AMPD Music Launches in Austin to Build a New Community Around Original Music

AMPD Music is an Austin-based private music community bringing original artists and music lovers together through curated live experiences built around discovery, connection and community.

A new Austin-born music community brings artists and music lovers together through curated live experiences, discovery and meaningful connection.

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Austin has no shortage of live music. But some of the city’s best music, and best artists, are still waiting to be found and heard.

AMPD Music is creating a different way to discover them by bringing original artists and curious music lovers together in unexpected spaces designed for listening, connection and community.

Not another night out. A different way in.

Built as a private membership community around original music, AMPD creates intimate, curated live experiences throughout Austin. The artist remains a mystery until guests arrive. The setting changes. The experience changes. But the purpose stays constant: remove expectations, open the room to discovery and let something meaningful happen.

For Founder and CEO Blake Thomas, the idea began with something personal.

“When I was a kid, my parents would take us on Mystery Trips,” Thomas said. “We never knew where we were going. That was the best part. There were no expectations, just curiosity, anticipation and the feeling that something memorable was about to happen.”

Years later, that idea resurfaced as Thomas considered what he wanted to build next. An entrepreneur, brand strategist, guitar player, songwriter and music fan, he began imagining something more meaningful than another concert concept.

“I kept coming back to the same thought: music is powerful, but community is where the magic happens,” Thomas said. “Put a great original artist in an unexpected space, surround them with people who came to listen, connect and discover, and suddenly you’ve created something bigger than a show.”

Founding Partner and Chief Music Officer Brian Lee is an Austin singer, songwriter and performer whose career spans 30 years. Lee curates AMPD’s artists and helps shape its artist-first philosophy.

“Brian doesn’t look at the music scene from the outside,” Thomas said. “He’s lived it for three decades. He understands the artists, the stages, the relationships and the incredible talent here. His musical credibility and perspective are essential to what we’re building.”

“There are incredible artists in Austin who deserve more than background noise,” Lee said. “They deserve rooms where people are present, curious and genuinely listening. Our job is to curate those artists thoughtfully and give the music a chance to be heard.”

Founding Partner and Chief Production & Operations Officer Darrell Dragoo brings decades of live sound and production experience to AMPD. A composer, guitar player and lyricist, Dragoo oversees production, helping transform unconventional spaces into intentional live environments.

“Darrell understands how a room needs to feel and how it needs to sound,” Thomas said. “He brings deep technical experience, but he also approaches production as a musician and creator. We’re not simply putting on shows. We’re designing experiences.”

Together, Thomas, Lee and Dragoo bring three distinct perspectives to AMPD: vision and community, artist curation and advocacy, and live production and experience.

For members, that means access to some of the city’s top talent, original music, unexpected spaces and an intentional community built around discovery. For artists, it means attentive audiences, new advocates and an environment designed to let original music be truly heard.

AMPD experiences may take place on rooftops, in galleries, lofts, historic spaces, private residences and other unexpected Austin locations. Members receive advance notice, while the featured artist and nature of the evening remain undisclosed.

“Mystery gets people through the door differently,” Thomas said. “You arrive without preconceived ideas about whether you’re going to like the artist. You just show up open. That changes the energy of the room.”

AMPD will introduce its vision at a private Austin launch gathering on September 24, ahead of its first member experiences.

“We’re building something where everybody in the ecosystem has a reason to care,” Thomas said. “Artists are heard. Members belong. Relationships form. New discoveries happen. That creates something far more valuable than another concert series. It creates community.”

Designed for music lovers. Built for artists.

To learn more, visit AMPDMUSIC.CO.

About AMPD Music

AMPD Music is an Austin-based private music community bringing original artists and music lovers together through curated live experiences in unexpected spaces. Built around discovery, connection and an artist-first philosophy, AMPD is creating a new ecosystem for experiencing and supporting original music.

Blake Thomas
AMPD Music, LLC
+1 847-571-5480
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