HONK!TX Day 3 w/ Greenbelt! Honk Situation, Dead Music Capital Band, Bat City Brass Band, Blowcomotion, ACC Afro-Cuban Music Ensemble, Black Sheep Ensemble, Queens of HONK, Human Band, Minor Mishap Marching Band, Neon Brass Party, Yes Ma'am Brass Band, TMB, 9th Avenue Brass Band, La Murga de Austin, Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, Moon Tower Brass Band, Cimarrona La Original Domingueña
Invited recently to the Austin Music Commission, yours truly testified about journalism and all-ages music ops. Burned into my soul remains the image of my preschooler sneaking a surreptitious blow on a Honk!TX tuba pre-pandemic. Year 12 now, the marching band summit crescendos the capital’s best free music festival, a four-day brass fantasy of honking, whistling, thumping mania. Thursday: “pre-clipse” takeover of the Ballroom, 8pm. Friday: 6-10pm at Central Machine Works, as well as East Cesar Chavez diner Sawyer & Co. and French brasserie Justine’s. Saturday: all day, for the main event at Mueller Lake Park. Then Sunday’s Pan Am Park parade, 1-6pm. HONK. – Raoul Hernandez