The Statesperson is reporting (registration required or not) the Austin Music Hall is being torn down and renovated to the tune of $5 million. The renovations will expand capacity to 4,000 and add a restaurant.
Thank diety. I’ve been to exactly three shows at Austin Music Hall, and I’ve hated every one.
The first show was the Community Service Tour in 1999, featuring the likes of Crystal Method and the Orb. I didn’t know what to expect, so imagine my bemusement at being packed like cattle into a warehouse. The sound was awful, and the view of the stage wasn’t much of a view. The second show was Weezer. OmarG had an extra ticket, and I wanted to see what the whole Weezer fuss was about. A frat boy made me spill my beer on me, and he had the nerve to tell me to watch it. Also, I ended up not liking Weezer. The third show was the Smashing Pumpkins. It wasn’t a bad experience, but I enjoyed seeing them at Pink’s Garage in Honolulu ca. 1992 way, way more.
The Austin Music Hall was just a bad idea. Plop a stage in a warehouse, call it a music hall and stash as many bodies into the pit till it’s a fire hazard. Uh, no.
Bands I like don’t tend to play at the Music Hall, so avoiding the place hasn’t been much of an issue. Even if I did like a band, their booking at the Music Hall would be the dealbreaker. "Yeah, I like you, but not that much …"
So, good riddance, Austin Music Hall of Olde. When the renovations are finished, perhaps then I can enjoy a show there.