If you weren’t watching where you were going at the Lone Star Jam at the LBJ Library lawn at UT Saturday, you could have been run over by two steppers! The annual celebration of Texas Country Music is a downhome party complete with dancing, beer, boots, party hats and some of the best music Texas has to offer.

The Lone Star Jam is in its fifth year and each year offers a stellar lineup. Saturday’s headliners included the Randy Rogers Band, the Josh Abbott Band, Stoney Larue, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and Cody Canada and the Departed.

The LBJ lawn was littered with blankets and beer cans — an estimated five thousand people braving 90-plus degree temperatures to spend time with friends, while seeing some of their favorite artists share two stages.

For the musicians, the Jam gets them revved up for festival season, while giving them a chance to reconnect with old friends.

“It’s always good when festival season rolls around you get to see everybody again cause everybody’s always doing separate gigs and going different directions. But when you see that lineup and everyone gets back together again you know it’s gonna be a good night,” Cody Canada, whose band just completed a five-week tour with Shooter Jennings explains. As for the fans: “It’s Texas, you know,” Canada says. “They’ve always treated us good.”

Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band echoed Canada’s sentiment, saying it’s always great to play in his home state. “Our fans are a testament to what we do. It’s really hot but people are like I’m gonna get there at 3 o’clock so I can be up front to see the Josh Abbott Band. It’s great.”

Fans enthusiasm for the band has helped send its new record to the top of the charts. It was released at the end of April and Abbott says it’s doing better than they expected. It’s currently number five on the Billboard Country Albums Chart.

“The new record is called ‘Small Town Family Dream’ and it’s about life in a small town.” Abbot explains. “We hope people will either relate to it or get a good idea from listening to it what it’s like to live in a small town.” The Josh Abbott Band has a busy summer tour schedule ahead to support the new record.

Austin ain’t a small town but the festival still feels like a small town family reunion with artists and friends passing the guitar. The Lone Star Jam is a big party for the Texas Country Music family — and a talented family it is.