Momos

I miss Momos. This was my favorite music venue in Austin — I went there since it opened. So many good bands, Warren and his bands, Suzanna Choffel, etc.
Sad to see it closed… Hoping to see it open again soon.

I am sad to say one of my favorite live music places in Austin is now closed! The terrible news came in December 2011:

I could go on and on about why this is such a fantastic live music venue and bar, but that would just make it worse for those of you who never had a chance to visit prior to its closing. I had so many good times and good memories there. One of my favorite bands from Austin (Band of Heathens) got their start there– did anyone see their reunion party show there in 2010 (5^th anniversary) ?? It was one of those special performances you never forget. And no more Warren Hood at Momos, and so many other great artists and bands– it is almost unthinkable.
I will miss sitting outside on the wonderful porch with the clear Austin sky and stars above me, having a cold drink on a warm summer night, listening to fantastic local music and having great conversations with friends. This is definitely a piece of Austin that once gone cannot be replaced.

Hey Momo’s… Here is some free legal advice RE: Charging $ 1.00 extra for credit card use:

Whenever friends come in from out of town or people are looking for something fun to do, I send them to Momo’s for a number of reasons. The main reason, particularly important to this music-​loving girl, is because of the quality and diversity of musical acts– on any given night you could catch a bit of blues, rock, Latin, soul, folk, gypsy, pop… the list goes on. It’s where some of Austin’s finest acts choose to play, mainly because they are treated humanely and the sound is great (a venue that takes pride in sound can be rare).
But music aside, there are other great reasons to stop in at Momo’s. They have a nice selection of beers (bottled and draft) and liquor and even carry ice cold Topo Chicos and Mexican Cokes for those who don’t care for alcohol. They offer seating at tables close up to the stage for those true fans who are invested in the music, booths to the far left of the stage for those seeking more private seating, a dance floor, and then a huge patio if you like the breezier, quieter (there are outside speakers, but it’s definitely quieter) option.
The staff is unique as they come, friendly and funny… in particular, one of the door guys Jack comes to mind– always in a 3-​piece suit with a friendly demeanor and a hilarious joke or story, he definitely adds a lot of character to this place.
This place attracts a nice crowd of «regulars» who are usually there for the music, but it’s also nice to see some new-​comers or tourists stumble in, finding the one decent music venue (maybe the only one) on this part of 6^th St. It’s always funny stepping outside of Momo’s…most of the other bars on this block attract young, immature and obnoxious patrons, who you, unfortunately, have to make your way through to get to your car (why I normally park north of Momo’s).
As far as clubs in general go in Austin, Momo’s is a pretty welcoming, warm environment where one can catch a great band, catch up with some friends and have a good drink without spending a lot of dough.
I’ve seen really young and really old have a great time there (I think it’s great that they offer an opportunity for young/​teen bands to play happy hours on weekends every now and then… where else can they get that experience?).
I would highly recommend Momo’s to anyone seeking a good, laidback hang.

two HUGE thumbs down for the management’s manners. I went with some friends to see an early sunday afternoon show (apparently a rarity, as we were informed they usually don’t open til 6pm sunday). there were a TON on small children running around. i don’t know if thats how it usually is on sundays, or if it was because the show was also something of a fund raiser.
thumbs up for the venue and bands though.

Classic Austin live-​music venue. We paid a $ 10 cover on a Saturday night and enjoyed the talent of Skyrocket, who does a lot of covers of classic rock tunes.
Drinks were cheap but weak, and my companions complained that the bathrooms were too small for the venue and smelled terrible — I think that’s a fair complaint for a concert venue…
There’s also a fantastic outdoor patio with plenty of seating.

