First Thursday

Has First Thursday Seen Its Last?
By Sharon Miller

December 2004

The streets are not so crowded this month, as compared to last month. Different styles of music do not overlap each other, instead there are gaps of silence as you make your way down South Congress. Glancing around, and noticing the disparity of the people, thoughts of the cold front seeping through Texas fills my mind. Of course that would be the reason why November’s First Thursday seems to have drawn such a small crowd.

With these rose-colored thoughts dancing through my mind, my sisters and I find ourselves in the South Congress Café, enjoying the lively atmosphere of the bar as we wait for our table. While waiting, we meet two transplanted Austinites, Reza Koohrang, originally from Iran and a newbie to the SoCo scene, and Victor Villegas, a Venezuelan, who had participated in the festivities many times before. In our conversation, we found nothing to suggest that First Thursday may be on the out list. In fact, cramped inside the small restaurant listening to the quiet roar of the patrons, we got the impression that First Thursday was still thriving as much as it had when it first started in 2000.

Nevertheless, once we stepped back onto the streets, small signs of the truth began to show themselves.

David and Christine Peavy, of Rockit Baby, told us of the days when it was free to set up a booth on the grounds next to Guero’s. Now, they have to pay a fee, which cuts into their profits, which Christine says are not too great anyway.

“We can do other shows around the country where we can make several thousand in one night,” Peavy says, “here people are happy if a couple of hundred trickles in, and that is not realistic, that’s the old-hippy days.”

The Peavy’s are not the only booth owners who feel the market is on the downward spiral. Mea Mea Stiles, a booth owner who designs her own jewelry line, feels the market is not only dying, but changing, for the worse. She says that she has actually had items stolen from her in the recent months, something that had never happened in the past. Stiles has had a booth on South Congress since first Thursday started.

“In the past, there were good customers, now it is mostly young people who want a free drink.” Stiles says. “For quality artists like myself, it is really a let down.”

Nevertheless, my sisters and I could not help but enjoy ourselves, as we walked along the street, sipping our paid for beers. Despite the foreboding comments of the vendors, the vibe still seemed the same, young and fun. Although, I will admit the crowds are diminished, it seems that First Thursday continues to achieve its high ambition of bringing more business to the local shops along South Congress. Working together, the shop owners and community continue to bring local bands to play in interesting venues. It is still a truly a local event. Local shops, local bands and local people all coming together for one night of the month to celebrate what makes Austin great, the local scene.