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Emo's
603 Red River, 505-8541
Though not a direct descendant, Emo's
follows a long line of local punk rock
clubs in becoming Austin's foremost
purveyor of all things loud, nasty, and
weird. Debuting for South by Southwest
1992, Emo's opened just as the the
town's prime proponent of punk, the Jelly
Club, closed. From Raul's to Club Foot,
the Cave Club, Cannibal Club, and finally
the Jelly Club, Austin's punk legacy
landed on the broad, six-foot-something
shoulders of Eric "Emo" Hartman, who
had moved to Houston from Chicago at
the close of the Eighties to found his first
namesake punk club.
A former soccer player who had given up
the sport because of a bad back,
Hartman next set his sights on the
enormous, split-level wood 'n' concrete
space near the corner of Sixth Street and
Red River. Formerly the home of country
& western dance bars like Poodie's and
Raven's, Emo's opened into a space that
accommodated two different stages
separated by a spacious courtyard in the
middle. Upstairs, the main bar quenches
the thirst of between 200-300 onlookers,
while the downstairs main stage holds
an estimated 500 people and can cram a
whole helluva lot more people into the
room given acts like the Jesus Lizard and
Tortoise.
In 1993, Hartman opened a third club, the
Orbit Room in Dallas (which closed last
year), and while the Houston Emo's still
books live music, it's the Austin Emo's
that quickly became the chain's flagship
and something akin to a national punk
landmark for bands travelling through
Texas. To gaze up at the ceiling above the
upstairs bar, covered with the poster art of
Frank Kozik, Lindsey Kuhn, and others, is
to record the punk rock revival of this
decade. Then there's the stool that hangs
above that bar, the hallowed stool on
which Johnny Cash himself sat during a
legendary SXSW showcase at Emo's that
will forever eclipse any punk rock band
whose name holds a piece of real estate
on that ceiling.
And there are a few. From Don Walser
(cow-punk?) to the Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion, Emo's has played host to the
best bands of this decade and is
considered one of the premier clubs of its
kind around the country. Once free, the
club now charges an outrageous $2 for
local gigs and $4 for roadshows if you're
over 21. Free shows for genre staples
like L7 and the Lunachicks? Emo's has
always done it their own way: Punk as
fuck. – Raoul Hernandez
UPCOMING LISTINGS AT EMO'S
Inside: Jet Horns, Little Dragon; Outside: DJ Richard Gear
Mon., March 15
Outside: Kyle Turley, Assjack, Hank Williams III; Annex: Stephen Rannazzisi, Paul Scheer, Jon Lajoie, Nick Kroll; Inside: Shanghai River, Turbo Fruits, The Howlies, Sons of Hercules, Lindsey Kuhn Lure
Tue., March 16
Inside: IODA w/ Sleepy Sun, Bear in Heaven, Carsick Cars, The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, Tobacco, Summer Cats, Zeus, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Les Shelleys; Inside: Kill the Client, The Atlas Moth, Javelina, Dark Castle, Salome, Landmine Marathon, Withered, Torche; Outside: Yellow Fever, the Rural Alberta Advantage, The Morning Benders, Japandroids, Titus Andronicus, The Black Angels, GZA, Fucked Up
Wed., March 17, 12 p.m.
SXSW
Wed., March 17, 8 p.m., Thu., March 18, 8 p.m., Fri., March 19, 8 p.m. and Sat., March 20, 8 p.m.
Outside: Full Metal Texas w/ Fair to Midland, Darkest Hour, Born of Osiris, Iwrestledabearonce, Iron Age, Karnivool, Naam, Howl, Amarna Reign, Your Demise, Upon a Burning Body, Animals as Leaders, Lions Lions, Darkest Hour; Annex: Soundcheck w/ Salesman, The Lovely Feathers, Jeff the Brotherhood, Magic Kids, The Besnard Lakes, the Rural Alberta Advantage, Plants & Animals, Givers
Thu., March 18, 12 p.m.
Windish Agency w/ The Golden Filter, Bachelorette, WhoMadeWho, Delorean, Flosstradamus, Matias Aguayo; Windish/Pitchfork w/ Warpaint, Javelin, Real Estate, Dam Funk, Memory Tapes, Neon Indian; AAM w/ Garotas Suecas, Violent Soho, Hesta Prynn, Matt Pond PA, Avi Buffalo, Holy Fuck, We Were Promised Jet Packs; Massconcerts/Heavy Hitter w/ Lions Lions, We Are the End, Wrath & Rapture, Legend, Defeater, Goatwhore, My Children My Bride; Windish/Pitchfork w/ Local Natives, Free Energy, Washed Out, Best Coast, Surfer Blood, Japandroids
Fri., March 19, 12 p.m.
Inside: Under the Radar w/ The Invisible, Everything Everything, Avi Buffalo, Plants & Animals, The Veils, Sondre Lerche, Vivian Girls; Outside: The Rocket Summer, Circa Survive, Sum 41, Never Shout Never
Sat., March 20, 12 p.m.
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