The Zak Webb Band will make a rare hometown appearance on Sunday, Aug. 13, at the Depot Plaza, 700 E. Adams St. in Brownwood. The fun starts at 4:30 pm, with a special guest performance by the Brownwood Music Student Band at 5, followed by The Zak Webb Band at 6. At 7:30 Zak will be available to meet and greet the public.
This is a family-friendly outdoor event; however the Depot Scale Room will be open for cooling down, if needed. Please bring your own lawn chairs.
In lieu of gifts, Zak is accepting funds, musical instruments, and equipment to benefit the kids at New Horizons Ranch and Center, Inc. which is located south of Brownwood in Mills County. The Ranch is an intensive, inpatient residential center for children who are experiencing mental, emotional, and behavioral issues due to abuse or neglect.
It was just five years ago that Zak’s band, then called Zak & Nem, made their Brownwood debut. Since then, Zak has toured tirelessly throughout Texas and neighboring states, performing both as a solo act, and with the band. The current lineup is Zak on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, Frank Lopez on lead guitar, Moises Ramirez on bass, and Jeremy Richard on drums.
While some call his style “Americana Soul,” Zak’s sound is beyond categories. You will hear rock, country, funk, and pop, and it will all be sung and played with the skill, love, and energy that has earned him a loyal following and consistent rave reviews. Most recently, Zak was a finalist in 3 categories in the 2023 International Singer/Songwriter Association (ISSA) Awards: USA Entertainer of the Year, USA Band of the Year, and USA Male Emerging Artist of the Year.
Zak moved to Waco last year, but the Birthday Bash event is a reflection of Zak’s deep and ongoing connection to Brownwood. Sound for the Bash is being donated by Brownwood Music, and it was a visit to the store in June that prompted Zak to use his birthday celebration to help benefit the children at New Horizons Ranch.
According to Jackie Andersen, who teaches music lessons at the store, and leads the Brownwood Music Student Band, Zak popped into the store for a quick visit while a group of kids from New Horizons was there for lessons. “Zak offered to play us a song, and the kids were just amazed.” Based on that brief encounter, Zak knew he wanted to help.
Zak also has some personal history with the Ranch, since both his mother Carolyn, and father Charles worked there, with Charles serving as the Chaplain for many years. Zak says “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help out. I’ve had a lot of bad birthdays over the years, so I figured one way to have a good birthday is to help someone else out.” In addition to the free show, Zak is donating one of his guitars, a Jasmine acoustic, for a silent auction that will be held at the Bash.
When asked to reflect on turning 30, Zak sounds optimistic: “I’m growing more confident in the man I’m becoming.”