Mark Rubin, Jew of Oklahoma Live at The Cactus Cafe!

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Acclaimed folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Rubin, Jew of Oklahoma returns to Austin’s historic Cactus Cafe for a highly anticipated performance marking his first time back on that stage in 20 years. The former Austinite, current New Orleans resident and Bad Livers co-founder will deliver a night of raw, socially conscious songwriting and storytelling, blending his signature mix of bluegrass, blues, country, and Yiddish klezmer.

Mark Rubin, proudly billing himself as the “Jew of Oklahoma,” is an acclaimed folk singer, multi-instrumentalist, and a pioneering voice in the Americana movement. Known for his muscular musicianship and larger-than-life persona, Rubin famously co-founded the legendary proto-Americana band Bad Livers before stepping into the spotlight as a solo frontman. His unique sound bridges his Oklahoma roots and Jewish heritage, defiantly fusing bluegrass, country, punk, and blues with the rich traditions of Yiddish klezmer. Described by the Weitzman Museum as “one of the great Jewish musicians of our time,” Rubin’s socially conscious, raw, and often humorous storytelling delivers an unvarnished Southern Americana from a distinctly Jewish perspective.Today, he lives in New Orleans, where he performs with the Panorama Jazz Band, tours nationally behind his latest album Dispatches: Songs from a World Gone Mad, and works at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience—where he jokingly refers to himself as a "living exhibition".