Music News: The Mighty Lost Well Returns from the Dead

After a tumultuous few months, the cavern in our hearts is about to close: The Lost Well is finally ready to (re)open. After some nefarious Austin money shit went down, the famed heavy metal haven for weirdos and castaways was forced to close, leaving many in the city feeling like a friend had died. Yet, the mighty Lost Well returns from the dead.

I haven’t been on Webberville since the original location closed its doors, and all I can assume is that whatever opens in its place will suck. Austin doesn’t need another overpriced spot with a brunch menu. When the prior landlord said it “wasn’t personal, just business” – it made me never want to support anything they’re involved in, ever. Sometimes, there’s progress and then there’s people slitting throats to make a buck, this was that.

To the credit of owners Marcello and Tasha Murphy, along with Miguel Jimenez, they refused to let the spirit of the bar die. While longtime bartender Andy Porter opened his own spot, The Skeleton Key, Austin now has two bars in the place of the one we lost. And we’re better for it. The Skeleton Key is down south off Congress, acting as a new home for some rock and roll just down the street from the 04 Lounge. (Definitely stop by to support Andy.)

The new Lost Well is at 1141 ½ Airport Road (The Tropicana for the Old Heads), and the change of venue works. It doesn’t feel out of place. The Murphys lucked out: the new room has the right kind of lived-in stank, the bathroom has the trough, and of course the ice. It’s a bit surreal how similar the room looks to the Webberville location. The bathrooms are bigger and so is the space, which means plenty of other cool rock and roll shows can happen. If there is an ideal place to call home, this is it. As Austin changes, we gain and lose things that matter to the people who’ve lived here a long time. Losing the Lost Well was rough. Now that it’s back, there is a small moment of relief for some of us with faded Black Flag tattoos and a general dislike of anywhere that has a “craft cocktail menu.”

Lost Well rebuild 1 Speaking to Marcello, he was beyond excited: “The amazing outpouring of help is unreal. So many people not only donated so much financially but also the skilled people that donated so much time into the build-out. Also, our new landlords, the Figueroa family, are amazing and so supportive. It’s like a reward for so many years of misery.” He continued, “This is a rough opening, not a grand opening. I figure that if we don’t miss an anniversary then it’s like it (the bar closing) never happened. We’ve been trying to get this place for six years. Everytime the lease was up we’d try to get it but when they kicked us out Miguel left no stone unturned until he found the landlords. We had a meeting with the whole family in the parking lot behind the Pizza Hut. Before we got back to the Knomad they had texted that they want us to have it. It’s been in their family since the 60s!” He continued with his thoughts on the shared love of The Lost Well, “We would rather it die for good than have it in the wrong space.”

That’s punk fucking rock.

New Lost Well interior Traditionally, the weekend of the 15th is always the Lost Well anniversary party. Back in the old spot, the joke was always “one more year!” that this little community center in black, “the friendliest bar you’ve ever been scared to walk into,” could keep the lights on – and like the trying time of COVID, the people fought to keep it so. And now, Friday the 15th, the new Lost Well opens its doors for a rough opening. Get there ASAP, tip heavy and bring all your friends.

Let’s dance.

The bar is opening on limited hours for the moment – weekends only – cash only. Soon, they’ll be back seven days a week and with the ability to take debit cards. Plus, they’ll have a new burger truck, Badd Burgers for the weekend. Bomb Tacos will likely be back. You know how all this goes. So, hit the ATM.