Kacey Musgraves is the hottest ticket in New Braunfels, and her three-night, sold-out run at Gruene Hall is providing a boost for the city's historic district.

Why it matters: The Grammy-winning singer, who now typically plays arenas and headlines major festivals, is drawing legions of fans to the iconic Hill Country venue, offering a real-time look at how a major star can supercharge a local economy.

• The last of the shows is tonight.

Driving the news: Musgraves last performed Gruene Hall in 2014, before her rise to global stardom.

• Since then, she's won multiple Grammys, including Album of the Year for "Golden Hour."

Catch up quick: Tens of thousands of people tried to get tickets to Musgraves' shows at Gruene Hall — a nearly 150-year-old dance hall with a capacity of 800 — according to Cami Lehmann, vice president of marketing at Molak Corp., which owns Gruene Hall, Gristmill and other restaurants and shops in the area.

• Tickets sold out in minutes.

What they're saying: Sold-out shows "create a ripple effect across the district — driving meaningful traffic to our other businesses, including the Gristmill and the new H.D. Gruene Mercantile," Lehmann tells Axios.

• At the Gristmill restaurant beside Gruene Hall, reservations have been snatched up every night of Musgraves' run.

Between the lines: The East Texas native's return to Gruene Hall highlights the draw of intimate venues — even for arena-level artists.

• John Kunz, former longtime owner of Waterloo Records, which hosted a record signing for Musgraves on Sunday, said Musgraves can sell out Austin's Moody Center but: "You lack that intimacy, that immediacy that you get being right down there on the wooden floor in front of her."
• That dynamic can amplify the economic impact, particularly with shows landing on typically slower nights.

What's next: Musgraves will perform at the Moody Center on Oct. 7.

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👋 Megan here. You have until the end of May to say goodbye to one of the best bars in San Antonio.

Why it matters: Big changes are coming to Southtown, and the closure of Lowcountry feels like the end of an era.

Zoom in: The small bar in an old house is distinctly San Antonio and was one of the first spots I gravitated toward time and time again after I moved here.

• The bartenders make great drinks at some of the best prices around for the quality. My time in this city feels tied to sitting on the back patio, listening to live music and catching a view of the Tower of the Americas.
• I stopped in last week feeling indecisive on what to order. The bartender picked up on my vibe and said, "I got you." He delivered the perfect drink — a naked and famous — for $13, the high end of what I'd usually pay for a cocktail here. I wouldn't have known to ask for it.

The big picture: An NBA arena surrounded by apartment complexes and new development is headed for Hemisfair, a half-mile from Lowcountry. The area could grow more expensive.

• When Lowcountry announced its closure, owners wrote on Instagram, "Landlords gonna landlord."

The bottom line: Bars come and go all the time, but this loss hits especially hard for a lot of San Antonians who like an unpretentious hangout with solid drinks for reasonable prices.

⚖️ The Supreme Court yesterday temporarily restored mail-order access to the abortion pill mifepristone, preserving — at least for now — access to the medication in Texas. (Axios)

🛒 The Trader Joe's in Stone Oak will undergo $2.5 million in upgrades this summer, with new check-out stands and a walk-in cooler planned. (SA Current)

😋 A Mexican restaurant is in the works near the Dominion. It would be a collaboration between Salt Lick BBQ and the chef behind PM Tacos & Cocktails, and could open this fall. (MySA)

Stat du jour

⚡ Texans make up 9% of the nation's electric customers but account for 22.5% of all electricity disconnections. (TPR)

Texas wants you to weigh in on the future of Interstate 35 from Laredo to the Texas-Oklahoma border.

🚗 Driving the news: The Texas Department of Transportation is creating a study of the corridor to tackle its challenges through 2050.

• A survey, open through tomorrow, allows you to place markers on a map where you find traffic concerns, connectivity or maintenance issues, or even problems for bikers and pedestrians (really).

Zoom in: A view of map markers so far shows anonymous commenters are largely worried about traffic and safety between San Antonio and New Braunfels.

• People are concerned about cyclists and pedestrians in San Antonio and Austin and around San Marcos.
• Unsurprisingly, the intersection of I-35 and Loop 1604 is a particular headache for San Antonio drivers.

💭 Our thought bubble: Drivers seem surprisingly kind in their comments in comparison with the maddening reality of traveling on I-35.

Eater's new cookbook "Eaterland" isn't just recipes — it's a love letter to the regional dishes that define America, from Texas to Hawai'i.

Why it matters: Beyond craveable recipes, it's about culinary identity — the quirkier and more local, the better — doubling as a travel guide with must-try lists, mom-and-pop stops and guides.

State of play: The book covers eight regions with Texas as a standalone chapter. It features three recipes each from San Antonio and Dallas. There's one each from Houston, Austin, Waco and Onalaska.

• There are also sections on where to find Texas chili, the four major styles of Texas barbecue and other must-try Texas dishes.

The San Antonio recipes are:

• Puffy tacos from chef Steven Pizzini, owner of the former Lala's Gorditas.
• Pecan cream kolaches from Bexar Kolache Company.
• The Brisket Smoke Show from Curry Boys BBQ, which recently came out with its own cookbook.

The bottom line: San Antonio is pretty important when it comes to eatin' in Texas.