Cowboy poets, musicians "edutain" at Campfire Stories

Dale “Sourdough” Myres sniffed and snorted on a tiny harmonica held to his nose. To the amazement of folks sitting in the West Arena of the Fort Worth Stock Show’s Richardson-Bass Building, he produced a recognizable version of a campfire song familiar to most of them.

Myres played an Irish tune on a larger harmonica and banjo, then explained how Irish music helped introduce the banjo to America.

“But y’all aren’t here to learn history,” he said as he dove into a song called “When Texas was Free.”

Myres calls himself an “edutainer” and delights in teaching his Campfire Stories audience as he plays and sings. He and several other musicians, poets and story tellers took turns on the stage Monday.

Presented by the Texas Cowboy Poets Association, Campfire Stories runs through Thursday, with fairly continuous performances from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for audiences that come and go.

“Sometimes there are 50 people, sometimes a few,” said Johnie Terry, one of the show’s organizers. “We play no matter how many there are.” - Terry Evans