Your guide to Austin's Free Week, when over 100 artists play no-cover shows

Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman
·5 min read

The most wonderful time of the year for Austin music has nothing to do with a large gentleman in a red suit.

In our city, the spirit of holiday revelry doesn’t end when the ball drops to mark New Year's Day. During the first week of the year, the Red River Cultural District celebrates Free Week, a rambunctious bout of winter revelry featuring local and regional musicians. A dozen venues in the district throw open their doors so fans can roam freely, sampling sounds and discovering their new favorite artists.

In 2023, Free Week will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a three-day bash which runs from Jan. 5-7.Here’s what you need to know.

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Everyone loves free concerts, but why? What is Free Week?

Founded in 2003, Free Week is the brainchild of Austin music lifer Graham Williams, who cut his teeth in the scene booking the old Emo’s location on Red River Street.

With crummy weather and tours and area universities on break, the first week of January “is a tough time for venues,” Nicole Klepadlo, interim director of the Red River Cultural District, said. “People are just coming back from the holidays; they've already spent all their money on Christmas travel or, you know, holiday gifts.”

Williams devised a plan to entice music fans with a week of free shows. The hope was that as folks thrashed out their post-holiday doldrums, they would also buy a few drinks to help the club pay rent. The event was a smashing success, and neighboring clubs noticed. By the end of its first decade, Free Week fever had spread throughout the district and deeper into downtown.

Even before the pandemic, the event had contracted, but for a period of time around 2012 or so, Free Week lasted for more than a week, sometimes stretching through the first half of January with venues all over the city participating.

At some point, music lovers in other parts of the country got wind of this no-cover musical extravaganza in Austin.“We definitely know people are coming from other parts of Texas and certainly coming from all over the country to visit,” Klepadlo said. She recently saw Allegiant Air post a piece on Free Week, highlighting it as a winter destination experience.

Chief Cleopatra is among the artists who will perform at Free Week.
Chief Cleopatra is among the artists who will perform at Free Week.

Who's on the lineup for Free Week 2023?

This year’s event will feature a diverse selection of over 100 local bands, including boozy rockers American Sharks, rising soul standout Chief Cleopatra, dreamy shoe-gaze outfit Ringo Deathstarr and bawdy punks Sailor Poon. Sabrina Ellis, the electrifying lead singer of Sweet Spirit and A Giant Dog; cumbia fusion act Como Las Movies; and favorite Austin groove-mongers Bright Light Social Hour are also on the bill. The full lineup is available at redriverculturaldistrict.org/free-week.

What's new this year? Food and drink specials, notable events

Tito’s Handmade Vodka will host a Thursday kickoff party at The 13th Floor, a rock & roll bar that recently closed up shop in East Austin to slide into the old Beerland space. Bands include A. Sinclair and Semihelix, and the event also features craft cocktails and a photo booth. (RSVP at Eventbrite for access.)

Also on Thursday, Swan Dive presents a queer comedy night and an ATX Vogue Nights show from local ballroom royalty the House of Lepore, and DJ Gabby Got It invites you to get your freak on with Frikitona at Free Week at Mala Vida. On Friday, Austin NPR affiliate KUTX 98.9 will be down at Cheer Up Charlies for a party with Skateland, Red Bud and Como Las Movies. Throughout the whole weekend, Resound Presents, Williams’ boutique booking agency, will stage a three-day, two venue takeover at the Mohawk and Empire Control Room.

Beyond music, bars and restaurants in the area will offer Free Week food and drink specials, including two-tacos-and-a-beer deals from Pelons Tex Mex ($12) and Vaquero Taco ($10), 20% off food at Stubb’s BBQ and a free Jell-O shot with a $5 tab at Wanderlust Wine.

Which music venues host Free Week 2023 shows?

Schedules aren’t available yet, but keep an eye on venue websites and redriverculturaldistrict.org for listings so you can create your Free Week game plan. Or just head down to the district and wander around in search of your new favorite band. Here’s a list of participating venues (some clubs are 21 and up.):

  • Cheer Up Charlies

  • Chess Club

  • Elysium

  • Empire Control Room & Garage

  • Flamingo Cantina

  • Mala Vida

  • Mohawk

  • Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

  • Swan Dive

  • The 13th Floor

  • Valhalla

  • Vaquero Taquero

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It’s really free? Shouldn’t we be paying musicians?

This has been a thorny issue. In the early days, some bands voluntarily played for free to help the bars that support them year-round. Also, because they knew they’d have a built-in crowd. They treated it as a time to explore collaborations and debut new projects. Others had guarantees or percentage deals with the bars. But as the event went bonkers a decade or so in, there were very legitimate concerns about exploitation.

These days, the district secures sponsors to make sure every musician gets paid, but the age-old Free Week rules still apply: If it’s within your means, drop the money that you saved on cover at the merch table or in a tip jar, shout about your new favorite band on your socials and follow them on theirs so you’ll know when to catch them for full price.

Correction: An earlier version of this article referred to venue Mala Vida by the wrong name. It also contained an incorrect founding date for Free Week.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin Free Week 2023: Your guide to music, food, drinks and more