Whiskey and the Blues
Antone's Nightclub launches first stage collaboration at Austin distillery
Antone's has never put its name on another venue's stage before — and it doesn't stop there.
Austin's legendary blues club Antone's is having a big year. Let's add another first to the list April 24. Antone's is collaborating with Still Austin Whiskey Co. on a new live music series; the first time the club is putting its name on another venue's stage in its 50-year history.
It'll be called the Antone’s Stage at Still Austin, and it'll be hosted monthly at the South Austin distillery (440 E. St. Elmo Rd., Suite F). The series will welcome local and national artists at various stages of their careers.
The free debut show will take place from 6-10 pm and double as a kickoff party for the Austin Blues Festival, an Antone's spin-off in its third year of renewed effort since its 1999 origin. Two bands originally or currently from Louisiana — a nod to the blue's club's heritage — will play: Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa are headline, supported Austin's own R&B duo TheBrosFresh.
Future events at the Antone's Stage will be listed at stillaustin.com.
It's not just the name that connects the stage to Antone's. The blues club's own talent buying team, Zach Ernst and Emily Miller, are acting as main curators, "supported by co-owner Will Bridges and the rest of the Antone’s team," according to a press release.
"This is more than a stage — it’s a celebration of Austin’s culture, music, and creative spirit," said Bridges in the release. “We’re proud to partner with Still Austin to carry Clifford Antone’s legacy into the next 50 years, and to the south side of town.”
Antone's also added a stage at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in January 2025. However, that venue is entirely Antone's, including the sign above the door, the food, and the art collection.
Still Austin has its own creative impulses that make it an appealing partner for Antone's growing ever more popular and finding inspired ways to build a brand. The distillery's flagship bourbon is called The Musician. "Music has the ability to bring us all closer together—to make us feel more free and alive. So does great whiskey," says the product's landing page.
The Still Austin website also shares two Antone's-inspired cocktail recipes: a frozen Old Fashioned and the Blues and the Bees with gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice.
"At Still Austin, everything we do is rooted in artistry—whether it’s the whiskey we make, the labels we design, or the musicians we collaborate with," said director of marketing Katie Crenshaw. "Antone’s has been a cornerstone of Austin’s music culture for 50 years, and we’re honored to help extend that legacy with a new stage at our distillery. This collaboration is about more than music—it’s about celebrating the creative spirit that defines our city."
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