By HOLLY HUFFMAN

holly.huffman@theeagle.com

It has been more than a decade since Roger Creager pulled out a phone book and began to cold call restaurants in Bryan and College Station.

New to the country music scene, the singer-songwriter was looking for a place that would let him play music on Sundays -- and pay him a little money to do it. Buffalo Joe's, a little restaurant in Bryan that no is longer open, was the first to ask Creager to come by for an audition.

"It did start for me there," Creager said by phone Tuesday, laughing as he recalled his start. "That was my biggest paying gig for the first two years. I think I was making $400 a month."

The Texas country music favorite is returning to his Aggie roots this weekend as one of the headliners at Ziegfest, an all-day music festival held at Lake Bryan. Sponsored by ZiegenBock beer, the sixth annual festival will feature more than a dozen country music artists including Aaron Watson, Kevin Fowler and the Eli Young Band.

Though he has spent the past 10 years paying his dues, Creager probably still is best known for his popular beer-joint, sing-along song unveiled on his first album in 1998 -- Everclear. Also on that first release was fan favorite Fun All Wrong, a hit that shared its name with the album title.

His 2000 album, I Got the Guns, produced another stand-

by, Love, while his 2003 album, Long Way to Mexico, also featured one hit of the same name and another, Love is Crazy. Creager released Live Across Texas, a compilation of his hits, in 2004.

But it's been four years since Creager last released an original album, making the recent debut of Here It Is -- released early Monday at Hastings in College Station -- all the more exciting and nerve-wracking, the musician said.

Though somewhat of a star in the Texas country music world, Creager said he never really had a "lucky break." The 37-year-old who now lives in the Houston area never had a defining moment that launched him to Nashville and made him a household name.

Creager said he worked his way up incrementally and, at times, tediously. But the effort makes his success that much sweeter -- especially when playing shows in Aggieland, said Creager, who is a member of the Texas A&M class of 1993.

"Somebody asked me the other day, 'When was your lucky break?'" Creager said, chuckling as he recalled his response: "I don't know. I'm still waiting."

Though he's now a veteran among Texas country musicians, Creager said putting together his latest album seemed much harder than his previous attempts. Though, he admits, he probably is just working harder than ever before.

After managing himself for the first 12 years or so, Creager said, he finally hired a manager. His management team now makes sure every detail gets done. Some details, he said, likely slipped through the cracks before they came on board.

"They're busy all the time," Creager, a self-proclaimed slacker, said as he laughed. "They're creating more work for me."

Creager is one of just a few of Texas country musicians that has been helped by a powerful fan base in Aggieland. Pioneers Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen were at Texas A&M University at the same time and good friends. Country music legend Willie Nelson used to hold his annual Fourth of July picnic in Brazos County. And though not an Aggie, fellow star Pat Green also has proclaimed his love for Bryan and College Station fans.

College Station serves as a hotbed for this type of music, Creager said. He doesn't know why -- he's just proud to be a part of it, he said.

Creager points to Keen and Jerry Jeff Walker as heroes. He loves the music they make, but his inspiration goes beyond that. Their music, Creager said, changed the way the way he approached his own music.

Similar to other musicians, Creager's favorite songs aren't the tracks that most fans would hear on the radio. The Morning from his first album is one of his favorites, as is Late Night Case of the Blues, a track featured on his third album. He also counts among his favorites I Loved You When from his latest album.

Though serious when he talks about music, Creager's husky voice is friendly and he laughs often, throwing in occasional zingers.

When asked what separates him from fellow country music artists who were reared at A&M, Creager instead opts to select a musician with whom he feels he is most aligned. There are very few differences, he said, between himself and Lovett.

"In fact, we're almost the same," he deadpanned. "Julia Roberts should consider that."

Ziegfest

Sunday

Lake Bryan

www.ziegfest.com

Tickets are $20 in advance or $23 at the gate.

Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased at any Bryan-College Station area Kroger's, Traditions Book Store or Cavender's Boot City. They also are available online at www.MustangOnlineTix.com.

Line up

Bud Light Stage

1-1:30 p.m. Band of Heathans

2:30 - 3 p.m. Max Stalling

3:30 - 4 p.m. Vallejo

4:30 - 5 p.m. The Gougers

6 - 7 p.m. Bob Schnieder

8 - 9 p.m. Eli Young Band

10 - 11 p.m. Kevin Fowler

ZiegenBock Stage

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Reckless Kelly

3 - 3:30 p.m. Mark McKinney

4 - 4:30 p.m. Kyle Bennett Band

5 - 6 p.m. Honeybrowne

7 - 8 p.m. Wade Bowen

9 - 10 p.m. Roger Creager

11 - 12 p.m. Aaron Watson