Musician Leon Bridges: ‘There’s a specific Texas pride in Fort Worth’
The Grammy Award winner loves his hometown for its tacos, dive bars and custom-made cowboy boots
I moved to Fort Worth when I was two years old, so I’m Texan through and through. I love the slower pace here and that the people are so salt-of-the-earth. I’m always on the move – to Los Angeles, to New York, on tour – and I sometimes find people a little superficial or pretentious. There is a simplicity to life here. My parents still live in Fort Worth and my inner circle – people I met on the cusp of fame, including my security – are all based here too.
Fort Worth isn’t as progressive as Austin, but the food scene and population are both evolving. There’s a specific Texas pride here – in our roots and in our culture – and I think my music reflects that. It’s Texas twang meets R&B and the whole Western aesthetic that goes along with it.
The city has seen the addition of many cool smaller hotels recently: Bowie House is one of the best. It’s a great environment to meet people, and it’s also near Dickies Arena, so people are drawn there from all over to see musicians such as Paul McCartney and Janet Jackson. I’ve played there, too. Hotel Dryce is another cool option – it’s set in an old industrial warehouse – and I like Hotel Drover in Fort Worth Stockyards for its great bar and true Texas spirit. The Stockyards is where cowboys historically traded cattle, and it still has that classic Western vibe, right down to the rodeo. There are so many dope places to stay.
I cut my teeth on Magnolia Avenue, an artsy part of town with lots of music venues and restaurants. Sadly some of the staples have closed as musicians have moved on to Nashville and LA, but there is one dive bar – The Boiled Owl Tavern – that’s particularly significant as it’s where I was discovered. I still like to go and play impromptu shows with the original musicians from back in the day.