If you've lived in Austin for a while, you've probably been to a show at the Parish. The beloved live music venue, which opened in 2003, has played host to legends like Slash, Perry Farrell and Thom Yorke, as well as Bon Iver, Tycho, Spoon and countless others. Memories? The space has plenty. So if the Parish was up for sale, would you do everything in your power to buy it? It's 2017—anything is possible.
Current Parish owner ATX Brands (which also owns Happy Chicks, Pelóns Tex Mex, 508 Tequila Bar and Bankersmith) has decided to sell the 5,300-square-foot venue by way of a public auction on eBay, starting this Friday, December 1, and running through Sunday, December 10. The auction is for the name and brand of the upstairs venue (the downstairs restaurant is not included), which includes in-house lighting, two bars, two green rooms, a private office and other amenities, as well as the option to take over the current TABC license.
“Although selling The Parish was a hard decision to make, I'm excited about the future and to see what change new owners can bring to both the venue and Austin’s beloved live music landscape,” says Doug Guller, CEO of ATX Brands, who's starting the bid at just $1. “From a live music perspective, nothing has ever been sold this way in Austin...I wanted to offer a fair playing field from the start for music-lovers of all types to own a piece of true music history in the Live Music Capital of the World.” Guller sold one of his previously owned venues, Scoot Inn, to C3 Presents earlier this year.
While the exact eBay link won't go live until noon on Friday, you can follow along at the Parish's website (the auction item # is 132415535349). Interested buyers can also email info@theparishaustin.com for a private viewing of the space before the auction closes. Good luck!