The 25 Greatest Austin Bands of All Time (San Antonio, Spring: rent, house)

[scm53]

Corky weighs in.

[hound 109]

Thanks for posting this SCM.


Thank Goodness the writer started off with this....

First a word about the elephant not in this room. I love the late Doug Sahm, the musician who best epitomized the Austin scene because he was about soul and could play it all, but you won’t find his name in this list because his two greatest bands--the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados--were based in San Antonio, not Austin.

IMO, Sir Doug spent half his time in Austin & should have been in the top 3 along with SRV & Willie (but at least he was recognized).


Nice to see Joe Ely, Okkervil River, Don Walser, the LeRoi Bros & Alejandro's bands on the list.

Others who probably should have been up there: Joe King Carrasco, & Jerry Jeff with his Lost Gonzo band. Also, Johnny Winter & Janis. (yeah, i know they were from the golden triangle, but Austin should claim them since they spent alot of time here & claimed SRV who was a dallas boy).


One I didn't know about:

It's a Sunday night at the Split Rail on South Lamar, just north of Barton Springs Road, and the Summer of Love has relocated to Austin. This is 1972, when bands can rent a four-bedroom house for $250, and there doesn’t seem to be much stress in the jampacked joint. A shy, pretty 21-year-old Marcia Ball sits at the piano, while four guys in cowboy hats gather their instruments, and then suddenly the room is full of boogie-woogie piano and screeching steel guitar. Freda and the Firedogs, who recorded an album for Atlantic produced by the legendary Jerry Wexler (see also: Aretha Franklin), were, in the words of Joe Nick Patoski, “the right band, in the right town, at the right time.” They also had the real country chops to be the first “hippie country” band to get a gig at the Broken Spoke

Wow....a band fronted by a 21 y/o Marcia Ball, mixing blues & country (& since Wexler produced it....it must have had ALOT of soul with fabulous musicians & production). I've got to search that album (or some of the songs) out. Gotta love the circa 1972 pics in front of Dry Creek. (probably sitting outside because that old crusty lady kicked them out).

[Paddy the Plasterer]

Of course these things are very subjective, but I would have Bad Livers, Poison 13, Tosca and Glass Eye in there. Nice to see the likes of Bluebonnet Boys and Jesse James and All the Boys get a mention.... that is a part of Austin music history that often gets forgotten about.

[scm53]

What I love about Austin music, is how it is intertwined with life. When I lived here the first time, the lady that cleaned our house also cleaned Marcia Ball and Gordon Fowler's house. Tish Hinajosa's accompanist - Marvin Dykhaus - his wife was my kids' elementary music teacher. Used to use the same accountant as Asleep At The Wheel, and would see Ray in their office all the time. In fact, saw him at the S Austin Costco last month. Half of Beto y los Fairlanes played at our church. My ex-wife's hairdresser was one of the Kyle Family. One of Alejandro Escovedo's band, their wife does my wife's nails.

I'm not saying this to name drop, and I apologize if it sounds like I am. My somewhat belabored point is, that here, all of these artists are our neighbors. They are just folks, with jobs like all of us. I know artists, from all walks, are amazed when they come here, and folks don't intrude in their lives. Part of it is our live and let live - bigger part is that no matter how big you are, your are just another neighbor.

[hound 109]

Nice post scm. Agreed about the musicians being regular folks. Standing in line for breakfast tacos or BBQ......getting their fix satisfied just like the rest of us.

Here's that pic in front of Dry Creek. (the pic is backwards isn't it?)





Sign even indicates it has a pay phone inside. My kid would be asking "what's a pay phone??"