One of the most popular singers to come out of Texas, Robert Earl Keen, returns to this area with a concert at 8 p.m. Monday at the Newberry (S.C.) Opera House.

Tickets cost $37.50. Call (803) 276-6264 or order online at newberryoperahouse.com.

Traveling with Mr. Keen is former Augustan Rich Brotherton, who began playing guitar at age 8 and graduated from Aquinas High School.

He has been part of Mr. Keen's band since 1993 and produced Mr. Keen's 2003 CD, Farm Fresh Onions, and his 2005 CD, What I Really Mean .

Undone: A MusicFest Tribute to Robert Earl Keen is set for release Jan. 6. It was recorded at the annual MusicFest event in Steamboat Springs, Colo., (home of the James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge, which spans Walker Creek west of downtown).

Performers include Bonnie Bishop, Jason Boland, Wade Bowen, Cody Canada, Chris Knight, Cory Morrow, Randy Rogers Band, Reckless Kelly and others. Mr. Keen performs five songs.

"I am truly honored and excited about the whole thing," Mr. Keen remarked in his blog on his Web site, robertearlkeen.com.

"If you are keeping score, 2009 will be the 20th anniversary of when I wrote The Road Goes on Forever , and we have some cool stuff planned. Stay tuned to the site for more information on that, too."

The song first appeared on Mr. Keen's third album, West Textures .

SPEAKING OF THE OPERA HOUSE: Ramblin' congratulations to Debra Smith, the general manager of Newberry Opera House, built in 1881, since it reopened in 1998 after $4.5 million in renovations.

This year, the League of Historic American Theaters at its national conference in Atlanta recognized it as the Outstanding Theater of 2008.

Upcoming shows at the Newberry include Debby Boone (You Light Up My Life ) at 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 6 ($32.50 and $37.50); Three Redneck Tenors at 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 8 ($25 and $30); Crystal Gayle (Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue ) at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 14 ($35 and $37.50); Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers (All The Gold in California ) at 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 18 ($35 and $37.50); and Judy Collins (Send in the Clowns) at 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 19 ($30 and $37.50).