Black Cat Lounge destroyed by fire

The sign at the Black Cat LoungeUnbelievable. One of the last great live music bars on Sixth Street is gone. The Black Cat Lounge was the scene of a three-alarm fire early Saturday morning (7/6/02), burning to its shell, and damaging several nearby businesses in the process. In the immediate aftermath, neither Sasha Sessums nor current owner Roberta Pipes has expressed any opinion as to when or whether the club might be rebuilt.

Though the 90’s were clearly its heyday — when Soulhat, Little Sister, and Joe Rockhead dominated its stage — the Black Cat Lounge was a beacon of the music district’s eclecticism for almost 20 years. Other well-known Black Cat alumni include Kelly Willis, The Robison Brothers, Chris Duarte, Ian Moore, E.R. Shorts, Ugly Americans, Pushmonkey, Dale Watson, and countless others. Yes, even Metallica played there.

The fire at the Black Cat Lounge follows the tragic death of original owner Paul Sessums in 1998, another sad loss for the Austin music community.

Read more about Paul Sessums, The Black Cat Lounge, and the fire that destroyed it