Admission Is Free! Friday, January 20, doors open at 7pm, show begins at 7:30pm. KVRX and Keeled Scales are proud to present this free music showcase at the Cactus Café. The night will feature Jordan Moser, Karima Walker, and Will... Read More »
Tickets for this event are $10 Friday, February 10 @ 7pm; Doors @ 6:30pm Come join the Cactus Café and Afterglow ATX for their first showcase of the spring. The evening will feature Lefty Parker, Wednesday Kid, and Grace Womack. Afterglow is the premier digital and print music publication of the University of Texas at Austin.... Read More »
$10 admission Tuesday, November 15 @ 7:00pm; Doors at 6:30pm KVRX Fall Showcase— Join KVRX and the Cactus Café for a showcase of local and student performers and to support outstanding college radio. The evening will feature SCAM, Dawn DX, myself, and childsacrifice. Please note that doors open will open a little early at 6:30pm. Tickets... Read More »
Admission Is Free! Friday, February 3 @ 7:30pm; Doors @ 7:00pm The Latin Dukes are based in Austin, TX and play an eclectic mix of Latin music, drawing influences from Madrid to Havana and... Read More »
Killer Comedy at the Cactus Cafe is a night showcasing 5 up and coming local Austin comics. The Cactus Cafe is a perfect venue for standup. It is an intimate space that provides a room for laughter to grow. Austin’s local comedy scene is often overwhelming and people new to the area may not know where to begin—this is the perfect... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show begins at 7:30pm. Open Mic is back at the Cactus Café! Join us every Tuesday to hear original music (no covers) from talented local artists on the famed Cactus stage. Interested in performing? Contact the Open Mic team at [email protected] We hope you’ll join us for a drink and a show... Read More »
Admission is free! Friday, March 24, Doors open at 7pm, Show begins at 7:30pm. It’s been over 10 years since The Coffee Sergeants released their previous record, the sprawling Purple Martin Sanctuary. The band describes their new release, Phantom Verses, as eclectic, psych-driven ear candy. Formed in 1989, the band has been playing... Read More »
Admission Is Free! Friday, April 7 @ 7:30pm; Doors @ 7:00pm Nossas Novas is a Brazilian Bossa Nova and Samba Jazz band based in Austin, Texas. They play classic bossa and samba music as well as Brazilian rock, funk and... Read More »
Admission is free! Show starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 7pm Join us for an evening of standup comedy at the Cactus hosted by comedian, writer, and actress Lea’h Sampson. Originally from Houston, Lea'h has starred in films that have been seen at the Austin Film Festival and other cities both in the US and abroad. She has done... Read More »
Admission is free! Show starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 7pm Come join host Jake Farr and the Cactus Café as we celebrate our favorite and most talented open mic performers of the spring semester. We’ve curated a lineup of our most accomplished regulars and offered them each a 20-minute... Read More »
Saturday, April 8. Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. Reverb is UTalent Records Annual Showcase. Since 2017, the student-run record label has signed on five artists every school year. Our artists develop an EP or album over two semesters with other students, and Reverb is the opportunity for you to hear their releases... Read More »
Admission Is Free! Saturday, April 29 @ 7:30pm; Doors @ 7:00pm Melissa Gail Klein is a banjo player, flute player and singer songwriter based out of Austin, Texas. Her songs are a refreshing hit of true magic for trying times, and a fun companion for the everyday grind. When she’s not flying solo, Melissa is artfully backed by her... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, Show starts at 7:30pm Join us at the Cactus for the Thursday Night Stand Up. We’ll be showcasing live performances from local up-and-coming comedians.
