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Tim Griffin / @griffinshot

Austin's Red 7 and Holy Mountain closing; The Sidewinder opening in Red Eyed Fly space

Reagan cheers Red 7’s inevitable demise (more by Tim Griffin)!
Reagan
Reagan
Red 7’s light up sign behind the bar (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Same old story: beloved music venues fight to survive as new hotels, condos, and rising rents make it harder and harder, even though their existence is part of the reason everyone wanted to be there in the first place. The Mohawk and Cheer Up Charlies (fka Club Deville) are struggling with BS. And today is was confirmed that one of our other favorite Austin rooms, Red 7, will be closed by the end of September. This comes after the recent announcement that sister venue Holy Mountain (fka Beauty Bar) is going around the same time.

Red 7 and Holy Mountain each have two stages, so that’s four less stages in the Red River music district, four less stages to host Fun Fun Fun fest afterparties, four less stages centrally located for SXSW (Red 7 was the home to BrooklynVegan SXSW day parties in 2014 and 2015).

There is some good news though: Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River Street), which still has seven years on their lease, will join forces with Red 7 and Transmission Entertainment (who book Red 7, Mohawk, Fun Fun Fun Fest, etc) to create a new venue called The Sidewinder! More info below…


SIDEWINDER!

Partners John Wickham (owner, Elysium and Valhalla), Graham Williams (Transmission Events), Jared Cannon (Red7), Tyson Swindell (Red7), Richard Napierkowski (Red Eyed Fly), and Benjamin Corwin (Red Eyed Fly) are proud to announce the opening of The Sidewinder(715 Red River Street) on October 1, 2015. This new partnership and venture has brought together several of Austin’s most experienced music industry professionals. The Sidewinder will be booked by Transmission Events, which currently books venues in Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, including The Mohawk, Club Dada, and Paper Tiger, among others.

The Sidewinder will open in the space currently occupied by Red Eyed Fly. The Sidewinder’s opening will coincide with the closing of Red7 (611 E 7th Street), which is currently booked by Transmission Events, at the end of September. The current Red Eyed Fly space will be completely remodeled and revamped inside and out as it transforms into The Sidewinder. Austin’s own Prototype Vintage will handle all of the décor and the look of the space. The overhaul will include upgraded sound, lighting, and stage production elements. Transmission Events will handle the booking and will manage the venue’s calendar. The first events to be held at The Sidewinder will be announced soon on the forthcoming venue website and social media accounts. Cannon and Swindell will handle the day-to-day management of the venue.

“This is an opportunity to refresh the Red Eyed Fly space and to bring more live music to the city. We plan to work together and use our industry experience to create a venue that is best for both the fans and the performers,” said Wickman.

Wickham, who owns both neighboring Elysium and Valhalla with other partners, acquired Red Eyed Fly earlier this spring, just before South by Southwest (SXSW), with partners Napierkowski and Corwin. The venue remained Red Eyed Fly through SXSW, per the previous contract in place, and now the partners have now decided to revitalize the space. Red7, which has been in a lease battle to keep its location on East 7th, is officially shuttering its doors at the end of September. Three of the five former Red7 partners wanted to continue operating a venue in Austin’s Red River District, which lead to the formation of this new venture.

“The team at Red7 has been running a popular and successful venue for some time, and Transmission Events has successfully booked the room for many years. Red Eyed Fly offers an amazing location with so much potential for keeping the street’s tradition of great live music alive. Potential that the current owners of the Fly saw when they bought it earlier this year and we’re excited for this new venue and partnership. Patrons can expect the same programming, and concerts that Transmission Events is known for bringing to the Red River District at The Sidewinder, as well as happy hours and more,” said Williams.

About The Sidewinder:
Opening in October 2015, The Sidewinder is a music and events venue located at 715 Red River Street in Austin’s Red River District.

About Transmission Events:
Transmission Events is a full service production company offering an array of services including talent buying, production, location services, backline rental, partnership & activations, marketing, and more. We support, create, and curate events that are distinctly different yet always relevant to today’s interests. Pure, raw, current, smart, and special. Proudly serving as defenders of Good Times since 2006. More information at transmissionevents.com.

Meanwhile, old Emo’s still sits empty.