Our guide to the 2025 Fourth on the River lineup and festivities

The community’s beloved Independence Day celebration returns Friday with a powerhouse lineup of Texas talent at the annual Fourth on the River event at Louise Hays Park.

The free celebration, presented by Arcadia Live, features four musical acts leading up to the evening’s spectacular fireworks display. Los Juanos kicks off the festivities at 3:15 p.m., followed by Jamie Lin Wilson at 5:15 p.m., Robert Earl Keen at 6:45 p.m., and a surprise headliner at 8:15 p.m. Fireworks begin at 9:45 p.m.

The diverse lineup showcases the rich tapestry of Texas music. Los Juanos, the San Antonio-based group that emerged during the pandemic, blends Tejano traditions with dream-pop and psychedelic influences. The band, formed by Baldemar Esquivel and Miguel Guzman, has gained recognition for their experimental approach to conjunto, corrido and cumbia Norteña.

Jamie Lin Wilson, the acclaimed singer-songwriter from D’Hanis, brings her “delicate storytelling and earthy vocals” that have earned comparisons to icons like John Prine and Guy Clark. Wilson, who previously fronted bands including the Gougers and the Trishas, has established herself as a master of Americana songcraft.

Robert Earl Keen returns to the event he headlined for years before his 2022 retirement. The Houston-born legend recently came out of retirement, telling fans “the road goes on, and so does the music.” Keen’s catalog includes classics like “The Road Goes on Forever” and collaborations with artists including Lyle Lovett.

The celebration takes place at Louise Hays Park, 202 Thompson Drive. Vehicular access to the park will be prohibited all day July 4. Outside alcohol, pets, glass containers and personal fireworks are banned from the event area.

For information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (830) 257-7300 or visit kerrvilletx.gov.

Los Juanos, 3:15 p.m.

Los Juanos emerged during the pandemic as a nostalgia-embracing collaboration between friends Baldemar Esquivel and Miguel Guzman, both eager to create what Esquivel envisioned as “Tejano dream-pop.” San Antonio CurrentApple Their breakthrough single “Cien Novias,” released in 2021, was well received, and the band has since grown to six members. Cien Novias (feat. Baldemar & Werito) – Single by Los Juanos on Apple Music

Esquivel, a San Antonio native and home-recording artist with more than 10 years of experience, had previously worked in psychedelic and dream pop before forming Los Juanos to fulfill “a long-held dream of forming a Tejano band.” Baldemar Esquivel – Getcreativesanantonio.com: The Cultural Calendar for the City of San Antonio, Texas Guzman, who previously fronted a progressive math-rock band called Werito, initially viewed Tejano as music “for an older crowd” but embraced the genre through Los Juanos’ experimental approach. Cien Novias (feat. Baldemar & Werito) – Single by Los Juanos on Apple Music

The band’s sound blends conjunto, corrido and cumbia Norteña with elements of dream pop, psychedelic and punk, reflecting what Esquivel describes as “lo-fi, stoner, punk” influences. Tejano dream-pop of San Antonio’s Los Juanos exudes puro party vibes | San Antonio | San Antonio Current Their music represents a fusion of conjunto, corrido and cumbia Norteña with elements of dream pop, psychedelic and even punk. 8 San Antonio bands and solo artists going to SXSW – CultureMap San Antonio

The current lineup includes guitarist-accordionist Eddy Longoria, and the band has released eight singles following their debut. Cien Novias (feat. Baldemar & Werito) – Single by Los Juanos on Apple Music Los Juanos performed at South by Southwest in March 2025 and have been making waves in the indie-alternative regional Mexicano scene. 8 San Antonio bands and solo artists going to SXSW – CultureMap San Antonio The group has developed a reputation as “one of the fiercest, most joyously raucous live acts around,” according to the San Antonio Current. Cien Novias (feat. Baldemar & Werito) – Single by Los Juanos on Apple Music

The band embodies San Antonio’s tradition of genre-blending artists, reflecting the city’s “ni de aquí, ni de allá” (neither from here, nor from there) cultural identity.

