EMOS – PAST AND PRESENT – Part 1
By Tammy Moore

It’s fitting that the original Austin Emo’s, what’s left of it, has opted to let a certain impressive list of bands, who are in no small part responsible for making the venue the axis of a music scene, grace it’s stage one last time before it fades into oblivion. Because its’ closing unleashes another blow to a city-defining music scene, the likes of which we may never see again as it sadly, but inevitably, drifts towards extinction. The people in those bands and countless others, the fans who gathered to watch them year after year, along with beloved staff both past and present are, without a doubt, what made the club both historic and iconic in the world of rock n roll. The Red River music scene and the colorful “Rats” that comprise it are the personalities that gave this place it’s tough punk and metal-infused flavor and deliciously dark DIY ambiance. Studded belts and mohawks were the norm here and tattooed bodies were encased in pin covered leather. Great talent was nurtured and spawned during it’s nearly 20 years of existence. This was the place where people paid two whole bucks in days gone by to witness up and coming rock stars of the indie world stopping to play en route to success propelling them towards the music hall and arena stratospheres. Careers have launched inside the dingy rooms that showcased enormous canvasses of completely quirky works of local artists and instruments screamed out night after night through sub-par sound systems that talented engineers were somehow able to work near miracles through. Violent pits have raged. Legends have commanded the stage and glass-breaking fights have ensued. It was the birth place of “free week.” For many years it was deemed as THE place to play and has served as a pinnacle of a certain kind of success to those lucky enough to have landed a gig there at all. Countless tales of touring debauchery have been spun inside the green room’s graffiti-adorned walls and the memory of fairly atrocious bathrooms won’t soon fade from patron’s minds. But soon all that will fade into ATX’s rich music history. When the doors finally close on December 30th, it will be akin to losing an old friend for the crowd that could once call it “home” and an undeniable loss for anyone else that truly understands the relevance of the Red River scene.

Bands that are playing the last shows at Emo’s.

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