Mar 14, 2026 | 7:35 pm
A new documentary film is filling an important gap in Austin’s music history. Steven Fromholz, a singer-songwriter whose music paved the way for progressive country to take hold in the Texas capital, is the subject of The Man with the Big Hat, which premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 14, 2026.
Fromholz had a winding journey through folk and country music, several homes in several states (including his small Texas hometown, Kopperl, south of Fort Worth), and a string of different careers including acting and being a river guide in Terlingua — although the film focuses almost entirely on the music. He was known for raw storytelling that authentically reflected life in Texas, and was able to nest one deeply touching song after another among a forest of jokes. Fromholz died in Eldorado in 2014.
Longtime Texans, and especially Austinites who lived here in the 70s, might balk at the idea that Fromholz is somehow missing from the public record. But for younger people who rely on streaming services, he is an idea without sound…