Let it never be said that we've got a shortage of badass ladies in Austin, Texas.
The capital of Texas has long been a bastion of female empowerment and vibrancy. From creatives to entrepreneurs, Austin's women advance and shape our culture in a multitude of ways. In honor of International Women's Day, here are just a few of the many women doing innovative, unique, and impressive things in our city. We know there are tons more, and it was incredibly tough to pick from so many. If you're a woman in Austin doing great things, we love you!
___________________________________________________
LOCAL FEMALE MUSICIANS
___________________________________________________
Sabrina Ellis
Few people are making a larger mark on Austin's music scene today than this high-energy lady. The frontwoman of hell-raising rockers A Giant Dog, Ellis has also teamed with Har Mar Superstar for a project called Heart Bones, which toured in 2018 playing the songs of Dirty Dancing. Oh yeah, and she's a member of Sweet Spirit. If you've seen Ellis perform anything live in any of these acts, odds are you won't forget her anytime soon.
___________________________________________________
photo by roger ho
If you've never listened to Tameca Jones, do yourself a favor and start with "Wings", her duet with fellow Austinite Gary Clark Jr. Jones unleashes some serious vocal power in her solo work as well, showcasing impressive range and variety in her soulful R&B covers.
___________________________________________________
photo by roger ho
We can't get enough of Molly Burch. Her sophomore album First Flower, released in October of 2018, is chock-full of infectiously listenable indie pop tracks. This singer-songwriter isn't just any indie gal: her soft crooning, combined with melancholy lyrics full of fierce independence and interspersed with twinkling guitar melodies, make for an auditory force to be reckoned with.
___________________________________________________
photo via facebook / why bonnie by jake villareal
Blair Howerton is the source of poignant lyrics, vocals, and guitar work for Austin's up-and-comers Why Bonnie. Her pal and bandmate Kendall Powell supplies synth - together, these two lend tremendous heart to the quintet's warm, glimmering pop sound.
___________________________________________________
photo via facebook / xetas by julie bishop
Kana Harris
Harris is the bassist and singer of XETAS, whose distorted and driving tunes have been a fixture in Austin since 2014. She has also recently embarked on a project to open Bluebonnet Records, a vinyl shop in Lockhart, which will be soft opening at the beginning of March 2019. This gal is goin' places.
___________________________________________________
photo via instagram @lou_rebecca
Local electronic label Holodeck Records supports several Austin acts worth checking out, and Lou Rebecca is one of our favorites. Her breathy electro-pop jams are tinged with French and infused with charm throughout.
___________________________________________________
photo via rachelrascoe.com
This Austin gal isn't in a band, but she's still a big part of local sound. Rascoe writes the Austin Chronicle's weekly music column, Faster Than Sound, and was named Best Music Writer in the 2018/19 Austin Music Industry Awards. We love her coverage of what's happening in the music scene around town, from news on venues and upcoming shows to artists you should know about. Check it out here!
MORE AUSTIN MUSIC FEAT. BADASS LADIES:
Smiile
___________________________________________________
LOCAL FEMALE COMICS
___________________________________________________
photo via facebook / elizabeth spears
This standup comedian was a finalist in the Funniest Person in Austin contest in 2016 and 2018. Spears has performed at 2017's BABESFEST, as well as Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in 2018. She was also voted the Best Local Comedian of 2018 on Do512 - and we know our comedy around here.
Austin Smartt has a very fitting name: she's based in Austin, and her jokes are clever as hell. This trans woman has mastered the fine art of creating a safe space to laugh at just about anything. She's performed at numerous comedy festivals, spoken at Texas Comic Con, and also co-hosts a ruthlessly candid, utterly hilarious podcast called Gender Fluids.
___________________________________________________
This all-woman troupe of jokesters hosts a gut-busting show at Fallout Theater every Wednesday, where their music-inspired comedy has audiences losing it all night long. Don't sleep on Garage - they're an unapologetically funny and completely original crew.
Another fixture of Austin's comedy scene, transgender standup comedian Carina Magyar has an impressive resume of laughs including a performance at the Moontower Comedy Festival, a roast battle at SXSW, and multiple weekends of headlining at the Velveeta Room.