I’ll begin by saying this review may be a little personal, so take it for what it is, but I feel like a bartender makes a bar (this was our first time here). ‘Orchid’ was her name (or so we were told by the bar-​back), she had blond hair that should have been washed a week ago, she wore pantyhose that should have been changed when they got their first run and she had an attitude that could compete against a high school cheerleader on a power trip. She pretty much treated us like she was an owner feeding her turtle… at her convenience… and she had little consideration about my dislike towards the beer she poured me, she didn’t check on us again until we were well beyond our empty cups and patience.
The band (Something Real) wasn’t too bad… although there was a lot of dead time between sets.
Overall disappointing! I would normally say that I wouldn’t let one bad bartender ruin future stops, because I realize that all places can have a bad night, but after reading past reviews about the serving staff I probably will not be stopping by my next time through Austin.

OKay, mmmmmaybe I should save writing a review for Momo’s when I go in sober but — i just have a few things to say that next time I will make up for this crap here.
That being said, I went to this place as our last stop one night during swsw and i was shit faced. Sorry. HOWEVER, I enjoyed it. I almost crashed into the mirrored wall in the ladies room but i really did like the place. it was easy to navigate and we spent most of the near hour outside in back and with a belly full of whiskey I was happy.
Price? Staff? Food? Entertainment?
I have no idea. I’ll have to get back to ya on those details.

Momo’s is a cool place to see a lot of bands. You usually pay around $ 7 and hear a new band every hour or so. They have a small space for sitting up close to watch the bands, a bunch of bar stools with decent views of the stage or you can opt to sit outside on the deck where you can still enjoy the music, but carry on a conversation without disturbing anyone.
If you are looking to experience a lot of music in one night or a casual place to hang out on a porch and listen to some background music then this is a good place to go. On the other hand it can be frustrating to see a really good band and only get to enjoy them for a short time. I also feel very bad for the band who get the 11pm and 12am time slots on Mondays-​Thursdays as it is really hard for them to pull in a decent crowd.
There are good and bad points to this place, but it is definitely worth a try.

Outdoor deck perfect for listening and glistening.
Indoor bar, stage and seats for all the live music you can drink.
Ideal location and free of the douchebaggery that doth seem to overflow the cuppeth of 6^th.
No qualms, no bad echo spots and amazing natural light bolster an easy and very strong second-​floor venue. Haters take a nap — your shit is tired.

I love the bar manager Grace.
I love the doorman Jack.
I love hearing Warren Hood & the Goods.
I love the patio.
I love the ceiling fans.
I love sitting on the steps outside and watching the band inside on stage.
Paul, the Owner, is very open to fundraisers and community organizing. I love showing up at my favorite bar for a great fundraiser for a great cause to be entertained by some of my favorite local bands.
The only thing wrong with Momo’s is that folks don’t usually pay very close attention to the bands. Usually, you can hear the bands up close, but sit anywhere else and you get to hear the socializing, too. It’s a double-​edged sword because I, too, do love to socialize at Momo’s.
If you get hungry, you can go across the street to Wahoo’s fish tacos. Yes, you can bring your own food to Momo’s. Just don’t try to bring a drink from somewhere else — TABC.
Make yourself at home at Momo’s.
You’ll love it.

I like Momo’s. I’ve been coming here since I moved to Austin and watching Warren Hood and the Hoodlums on Sunday nights… Talk about a great first date idea.
The venue has good ambiance and a nice sound system. If you are mainly interested in the tunes, this is your spot. If you go on a crowded night be prepared to stand if you want to stay inside, or you can go back to their massive patio and sit at multiple tables and smoke cigarettes and watch from a far.
The wait staff here is to the point and not real personable, but they get the job done. Beers are what you would expect to pay 4 – 5.00, and the drinks are par for the course, as well.
It can be a little hard to find for first timers, but it’s location is right above the now defunct Kats’ Deli.

This is a great venue, whether you are coming to just hang out or coming to take in some of the great music. Either way this place has everything that makes it a favorite with Austin’s residents.
The layout is unusual in that the dancefloor is off to the left of the stage. The good thing about this is that you can sit and watch the band and not have to just listen to them while watching the dancers.
Overall this is one of my favorite venues in Austin.

