Legend says in the '20s, it was a hangout spot for train robbers the Newton Gang, Carvalho said. Roughly 50 years later, the likes of Willie Nelson and Janis Joplin performed at the venue.
When Carvalho set his sights on the spot in 2019, it had been a vacant building for a couple of years. Now, the large outdoor concert space is also the permanent home of five food trucks serving lobster, Mexican food, French rotisserie chicken, Italian sandwiches and fried chicken. The interior is decked out with mid-century modern furniture and a ceiling slowly filling with posters for the venue’s past events.
“Our biggest goal here is to become an integral part of Austin—and South Austin in particular—and homogenize our ideas with the rest of the neighborhood,” Carvalho said.
The venue’s first “real show” set for the outdoor stage coincided with the largest rainstorm Carvalho remembers in his decade in Austin.
The Far Out refunded the crowd’s tickets, but about 40 people stuck around inside, and the scheduled band, Wild Child, decided to make a mini show work in the small indoor space.
“Everyone kind of takes their shoes off and sits in a pow wow. We’re all having a couple beers and listening to this band,” Carvalho said. “It was the coolest experience and it had nothing to do with money. It felt really special.”
Carvahlo has plans for expansion. Ultimately, he said he hopes the venue can become integral to the South Congress community.
The Far Out Lounge
8504 S. Congress Ave., Austin
512-351-9909
http://thefaroutaustin.com
Hours: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-midnight, Thu.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
