Purgatory Players

Purgatory Players are playing The Saxon Pub on Sunday afternoons, starting September 27 and running through October 18. It's a series of gospel and americana shows, and they're playing as a benefit for The Central Texas Food Bank, so the money goes to a good cause.

The Saxon Pub is a South Austin institution, sitting at South Lamar and Barton Springs. It's a wood-hewn songwriters' sanctuary that's been around for about two and a half decades and holds around 150 people. Since it opened in 1990, it's hosted well over 22,000 musical performances and served as a location for films, videos, and countless live recordings, helping launch the careers of several prominent entertainers and booking some of the greatest music legends in an intimate atmosphere that Kris Kristofferson likened to "playing in his own living room."

Inside, there's no raised stage; the room is lined with card tables and chairs angled toward the performance area. Over the years, the venue has picked up several Best of Austin Awards, including the 2016 Readers Poll Best Intimate Live Music Venue, the 2002 Critics Picks Best South Austin Listening Room, and the 1994 Critics Picks Best Monitors. It's the kind of place where the music stays front and center, and the room feels small enough that you're never far from the performers.

The Purgatory Players' Sunday afternoon gospel and americana shows run as a benefit for The Central Texas Food Bank. They play Sundays at 1 PM, from September 27 to October 18, at The Saxon Pub, 1320 S. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704.