Admission Is Free! Saturday, January 14 @ 7:30pm; Doors @ 7:00pm The Cactus Café is thrilled to be hosting the great Marty Wilson-Piper (Guitar/Vocals) along with his wife Olivia Wilson-Piper (Violin) featuring Salim Nourallah and Joe Reyes. A Nuclear Winter is Texas songwriter-producer Salim Nourallah's first full-length release... Read More »
Admission is free! Friday, July 22 @ 7:30pm; Doors at 7:00pm Join us for an evening of country and Tejano music with George Mercado, a self-described “Tex-Mex Cowboy” and his band, Vesta Realm. You can check out their music here:... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show begins at 7:30pm. Open Mic is back at the Cactus Café! Join us every Tuesday to hear original music (no covers) from talented local artists on the famed Cactus stage. Interested in performing? Contact the Open Mic team at [email protected] We hope you’ll join us for a drink and a show... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. Described by Trey Gutierrez (Texas Music Magazine) as “one of Austin's most dynamic new singer-songwriters,” this artist’s ethereal, one-of-a-kind sound refuses to fall neatly into one category. Just as comfortable dabbling in Americana or folk as she is indie-pop, Natalie... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. 2022 has been a groundbreaking year for Stella Prince. Her first single, "Crying on a Saturday Night", charted on the Americana Singles Chart, was played on over sixty radio stations internationally, and was the most added song on folk radio in March of 2022. The follow up single,... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. Join us for an evening of jazz with world-renowned saxophonist and composer Michael Malone. Michael's resume includes a five-year stint touring with legendary jazz organist Jimmy Smith, as well as dates with Cindy Blackmon, guitarist Mark Whitfield, and steel drummer Othello... Read More »
Admission is free! Join us at the Cactus for the Thursday Night Stand Up. Throughout the spring, we’ll be showcasing live performances from local and touring comedians. Check out our spring calendar for a full list of series... Read More »
Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. Join us for another musical showcase with Afterglow ATX. More details coming soon! Afterglow is the premier digital and print music publication of the University of Texas at Austin. Produced entirely by students, our mission is to publish innovative work with a special focus on topical stories that... Read More »
Admission is free! Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. Join us for an evening with UT Alum Sol Chase and the release of his debut EPK “The Eclectic Life of an Only Child.” Sol was born into a tribe of hippies and musicians and learned to play folk songs in the fields and forests of Europe during early years on the road with his... Read More »
Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 8:30pm Coldtowne at the Cactus: Standup, Improv, and Sketch - A Comedy Variety Show Cover charge applies
Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 8:30pm Coldtowne at the Cactus: Standup, Improv, and Sketch – A Comedy Variety Show Cover charge applies
Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 8:30pm Coldtowne at the Cactus: Standup, Improv, and Sketch – A Comedy Variety Show Cover charge applies
Admission is free! Wednesday, September 7 @ 7:30pm; Doors @ 7:00pm In the intimate, inviting setting of the Cactus Cafe, engage with Austin’s leading jazz musicians in an evening of conversation and music. We will explore the lives and development of various jazz artists and through their music and address various important topics of our... Read More »
Admission is free! Wednesday, October 12 @ 7:30pm; Doors @ 7:00pm In the intimate, inviting setting of the Cactus Cafe, engage with Austin's leading jazz musicians in an evening of conversation and music. We will explore the lives and development of various jazz artists and through the music, address various important topics of our world.... Read More »
This show has been moved to KUTX Studio 1A due to construction in the Texas Union Building. Doors 5:30 Show 6 pm Coming up at our next Views and Brews at the Cactus Cafe this Tuesday at 6, it’s Texas Poet Laureate and host of KUT’s This is Just To Say, Carrie Fountain. In addition to being an award-winning poet, she is... Read More »
400 years ago, a group of 20 enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of the Chesapeake Bay for the express purpose of working the land, thus beginning one of the most shameful periods in America’s history. Although Diversity and Inclusion have become a mission of so many academic and corporate entities, the vestiges of that tragic... Read More »
