Amid hectic downtown Austin, through traffic almost impossible to navigate, and over one of the few bridges crossing Town Lake, there is the Long Center, a performing arts venue in the middle of the city that, this summer, every Thursday night, has hosted a series of free concerts with local artists of various music genres performing on outdoor stages foregrounding the Austin skyline. The Long Center’s Drop-In series allows many small musicians to grow and let Austinites experience free live music.
For Caroline Hale, the lead of her band, Caroline Hale, the Drop-In helped draw a crowd interested in her music. This was her first time performing at the Long Center, and she felt that the event was a success.
“[The Drop-In] was so cool,” Hale said. “The crowd was amazing. That event is particularly awesome because it draws so many local Austin natives and tourists to it. So there’s just a huge audience that wants to listen to music, which is awesome. As any artist would tell you, playing for an audience wanting to listen to your music is the best feeling in the world.”
Sara Houser, an artist who performs under the name of S.L. Houser, shared Hale’s sentiments about the success of the gig. She believed that both the amenities provided by the Long Center staff and the quality of the center itself, in contrast to Houser’s previous shows, made playing at the Drop-In a great experience.
“They took such good care of us down there,” Houser said. “You don’t always get the star treatment when you play shows, so it feels really special when they consider your quality of life. They fed us well, and they made sure we had a nice air-conditioned green room to get changed and to kind of hide out until we played. The stage is super lovely, and the sound system was great.”
Reflecting on her experience at the Long Center, Hale felt as though the staff treated her very well. In addition to a warm reception, Hale had thoroughly enjoyed the experience she was able to be a part of at the venue.
“The staff at the Long Center was amazing,” Hale said. “They were so helpful and hands-on with everything. The facilities were great. We were very taken care of, which is awesome. It was a great summer night of fun, music, and energy.”
Graham Weber, singer of the band The Restos, explained that the concert helped his band’s publicity. Weber expressed his appreciation for the support of the Long Center staff and the event in general.
“It was nice to have an attendant crew,” Weber said. “And the promo was good. We benefited from getting the name of the band out there, and since we had to rebrand, it was nice for us to have another fairly publicized event.”
Weber included how the Long Center was the perfect venue for their show because it differed from the venues they had previously played in. The Restos normally performed in indoor venues, such as clubs and bars, so this big outdoor space of the Long Center was a change for them.
“It was a big outdoor event in the heart of the city,” Weber said. “It’s got a great skyline view and is a family-friendly deal, which is nice, especially with the community that was there. And I think a lot of people that hadn’t heard our band before saw us for the first time there, which was nice.”
Houser stressed the importance of live music among children and drawing from her experience, she added that the Drop-In is a great opportunity for that. She explained that the Drop-In allows children’s exposure to live music to happen in a safe and controlled environment.
“I think it’s great that it’s an earlier show and it is family-friendly,” Houser said. “Unfortunately, in Austin, a lot of shows are in 21-and-up clubs. And I know personally, for me, getting to see live music was a big deal when I was a kid. I think it’s really important for kids to see that—live music in action.”
Houser noted that the Drop-In was a great opportunity to introduce her music to new audiences who may not have encountered it before. This allowed her to reach people who had not yet discovered her and her music.
“I need to play in front of people who might not have otherwise heard my music,” Houser said. “Events like the Drop-In are great for that because they’re promoted on a higher level; they attract a very different demographic than people who come to live shows and clubs. So it’s more about getting in front of people who haven’t heard me or my band and might not otherwise have found me without events like this. So they’re very important.”
Although the artists praised the event, they also highlighted some drawbacks. According to Houser, the venue did have one major issue: the distance from her to the audience. The huge distance between Houser and the audience made it much harder for them to connect with each other, which impacted the way her performance felt and how the event went for her.
“Sometimes in those big outdoor environments the crowd can feel very disconnected,” Houser said. “For one, it’s not a club rock show. So people are sitting on blankets and they’re far from the stage. It’s kind of hard to break that fourth wall and get people to engage with you while you’re performing.”
Even with the audience so far away, Hale felt as though the event was highly energetic. Her enthusiasm and appreciation for the audience and their reciprocated energy only added to how much she enjoyed performing at her set.
“It was probably one of my favorite shows I’ve played, just because I think the energy was so high,” Hale said, “and the people in the audience had great energy too, which is so important and makes every show better.”
The Long Center’s Drop-In helped many people grow their following and create a bigger feeling of community in Austin. According to Hale, the Long Center’s role in fostering community and creativity while also supporting the musicians is what makes the Drop-In so successful.
“[The Drop-In] brings a spirit to a culture that lives within Austin,” Hale said. “It’s unlike any other city. The music scene in Austin is so vibrant and creatively unique that the Long Center is hosting an event that bolsters our creative cultural community, which is awesome. And it’s another layer. It’s another sense of community bringing people together for music.”