Jamie Lin Wilson, 5:15 p.m.

Jamie Lin Wilson is a Texas singer-songwriter from D’Hanis, a small town near San Antonio, who was originally raised in tiny Sealy, Texas. The MusicFestApple Inspired by seeing Natalie Maines perform solo during a Dixie Chicks concert, Wilson began playing guitar while attending Texas A&M University and helped form the Sidehill Gougers within a year. Jamie Lin Wilson

Wilson broke into the Texas country/folk scene as one of the co-lead vocalists of the Gougers before the band gradually gave way to not only her solo work but also higher-profile musical adventures with The Trishas, an all-female singer-songwriter band. TX MusicFacebook The Trishas, which included Liz Foster, Kellee Mickwee, and Savannah Welch, quickly earned a fan base through tours with major acts like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Todd Snider. Jamie Lin Wilson

Wilson launched her solo career with albums including 2015’s “Holidays & Wedding Rings” and 2018’s “Jumping Over Rocks,” which she considers “a definitive record on myself and my style.” Jamie Lin Wilson She recorded “Jumping Over Rocks” during four days at Arlyn Studios in Austin with a cast of musicians including Charlie Sexton on guitar, cutting every track live. Jamie Lin Wilson | The MusicFest

Critics have praised Wilson’s “delicate storytelling and earthy vocals,” with PopMatters noting that she “inhabits a particular cross-section of Americana that blends honest-to-goodness country with storyteller’s folk” and comparing her to icons like John Prine, Guy Clark, and Emmylou Harris. Jamie Lin WilsonDiscogs She is highly regarded by her peers, from Ray Wylie Hubbard and Wade Bowen to Cody Canada and Jason Eady, who often call on her to finish songs, lend vocals or join them on stage. Jamie Lin Wilson on Apple Music

Wilson’s music blends folk, country, and Americana, with songwriting that delves into themes of love, loss, and the human condition, creating “stark vignettes” and highlighting details most people miss. The MusicFestThebluegrasssituation She continues to live in D’Hanis with her family, preferring small-town life where she can “dodge goats and donkeys in the road” rather than sit in traffic. Champions – Jamie Lin Wilson | Fulshear House

Jamie Lin Wilson playing at Arcadia Live

Robert Earl Keen, 6:45 p.m.

Robert Earl Keen, the beloved Texas singer-songwriter from Houston, announced his retirement from touring in January 2022 after a 41-year career, stating he wanted to “go out feeling all the love for music and performing the same way I entered — with passion and enthusiasm.” Rolling StoneHccommunityjournal He played his final farewell shows in September 2022 at John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, Texas, marking the end of what seemed like an era for the Americana legend. Robert Earl Keen’s 4th on the River – Jul 4, 2021

Born in Houston in 1956, Keen graduated from Texas A&M University in 1978, where he played folk and bluegrass music with friends, including roommate Lyle Lovett. Rolling StoneHccommunityjournal He became one of the leading lights of Austin’s singer-songwriter scene in the late 1970s and 1980s, building a loyal following on the strength of his songwriting and live performances. Robert Earl Keen Has Played His Final Show. He’s Not Kidding His songs have been recorded by fellow artists including Joe Ely, The Highwaymen, George Strait, Lyle Lovett, and Nanci Griffith, and he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. Fourth of July Celebration details, fireworks and road closure information | | hccommunityjournal.com

Among his most celebrated compositions are “The Front Porch Song,” co-written with Lyle Lovett, and his signature anthem “The Road Goes on Forever,” which became a Texas music staple and was later covered by both Joe Ely and the Highwaymen in the 1990s. Robert Earl Keen Has Played His Final Show. He’s Not Kidding Throughout his career, he released 18 albums for both independent and major record labels. Fourth of July Celebration details, fireworks and road closure information | | hccommunityjournal.com

