Coupon Code March 2026: Up to 20% OFF at Waterloo Records

Austin was not quite the same town it is today when Waterloo Records opened on April 1, 1982. By the middle of the 1970s, the computer industries had arrived, but they had not yet begun to bring the number of people into town that they would by the end of the decade. In addition, Waterloo Records status as a major center for the arts, particularly in the fields of film and music, did not increase the city's population of creative types. The sleepy town had yet to fully experience the boom years of the 1980s. Austin, to put it simply, was a lot smaller. Even though Austin's music scene was smaller, it was well established. Texas music had always appeared to be vital and significant, not only within their own borders of barbed wire but also far beyond them. Texas musicians, from The 13th Floor Elevators to Willie Nelson, gained worldwide acclaim for their music.