Houston’s “Outlaw Dave” brings music and motorcycles for weekend street festival
HOUSTON, TEXAS, MAR. 2—Texas is home to nearly 450,000 motorcycle riders and its largest city, Houston, has made a 10-year commitment to play host to its first and only motorcycle-inspired event, Bikes On The Bayou. Now in its second year at Eleanor Tinsley Park along the Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston, the event boasts a beautiful cityscape, rolling green hills and riverside tranquility. “It’s the perfect spot for a motorcycle, music and street festival,” said life-long Houstonian, event co-owner and chief organizer, David Andrews.
Andrews, better known in Houston as “Outlaw” Dave from his 25-year career as a high-profile rock radio DJ on KLOL, has been an active participant in the success of nearby Galveston’s Lone Star Rally, held yearly in the first week of November since 2000. In addition to organizing and hosting the wildly popular Miss Lone Star Rally series of events, Andrews’ “Outlaw Dave Ranch Ride” for charity has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Stevens and Pruitt Ranch for Children and Animals. Andrews had been working with Houston city officials including the Mayor’s Office of Special Events Director, Susan Christian, for several years to try and bring a festival of the same magnitude to life. “When the opportunity for ‘Bikes On The Bayou’ was first presented, I was immediately interested because of the success of this style of event staged in Galveston and other cities around the country. The motorcycle-riding community is prolific throughout Texas and this is an audience that we look forward to hosting annually,” Christian said.
As the name of the event suggests motorcycle riders are a targeted demographic but as Bikes on the Bayou co-owner Slade Ham points out, the festival hopes to cast a larger net of appeal. “The festival isn’t just about motorcycles. We welcome all things two-wheeled. Houston is so diverse. We’re bringing in caterers and food trucks that reflect many different cultures that exist in this city. Amazing music and special events are planned for each of the three days,” Ham said.
Given Andrews’ background in radio, the music line-up has special significance, Andrews said, and the event is presenting a mix of genres designed to appeal to different age groups including headliners Hinder, Jackyl and Ray Wylie Hubbard as well as local acts like Lil Troy, Hold On Hollywood, Drug Store Gypsies, the Zach Tate Band and more.
But the festival isn’t just reaching out to Houstonians. Partnerships with the nearby Hyatt Hotel and syndicated Gulf Coast radio personalities Walton and Johnson have Andrews and Ham expecting groups from Corpus Christi to Alabama. “That’s the great thing about this festival. There’s so much to do because we’re in the heart of downtown Houston. The Astros have a home stand that weekend, and you’ve got Montrose and the Heights areas close by. The Rolling Stones are here Sunday night,” Andrews said. At $20 for a three-day pass, available secure overnight bike parking, 12 bands, food, craft and bike-oriented vendors, and alcohol available for purchase on premises, Bikes On The Bayou promises to be a big bang for the buck with beautiful vistas and sensational sounds on a spring weekend before the Houston heat sets in.
Bikes On The Bayou takes place April 26-28 at Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston. Advance tickets, special hotel room rates, and more can be found on the event website at BikesOnTheBayou.com.
—Press release