Coming up at our next Views its Two Guys on Your Head Live! Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke to ask: “What characterizes well-being?” The right college? The dream job? The big house? What do you really need to be happy? To have a sense of fulfillment and joy? And why is it so important? Views and... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $40.00 in advance and $45.00 at the door Patterson Hood is a prolific writer and performer whose character-driven stories are packed with political subtext. He is best known as front-man, singer, songwriter and guitar player for the critically acclaimed rock and roll band Drive-By Truckers, but is... Read More »
Coming up with our next Views and Brews it’s “The Green New Deal, Explained.” Join us for a taping of KUT podcast The Secret Ingredient with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy, Raj Patel, author of, "A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things," and food and agriculture correspondent for Mother Jones Magazine, Tom Philpott, to talk about what the... Read More »
Doors 6:30 pm Trivia 7 pm Test your current-events knowledge at KUT’s trivia night, hosted by KUT reporter Jimmy Maas. The theme is "Austin, Texas, Y'all" featuring questions ranging from history to current events, politics to sport and entertainment that have made the city and state what it is. Not versed on Austin stuff? Never fear.... Read More »
Jazz and the Art of Borders, details coming soon. Event dates
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door Matt the Electrician & Southpaw Jones played together every week in Austin for almost a decade. Now they reunite to remind their hometown crowd that they still exist! Event... Read More »
Coming up at our next KUT Views & Brews, Tony Hoagland and The Art of Voice. Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Texas Poet Laureate Carrie Fountain novelist and playwright Kirk Lynn, actor Richard Robichaux, Dr. Carra Martinez, and poet August Huerta to celebrate the life and work of the late poet Texas Tony Hoagland. Event... Read More »
SIGN UP: 7:30pm Performances: 8pm Cactus Cafe is an ALL ages venue! Open Mic is back with our Hostess Kacy Crowley!! Sign up is promptly at 7:30pm and performances are 8pm to 10pm. THIS EDITION will feature student & faculty performers from UT's International Education Week! A special, international edition of Open Mic Night at... Read More »
SIGN UP: 7:30pm Performances: 8pm Cactus Cafe is an ALL ages venue! Open Mic is back with our Hostess Kacy Crowley!! Sign up is promptly at 7:30pm and performances are 8pm to 10pm. Event dates
SIGN UP: 7:30pm Performances: 8pm Cactus Cafe is an ALL ages venue! Open Mic is back with our Hostess Kacy Crowley!! Sign up is promptly at 7:30pm and performances are 8pm to 10pm. Event dates
Doors: 7:30pm Show: 8:00pm General Admission: $15.00 Steel Betty is fresh off their summer tour in Colorado and ready to share some new music! Join them September 14th at the Cactus Cafe for the release of their debut album, So Darn Lonesome. The band will wrap you in to their performance with a mixture of traditional bluegrass tunes and... Read More »
Coming up at our next Views and Brews, “Supporting Mommas and Babies." Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with KUT’s Ashely Lopez, Lanall Coultas from Conscious Birthing Austin, Trachell Trice from Mama Sana Vibrant Woman, and Nichole Mills from Deep Root Doula Service to talk about what true support looks like, and what things we should... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $22.00 in advance and $30.00 at the door. Students: $12.00 at the door with student ID Oliver Rajamani, Indian/Romani Folk artist and Cindy Cashdollar one of America's most noted dobro and slide steel player and a five time Grammy winner, knit a colorful blanket of rhythms and melodies. The... Read More »
Doors: 7:30pm Show: 8pm General Admission: $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door NOW FOR SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT… The TEXAS LOVEBIRDS, servin’ up fun, frivolity and kick-ass music! Old ‘Austinites’ might remember Donna Stevens (the creator of the Texas Lovebirds) from the hilarious 90’s touring show, ‘The Cow... Read More »
Coming up at our next Views and Brews at The Cactus Cafe this Tuesday at 6, it’s “Austin High” a variety show hosted by Austin’s own Ray Benson. Join us for readings from Lawrence Wright and Anne Rapp, jokes from Willie, live music and so much more. Views and Brews are free and open to the public, but seats are limited so get there... Read More »
THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED. Event dates
Doors 5:30 Show 6 pm RSVP does not guarantee admission, get there early to get in! Coming up at our next Views and Brews, it’s “ ringing Your Brain To Work" with Two Guys on Your Head! Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke to talk about the psychology behind how to interview for a job, manage... Read More »
