The Austin music scene has been around for a long time, growing as every decade adds something new to the mix. When different cultures entered the city they brought with them many different genres of music from Willie Nelson’s bluegrass, to the large indie rock scene, to the many varying artists that grace the stages of the ACL Festival and SXSW every year. Music venues in Austin hold the most history, some of them dating back years as far as the early 1900’s according to their websites, each of them with their own unique history and importance to the music scene. 

McCallum junior Thomas Ross is in the indie rock band “Daydreamer.” He said he originally gained his interest for music through fine arts programs in schools before transitioning into the Austin music scene with his band. 

“Once I got to the high school level of music I just fell in love with it,” Ross said. “It’s so much fun, and I think that’s what really, if anything, what got me into it, got my interest piqued really would be sitting in the audience and watching the high schoolers perform percussion ensembles and stuff. That’s when I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this could be so much better than it is right now,’ and that’s what sparked my love for it.”

Wezmer, a band local to Texas has played many shows in Austin. The band promotes themselves as a group that has always seen themselves as creatives and expressionists and have really enjoyed being able to share their work in the uniqueness of the Austin scene. 

“Austin is a home town to so many old and new friends. Austin venues have been a treat, they’re respectful of our craft and very professional on every show,” the band said. “The Austin music scene has many sub scenes, which we find very interesting.”

LASA senior Elise Ponder has done a lot of work within the Austin music scene and is very passionate about it. Last year, Ponder organized an event series titled “Tunnel Vision” which gave her even more experience in the music scene as she was working at the head of this production. 

“Both my involvement with Austin Music Foundation as well as the creation of my event series “Tunnel Vision” are really what drew me into the Austin music scene I would say,” Ponder said.

According to the Austin tourism website, the huge range of different types of venues and size and number of them as well had created a really diverse music scene in Austin with many different opportunities for musicians. Ross agreed with these sentiments, saying that Austin provides a great way for smaller acts to be heard.

“For garage band style, or just local bands, I think being in Austin is really amazing, because you’ve got all these venues,” Ross said. “You’ve got so many ways to get out there. You’ve got these radio stations. You’ve got tiny little pop ups all over the place. Whether they be music or not, you know, you can pretty much play anywhere at anything, and I think that’s great. Especially for … small bands just popping up and trying to get their name out and trying to get publicity and be heard.”

Ponder agreed that the scene is a really great place for smaller artists to get their start. With the diversity of venues and the involvement of some of them in supporting the local music scene and keeping it alive they host a huge range of people.  

“I think an amazing thing about Austin’s music venues is how supportive they are of the developing scene & new artists,” Ponder said. “There are definitely some venues here that are clearly very profit driven, but there are also a sizable amount of local places that are super interested in supporting the local community. I’ve always thought the musical diversity in the scene is super interesting. All ages, all genres, you can really find any and all communities here.”

“Daydreamer” played their first venue show last year after winning the battle of the bands at McCallum. Ross said it was a really cool experience to be up on stage with his bandmates and friends, in front of more people than they had ever played for. 

“It was such a life changing experience because we realized, ‘Oh, this is what is out there, and this is what is possible. This is what we could do every night if we wanted to,’” Ross said. “And I think that really, really got us fired up to kind of like, get this little garage band like, the tightest that it can be, if that makes sense.”

Ponder said that the music scene echoes the feel of an older Austin. According to her, many quintessential Austin venues have enticed people with their rich histories, promising futures, and the excitement that every night brings.

“I think it’s a big part of the reason so many people want to move here,” Ponder said. “I also think the scene is super reminiscent of ‘Old Austin’, and that means a lot to Austinites today.”

According to Wezmer, the music scene has been very inviting to them and they have felt very at home in Austin music venues and supported by a great community. They really love the different niches in the scene but how the Austin venues still bring them all together.

“We believe the scene is a collective thought,” Wezmer said. “One that brings people together through expression, music, passion, talents, and over all love.”