From El Paso to LA to Austin, Long Center’s Programming Coordinator, Matt Muñoz, has worked on quite a few records you’ll recognize! Since he’s marking 15 years of living back in Austin — and we’re celebrating our 15th birthday this year (look out for more on that later) — we thought we’d check in with him to hear a little bit more about how he got here. Cue The Smiths and take some notes!
Hola Amigos!
My name is Matt Muñoz and I am part of the Programming team at the Long Center.
I live in South Austin with my wonderful wife, Samantha, our daugher, Austin, and two dogs, Rebel & Kim.
I am a HUGE Los Angeles Dodgers fan and I love The Smiths and all things Brit Pop & ’80s.
I was born and raised in El Paso, TX (El Chuco), learning early how to navigate the beauty of the sounds spilling across the frontera and fusing them with my father’s music collection (Hank Williams, Herb Albert, Fats Domino, and Jose Alfredo Jimenez), and my own ’80s metal upbringing — Van Halen, AC/DC, and a dalliance into hair metal. I fell in love with drumming at age 11 and began to play shows with local party bands at 14, performing at quinceaneras, weddings, and even at the Sun Bowl for cardinals from the Vatican!
I attended college in the panhandle as a music business major with a percussion emphasis at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX. I soon met other likeminded music majors and we turned our love of The Smiths, The Cure, REM, and Texas regional bands like Ten Hands & Twang Twang Shock-a-Boom (aside from Long Center, here — check out our interview with David Garza if you’re also a Twang fan) into our own musical unit called The Cleavers. We toured regionally and put out some cassettes before moving to Austin in 1993. Once here, we established some residencies at the Black Cat, Steamboat, and performed at other wonderful places like the Electric Lounge & the Austin Outhouse opening for bands like Magneto USA (Fastball), Spoon, The Asylum Street Spankers, and the Texas Instruments.
As life started to happen and the band faded, I transitioned to Arista Latin/Austin, which was an off-shoot of Arista Nashville, working with artists like Flaco Jimenez, Nydia Rojas, Abra Moore, and Robert Earl Keen. When the label shuttered in 1998, I was off to Los Angeles where I worked at New Line Cinema — then, El Norte Productions — for Gregory Nava (Director of Selena & El Norte), then landed back in music at Warner Brothers Records in the Marketing department.
That was a beautiful education on how to release a record, working on records from artists Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Green Day, Perry Farrell & Mike Patton of Mr. Bungle & Faith No More fame. From Warner Bros, I continued my journey to Universal Music Distribution, working on every big-name star and album of the early 2000s including Eminem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jimmy Eat World, Lil Wayne, and many others.
As the music business started to change, I moved back to Austin in 2008 to work for a little indie label that went away almost as soon as I moved back! It was then that I was able to start a new gig as the caretaker of the iconic Cactus Cafe on the UT campus, and I spent 10 years helping KUT & KUTX manage the little venue that could, and helped give a platform to the exploding local music scene, booking some of the first shows for artists that went on to bigger venues. When Covid hit, I fell victim to a layoff and later resurfaced here at the Long Center.
We’re celebrating 15 years of the Long Center, and that milestone holds a special meaning to me as it is also my 15th year of living back in Austin.
This venue and the excitement of the possibilities that lie ahead for the future of arts, music, culture, and communy in the city are what we strive to bring you here!
I hope to see you soon!
— Matt
At the Long Center, we’ve always got a new partnership or something cool we know you’ll want to check out! Find and follow us @longcenter on your social media platform of choice, and we’ll see you real soon.
Happy New Year, Austin! As you’re settling into your 2023 routine, you might be wondering… what’s a cool spot I can add to my hangout map? We’ve got just the place! Part coffee shop, part bar, part event space, Origin Studio House serves up eclectic vibes on the east side. Get to know the founders and the space in this Mid-Week Intermission 👇 and if you’re joining us for Ta-Nehisi Coates on January 16th, you might see them there, too!
Origin Studio House is a community space rooted in Black culture that offers coffee, food, cocktails, and events, but most importantly connection. “We aim to bring a new experience to Austin and the Black communities who live, work, and invest in this city,” says Origin co-founders Brittney Williams & Dante Clemons.
HOW IT STARTED
In 2021, Austin’s Black population reached 7.57%, a fractional yet noteworthy jump from 2020’s percentage of 7.25%. We all know Austin is growing, but the growth of the city overall pales in comparison to the continual rise of its Black demographic. Dante and Brittney saw this spike in growth as an opportunity to start addressing a clear need in their community — not seeing themselves reflected in the city where they lived. With this in mind, they planned a series of pop-up events starting in 2021.
Last November, they kicked off their inaugural event, “Come Thru,” at Distribution Hall in East Austin. Attendees enjoyed cocktails, portraits sessions, delicious food, and music spun by a DJ. In March of 2022, they hosted another successful event called “Come Up” in partnership with The Contemporary and SOHO House Austin. Come Up enticed guests with delicious cuisine, libations, and panel discussions moderated by renowned chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph of Emmer & Rye. Origin Studio House opened its Grounds to the public this Fall.
Get to know the founders
Brittney Williams is a native Austinite, and co-founder of Studio VYB, a full service interior design studio based in Austin, Texas. She’s an expert in hospitality design, cultural curation, and storytelling. Some of Brittney’s notable design contributions include Swedish Hill in Austin, TX, Clark’s Oyster Bar in Aspen, CO, Joann’s Fine Foods in Austin, TX, Outdoor Voices in Los Angeles, and several custom luxury residences for high-profile celebrity clients. Brittney majored in Urban Studies under Eugene Lang at The New School.
Dante Clemons, a resident of East Austin, is a global product leader, adviser, and strategist at the intersection of design, commerce, culture, and community. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dante graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Architecture, graduated summa cum laude from Pratt Institute’s graduate Design Management Program and serves on the Board of The Contemporary Austin. A strategist focused on digital production across platforms and the management of innovation in organizations, her experience includes work in advertising, e-commerce & retail, architectural planning, and the arts. Her clients have spanned Nike, Twitter, Michael Kors, Pfizer, The Coca-Cola Company, and New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is also the founder of KICKINTHADOOR, a consultancy company aiding job seekers in pursuit of a rewarding career.
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
Origin Studio House is more than a coffee shop — it serves as a cultural space forged by the need to provide safe spaces where communities could thrive, allowing folks from all walks of life to see themselves reflected in the city where they live.
Origin Studio House is committed to being a kinetic space that celebrates Black culture and provides opportunities for networking and collaboration across Austin’s cultural landscape.
Give Origin a follow on Instagram @originstudiohouse to stay in the loop on upcoming events, and check out their website to learn more about their mission.
At the Long Center, we’ve always got a new partnership or something cool we know you’ll want to check out! Find and follow us @longcenter on your social media platform of choice, and we’ll see you real soon.