MORE FUNNY GALS IN AUSTIN:
_______________________________________________
LOCAL BUSINESSES RUN BY WOMEN
photo via yarrow & sage
701 E 53rd St
This cozy North Loop storefront is run by three females. Step inside the cooperative, and you will be greeted by a wide variety of esoteric goods, from essential oils to handmade artworks and jewelry. Yarrow & Sage aims to be an affordable place for artisans to sell their goods, and the ladies behind this shop have succeeded in creating a space where you'll love to get lost. Grab a vegan goodie at neighboring Zucchini Kill bakery when you're done browsing for the ideal shopping experience.
_______________________________________________
photo via instagram @bossbabesatx
This woman-founded nonprofit serves as an incredible resource for female and nonbinary creatives, entrepreneurs, and organizers. Bossbabes hosts a number of events (including a biannual conference, craft fairs, and an arts festival) and meetups throughout the year that promote female empowerment and gender equality.
Speaking of the creative community, We also love Collective Blue. This lifestyle brand was founded by immigrant women of color and recently produced its first-ever Missfits Fest to celebrate Asian-American women in entrepreneurship and the arts. Um, hell yes.
_______________________________________________
photo via facebook / cheer up charlies
900 Red River St
There's a reason Cheer Up Charlies is such a beloved Red River venue. In fact, there are several reasons: the laid-back, inclusive-to-all vibes; the variety of weird, wonderful, and often-danceable events the bar hosts; the vegan eats at onsite food truck Arlo's; and even the fruity and affordable house cocktails are all part of the indefatigable magic of Cheer Up's. All of that good music and good energy is cultivated by the space's wonderful partners and co-owning ladies, Tamara Hoover and Maggie Lea - oh, and award-winning booker Trish Connelly.
_______________________________________________
photo via instagram @succulentnative
906 E 5th St
Shannon Donaldson is the botanical mastermind behind Flowers on the Fly, the cute lil' cart of succulents and other green things you may have seen posted up at street corners around town. In 2016, she opened a brick and mortar shop, where she continues to curate a selection of friendly plant pals that will brighten any windowsill - and where you can host your very own planting party!
_______________________________________________
509 Rio Grande St.
Punk-tinged diner Holy Roller is fronted by an all-female team of industry lifers and serves brunch-style fare all day long, as well as beer, wine, and cocktails. Spearheaded by highly rated chef Callie Speer, the diner features an interior decorated with a cleverly arranged mélange of pop culture and Austin-specific remembrances, flanked by a decidedly hearty food menu. It's an excellent example of an idea seen perfectly through to its conclusion; Speer's punk-diner is already a staple of West 6th since its opening in July of 2017.
______________________________________________
Photo Credit: Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds Facebook
1506 Congress Ave S
Indisputably one of the visual icons of not only South Congress but Austin,
Lucy in Disguise has been outfitting folks with outlandish costumes since April Fools' day back in 1984. Founder Jenna Radtke originally envisioned the store as a one shop stop for all things fanciful and costume-related, and that's exactly what it remains to this day. More lady-run vintage awesomeness can be found at
Mutual Feelings and
Oddballl Vintage.
__________________________________________________
Photo Credit: Amy's Ice Creams
Various Locations
Yep, there's a real person behind Amy's Ice Creams - and she's a woman. Amy Simmons established the beloved ice cream shop in 1984, and has been fixing folks' sweet teeth for over three decades now. One of Austin's most successful and recognizable local businesses, Amy's has opened locations throughout Texas in cities and towns like San Antonio, Houston, and now Smithville.
_______________________________________________
MORE AWESOME AUSTIN WOMEN-RUN BUSINESSES:
(We wish we could include them all!)
_______________________________________________
WAYS TO CELEBRATE WOMEN
photo via sxsw
With a free SXSW Guest Pass, you can attend this awesome party to celebrate all the great women in your life and across the world. Uh, hell yeah. Head to the Palm Door on March 8 for programming, art, music, and films created by, for, and about all who identify as women or non-binary. The party will include empowering female speakers like Aja Monet, Jenn McRobbie, Laurie Adams, and more.
CherryPicks, which has been called "the Rotten Tomatoes for females", aims to amplify female voices in the world of film criticism - which is very much still dominated by men. This year, the company will be awarding the inaugural Female First Feature Award to a first-time narrative female director who also has at least one female producer screening at SXSW Film Fest 2019. Check out the CherryPicks panel on March 8, “What Makes Critics Love, or Hate, A Movie?" for a discussion led by founder and CEO Miranda Bailey.
MORE WOMEN'S DAY EVENTS:
