Keeping Weirdo's Weird

Comedians and musicians entertained both young and old this Spring Break at Austin’s own Weirdo’s bar and grill.

TAG talent agency and rock station 93.7 KLBJ hosted the event in support of local Austin artists. “We just wanted to create an environment where we have artists entertaining other artists,” said Landon Kash, one of the event coordinators.

The afternoon was divided into two parts. The first half consisted of five comedians doing stand up gigs and filling the crowd with laughter. The second half was occupied with music from some prestigious local Austin bands.

Stand-up comic Jimmie Roulette headlined the comedy section. James Heflin attended the event and said Jimmie was his favorite act of the afternoon. “[Jimmie] was so hilarious. All of [the comics] were, but he was the best,” Heflin said.

Several bands were featured as entertainment including the Josh Langston Band, Muchos Backflips, and Neilio. The style of music ranged from country, to rock, to electronic. There was even a DJ spinning tunes all day inside near the bar.

Winston Bee, frontman for Muchos Backflips, said this was the closest his band had ever come to playing the SXSW music festival. “Technically we’re part of that festival,” Bee said. “Only I think we’re having more fun here with everyone who came out than we would downtown with all the crowds from SXSW.”

Families were also able to enjoy Weirdo’s volleyball courts and sandboxes. Children built monuments in the sand while parents joined with strangers to play volleyball. The afternoon weather was accommodating to athletics occurring simultaneously with the event.

Jackie Gonzalez enjoyed a game of Frisbee with her younger sister. “We got here early to see the stand-up [comics], but now that the bands are playing we can get a little exercise and just enjoy the music,” Gonzalez said.

Weirdo’s is well known in the Austin community as a venue that supports local music and artists. They recently updated the stage on their balcony to accommodate larger bands and produce better sound for the audience during events.

TAG Talent, a sponsor of the event, is one of the leading acting agencies in Austin. Their talent have appeared in productions of True Blood, Friday Night Lights, and many others.

Austin rock radio station 93.7 KLBJ co-hosted the event along with afternoon radio personality Charlie Hodge. KLBJ airs classic and new rock music, and Hodge hosts his own afternoon show on the station from noon to 3 p.m.

Hodge announced on his talk show that he would like to organize more events at Weirdo’s in the future. “It’s a great little venue and we had a lot of fun while we were there,” Hodge said.

Weirdo’s is located at 12408 North Mopac Expressway near the Parmer intersection. More events are planned to take place at Weirdo’s in the future beyond spring break. The next event will coincide with the SXSW music festival.