Doors 6:30, Show 7 pm RSVP does not guarantee admission. Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe and a live sextet, for Jazz and the Art of Mental Health. Through the artistry of Buddy Bolden, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and others, we will explore the intersection of... Read More »
Coming up at our next Views and Brews it’s “Walt Whitman at 200.” Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy and Texas Poet Laurent Carrie Fountain as they host poets and scholars to look at the life and legacy of one of America’s most influential poets. As we celebrate the centenary of Whitman’s birth we ask, who was Walt Whitman, and how can his... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $25.00 in advance and at the door. Danny Barnes is already known as an iconic American musician, a banjo playing innovator who’s earned high praise from everybody from Bill Frisell and Dave Matthews to Steve Martin, who presented Danny with the Prize for Excellence in Banjo in 2015. From the days... Read More »
Doors: 6:30pm Trivia: 7pm General Admission: $5.00 KUT’s “Spectacle of Knowledge,” June 20 Test your current events knowledge at KUT’s inaugural trivia night (aka Spectacle of Knowledge), hosted by KUT reporter Jimmy Maas. Topics will fall into four categories: News, Money/Business, Life and Sports. You don’t need to be a news... Read More »
SIGN UP: 7:30pm Performances: 8pm Cactus Cafe is an ALL ages venue! Open Mic is back with our Hostess Kacy Crowley!! Sign up is promptly at 7:30pm and performances are 8pm to 10pm. Event dates
SIGN UP: 7:30pm Performances: 8pm Cactus Cafe is an ALL ages venue! Open Mic is back with our Hostess Kacy Crowley!! Sign up is promptly at 7:30pm and performances are 8pm to 10pm. Event dates
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $7.00 inn advance and $8.00 at the door A diverse and talented bill of five of the newest and coolest voices writing songs in Austin. Hosted and presented by our Open Mic's Kacy Crowley! Five fresh voices each doing 20 minute sets of original music. Kris Schultz Jake Farr Lefty... Read More »
Doors: 7:30pm Show: 8pm General Admission: $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door. We’re excited to introduce the debut of an exciting new KUTX Podcast, ENOUGH ABOUT MUSIC, hosted by Savannah Welch. Join us for an interactive live interview taping with Shinyrib’s Kevin Russell, where the only rule is to talk about anything at... Read More »
We’re kicking off a brand new season of Views and Brews with “The Past, Present, and Future of the Humanities.” Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with guest host Dr. David Kornhaber, and an expert panel to explore the roots of how this field of study ended up in higher-ed, and why it’s important to ensure it’s robust health today.... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $18.00 in advance and $22.00 at the door Barbara Nesbitt will kick off the evening with a solo, acoustic set at 8:30pm followed by Nagavalli at 9pm. Roberto Riggio (Atash) will join Nagavalli on violin as a special guest at the show. East and West co-mingle harmoniously in Indian-American,... Read More »
Doors: 7pm Show: 7:30pm General Admission: $20.00 An evening celebrating the original songs of Song Rise Arts' students and mentors! This spring, our Young Artist Program has provided undeserved students with free songwriting classes and mentorship with professional Austin musicians. The program culminates with this showcase at... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $10.00 Guest: Shane Bartell The Heavenly States came together in 2002, united by a shared passion for complex and cathartic rock bursting with literate, provocative lyricism. A series of acclaimed albums and a seemingly endless capacity for touring – including a landmark 2005 trek to Egypt and... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm Head over to the legendary Cactus Cafe to see talented UT student songwriters and musicians perform original music. Performers will be selected from a wide range of submissions. Our panel of judges will pick a winner who will earn the opportunity to perform at the Kerrville Folk Festival this spring! FREE EVENT... Read More »
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm General Admission: $40.00 in advance and $45.00 at the door The Cactus Cafe 40th Anniversary continues with this very special show. Artists don’t really make albums like Lee Ann Womack’s THE LONELY, THE LONESOME & THE GONE anymore. Albums that seem to exist separate and apart from any external pressures.... Read More »
The Cactus Cafe is a live music venue and bar in the historic Texas Union on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. Located in Austin, Texas, a city frequently referred to as “the live music capital of the world,” a number of well-known artists have played in the Cactus, and Billboard Magazine named it as one of fifteen “solidly respected, savvy clubs” in the United States, “from which careers can be cut, that work with proven names and new faces.”