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| The Broken Spoke | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Broken Spoke |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Opened | 1964 |
| Capacity | approximately 400 |
| Owner | Joe B. "Tex" Davis (founder), later James "Uvis" White, Martha Turner (management) |
| Genre | Country music, Western swing, Honky-tonk |
The Broken Spoke is a historic dance hall and honky-tonk in Austin, Texas founded in 1964. It became a focal point for country music performers, Western swing revivalists, songwriters, record producers, and touring concert promoters from across the United States, influencing scenes in Nashville, Tennessee, San Antonio, Texas, and Dallas, Texas. The venue hosted a mix of established stars, regional players, and emerging acts tied to movements that involved figures from Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash and institutions such as the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The venue was established by Joe B. "Tex" Davis during a period shaped by the careers of Hank Williams Jr., Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and the rise of Bakersfield sound. Early years overlapped with tours by Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, and the influence of Beau Jocque-era Zydeco crossover bookings. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the hall intersected with the work of Willie Nelson and the Austin City Limits movement associated with KLRU, The Band, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris. Into the 1990s and 2000s, the space remained connected to artists such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Isaak, and producers like Rick Rubin who were recontextualizing country rock and roots music. Management changes mirrored the industry shifts that included ties to BMI, ASCAP, and Country Music Association initiatives. The venue weathered urban development pressures from Travis County growth, zoning discussions with City of Austin officials, and preservation debates involving National Trust for Historic Preservation and local advocates like Lady Bird Johnson-era conservationists.
The hall's modest footprint reflected vernacular Texas architecture with influences seen in rural dance halls across San Antonio and El Paso. The interior featured a sprung dance floor and stage setup similar to venues in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry traditions, while exterior signage echoed neon landmarks like South Congress Avenue businesses and Moes Tavern. Sound systems and lighting evolved alongside innovations used by venues such as Antone's and Stubbs; local engineers trained at University of Texas at Austin labs and collaborated with touring production crews affiliated with Live Nation and independent promoters. Structural upgrades responded to building codes enforced by Travis County inspectors and engaged preservation architects who had worked on projects with Texas Historical Commission and Historic Austin Foundation.
As a crucible for Western swing and honky-tonk, the venue influenced artists connected to Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Price, Lefty Frizzell, and contemporary acts like Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell. It functioned as a nexus for songwriters tied to Nashville Songwriters Association International, publishers associated with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and session musicians who also worked at RCA Studio B and Sun Studio. The venue's bookings helped shape touring circuits that included stops at Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and festival stages such as South by Southwest and Austin City Limits Music Festival. Cultural scholars from University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, and Vanderbilt University have cited the hall in studies alongside work on Americana music, roots revival, and cross-genre collaborations involving rockabilly and blues performers like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Muddy Waters.
Headliners and visiting artists have included Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Ray Price, George Strait, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Emmylou Harris, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Chris Isaak, and Dwight Yoakam. The venue hosted benefit concerts and special shows associated with organizations like AIDS Foundation of Austin, United Way, and tribute nights tied to the Country Music Hall of Fame inductions for artists such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash. It was a stop on tours organized by promoters influenced by the business models of William Morris Agency and CAA as well as folk and roots circuits that featured Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, and Gillian Welch.
Hospitality at the venue reflected Texan traditions with offerings comparable to fare served at regional gathering places along South Congress Avenue and the Texas Hill Country—simple concessions, local microbrewery selections, and Texas-style bar service. The bar culture linked to establishments frequented by touring artists intersected with nearby restaurants and hotels used by performers visiting Austin, including properties involved with Hospitality Workers networks and hospitality policies promoted by Visit Austin tourism initiatives. Service staff included bartenders, managers, and booking staff who had professional ties to local musician unions and trade groups that work with venues across Travis County and Central Texas.
The venue's legacy has been preserved through oral histories collected by scholars at University of Texas at Austin archives, exhibits at the Texas State History Museum, and recognition from regional preservation groups like the Texas Historical Commission and Historic Austin Foundation. Its cultural significance is discussed alongside landmarks such as Antone's, Armstrong Auditorium, and institutions represented in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Ongoing debates over urban development, cultural memory, and heritage tourism link the hall's story to policy discussions involving City of Austin planning, advocates from National Trust for Historic Preservation, and community organizations that documented the space for future generations.
Category:Music venues in Austin, Texas Category:Country music venues Category:Historic dance halls in the United States