With Black Pumas run, Stubb's BBQ aims to bring full capacity shows back to Austin
Deborah Sengupta StithBack in the before times, Austin's powerhouse rock 'n' soul duo, Black Pumas, sold out an unprecedented run of four shows at the Red River Cultural District venue, Stubb's BBQ.
Now, hot off a performance at the 2021 Grammy Awards ceremony where they were up for three awards including record of the year and album of the year, the band is scheduled to rock the Red River Cultural District amphitheater for a run of dates that begins May 26. A fifth show added to the calendar went on sale and swiftly sold out on Friday.
"This is a historic run with the Black Pumas, as Stubb’s has never hosted five consecutive nights of shows with a band in our 25-year history in Austin," Stubb's general manager Ryan Garrett said on Tuesday.
More:Black Pumas band releases 'deluxe' IPA beer with Austin's 4th Tap Brewing
Presuming they go ahead as planned, the Pumas dates will also mark the return of large, full capacity shows to downtown Austin. Capacity at Stubb's outdoor amphitheater is 2,100.
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ACL Live, a similarly sized indoor venue, recently pushed a series of three Widespread Panic shows scheduled for the last weekend in May to August.
"It’s been a long and difficult 13 months and we look forward to hosting shows, getting our full staff back to work, and being a part in bringing fans of live music back home to the Red River Cultural District," Garrett said.
Watch:Grammy-nominated Black Pumas perform on Congress Avenue for surprised onlookers
For a recent run of limited capacity shows with Dave Chappelle, Stubb's required mask use at the venue and ticket holders received a rapid COVID-19 antigen test upon arrival.
The venue has not published any pandemic safety information for the Pumas shows yet.
"We continue to monitor the recommendations of health experts," Garrett said. He said safety protocols will be posted to the Stubb's website "no less than two weeks prior to the shows."
Austin and Travis County health leaders think that, best-case scenario, the area is about halfway to reaching herd immunity, the Statesman reported on Tuesday.