The Moontower Comedy Festival starts tomorrow and goes through April 22nd in my hometown, Austin, Texas. The line-up is pretty fierce and has such performers like Brian Posehn, Ralphie May, Colin Quinn, Margaret Cho and many other great comedians. To check out the full line-up and to buy tickets or badges to each show click here.
There is no age restriction on the festival as a whole and minors can purchase badges or single tickets to the Paramount shows. However, some the Moontower Comedy Festival venues are 18+ and and are not able to let in underage patrons regardless of the event.
- The following venues are all ages: Paramount, Stateside at the Paramount, 800 Congress, Antone’s
- These venues are 18+ only: The Parish, Cap City, The Speakeasy, The Townsend, and The Velv Comedy Lounge.
Badge pick up opens Tuesday, April 18th at the Stateside at the Paramount (719 Congress Ave.) and runs thru the fest. Please be sure to bring your photo ID or badge purchase confirmation email to receive your badges.
Pick up Times:
- Tues 4.18.17 Noon-7PM
- Wed 4.19.17 Noon-8PM
- Thrs 4.20.17 Noon-11 PM
- Fri 4.21.17 Noon-11 PM
- Sat 4.22.17 Noon- 8PM
The schedule for 2017 Moontower Comedy Festival is located here and featured or special events schedule is located here.
Below is a list of Venues for the 2017 Moontower Comedy Festival Club Venues. The headliner venues are the Paramount Theatre and Stateside at the Paramount and require tickets for entry.
- Alamo Drafthouse Ritz @ Alamo Drafthouse Ritz
- TenOak @ Bourbon House + Kitchen
- JCC Austin @ 7300 Hart Lane
- Moontower Lounge @ InterContinental Stephen F. Austin
- Google Fiber @ Google Fiber Space
- Speakeasy @ 412 Congress Avenue
- 800 Congress @ 800 Congress Avenue
- Antone’s Nightclub @ 305 East 5th Street
- The Velv Comedy Lounge @ 521 East 6th Street
- The Townsend @ 718 Congress Avenue
- The Parish @ 214 East 6th Street
- Cap City Comedy Club @ 8120 Research Blvd. #100. Austin
- Stateside at the Paramount @ 719 Congress Avenue
- Paramount Theatre @ 713 Congress Avenue
For more information about the 2017 Moontower Comedy Festival click here. I’m applying for a press pass late so hopefully I will be there and to follow me while attending the 2017 Moontower Comedy Festival on twitter: @hitechchic & @nrpena.
Austin’s History of the Moonlight Towers per Wikipedia:
Austin, Texas, is the only city in the world known still to have moonlight towers. They are 165 feet (50 m) tall with foundations 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. The towers were manufactured in Indiana by Fort Wayne Electric Company and assembled on site.[1] In 1894, the City of Austin purchased 31 used towers from Detroit. A single tower cast light from six carbon arc lamps, illuminating a 1,500 feet (460 m) radius circle brightly enough to read a watch.[2]
Some have claimed that Austin put up moonlight towers partially in response to the actions of the Servant Girl Annihilator, but the towers were not erected until 1894 and 1895, ten years after the murders took place.[3]
In 1970, the towers were recognized as Texas State Landmarks, followed by the 17 remaining towers being listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 1976. Only 6 are in their original locations as established by the Board of Public Works and City Council in 1895. In 1986 they were designated as State Archeological Landmarks.
In 1993, the city of Austin dismantled the towers and restored every bolt, turnbuckle and guy-wire as part of a $1.3 million project, the completion of which was celebrated in 1995 with a city-wide festival.
One of the towers was prominently featured in the film Dazed and Confused (1993) as the site of a high-school keg party, in which the character played by Matthew McConaughey exclaims, “Party at the moon tower.”[4]
The city of Austin has ordinances in place to protect the towers from demolition. However, since 2004, the towers at 4th & Nueces and 1st & Trinity have been removed due to new construction. It is unclear whether they will be replaced or erected elsewhere.
A restoration campaign began in 2014 by AustinEnergy and continues with plans to completely renovate and restore all the existing towers. Photos of the ongoing work are posted on Twitter.[5]
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Source: Moontower Comedy Festival, Paramount, Wikipedia
