Destination Anywhere an Insider’S Tour of Hometown Music Scenes, Past and Present

by RichaRd SkanSe Destination anywhere An insider’s tour of hometown music scenes, past and present. Austin tLive Musicex Capital Aof the sWorLd deStination anywheRe auStin, texaS continued it’s A Lot to Live up to, that Texas-sized boast about being the “Live Music Capital of the world.” Austin adopted it as their official slogan in 1991, with no voting or formal competition for the title involved, of course, apart from the city council members who did have the modesty to rule out the slightly more inflated “Live Music Capital of the Universe.” As such, it’s a claim to fame as open for debate as any truck stop’s self-proclaimed “world’s Best Coffee” or w“ orld Famous Chicken-Fried Steak.” The appropriate response to any such pronouncements should always be a certain degree of skepticism: “Prove it.” The key word in this case is “live.” For district. And when visitors arrive at Austin- the better part of the last 40 years, the best Bergstrom International Airport, they’re in Texas—and a good many notables from immediately greeted by Texas music, be it beyond—have all found themselves drawn piped through the terminal sound system or to the center of the state and used the capital live onstage, right in the concourse, as part city’s many stages to launch, or even re-launch, of the “Music in the Air” concert series. their music careers. Austin is where Abbott, does all of that merit the “Live Music Texas native willie Nelson reinvented himself Capital of the world” title? Clearly, it as an “outlaw,” spearheading the progressive doesn’t hurt. country movement that became Austin’s Los Lonely boys at the acL Festival official soundtrack throughout the ’70s. A You’re GonnA Miss Me decade later, guitarists Jimmie Vaughan and Not too long before it was taken over by his kid brother Stevie ray, refugees from the outlaw country brigade, Austin had the dallas, helped change Austin’s soundtrack makings of a real rock ’n’ roll town. or at to the blues. least, it had the raw talent. having earned its rep as the town that In the student union of the University helped put the likes of Nelson, the Vaughans of Texas, a young gal named Janis son at th and so many more—from Alejandro rick rea Joplin would sometimes sit e dg ky il escovedo to the Butthole Surfers to o l’s in with other students at R Spoon—on the American music map, Austin informal hootenannies continues to attract innumerable musicians in the early ’60s. Joplin and music fans year after year. others would also frequent a associate Austin as a music Mecca on the beer joint/folkie bar called basis of the long-running Austin City Limits, Threadgill’s on North Lamar, the National Medal of Arts-winning public becoming a favorite of owner television show, or the South by Southwest (and folksinger) kenneth (SXSw) Music and Media Conference in Threadgill. Threadgill’s tavern March. or maybe they just come because had the first beer license in Austin they’ve heard that slogan and want to see after Prohibition, making it a what all the fuss is about. Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue popular hangout for UT students So how does Austin measure up as a as well as musicians, and was music town? obviously, it’s not the same the seed from which pretty scene that it was in the ’70s when the hippies much the entire Austin and rednecks mingled at willie or Jerry Jeff live music scene sprang. walker shows at the fabled Armadillo world Although Joplin was always headquarters. And all that remains of Stevie welcome at Threadgill’s, she had ray Vaughan at the storied Antone’s is his a rough time elsewhere in town and spirit and a painting of the guitar hero by couldn’t get out of Texas fast enough. Fame, the stage. fortune and her fatal drug overdose would But a couple of years ago, you still could all be found on the west Coast. have caught a talented young trio called Los Around the same time Joplin made her Lonely Boys at the tiny Saxon Pub on South escape, a burgeoning rock scene bubbled up in Lamar, playing week after week to a growing Austin at a downtown club called the Vulcan following on their way to Grammy-winning Gas Company. The biggest draws were a band stardom. A new generation of progressive called the Conqueroo and, more famously, country rabble-rousers like Jack Ingram and the 13th Floor elevators, led by Austin native Pat Green continues to thrive in Austin and roky erickson. The elevators have oft been the surrounding area, while