The short of it is, if you’re interested in great bands with a fantastic sound system, this is your place. The long of it is, if you’re looking for some creature comforts with your music, you may be disappointed.
I’ve been here many times over the years, always to hear some stellar music, but it’d been awhile since my last visit. This weekend, me and my fave Dr came out for our fave band Skyrocket! (if I was rating bands here, they’d get 50 023 stars for fun and entertainment and talent value… don’t question the rating system). I’m not ashamed to say that I’m a cover band groupie.
The good parts:
I loooove the rooftop deck, which has a great view, plenty of seating, eventually a cash-​only beer selection, and a nice breeze.
The waitstaff seemed nice, if a bit harried by the crowd. Our waitress outside pointed out that they all share tips, which, while bad for her I guess, is better for patrons who end up inside dancing and ordering from the main bar. Easy to close out that way.
The sound is incredible! I could hear every delicious note of Johnny Goudie’s rendition of «Hot Child in the City», and believed that he was singing it just for me (he was). And when Trish Murphy belted out Blondie’s «Call Me», it was loud and crystal clear. Every nuance from the band, which are many as they are uncanny impersonators of the artists, was heard and appreciated.
Sat nite, the people watching was particularly Austintatious. There was an older gentleman all decked out in cowboy gear, I’m talking red snap down shirt with the fringe, black jeans and black hat, and he was getting down to both Donna Summer and Led Zeppelin covers. I mean, I had to clear an area for his ten-​gallon head banging! Just makes you so glad you live here!
They provided free and plentiful self-​serve ice water on the bar. This was absolutely necessary because…
The bad part was there was NO A/​C. I recognise that this is only a temporary issue and they are working to get it fixed. Oddly enough it seemed to be working in the bathroom, and I, near to heat stroke, toyed with the idea of just dancing my ass off in there all nite, but I thought that might be odd. But, if I remember correctly, because they usually do have the inside area open to the outside deck, it is frequently hot in there anyway. I ended up sweating all the way through my disco shirt… not so sexy.
Also bad: my vodka tonics were fairly weak. Maybe that was them mentoring me as someone on Unilocal has said before, but I left with nary a buzz.
To sum up, I love Momo’s. It’s been around for ages and it embodies what Austin means for most of us… an intimate setting, albeit hot and sweaty, to see amazingly talented musicians. And Skyrocket? Just go see em! but be prepared to dance and laugh the night away!

I came here to shoot a gig for a buddy of mine. Having never been here before, I must say that this place was a little harder to find than I expected. But other than that, this place is pretty awesome.
The ambiance of the place gives an intimate feel to a stage that’s not too small but big enough to where you don’t feel like you’re in an empty room. The patio might be my favorite part of this place. I can probably hang out there all night on a beautiful Austin night. The crowd is a little bit older than the other places I’ve been to, but it might be just because of the night that I went.
If you want a relaxing night of live music, come check this place out.

Went to MoMos today to watch the battle of the bands. I want to like MoMos… but consistently the wait staff is disinterested, its hot inside (well, its inside/​outside), and although you can eat Katz’s food, they don’t have menus. Doesnt that seem silly?
They get three stars for good musical selection but lose the other two for being completely disassociated with the concept of «customer service»

I wish I could like you more, Momo’s, I really do. But 3 stars is plenty.
It’s amazing that after all these years, the bizarre combination of good music and HORRIBLE bar staff has held up so well. You would think they’d spot the disparity — but then again, perhaps they found that by shoving all their money into booking, no one would care. Well we do, Momo’s. We don’t like being screamed at by the bartender when trying to order a round of drinks in a crowd. Do us all a favor and hire an extra body or three — not only would staff be less uptight, but with easier access to wait staff, we’d actually order MORE alcohol! Imagine that!

