Free Ridglea Theatre concert brings Fort Worth area musical acts, food trucks, candidates together, Sunday, Oct. 18.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Music lovers have a new reason to get excited as Tarrant County Democrats will help turn up the volume Oct. 18 with Jam the Ballot, a free concert at the historic Ridglea Theatre.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the first act taking the stage at 6 p.m., one night before Early Voting begins across Tarrant County.

The evening draws inspiration from the high-energy, music-driven voter engagement concerts that became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s and 2000s, bringing popular artists together to energize young voters and encourage participation at the polls.

“Think Rock the Vote, but make it Tarrant County, with an eclectic lineup of homegrown artists and plenty of Cowtown energy,” said Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Allison Campolo, Ph.D.

Music fans will get a rapid-fire tour through Fort Worth’s diverse music scene, with performances separated by brief introductions from Democratic candidates.

The night starts with Jacob Furr at 6 p.m., an award-winning Fort Worth singer-songwriter blending folk, Americana and West Texas influences.

• • • • • • • • Furr has won Fort Worth Weekly honors for Best Songwriter and Best Folk Artist and has opened for nationally known artists

Hankins takes the stage at 6:40 p.m., bringing an Americana blend rooted in country, folk and North Texas storytelling.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Arlington-based group is built around a married musical duo with nearly two decades of shared performance experience.

Christian Carlos Carvajal & The 300 perform at 7:25 p.m., blending Americana, indie rock, folk and roots music.

• • • • • • • • Carvajal recently represented Fort Worth at AMERICANAFEST in Nashville as part of Visit Fort Worth’s Cowtown GitDown showcase.
              • Their album “300” was also nominated for a 2025 Fort Worth Weekly Music Award.

At 8:10 p.m., Love Cuts will crank up the energy with punk, indie and psychedelic rock.

• The Fort Worth group was nominated for Best New Band in the 2025 Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards and their sound has been described as heavy, fuzzy and punky, making this set a natural choice for rock fans.
• The band made its live debut at ArtsGoggle, one of Fort Worth’s largest annual celebrations of local creativity one of Fort Worth’s largest annual celebrations of local creativity.

At 9 p.m., SageModeWrex takes the stage with Fort Worth hip-hop, alternative rap and experimental sounds.

• The artist’s catalog includes projects ranging from “The Wrex Files” to “Professor Wrex,” with influences spanning hip-hop, rap and trip-hop.

Then DJ Soft Shred takes over at 9:45 p.m. for the final 45 minutes.

• • • • • • • • Soft Shred’s sets range across hip-hop selections spanning old-school, golden-era and contemporary sounds.
              • The mix will be sure to give the night a dance-ready finish.

Between every musical set, Democratic candidates appearing on the following day’s ballot through Early Voting, and on Election Day will briefly introduce themselves.

The 2026 Tarrant County Democratic slate is among the party’s most robust in decades, with candidates across local, state legislative, statewide and congressional races.

Party officials say the field reflects an unusually broad mix of experienced leaders, first-time candidates, community advocates and professionals.

“We want people to hear great music, discover amazing local artists and leave ready to vote the next morning,” said Jacob Furr, one of the event organizers and a featured artist. 

“If you may not like one genre of music, wait 20-minutes and you’ll hear something totally different… we just ask that the attendees don’t wait to Early Vote the very next day,” said Reyne Telles, Executive Director of the Tarrant County Democratic Party.  

Admission is free, but reservations are encouraged. The reservation link is available through: https://t.ly/jamtheballot.  

Two food trucks will be available outside the theater, giving guests an easy option for dinner or late-night bites.

Pepe’s food truck will serve Mexican food, and Fluffs Wings and Tingz will serve signature chicken wings. Additionally, the Ridglea bar will also be open for guests seeking adult beverages and regular drinks during the concert.

Jam the Ballot runs from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at the Ridglea Theatre, 6025 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. Parking is free at the Ridglea Theatre.

Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Registered voters may use any early-voting location within their county.

Band start times are subject to change. Please check the reservation link for the latest information.

About the venue:

The Ridglea Theatre was built in 1947 and remains one of Fort Worth’s most recognizable historic entertainment venues.

The restored theater features its original Spanish-Mediterranean character, terrazzo flooring, murals and iconic 70-foot stone tower.

The venue was saved from demolition and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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