scene profiles

By Kim Roche

photo by Kim Roche

Anyone who lives here will set you straight right quick: We’re not Texans; we’re Austinites. Sure, we have good barbecue, and some of us keep our pet goats in the front yard, but don’t be scared. Austin is like bizarro Texas. We drive pickup trucks with rainbow flags on the bumper, chow down on southern-fried tofu sandwiches, and our country singer-songwriters sit so far to the left of the political spectrum that they give a whole new meaning to the phrase “red state.” We’re health-conscious folks who prefer triathlons over NASCAR, and we spend our weekends running, hiking, or walking our dogs along shady, wooded trails and splashing around in God’s own swimming hole, Barton Springs.

When the University of Texas lets out for the summer, Austin’s population decreases by 50,000 people. This doesn’t impact the city as much as it did when Austin was just a sleepy college town, but we lifers still enjoy the summer months, when it’s easier to find a seat at the café and Sixth Street becomes eerily free of frat boys. The summer months are swelteringly hot, so people spend more time indoors during the day and come out of the woodwork to meet with friends and see some live music.

GETTING AROUND

Austin has a good public transportation system. Cap Metro buses are clean, comfortable, well air-conditioned, and an incredible bargain at only $1 for a day pass. Ask the driver for a book of routes and timetables, and you’ll be able to zip all over Austin for only pennies per mile. Some parts of town, such as the UT campus and the South Congress, South First, South Lamar, and North Loop districts, don’t have adequate parking and will be much more enjoyable if you’re on foot.

No one tries to drive to Sixth Street, Red River, or the Warehouse District at night. There are no parking spaces for miles. And why drive? For a city its size, Austin has plenty of cabs, and they’re driven by the friendliest, most interesting cabbies in the country. We also have a fleet of very fit pedicab drivers willing to shuttle you from one club to the next.

From May until October, the heat is relentless. Unless you’re acclimated to humid 100-degree heat, it’s dangerous to walk more than a half-mile without proper sun protection and a bottle of water.

Back to top...

VENUES

Austin is like any city — good spaces come, and good spaces go. Here are a few that consistently put on good shows.

photo by Kim Roche

Emo’s is Austin’s main venue for touring and local bands. They started out with one room, then added an outdoor stage. Now they have a third, smaller lounge. Once you pay your cover, you’re free to wander around between the three. Pee before you go — there’s a reason that the Onion named their women’s bathroom as the gnarliest restroom in the country!

The Parish
214 E. Sixth Street
512.479.0474
www.jambase.com/search.asp?venueID=1052

The Parish tends to host quieter bands, and those of us who enjoy our genres prefixed with “post” spend a lot of time there. Post-rock, post-shoegazer, and electronic music sounds great in this laid-back club.

Stubb’s
801 Red River Street
512.480.8341
www.stubbsaustin.com

Stubbs is the largest venue on Sixth Street. Their outdoor stage hosts bands who draw too much of a crowd for any of the other clubs, but aren’t quite ready for the stadium. For more soulful folks, there’s a gospel brunch every Sunday.

Trophy’s
2008 South Congress Avenue
512.447.0969
www.myspace.com/trophystx

Far from the madding crowds of Sixth and Red River, in a section of South Congress that hasn’t yet succumbed to the cool virus, Trophy’s is a refuge for people who like their music loud, raw, and ugly. Your $150 haircut and SXSW badge don’t mean shit at Trophy’s. They don’t care about the next big thing — people come to Trophy’s to kick out the jams.

Back to top...

FESTIVALS

Spoon at ACL Festival, photo by Cambria Harkey

In September, ACL Fest showcases a wide array of musicians on six or seven stages. The promotional posters say it all: Each year’s big draws, like Willie Nelson or Tom Petty, get the big fonts. This year’s definitive flavor-of-the-month indie band, a few well-established bands with devoted cult followings, and a couple of hoary old geezer bands are listed in medium fonts. The really exciting bands are listed in teeny tiny type at the bottom.

Don’t be scared off by the horror of Bob Seeger’s name writ large. If you’re a free spirit content to spend three days wandering around a huge, dusty field stumbling between punk bands haunted by the spirit of Django Reinhart, ska en Español, sexy Middle-Eastern musicians who make all the hippie girls swoon, that band you’ve always heard was good but never bothered to get into, and a singer-songwriter who makes you forget that you hate singer songwriters, then by all means go. But for God’s sake, wear sunscreen and a hat and drink lots of water. It’s a dustbowl out there, kids, and even in September, Austin’s weather is probably too much for you.

