AUSTIN, Texas — Austin FC is coming home to a fan base eager to support the team.

La Murga De Austin, or The Austin Street Band, is a mix of musicians who lead musical chants for the club. The band is composed of MC's, a drum line, trumpeters, tuba players, and anyone with a willing singing voice. The group has come a long way since its humble beginnings. 

“Two years ago, it might’ve been seven people meeting up at Mueller Park,” says La Murga Trumpet Player Mateo Clarke. Just getting together, brainstorming ideas and creating a basic songbook. On any given performance we’ll have 30 to 40 musicians. About 70 people who’ve been to an event. It’s a real fluid collective environment.” 

Soccer fans are known for their die-hard spirit. Clarke says the group has qualities that they want to resonate with everyone at each game. 

“The character of the band is carnival, that festival environment, unbridled joy, big smiles, enthusiasm,” Clarke said. “We want people to look over at us and think we’re crazy… locura verde, green madness.” 

The group also wants to be the pulse of the city and its Latinx roots. 

“We want to be a mirror of what Austin is,” Clarke said. “Austin is a city that welcomes immigrants. We look at our own band membership and we have people who don’t speak English and then we have Anglos who don’t speak Spanish. And the expectation is we’ll try to sing in both languages. Whenever we get to certain point, we’re like ‘OK, what are we going to call this thing? What are we gonna name it?’ And one of the second place, runner up, was El Latido, which means the heartbeat. Latido has a really cool double meaning, because it kinda means the beat in Spanish. So it’s not just a reference to your heart, or corazon, but also to rhythm. On the back of my jersey is the heartbeat drum. And it says ‘El Latido De Austin or The Heartbeat Of Austin.’” 

Austin FC plays its first home game Saturday June 19 at 8 p.m.