Attendees raise their hands, phones, and a cowboy hat into the air during a performance by Carnage at Mala Luna music festival in 2017.If you’ve ever wondered why your favorite bands skip right past San Antonio on their national tours, you’re not alone. Partly based on past history, the city gained a reputation as a third wheel in Texas, playing second fiddle to its more popular urban cousins.
Paper Tiger owner and local restauranteur Chad Carey behind the bar at Paper Tiger when the new venue opened in 2015.
When KSYM radio started playing music geared toward college audiences, things began to shift, Smart said. And with Paper Tiger now in the fold, “it seems like we get a lot more shows now. Even 10, 15 years ago, you had to drive to Austin see anybody, and I rarely have to do that anymore.” But many factors come into play, Viecelli said, including simple touring logistics. When indie rock band Pavement booked a reunion tour, Austin was on the itinerary but San Antonio was not, in part because the band was leaving for London right after Austin to continue their tour internationally.
Thanks to the hard, long-term work of the promoters, “it just built into something. They treated artists really well, they invested in the venue, and they really did a fantastic job turning that market around. That’s, frankly, what San Antonio could really use.”at the Lonesome Rose feature popular artists such as John Doe and Bill Callahan, and are supported in part by sponsorships including Texas Public Radio and Period Modern, which supplies fashionable furniture for the one-off shows.