The unprecedented export of Austin musicians to international music festivals
and a documentary in the making.
SEASON ONE
SEASON TWO
SEASON THREE
SEASON FOUR
SEASON FIVE
Established in 2014, we can look back at the travels an see that we have accomplished so much as an organization, as musicians, and a representation of artists within a community. Each logo is a design featuring the silhouettes of the musicians that traveled that year. I find that when you look at the silhouettes, each figure is very emblematic of the personality of the artist within. And so each logo holds a much deeper meaning to the history of the project and the history of the music that has been played on internationally stages at the expense of the project.
Established in 2014, we can look back at the travels an see that we have accomplished so much as an organization, as musicians, and a representation of artists within a community. Each logo is a design featuring the silhouettes of the musicians that traveled that year. I find that when you look at the silhouettes, each figure is very emblematic of the personality of the artist within. And so each logo holds a much deeper meaning to the history of the project and the history of the music that has been played on internationally stages at the expense of the project.
Season 6 musicians: Pictured Left to Right: Jonathan Horstmann, Leslie Sisson, Mike St.Clair, Alesia Lani, Kathryn Legendre, and Evan Charles.
This photograph was taken only minutes after announcing the new group at Waterloo Records downtown Austin, Texas. This year's travels will include festival trips to Toronto, Canada (Indie Week), Chiang Mai, Thailand (Jai Thep Festival), and Brighton, England (The Great Escape).
Season 5 musicians pictured left to right: Cory Reinisch, Georgia Parker, Nnedi Nebula, Carrie Fussell, BOOHER, and Jacob Alan Jaeger. Photo by Kate Blaising
This photograph was taken in the streets of Hanoi after a very rough night of little to no sleep. After traveling 25 hours to Vietnam for Quest Festival, followed by several shows in the Hanoi City Limits, and a trip into the Vietnamese Countryside, we were made aware that the festival had been canceled. Apparently, local authorities had blocked the gates in the middle of the night leaving thousands of fans left standing at the gates. We received the information immediately, but still needed to process the catastrophe. In the end, it was still one of the greatest ATX6 trips to date.
Season 4 musicians pictured left to right: Otis Wilkins, Acey Monaro, Mobley, Lindsey Verrill aka Little Mazarn, Sisi Berry of Torino Black, and Corey Baum of Croy and the Boys. Photo by Letitia Smith (White Light Photography).
Each year makes a different set of goals and milestones for this project. This group was the first within the scope of this project to reach Asia. After an ambitious trip to Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany, we accepted an invitation to perform at Yumeiro Music Festival in Oita, Japan. The festival played more like a cultural arts and music festival rather than a music festival. However ambitious nonetheless, Typhoon Lan hit Japan that year and the festival was canceled. Only three of the six were able to perform as planned. The travels ended strong with a trip to Toronto, Canada for Indie Week.
Season 3 Musicians left to right: Tate Landon Mayeux, Grace Park of the Deer, Jai Malano, Beth Chrisman, Andy Bianculli of Star Parks, and Elijah Ford. Photo by Letitia Smith (White Light Photography).
When looking for years of milestones and successes, our third year was the year that collaboration became the foundation for how we could shape our performances internationally. The idea carrels with us today that two musicians on stage is much more interesting than one solo performer.
It will always be more of a guideline than a commitment, but allowing ourselves the musical freedom to collaborate can also be as rewarding as traveling to new countries.
Collaboration is a journey in and of itself. We explored this and, if I was going to be perfectly honest, Elijah Ford led the way with a profound desire to rehearse endlessly. Of all the musicians who had been part of the project today, Elijah had probably been the most toured musician. So he understood the need to travel and also stay rehearsed musically. That element of professionallism became a pillar to how we view the career development components of what this project can offer all musicians. Performing in our hometowns is easy. But traveling 15 hours on a plane to an international city, and staying prepared to put on your best performance is now part of the professionalism that we pride ourselves in. Musicians set the tone. And while there are plenty of good times to be had, being prepared to do what is asked of us is something that we expect to carry forward into the future.
This photograph was taken in the glory days of the Mean Eyed Cat. While it is still a prominent bar in Austin, it was born as a small venue and tribute bar to Johnny Cash. Seemed a great place for an initial meeting.
To this day, when the musicians meet for the first time, they are unaware of two the other musicians will be. There's a little bit of fun in not knowing who you are about to be traveling with to international music festivals. So we will keep that tradition alive for years to come.
This group was the first to breakground in France. We also made two trips to Canada, NXNE and Halifax Pop Explosion.
Season 2 Project ATX6 Musicians left to right: Brian Kremer, Gina Chavez, Silas Lowe, Jana horn, Jonathan Terrell, and Elsa Cross.
Looking back to the very beginning, it is so easy to feel some sense of awe! I mean this in the most ambitious and adventurous way. Because it was a time when Austin was clearly feeling the weight of changes to the community, live music venues, and our music. The city was changing and it still is. The music community has moved around. Venues have closed. But the ambition at the heart of each band and artist remains the same.
This photo was taken by John Anderson. Somehow the Austin Chronicle had gotten wind that we were taking six Austin musicians to NXNE Music Festival in Toronto. Never before had a project like this existed. IT was both exsicitng and scary to put six musicians together on a plan to showcase at an international music festival. Honestly, I have to wonder if it's something I would ever do again had the circumstances not be exactly the right mixture of why the fuck not. In the end, this project was born with so many emotions and needs on the table. As a result, this inaugural group has a very special place at the heart of this project. They ad no idea what was happening, and neither did I.
Together we traveled to two international music festivals. NXNE in Toronto and Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg.
Pictured Left to Right: Carson Mchone, Mrs. Glass, Jesse Moore of East Cameron Folkcore, Aisha Burns, Leo Rondeau, and Dana Falconberry.
So many iconic moments played into the script of this group. But none more exciting than walking off the train in Hamburg's Red-Light District (Reeperbahn) to a mob of fans waiting to hear music from Austin, Texas. The fans had printed pictures off the internet and were asking for autographs.
The night we performed at the
Hasenschaukel was a night that I personally will never forget. After a walk around the neighborhood, Jesse came to me and said, "Good Luck Getting inside." I didn't know what he meant until I looked at the venue and saw a crowd so big that half of the audience was being turned away. That was our first sold out showcase and certainly not the last.