Rolled through Momo’s for the West Lubbock Music festival during SXSW. It was really funny, because my friends and I weren’t on the list to get in… but somehow, we convinced the two dudes working the door that we were a big deal. It wasn’t so much by what we SAID to ‘em… but more by our demeanor. Kinda like, «dude, you’re wasting our time.» It was really funny, as we honestly didn’t lie or misrepresent ourselves… I guess we just looked like we were supposed to be there… and they let us in. Awesome!
Momo’s was a pretty cool venue on West 6^th Street. Not sure what kind of shows they fetch on a regular basis, but it seemed like an intimate enough venue to catch a singer/​songwriter kind of act. We saw some girl playing ukulele and singing about love lost… seemed pretty fitting.
Like almost every venue in Austin, they had a rather large patio with speakers that relayed the action that was going down on the stage. Since this party featured free BBQ and an open bar, we chilled on the patio for hours, just listening to these crooners, while downing Lone Stars and eating chicken by the pound. Good times!
Would I hit the venue again? Sure, granted it was the right show. Big enough stage, good enough sound and a good view from pretty much every angle of the room. Works for me!

I know Colby gave this place one star. People can suck (not Colby, the people at the venue). But the venue itself is really worth more than 1 star. Maybe it’s cause I’m a musician.
I am not a bar-​goin’ kinda guy even thought I do perform in them. Although Momo’s’ interior layout is kinda weird — the patio being directly outside the bar with a bizarre line of sight to the sea of heads watching what’s on stage if it’s crowded — and if you are a musician hauling your stuff up the giant staircase is a pain in the butt… at least the big staircase out back stops regular drunk patrons from dumping their beer on you. Likewise, the weird beeline from the patio to the «dance floor» (Momo’s calls it a dance floor, I call it wasted-​use-​of-​nice-​wood-​floor-​in-​weird-​location), which passes by the restrooms, is still better than a lot of places for getting your stuff to the next-​to-​stage area.
Are the drinks good? Eh. Average. The sound guy working here every time I’ve been is pretty damn good at mixing the house sound, but somehow the monitors are always wonky. Obviously if you are not a musician performing here this is not a factor in whether one should get blitzed or people ogle, but it is a fact nevertheless.
The Momo’s crowd that I’ve seen when I’ve been is often fairly college-​age, and sometimes younger as I think they let in under-21’s as well.
As much as the patio sight-​line is weird, it is kinda nice that you can just bolt right out of the performance area into the open air with minimal effort.
Cover charge: Good bands deserve better pay. If momo’s has good bands, and the bar is actually funneling higher door charges back to them, then great. If one of those factors is out of line, then yes, it’s possible they charge too much.
Parking: good luck. Seriously pay attention to those signs out back behind that business directly behind Momo’s that say «No parking for Katz’ customers or ANYBODY.»
Overall, tho, if someone said to me «hey, a cool band I know is playing, let’s go to Momo’s» I’d say «ok.» You can watch said band for a couple minutes, and if you don’t like ‘em, migrate to the patio and look up at the real stars.

Snippets of bands playing the Saturday night my date and I went was the key selling point for Momo’s — and they did play well. Checking for a cover on their website pre-​showtime, I’m afraid they are completely arbitrary when they choose which gigs will advertise their door charge. Maybe its just my labs influence but consistency is imperative on a business’ website! Joozy.
I did like how the guy at the register tried so hard to get me to stay when I cringed at the cover:
Me: «Ten dollars? Geez.»
Him: «Yeah I know, but its the something-​of-​the-​other reunion! They won’t be doing this again!»
[I glance at the relatively young and supple appearance of the band setting up — no older than mid-​30s and already a reunion, eh?]
Me: «Who are these guys?»
Him: «I don’t know but its a reunion!»
Sigh.
Another bummer was the wimpy drinks. Trial 1: all ice and two fluid oz. Trial 2: I ask for the same drink but without so much ice, instead its diluted with so much water I can barely taste the vodka or the sour. I suppose you can’t expect stellar from a primarily music venue but shouldn’t get pathetic either.
Stars: great bands, cool rooftop deck out back, laughs from asking ”where are we again?” just so we can say Mo-​Mo.