By Will Bowling
Some nights just feel like East Austin—brass warming the air, a backbeat pulling neighbors out onto the floor, the kind of joy that loosens shoulders and turns strangers into dance partners. Starting Monday, September 15, that feeling becomes a standing date. Pershing Hall is launching a yearlong Motown Mondays residency with The Matchmaker Band, and the invitation is simple: show up at 8 p.m., leave lighter than you came.
If you’ve lived here long enough, you remember when Motown Mondays packed the HighBall—hundreds of people two-stepping through a time capsule of soul, funk, and R&B. The Matchmaker Band has carried that spark for years: powerhouse vocals, a horn section that gleams, and a rhythm pocket that makes even the shyest feet move. Now, they’re bringing the party to 2415 E 5th St, where Pershing’s stage is intimate enough to feel personal and big enough to feel like a celebration.
“This is more than just a music residency,” says Kyle Lauterbach, Chief Creative Officer at Pershing. “It’s a celebration of soul, community, and consistency—something Austin can look forward to every Monday.” Consistency might be the secret here. In a city that changes fast, a weekly ritual has a way of anchoring us. You’ll know there’s a place to dance on Mondays, to sing along to the songs your parents loved and the ones you didn’t know you knew by heart.
Pershing Hall has been steadily growing into one of the east side’s most versatile rooms—ticketed shows, intimate acoustic sets, and the kind of private events where big ideas get toasted with small-batch cocktails. Across the street, Pershing East keeps the neighborhood caffeinated by day and clinking glasses by night. Tucked next door, Pershing House remains the members-only original: a creative clubhouse where conversations wander from art to entrepreneurship and back again. Collectively, they form a little campus of culture—one more reason Mondays just got interesting.
If you go
About Pershing
Pershing House
The original private dining and social club, rooted in creativity and community
Pershing Hall
Public music venue and event space hosting ticketed shows, private gatherings, and large-scale events
Pershing East
Open to the public for coffee by day and cocktails by night
As for the music, expect the classics that define the canon—’60s and ’70s Motown and soul—delivered with the high-energy showmanship that makes The Matchmaker Band such a beloved Austin staple. It’s a dress-how-you-feel, dance-until-you-grin kind of night. Bring your out-of-towners, your new neighbors, your friend who swears they “don’t dance.” By the second chorus, they usually do.
Whether you’re a Motown diehard or just looking to start your week with something joyful, Pershing’s new Monday tradition is tailor-made for East Austin: soulful, social, and just the right amount of sparkle. See you on the dance floor.
