Steve Wertheimer received the first-ever Sims Ellison Impact Award at SIMS’s annual Music For The Mind concert on Sept. 10. The award honors the Continental Club and C-Boys Heart & Soul owner’s dedication to preserving Austin’s gritty musical spirit, supporting generations of new artists while honoring those who came before them – notably his mentor, C-Boy Parks.
Austin Music Scene, a first-of-its-kind field guide, will donate half its proceeds to HAAM when it hits shelves in October. “This book focuses on the incredible range and resiliency of the Austin music scene today,” HAAM CEO Paul Scott said in a press release. “It features both expected and unexpected artists and venues, including several of our members and friends.”
Nica on 4th, an upscale, live jazz-infused cocktail bar dressed in 1920s gold, is set to open Downtown on Sept. 18. Kris Kimura and Aaron Frescas, the duo behind Elephant Room and Parker Jazz Club, named their new venture after British-born “Jazz Baroness” Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter.
Peter Bay will complete his three-decade tenure as music director and principal conductor of the Austin Symphony at the end of the 2026-27 season. Since taking on the role in 1997, Bay has shaped the symphony by hiring most of its 83 members and introducing more than 300 new works to their repertoire. A special series of programs, events, and tributes celebrating Bay’s impact will culminate in an Austin City Limits taping in 2027.
This article appears in September 12 • 2025.
