After five decades on the Drag, Austin institution Hole in the Wall is passing the torch. Longtime operator Will Tanner is stepping back from the day-to-day grind, with local promoter Mike Lavigne and manager Courtney Goforth set to take over. Tanner will stay on as a partner as the beloved dive and live music spot rolls into its next chapter after a 50th anniversary year.
The change in stewardship was confirmed this week on the bar’s Instagram and in coverage credited to KUT. Tanner is slated to retire from daily operations while keeping a stake in the business, according to MySA.
Five decades on the Drag
Opened in 1974, Hole in the Wall has long served as an incubator for Austin artists, with acts like Spoon, Shakey Graves, Bob Schneider, Black Joe Lewis, and Gary Clark Jr. all playing early sets there. The bar marked its 50th anniversary with a series of events in 2024, according to the Austin Chronicle, cementing its reputation as a touchstone for West Campus nightlife and the city’s music scene.
Saved from closure before
The venue has stared down displacement more than once. In 2023, it secured a 20-year lease and a $1.6 million grant from the city’s Iconic Venue Fund to stabilize operations and pay for upgrades, KUT reported. That lifeline helped keep the bar on the Drag at a time when nearby redevelopment had regulars bracing for the building to vanish altogether.
Who are the new owners?
Courtney Goforth has logged years in venue marketing and booking, including a stint as marketing director at Hotel Vegas, and has built a reputation for local promotions and artist relationships, according to a profile in Voyage Austin. Lavigne, a local promoter, framed the deal less as a takeover and more as caretaking, telling reporters that “for this place to still be standing after all this time is a testament to how much people love it,” as relayed by MySA.
Tanner to step back, stay involved
Tanner, who took ownership in 2008, is stepping away from the nightly hustle but is expected to remain involved as a partner during the transition. The club’s official site still lists regular weekly bookings, underscoring that Lavigne and Goforth are inheriting an active live music calendar rather than trying to revive a shuttered room; see the current lineup on the Hole in the Wall site.
What’s next for the Drag
Musicians and regulars will be watching closely. Hole in the Wall has long been a proving ground for local acts and one of the few remaining pieces of old-school Austin on the Drag, and the incoming owners have signaled they want to protect that scruffy, lived-in character. With city support already in place and a long-term lease locked down, the immediate challenge will be keeping the bookings fresh while preserving the bar’s rough-edged identity that generations of Austinites have come to expect.
