Customer Spotlight: The Post at River East
A Good Place to Start.
This is a customer spotlight post about… The Post at River East. We really want to focus entirely on a brand with these articles. Still, we feel we should start from the beginning of how Printed Threads knows the fantastic crew that manages ‘The People’s Best Live Music Venue of 2020 in Fort Worth.’ In the late nineties, the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD had a particularly booming music scene. This helped all of us cut our teeth in almost every aspect of the music industry. A good number of musicians from that scene went on to play professionally. After that, we all returned to the servicing side of the industry. Booking, merch, managing venues, or festivals. Long story short, those times lead to some literal life long relationships.
One of the influencers who helped make our young scene successful was none other than Brooks Kendall. Brooks is a third-generation booking agent who has accrued 20 years of touring, promotion, and venue operation experience. He is now the president of Afallon Productions, an entertainment company that manages, among other things, The Post at River East. It should also be noted that Brooks is the president of Hear Fort Worth, an initiative of Visit Fort Worth to build awareness about the Fort Worth Music Scene. What’s his drive, and how does a former 1940’s Post office turned food and music venue host that?
The Why.
“I love it when people love the experiences we create. Seeing the audience be moved as one by a great song, hosting special moments in people’s lives like birthdays and weddings. Or just being a comfortable place for someone to land after a bad day.” He won’t say it, but we can attest that these are things he believed in his youth. “At the Post, we generally focus on creating a casual, fun vibe with a special focus on live music, which we take very seriously.”
Adapting to the Times.
The Post at River East runs live music almost every night. That becomes extremely difficult during a lockdown like we have experienced in TX during the pandemic. Brooks and his team pivoted The Post’s business very quickly, offering family-style take-away food and cocktails during the quarantine. The pandemic didn’t stop them from delivering live music either. Their live stream show ‘Live in an Empty Room‘ streamed almost nightly to help musicians keep playing and help the bar staff keep their lights on. In the face of adversity, The Post also understood that it wasn’t just about them.
“During the COVID lockdown, we delivered free lunches to the FWPD, FWFD, and JPS [hospital] workers. We also raised money and donated thousands of pounds of food to local food banks.”
They also took advantage of Printed Threads Fundraising Program with two productive campaigns to support the bar staff.
“I suppose keeping The Post alive through the last several months is something we can be proud of. After six months of starting and stopping, changing business model, canceling and refunding or rescheduling shows and events, we are making a strong comeback.”
Call it a Comeback.
With two residencies and a blend of free and ticketed shows throughout the rest of the week, they are doing what they can to help ‘Save Our Stages.’ Full menu offerings, craft cocktails, live music, and hands down the best patio in the city, The Post is living up to its name as Tarrant County reopens.
With a light on the horizon, Brooks enjoys his mornings working in the kitchen, prepping food for the day. “Focusing on something like dicing jalapenos is kind of therapeutic.”
When asked about his favorite garment, he stoically replied, “Baseball hat. Useful, stylish.” Which we would elaborate is something akin to the classic Richardson 320 Dad Cap.
Check out our Spotlight video on The Post here. If you find yourself in Fort Worth, please find yourself at 2925 Race Street, 76111, on any given night with the exception of Mondays. Oh, and if it rains, they pour.
