AWARD-WINNING "AUSTIN'S MUSIC SCENE" PUTS WORKING MUSICIANS IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL

Thunderhouse Media Group founder and editor in chief Mitch Baranowski joins HAAM CEO Paul Scott to discuss what makes Austin the "Live Music Capital of the World" and the challenges still facing its venues and working musicians.

Winner of three 2026 IBPA Book Awards, including Best Gift Book, with half of all net proceeds benefiting the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- "Austin's Music Scene: Your Guide to the City's Most Iconic Artists & Venues," the coffee table book that took home three 2026 IBPA Book Awards, is coming to the 31st annual Texas Book Festival on Nov. 14–15. Thunderhouse Media Group will exhibit the book throughout the weekend, and founder and editor in chief Mitch Baranowski will appear at the Saturday night Lit Crawl and on a Sunday festival panel.

Throughout the festival, the book will be available at Exhibitor Tent 6 on Congress Avenue, open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, Baranowski will tell a true story at Austin Bat Cave's Story Department, a Moth-style storytelling session that is part of Lit Crawl Austin. The session runs from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Side Bar (602 E. Seventh St.) on the theme "Do You Believe in Magic?" Lit Crawl is free and open to the public; guests must be 21 or older.

On Sunday, Nov. 15, Baranowski will join Paul Scott, CEO of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), for "Your Guide to the Austin Music Scene," from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (1201 Brazos St.). The conversation will explore what makes Austin the "Live Music Capital of the World," including the challenges facing artists and venues today. Following an audience Q&A, Baranowski will sign books at 12:30 p.m. at the festival's book signing tent.

"This book is a love letter to the scene today, written from a fan's point of view," said Baranowski, who fell in love with live music while attending journalism school at the University of Texas at Austin. "It gives you a real snapshot of how diverse and resilient the local music scene is, and it tries to explode the myth that there is just one scene. The reality is, there isn't just one Austin music scene. Scenes are personal, and your scene is not my scene, but the city holds space for all this great music, which is why it's world-famous."

Baranowski developed the book in partnership with HAAM, whose mission is to provide access to healthcare for working musicians, DJs and music teachers across Central Texas. Half of the book's net proceeds go to HAAM.

"If a musician isn't healthy, they can't play. Their livelihood is affected, and our scene suffers," Scott said. "We'll talk with Mitch about what makes the scene so diverse and resilient, and why it needs our continued support to thrive in the years ahead. We're proud to help bring this conversation to the Texas Book Festival."

"Austin's Music Scene" took top honors at the 2026 IBPA Book Awards, including Best First Book (Nonfiction) and Best Gift Book. Billed as the first coffee table book to celebrate the artists, venues and events shaping the city's music scene today, it features more than 160 artist profiles, histories of iconic venues, hand-drawn maps and vibrant photography, and is designed for longtime locals and first-time visitors alike.

Where to find "Austin's Music Scene" during the festival

Sat., Nov. 14, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.: Book sales at Exhibitor Tent 6, Congress Avenue
Sat., Nov. 14, 7–8 p.m.: Lit Crawl: Austin Bat Cave's Story Department (free, 21+), The Side Bar, 602 E. Seventh St.
Sun., Nov. 15, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.: Book sales at Exhibitor Tent 6, Congress Avenue
Sun., Nov. 15, 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.: Panel: "Your Guide to the Austin Music Scene," with Mitch Baranowski and HAAM CEO Paul Scott, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 1201 Brazos St.
Sun., Nov. 15, 12:30 p.m.: Book signing at the festival book signing tent

About Thunderhouse Media Group
Based in Austin, Texas, Thunderhouse is a mission-driven media company dedicated to stories of true grit. Its first title, "Austin's Music Scene: Your Guide to the City's Most Iconic Artists & Venues" (ISBN 979-8-9991381-0-1), is available at Amazon, thunderhouse.co and more than 25 stores across Central Texas. Follow along on Instagram at @howdythunderhouse.

About Health Alliance for Austin Musicians
Since 2005, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians has provided access to affordable healthcare for the hardworking, low-income musicians who make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World. HAAM connects professional musicians, DJs and music teachers and their families with care through a network of doctors, dentists, mental health professionals and other providers who give their time and talents at reduced rates. For more information, visit myhaam.org.

About the Texas Book Festival
The Texas Book Festival, the largest book event in the state and one of the premier book festivals in the country, returns to downtown Austin on Nov. 14–15. Free and open to all, the festival features more than 280 authors, panel discussions, book signings, food trucks, an exhibitor marketplace and the Saturday night Lit Crawl. Learn more at texasbookfestival.org.

SOURCE Thunderhouse Media Group