Do you know that person in your group of friends who’s always the event planner? The host? The one perpetually coming up with bigger, better, more outrageous things to do? The charismatic one that motivates ya’ll to do just about anything? Of course, you do. Maybe you even are that person. But in Beaumont, that person is Courtney Hale Revia.
What grew out of a casual weekly get together of friends and friends of friends that just kept getting bigger, Courtney’s house always was the gathering spot. A local singer-songwriter, she was frustrated with the lack of places in the area to performer her music.
So, she decided to open her living room to Texas and beyond’s best talent. Billed as a Southeast Texas Listening Room and house concert series, 7 Oaks Event Garden really is a pioneer of the arts and a pillar of the community, creating intimate musical experiences for both the artist and audience.
She’s been running her “no shoes just souls,” concert series for a little over a year now with different performers every month or so. Across genres and borders, the eclectic mix of musicians includes everyone from local favorites like Curse and the Cure to others coming from as far away as Sweden. The goal is two-fold: play as much of their original music as possible rather than covers and connect with the audience on a deeper level, introducing new fanbases to their work while avoiding a loud, crowded bar environment that largely becomes background noise.
Part dinner party, part concert series, 7 Oaks is perfect for a girl’s night out or date night. Tickets are reasonably priced around $30 for a meal and performance. You could even say it’s the perfect pairing. Her living room seats around 35-40 with most attendees finding out via word of mouth. Food is catered or donated and complimentary drinks are included with admission. Attendees mix and mingle over margaritas before the show starts on the sun-drenched patio. As the sun sets, everyone is ushered inside and groups are instructed where to sit.
The ambiance really feels like you’re in someone’s living room with mismatched chairs, couches, and any seating arrangement she can muster amongst the paintings, flowers, and candles. If you’re lucky, you may even be seated near their adorable furball (appropriately named Rhinestone Cowboy). The events are popular and sell out quickly, but they do have plans to expand. Currently remodeling a barn-like building in the backyard which will seat 80, they still intend on maintaining the intimate setting. We recommend getting there now though because there simply is nothing like the current rendition.