty fire,” he thought. “I need to do something with this.”  
• “Honky Tonking in the Street” – pure Fort Worth love letter to the live music scene, written about the stage right outside the Stockyards on Main and Exchange Street at Cowtown Coliseum.

The album’s current standout? “Hearts Don’t” — the track that’s connecting hardest with fans. He just dropped a one-off single “Kentucky Bluebird,” and cuts from an upcoming sophomore album begin rolling out in March.

A Show, Not Just a Setlist

Roberson runs his live shows like a pro: tight choreography, zero dead space, pre-planned transitions, and just enough room for his lead guitarist Carlos to rip improvised solos.  

“We aren’t there to just play songs,” he says. “We’re there to perform a show and let the audience go wild.”

The Big Dream: The Snowball Effect

Long drives don’t scare him — Missouri, Uvalde, Houston, Lubbock… he’s done them all. This summer the tour pushes into the Midwest. By 2027 he’s eyeing California, with eyes on the rest of the U.S. and eventually international stages.

His ultimate vision? The snowball.

“We build the momentum so it rolls by itself,” he explains. Right now they’re still pulling the lawnmower starter rope every day — but those 2025 awards (and the fans they’re bringing) are exactly the push that turns hard work into unstoppable growth.

Don’t Miss Tristan Roberson in San Angelo

If you caught Tristan last year, you already know the vibe — and now he’s coming back even hotter after his award-winning year, this time with the full band (including Carlos tearing it up on lead guitar). If you didn’t — this Saturday is your chance. Advance tickets and tables are available now through Arc Light / StubWire.

Whether you’re there for the new album cuts, the high-energy band, or just to two-step to “Honky Tonking in the Street,” one thing’s guaranteed: Tristan Roberson and his crew are going to leave everything on that stage.

Tristan Roberson's Spotify features three songs with over 1 million spins, including "End It With Whiskey," "Rough Spot," and "Hearts Don't." He attracts about 200,000 unique listeners per month, according to Spotify stats.

See you Saturday, San Angelo — the snowball is rolling, and it’s picking up speed and size right here in West Texas. 

If you go:

• Arc Light Bar & Grill Inside the Clarion Hotel at 441 Rio Concho Dr.
• Showtime 9 p.m. There may be an opener as Roberson said they are waiting on confirmation
• Show date - Saturday, Feb. 21
• More about Tristan Roberson on his website.
• This show is selling briskly but as of Thursday night, several tables and seats were still available at the 300-capacity venue.
• Get tickets to Tristan Roberson here.