The No Idea Festival is a yearly institution in Texas, originally conceived by percussionist and improviser Chris Cogburn as a way to bridge the experimental music communities of Austin and Houston, drawing on local improvisers from both cities as well as places like New York, Philadelphia, the Bay Area, Berlin and Mexico City. more ›

This year's festival focuses on the interconnections between far-flung improvisers, planting seeds of action and community and netting them together. Hence, the subtitle "Seeds and Systems." more ›

Now in its seventh year, the No Idea Festival has expanded once again to bring improvised music to select locales - Austin, San Antonio, Ft. Worth, Houston, and New Orleans - by selectively combining the talents of musicians from Austin to Zurich in collaborative, live performance. more ›

Whether it’s at the forefront in an all-timpani ensemble or artificially inseminated into your favorite techno jam, percussion moves and shapes music differently but just as substantially as any other instrument. From technically robust prog-rock players to minimalist and simple garage rock bangers, a good percussionist knows when to be subtle and when to go all out, when to drive the beat and when to sit behind it. Austin has a community of talented percussionists who do far more than the bare minimum – but you can bet each of the quartet of talented drummers profiled here have great respect for the pursuit of accuracy and tasteful playing over showboating or pesky gong solos. Our gang of four -Thor Harris, Sarah Norris, Chris Cogburn and Erik Conn - are different in many respects but are united in their ability to perform amazing feats of slamming, banging, scraping and much more with remarkable skill and a good taste not always synonymous with the word “drums.” more ›

This Thursday through Sunday, improvised music is going to grab a foothold in both Austin and San Antonio. Featuring thirteen artists from all over the world – from the close confines of Houston and Austin to the far-off reaches of Tokyo and Boston – the No Idea Festival is poised to showcase a diverse array of acts you likely won’t see anywhere else, anytime soon. more ›