Singer-songwriter Nakia is bringing his Pride weekend showcase, “Stay Out ATX,” back to the Continental Club on South Congress Avenue this Saturday, pairing queer musicians with a historic Austin stage that has spent seven decades hosting roots, rock and blues. Doors open at 9 p.m., and the lineup includes Nakia's own six-piece band, Nakia and the Never Not Now, alongside co-headliners Como Las Movies.
Nakia discussed the event on CBS Austin's Music Monday segment, telling hosts Trevor Scott and Sierra Waggoner that “Stay Out ATX” is designed to give music lovers a way to celebrate Austin Pride earlier in the evening rather than waiting until the middle of the night, according to KEYE. The segment, part of the station's We Are Austin franchise, was powered by FVF Law. Nakia has deep roots in Central Texas music advocacy: he's served as Chair of the Austin Music Commission, founded the nonprofit Austin Texas Musicians, and sat as a three-time Recording Academy Texas Chapter Board Governor, according to The 04 Center.
From a Wednesday Residency to a Pride Weekend Fixture
“Stay Out ATX” grew out of a yearlong Wednesday night residency Nakia held at C-Boy's Heart & Soul, per the station's report, before expanding into a standalone event. The showcase officially kicked off with a South by Southwest showcase at the Continental Club, and continued this year with a Pride song circle at the AFS Cinema. The event's mission, Nakia said, is to seek out venues that don't normally feature queer music or musicians and give them places to play.
That mission carries particular weight at the Continental Club, which first opened on South Congress Avenue in 1955 as a private supper club before becoming an officially designated Austin historic landmark and a mainstay of the city's roots-rock and blues scene, according to the Texas Film Commission. The club hosted its first all-queer music showcase during South by Southwest, per the same account, marking a shift toward integrating queer programming into one of the city's most traditional rooms rather than confining it to Austin's dedicated gay nightlife districts.
Rock, Soul, Synths and Cumbia on One Bill
Saturday's bill leans into that genre mix. Nakia and the Never Not Now blend rock and roll with synth and soul influences across six pieces, while co-headliners Como Las Movies bring a synthesizer-driven cumbia and indie-pop sound that the group calls “Nuevo Wave.” Led by McAllen native Nelson Valente Aguilar, Como Las Movies has earned a grant from the Sonic Guild and a nomination at the Austin Music Awards. Nakia told the station that queer musicians are present and ready to perform year-round, not only during Pride.
Nakia framed support for queer artists in practical terms, saying it can be as simple as buying a ticket, paying the cover, purchasing merchandise and telling friends about the show. Before his advocacy work in Austin, Nakia built a national profile as a top-eight semifinalist on Team CeeLo Green during Season 1 of NBC's The Voice, according to Playing for Change. Former Austin Mayor Will Wynn officially declared February 15, 2007, as “Nakia Day” in the city, per L Style G Style.
A Health Care Safety Net Woven Into the Weekend
Music Monday's coverage also highlighted the work of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, known as HAAM, which helps provide access to affordable health care for the city's working musicians. Since its 2005 founding, HAAM has facilitated more than $215 million in subsidized medical, dental, psychiatric and vision services for over 8,000 low-income working Austin musicians, according to HAAM. The nonprofit has previously turned to the city for help covering rising costs, formally requesting $500,000 from Austin's municipal budget in an earlier Hoodline report on the strain of regional inflation on performers' health coverage.
That financial backdrop underscores why a showcase like “Stay Out ATX” carries more than symbolic value. Austin Pride's parade and festival routinely draw more than 400,000 attendees downtown, making it one of the largest single-day LGBTQ+ gatherings in the Southwest, per Do512. Austin holds its official Pride celebration in August rather than June specifically to avoid booking conflicts with national Pride circuits, according to KUTX, a scheduling quirk that gives shows like this one room to draw larger touring-caliber lineups. Even amid that crowd, working musicians in Austin continue to face steep local living costs, which is part of why organizers are using the Pride spotlight to point fans toward HAAM's services alongside the music itself.
Tickets, show details and updates on future performances are available through Nakia's online and social media channels, per the station's report. Doors for Saturday's show at the Continental Club open at 9 p.m.
