Now that SXSW is over for another year, Antone’s, the iconic Austin venue founded by Clifford Antone, is moving across town.
Pinetop Perkins, Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Clifford Antone founded Antone’s in 1975. The University of Texas Austin drop-out was 25-years old when he started the club. It was one of the first music venues in Austin’s downtown 6th Street area, the central location of the South By South West music festival and conference held every March.
Antone’s established Austin’s reputation as a music city. It became the venue of choice for artists like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Fats Domino and Jimmy Reed.
Clifford Antone became the mentor of both Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie and numerous other Austin musicians including more recently Gary Clark Jr before his death in 2006. Jimmie farewelled the venue last Monday. “What else could I possibly say, I’ve performed here a thousand times,” he told KXAN.
On the day Clifford died Austin Mayor Will Wynn said, “One of the primary reasons Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World is because of Clifford Antone”.
The new Antone’s will take over the space currently occupied by Beauty Ballroom in East Riverside Drive, Austin. The new Antone’s will open on April 1.
