HONK!TX is a nonprofit, community-driven festival that brings street and brass bands from within our community, throughout the country, and abroad to perform for free in the public spaces of Austin, Texas.
Since 2011, HONK!TX bands have transformed everyday locations into spontaneous stages, dissolving the line between crowd and performers and inviting everyone to celebrate the joys of music and community.
A range of genres is represented: New Orleans second-line brass, European Klezmer and Balkan, Brazilian, West African, and more. HONK!TX is a celebration of community, collaboration, and creative expression. Join the revelry!
Blowcomotion made its debut in 2018 and is proud to be part of the HONK!TX community.
Here are some of our fellow Austin Brass Bands!
Fun, loud, and in the street! Minor Mishap Marching Band is a 25-piece renegade circus-punk brass band: Bourbon Street meets Budapest. We are inspired by a love of street music, brass bands, and spectacle, as well as a desire to create community and reinvent public spaces.
In 2018, members of Minor Mishap Marching Band traveled to Honk!Rio in Rio De Janeiro, and there they witnessed the large expansive blocos - hundreds of musicians joyously creating a musical and magical experience in the streets.
Seeing this amazing event and realizing that Austin would benefit from an open learning band, with the mission to invite adults of all ages - Blowcomotion was born.
Dead Music Capital Band (DMCB) proves that the fun doesn’t end just because life does.
Whether they're out in the street, the club, or the great beyond, this outrageously macabre musical party makes it their undying mission to inspire joy and keep people dancing with a heavy mix of haunted horror circus funk brass and New Orleans-inspired rhythms.
Blowcomotion loves to hang with DMCB every Hallow's Eve for their annual parade.
Powerful. Bold. Unstoppable. Yes Ma’am Brass Band is lighting up the Austin music scene with high-energy brass, fierce musicianship, and a mission that empowers female & nonbinary musicians to take up space and own the stage!
Since 2012, this Austin-based brass band has been proving that brass isn’t just for the boys.
From trumpet to sousa, Yes Ma’am Brass Band exists for every musician who was ever told, “Are you sure you can play that?”—because representation matters!
Blowcomotion has performed song-shares with Yes Ma’am Brass Band - a fun blend of interpreting NOLA classics.
Bat City Brass Band: With influences from New Orleans, New York, Brazil, Egypt, and the Balkans, they’re serving up brass, beats, and bangers that’ll have you dancing all night long. From trumpet to tuba, sax to trombone, they’re about to blow the roof off!
Moon Tower Brass Band - this Austin-based brass band is all about bringing the joy of traditional NOLA brass band style to the streets! With their soul-stirring rhythms and upbeat brass sounds, Moon Tower Brass Band is here to make you move, groove, and smile from ear to ear.
Whether you’re already in a good mood or need a little pick-me-up, Moon Tower Brass Band will take you there, second-lining all the way!
Saxophonist Lauryn Gould has led several song-sharing events and music history appreciation seminars with Blowcomotion.
Boss Street Brass Band is a funky, horn-driven contemporary ensemble in the New Orleans tradition, based out of Austin, Texas. Mixing it up in a variety of musical styles. Full of passion, celebration, and continuous partying.
Described as New Orleans funk, the band took shape from mostly former students of John H. Reagan High School in 2011.
Grupo Ladeira brings the heart-pounding beats of Maracatu and a rich mix of other popular rhythms from Pernambuco and beyond.
Rooted in the powerful tradition of Brazilian music, their performance is certain to transport you to the streets of Recife with every pulse and every beat.
Born out of a love for jazz, Big Wy's Brass Band brings a frenetic party wherever they play. The band performs at iconic Austin, TX venues such as Antone's Nightclub and Continental Club.
The Numbers From traditional New Orleans jazz to Second Line grooves to funky modern beats, originally formed by members of the Austin Community College Math Department, this band has grown into a local favorite, keeping the jazz tradition alive while adding their own unique twist!
Austin Klezmer Bund - an unforgettable celebration of Klezmer and Yiddish Folk Music - this rich musical tradition, born from deep cultural history, continues to inspire and energize musicians and listeners alike. From the soulful melodies of Klezmer to the joyous energy of Yiddish folk tunes, the sounds of Jewish music are ready to fill the streets of Austin!
Austin Samba, also known as the Acadêmicos da Ópera, is a group of over 40 drummers and about as many dancers that performs the music and dance of Brazilian Carnaval, with styles ranging from Rio to Bahia.
Performing at parades, festivals and special occasions, bringing the music, movement, color, pageantry and joy of Carnaval to events throughout the region.
Austin Samba is a community educational and performance group founded in 2001 by Robert "Jacaré" Patterson to bring the joy of Brazilian music and dance to Texas. They are open to the community, offering classes to beginners every year.
Bramaya Music is an Austin based West African Dance and Drum Ensemble which combines new musical ideas with traditional West African rhythms and dance. Bramaya was founded and is led by Master Percussionist, Aboubacar Sylla. The group is named in honor of his father's village in Guinea, West Africa.