Texas Music News — October 8, 2026
Roberto Riggio, the Grammy-nominated bandleader of Austin’s Atash, died Sept. 28 at age 55. The violinist and composer spent more than three decades turning Austin into a crossroads for world music. Nobody has announced a cause of death. Still, the loss landed hard. The group Austin Texas Musicians put it plainly: “Austin lost a cornerstone of our music community.”
Riggio was born in Mexico and grew up in Edinburg, Texas, a Rio Grande Valley town. He arrived in Austin in 1989 to study music at the University of Texas, and then he stayed. He worked like a bridge builder, laying planks between Middle Eastern scales and an Austin dance floor.
A Violin That Crossed Every Border
Riggio led Atash, an international fusion band that won seven Austin Music Awards. He also led Bereket, UT’s Middle Eastern ensemble. Beyond the bandstand, he composed, arranged, produced and conducted for other acts, concerts and film scores. However, the Grammy nomination says less than the room he built. Players from everywhere could sit down there and sound like one band. A violin can go quiet, but a bridge stays standing.
Details at The Austin Chronicle
More Texas Music News
Austin cult band Shoulders brings a new album to Houston on Saturday. The band plays Houston’s Continental Club on Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. for $10. The show celebrates Beauty in the Arms of Pain. Michael Slattery and Todd Kassens founded Shoulders in 1986, and the group later toured with The Pogues. Austin lifers like Alejandro Escovedo know the Continental Club name well. Details at Houston Press
San Antonio celebrates the Butthole Surfers’ art-school roots on Sunday. Visual artist David Elizondo hosts a free panel and improv session Oct. 11. It runs 3 to 5 p.m. at Sunset Brews. Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary attended Trinity University and formed the band in 1981. Elizondo says, “They were artists first before they were musical.” Details at San Antonio Current
San Antonio’s Fiesta Oyster Bake becomes a two-stage music festival in 2027. The St. Mary’s University Alumni Association now calls it Fiesta Oyster Bake Music Fest, set for April 16 and 17. Organizers promise “bigger musical acts,” but they have not named a single one yet. Details at San Antonio Current
Austin’s Black Artists Rock series returns Oct. 15 at Soundspace at Captain Quack’s. Scott Strickland’s series celebrates Black musicians making waves in Austin. This edition features Taméca Jones, Chief Cleopatra and Pascal Kerong’A. Details at The Austin Chronicle