A barn in rural Hays County is perhaps not the place one would envision that signs viewed by hundreds of thousands of people get made. Ironically enough, said Blackout Signs co-owner Darcy Hanna, the shop bears no sign, but that's precisely how Hanna and husband Jay Gordon like it. The scrap metal–laden, heavy metal–blaring yard is where the couple can put to practice a saying that has caught on as something of a business mantra: "Do work." On a warm day in February, the Blackout team was hard at work on a number of pieces. The business—makers of signage for such brands as Red Bull, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival—had about 15 projects in the queue leading up to the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in March, where their work would be placed throughout downtown Austin. For the past 10 years, Gordon has made signs his full-time business. The business itself sprung from a Craigslist ad. Gordon recalls doing signs for "dirt cheap," he said, until he was able to gain a little credibility. Clients such as Red Bull will open doors for a business, the sign maker said. Blackout's recent work includes a yellow neon sign for the San Marcos–based LBJ Museum, for which the business was procured on a government contract. The project, Hanna and Gordon said, put them on the map. But establishing a foothold in the community didn't come without its difficulties, they said. Gordon said doors weren't opening at first because some business owners simply are not in the market for artisan signage. "Signs, for most people, it's a utilitarian thing," Gordon said. "Some people view it that way, as this necessary thing. ... We see it as art." Yet, Gordon said a sign-making business isn't something one plans out. As he puts it, Blackout Signs "took on a life of its own." Among the highlights of the business's many projects throughout the years are Flying V guitar–shaped trophies for a Metallica-hosted car show. A picture frame Blackout Signs built for ACL was a hit on social media, as a marriage proposal was made there, Hanna said. The business also built a sign for the front entrance of Chicago's Lollapalooza, attended by 300,000 last year, according to Reuters. "We're a deadly shop," Hanna said. "We can build anything. We can design anything, make it motorized, make it kinetic, sculpture, anything. That's the best part of the job." 512-738-7130, www.blackoutsign.com