However, retirement didn’t take. Keen has come out of retirement with a renewed sense of identity, explaining that financial realities and his rediscovered connection to performing brought him back to the stage. American SongwriterKut The 69-year-old acknowledges he had developed a dependence on prescription painkillers and that he and his wife were living separately, but after treatment and recovery, he realized “everybody has a source of identity, and mine was being on stage.” Robert Earl Keen Announces Retirement from Touring and Performing Publicly – American Songwriter

Keen released the concept box set “Western Chill” in 2023 and has continued playing select shows in 2024, stating his “primary purpose in life is not only writing some songs and playing guitar, but the magical part is actually putting that music out there in the world, and getting to perform.” KutTour Texas

Keen recently stated on social media: “Sobriety brought me clarity, and with it, the spark to create Western Chill — a project that let my band and me stretch our creative muscles in ways we hadn’t before. Now I’m back on stage, playing for the pure joy of it. The road goes on, and so does the music.” Robert Earl Keens 4th on the River – Jul 04, 2022 – Tour Texas

---

William Beckmann, 8:15 p.m.

William Beckmann is a 30-year-old country artist from the border town of Del Rio, Texas, who brings together classic country, mariachi, and Americana influences to create what’s been described as “modern country music with a refined edge.” Missing Piece GroupIssuu Born and raised on his family’s cattle ranch in Del Rio, directly across the Rio Grande from Acuña, Mexico, Beckmann grew up bilingual with relatives on both sides of the border. WESTERN MUSIC – Issuu

Beckmann showed musical aptitude early, starting piano lessons at age nine and later learning guitar. He was mentored by legendary songwriter Radney Foster, a Del Rio native who lived just a few houses down from Beckmann’s family ranch. Foster taught him “how to make every line count” and helped him “cut straight to the heart of things as a lyricist,” with Beckmann still sending Foster songs he’s working on today.

Beckmann’s sound draws from diverse influences including George Strait, George Jones, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Mexican artists like Vicente Fernández. FacebookMissing Piece Group His deep bass voice features “a rich vibrato that he picked up from the Latin singers he grew up listening to,” creating what critics describe as a “smooth cadence that would be right at home on a backroom jukebox.” Music Spotlight: William Beckmann – Bethany Writes

Beckmann made his Grand Ole Opry debut on March 3, 2023, performing his own song “Bourbon Whiskey” and a cover of Vicente Fernández’s “Volver, Volver,” which went viral and earned over 3.5 million views on the Opry’s YouTube channel. William Beckmann | Nashville TN As part of his commitment to representing his Mexican-American heritage, Beckmann includes at least two Spanish songs in every setlist, explaining that it shows “that side of the Texas culture and the Mexican American heritage that there’s so much out in Texas.” Music Spotlight: William Beckmann – Bethany Writes

In a significant career milestone, Beckmann performed the first country show in nearly two decades at the legendary Corona Club in Acuña, Mexico, a venue that had been a rite of passage for rising musicians in the late 1990s and early 2000s. WESTERN MUSIC – Issuu He has also sold out three shows at the legendary Gruene Hall and headlined a tour supporting victims of the Uvalde shooting. WESTERN MUSIC – Issuu

Following his growing success, Beckmann was signed to Warner Music Nashville on August 27, 2024. William Beckmann | Nashville TN On April 25, 2025, he announced his major label debut album, “Whiskey Lies & Alibis,” set for release on June 20, 2025. William Beckmann | Nashville TN The album was co-written with elite hit makers including Jessie Jo Dillion, Jesse Frasure, and Rhett Akins, and captures “the vast loneliness of a windblown desert landscape, and the throbbing pulse of a honky tonk with equal power.” William Beckmann — Missing Piece Group

Beckmann’s family background in agriculture runs deep, with his grandfather Santiago Hyslop raising Mexican cattle in Chihuahua before relocating to Del Rio, and his father and brother continuing in the cattle trading business today. Despite his ranching heritage, Beckmann jokes, “I tell people that they’re real cowboys, and I just sing about cowboy things.” WESTERN MUSIC – Issuu