The Broken Spoke dancehall celebrates 60 years this weekend

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Local dancehall The Broken Spoke, located on S Lamar Blvd., will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Sunday. But one day isn't enough for the venerable venue -- festivities begin on Saturday and continue until Nov. 16.

Musician Alvin Crow will headline the Saturday show. He's performed there hundreds of times since his first in 1972.

“Not a whole lot has changed,” said Crow to KXAN in 2022. “We have air conditioning now, and the bar’s a little bit bigger. We have lots of tourists in here now.”

The rest of the acts include:

• Weldon Henson, on Nov. 12
• The Saddle Sores, on Nov. 13
• Chaparral, with Jeff Hughes and guest Jesse Dayton, on Nov. 14
• The Honky Tonk Wranglers, on Nov. 15
• Tumbleweed Hill, on Nov. 16

The honkytonk's owners claim the term "progressive country," a fusion of hippie and cowboy culture, was born at the dancehall. Those cultures came to The Broken Spoke during a 1973 fundraiser for Texas Sen. Lloyd Doggett's first campaign for the office, the owners said in an email to KXAN.

"More than 500 people packed the Spoke that night; more than half the group were hippies, either barefoot or wearing moccasins or tennis shoes," the email reads. "Cowboys and cowgirls made up the rest of the audience, but the two groups got along."

Earlier this year, the bar received a $50,000 grant from the Austin City Council for repairs. It was designated as a historic landmark in April 2023.

KXAN's Daniel Marin and Kelsey Thompson contributed to this story.