rock and punk credited for helping to invent psychedelic rules the night in the downtown red river rock, and they produced at least one timeless Johnny winter and Janis Joplin Photos © Andy Schrader/ACVB; Daniel Coston/Retna; Steve Banks/Retna Performing Songwriter 23 m a r c h / a P r i l 2 0 0 6 deStination anywheRe auStin, texaS continued classic to the rock canon, erickson’s “you’re Gonna Miss Me.” The Vulcan Gas Company, which didn’t have a beer or liquor license but nonetheless attracted the rowdiest (and the druggiest) in Austin at the time, had a short run: 1967 to 1970. The remnants of the local rock scene found refuge at the Soap Creek Saloon on the west side of town, where a prodigiously talented, jack-of-all-genres San Antonio cat named doug Sahm held court. Sahm did some time in San Francisco during the Summer of Love era with his rock band the Sir douglas Quintet, but Texas and Texas n and waylon elso Je music were always his first and greatest loves. n nn ie in ill g he would fit right in with the progressive s w country movement when it kicked off in the early ’70s, and was right in step with the Antone’s scene when the blues came into armadillo world headquarters vogue in the ’80s. at the wheel. Texas Threadgill’s, remains hoMe With songwriter Steven a great place to see the Armadillo Fromholz, one of the some of Austin’s best For most of the ’70s, Austin belonged wittiest of the wily musicians. There’s a to a motley mix of long-haired country bunch, has colorfully small stage in one of songwriters with a knack for winning over described the scene as the dining rooms, but hippies as well as rednecks, and similarly “the great progressive country the real treat is catching scruffy rock ’n’ rollers and folkies who scare.” It didn’t change the world, a favorite songwriter or local hopped on the Texas country bandwagon. but it definitely left its booted imprint on band performing under the stars in the willie Nelson—fresh from a long, finan- country music. beer garden. A Billy Joe Shaver or James cially successful yet ultimately unfulfilling All of the above acts did their time at the McMurtry show will set you back a few bucks, stint in Nashville—grew his hair and beard Armadillo world headquarters, a cavernous but both venues also have plenty of no-cover out and became king of the town. Soon after, converted National Guard armory just shows throughout the week. he became a true giant nationwide, with south of downtown that first opened its If you want to see willie Nelson in Austin albums like Phases and Stages, Red Headed doors in 1970. In addition to the Texas these days, good luck. Though he still plays Stranger and Stardust and constant touring country rockers, the AwhQ also booked a handful of shows in town a year (usually earning him a level of fame that likely the varied likes of Texas blues guitarist a two or three-night stand at the outdoor seemed a pipe dream back when he was still Freddie king, his Shelter records label amphitheater at Stubb’s BBQ on red river playing by Nashville’s rules. Another native boss, Leon russell, and some of the biggest Street), he’s usually on the road (again). Texan, Lubbock’s waylon Jennings, broke names in rock ’n’ roll: Van Morrison, Bruce But there’s still plenty of Armadillo vets to out in similar fashion, and together they led Springsteen, ray Charles, the kinks, rush, be found playing about town on a weekly the “outlaw” country movement—a genre the Clash, ZZ Top and Genesis, among basis. Until fairly recently, rusty wier held which came to be as identified with Austin countless others. The ’dillo closed in 1980 regular court at the Saxon Pub, a cool little at the time as punk rock would be with New and was torn down a year later. Today, it’s South Austin bar with a vaguely coffeehouse york and London later in the decade, and a parking lot—but its legacy and memory feel and a long history of its own. other grunge with Seattle in the early ’90s. Along is kept alive at Threadgill’s South, located current Saxon regulars include Guy Forsyth, with Nelson and Jennings, other notables right next door. Threadgill’s is owned by Carolyn wonderland, Bob Schneider, and of the scene included New york transplant Armadillo co-founder eddie wilson, and the resentments featuring Stephen Bruton Jerry Jeffw alker, Michael Martin Murphey, a visit to the restaurant is like a trip to an and Jon dee Graham—and if they happen to rusty wier, willis Alan ramsey, Billy Joe Austin museum.

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