Evie Clair went on the road with magician Eric Jones headlining in the small town of Dalhart, Texas this past week. The small town near Amarillo welcomed them with open arms and hosted them at a historic and beautiful venue called La Rita Performing Arts Theater, a beautifully restored, 1930s period theatre – at one time the most modern theater in the Southwest after a remodel in 1942. Eric and Evie spent a day before the show touring and performing for kids in the local schools. During a Q&A, a young boy asked Evie Clair why she would come to a small town like Dalhart where there is nothing. Evie responded by encouraging him to appreciate his small town, that she was also from a small town like Dalhart and that it doesn’t matter how small a town is if there are good people there, it’s worth the trip.
Evie and Eric made a good impression on the students of Dalhart and many of them convinced their parents to bring them to the sold-out Saturday night show at La Rita, which is normally not a scene where you would find young kids or America’s Got Talent finalists, but they filled it to capacity and the city raved about the show. The two already have a booking for a similar show in another small Texas town after word from Dalhart spread.
Evie began the show by explaining that her mom had told her the weather in Dalhart would be similar to Phoenix so she packed T-shirts and capris but no coat. The morning after they arrived it was 28 degrees in Dalhart and the wife of one of the sound techs at La Rita showed up at Evie’s hotel with a beautiful, warm coat as a gift for her. Evie exclaimed “This is why I love small towns!”
Evie decided to leave the small town with a special sneak peak at a song called “Fair Minded” from her new album. Many said it was their favorite song of the night.
Enjoy this collection of photos by local photographer N. L. Olsen from Dalhart, TX.
