Texas Music News — October 22, 2026
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson created a city task force on Oct. 20 to save the Red River Cultural District, the downtown live-music corridor. The group has a simple charge: find practical policy and investment steps. Downtown strategy officer Jonathan Stone leads it, and members include district director Nicole Klepadlo and Council Member Zo Qadri. Representatives from Music Venue Alliance Austin and the Downtown Austin Alliance also have seats. Locals can learn more on its official website.
The Red River Cultural District now looks like a row of dominoes, with each closure nudging the next. Valhalla closes Oct. 31 after nearly 17 years. Holy Mountain, Red 7 and Red Eyed Fly already went dark, and those losses first sparked the district’s formation. Meanwhile, the building that houses 13th Floor and Elysium sits on the market at $4.1 million with no buyer. Empire Control Room & Garage lists at $7 million, but its loan terms require it to stay a venue.
The Red River Cultural District Is Done With Band-Aids
Klepadlo set the tone with a blunt line. “We’re done with the Band-Aids,” she said. She also warned that time is short, so she wants the process to move at the pace of the problem. Watson, for his part, called the district’s challenges complex.
Real change could come soon for the Red River Cultural District. A Cultural District Overlay could reach a City Council vote as soon as early 2027, and Phase II of the Downtown Density Bonus Program should wrap up that spring. Meanwhile, the Mohawk just unveiled a neon sign for its 20th anniversary, paid for through a Downtown Austin Alliance facade program. The neon still buzzes on Red River, and now City Hall is finally listening. Details at The Austin Chronicle
More Texas Music News
Lyle Lovett went back to class at Texas A&M. The Klein native and Aggie graduate of 1980 is the first musician fellow at the university’s Hagler Institute for Advanced Study. He sits in on classes, brings in guests like bassist Leland Sklar and engineer Chuck Ainlay, and helps students with recording sessions. Details at Texas Monthly
Robert Ellis plays Dallas’ Sons of Hermann Hall on Oct. 24. The Fort Worth troubadour co-owns Niles City Sound, and David Ramirez and Jon Ruhl open the show. Tickets run $27.29 to $45.84. Details at KXT 91.7
KUTX rounded up October’s new Austin music. The list includes Amakiya’s “Magical Mystical Maybe,” the lead single from her debut album, ARCHETYPE. Strange Lot’s “Eyes For Ya” also made it, produced with Alex Maas of The Black Angels. Details at KUTX
Houston honors a beloved jazz teacher at the Hobby Center on Friday. DocFest has celebrated Dr. Robert “Doc” Morgan, longtime jazz director at Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, since 2013. Drummer Chris “Daddy” Dave and bassist Scott Hardy play, and the night raises money for higher education for school graduates. Details at Houston Press