Robert Earl Keen performs in our Historic Church. SXSW 2015. Photo courtesy of Avo John Kambourian (avojohn.com)
Since 2008, St. David’s Church has been an official SXSW music venue, with the number of performers increasing over the years. What makes St. David’s unique is that we offer a “less crazy” version of SXSW with parking, food, an in-house coffee shop, Wi-Fi, charging stations, and bathrooms.
SXSW 2019
In 2019, St. David’s will host concerts in our Historic Sanctuary March 13-15. Here is the current lineup. As with all SXSW events, badge holders will be allowed in first, followed by wrist bands. If room is left (which is often the case, especially earlier in the evenings), you can simply pay a cover charge at the door. The cost of entry is dependent on the showcase.
Over the years, reporters from Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, LA Times, and other publications have discovered us and written stories and blogs singing our praises as a great reprieve from the masses calling us “one of the city’s friendliest SXSW venues.”
“Many artists who play acoustically at South by Southwest have come to realize in recent years that the downtown churches St. David’s and Central Presbyterian may be the events best venues for getting their music across to an audience. Thursday evening, Aoife O’Donovan was a perfect fit for St. David’s Historic Sanctuary, her soaring voice finding a home in the spacious room with high ceilings.”
In 2015, note worthy performers included Robert Earl Keen, James Bay, Wynonna Judd, Anderson East, and Leon Bridges. In 2014, Hozier broke onto the SXSW scene with a performance in our Historic Church. Over and over again, musicians tell us they love performing at St. David’s!
“I just wanted to thank you for being a part of SXSW and letting us share our music at your church. It’s really a blessing to be in such a setting and I for one, am excited.” Chad Lawson, 2017 performer
Valerie June performs on the St. David’s Labyrinth for NPR Music
Jealous of the Birds rocked Bethell Hall during SXSW 2017.
Holy Grounds Café
S’mores Mocha Latte from Holy Grounds
Holy Grounds is a coffee shop and gift store located in the heart of downtown Austin inside St. David’s church. We offer a wide variety of Austin-made food, and our full espresso bar serves fair-trade organic coffee from Texas Coffee Traders. We also strive to support local artists, green products, and the fair trade movement. Our 2019 SXSW hours will be:
Wednesday, March 13 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Thursday, March 14 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday, March 15 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturdays – Closed
Sunday, March 17 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
#SXSTDAVE
You can find more photos and videos shared by concert attendees by clicking on the links below or by searching our official SXSW at St. David’s hashtag, #SXSTDAVE
