Austin: Carbon Leaf at Empire Control Room & Garage
September 25 @ 8:00 pm - September 26 @ 12:00 am
$206
Richmond, Virginia’s Carbon Leaf play the Garage stage at Empire Control Room & Garage in Austin on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 8:00 PM. Resale tickets are currently starting around $206 due to thin remaining inventory — check the box office for potentially lower-priced options as the date approaches.
Carbon Leaf built a devoted following over more than two decades by blending folk-rock songwriting with Celtic-tinged instrumentation, a combination that set them apart from the jam-band and roots-rock scenes they emerged alongside in the late 1990s. Their breakout single “Life Less Ordinary,” from 2004’s “Indian Summer,” became a modern-rock radio staple, and the band has continued touring steadily behind a catalog that mixes acoustic-driven ballads with more upbeat, fiddle-and-mandolin-inflected numbers.
Empire’s Garage stage, a more intimate room than the venue’s main Control Room, suits Carbon Leaf’s warm, acoustic-leaning sound well, giving the band’s close vocal harmonies and string arrangements room to be heard clearly.
Carbon Leaf’s blend of Celtic folk influences and radio-friendly rock songwriting has earned them a loyal, multi-generational fanbase that’s kept them touring steadily for more than twenty-five years. Fans looking to extend the night can also check out Mohawk, another well-known Austin venue nearby on the East Side.
Empire Control Room & Garage’s two-room setup — the larger indoor Control Room alongside the more intimate Garage stage — gives the venue flexibility to book everything from big-room electronic shows to smaller, closer club sets like this one, making it one of the more versatile rooms on Austin’s East Riverside music corridor. The venue has built a reputation over the years for supporting a wide range of genres and booking styles, drawing both national touring acts and strong local Austin talent to its stages, and its East Riverside location places it within easy reach of several of the neighborhood’s other music venues.
Doors typically open about an hour before the 8:00 PM set. Empire’s Garage stage is a standing-room space, so plan to arrive early for a good spot.