If you’re a gentle flower who can’t bear to use a port-a-potty and gets dizzy in crowds, don’t worry. All the bands you want to see will be playing smaller club dates while they’re in town. Most years I eschew the festival itself and rely on word-of-mouth to let me know where the craic’s at.

Mmm, South-by. It’s the most magical time of the year. For one week, Austin turns into a wonderland of great shows, contagious energy, and endless schmoozing opportunities. Get a wristband as soon as you can, and plan on being insanely busy for the whole week. Use those day parties to weasel your way into 4 a.m. after-parties, and keep a notebook handy to keep track of all of your new favorite bands.

Older, wiser, and more cynical musician friends call SXSW “the festival of broken dreams,” and regard this holy week as a golden chance to make out with starry-eyed, lush-lipped twenty-three year olds and raid hotel bars on record companies’ dimes — but you didn’t hear that from me. The festival officially ends with a softball tournament on Tuesday afternoon, but for most of us, it ends with a nasty head cold brought on by a week of bad food, no sleep, and rivers of beer.

Back to top...

FOOD

photo by Kim Roche

Casa de Luz serves vegan, macrobiotic lunches and dinners for a reasonable price. There’s no menu, so if you don’t like the dinner they have planned that night, come back another time. Every plate includes a whole grain, veg, greens, a protein, a pickled vegetable, and salad. Soup, raw veggies, and rooibos tea are also available. The food is delicious, simple, and nourishing, and made from the highest-quality local organic produce. Austinites make a ritual of eating at Casa the night before an athletic event or a big test because they know that a meal at Casa will leave them with a sense of well-being that lasts all through the next day. Their weekend brunches are also very popular, and a sure-fire hangover cure for those of us who can’t stomach menudo. Trust me on this one — the food here is so tasty that even my most die-hard carnivore friends bring their plates back to the kitchen for seconds.

Hoek’s — a.k.a. Death Metal Pizza
320 E. Sixth Street

Don’t bother to call. They won’t be able to hear the phone ring. Nothing tastes better at 2 a.m. than a slice of mushroom pizza that comes from a hole in the wall where you have to communicate your order to the counter guy in sign language because they’ve got Florida’s finest speed metal cranked up to 11. And at Hoek’s, they always have it cranked up to 11.

Home Slice Pizza
1415 South Congress Avenue
512.444.PIES
www.homeslicepizza.com

The first time I bit into a Home Slice pizza, I teared up. This is the first real East-coast caliber pizza I’ve eaten since I moved away from Boston in 1992. The crust is so crisp yet yielding, and the sauce-to-cheese ratio is so perfect that I can rarely bring myself to order toppings.

Unlike a real East-coast pizza place, the staff is pure eye candy, but that’s a concession I’m willing to make.

Phoenicia
4701A Burnet Road
512.323.6770

2912 S. Lamar Blvd.
512.447.4444
www.phoeniciabakery.com

Phoenicia is part Middle-Eastern deli, part bakery, and part international supermarket. They make their own pita bread, hummus, tabbouleh, veggie dolmas, and baba ghanoush, and they sell roasted chickpeas, nuts, and other protein-rich snacks.

Salt Lick
18001 FM 1826
Driftwood, TX
512.858.4959
www.saltlickbbq.com

What makes us city folk white-knuckle it down miles of terrifying, unlit, two-lane country roads at 60 mph just to get to the Salt Lick? Meat, my friends. Piles and piles of meat. So much meat that your clothes will smell like sausage for days. So much meat that you will likely be reincarnated as a cow after just one meal.

Get a group of friends together and share the family-style dinner of pork ribs, sausage, and meltingly tender brisket, plus sides like beans and coleslaw. Don’t forget the pickles, onions, and white bread to sop up the extra sauce. Their coleslaw is surprisingly tasty and light, and it’s the closest approximation to green vegetables that the Salt Lick offers. The Salt Lick is BYOB, so bring enough Lone Star for everyone except the person who’s driving. Trust me — you’ll want them to be dead-sober for the dark, winding drive back to Austin.

Wheatsville
3101 Guadalupe Street
512.478.2667
www.wheatsville.coop

Dude. Back when Wheatsville was just a few people with a good idea, ZZ Top played a benefit to raise their starting capital. Next time you’re buying seitan or vegan mayo, take a moment to thank the Top.

Wheatsville carries enough vegan staples and treats to get you through your visit to Austin without having to resort to Taco Bell bean burritos. Their deli serves up yummy, cooked food to go, too.

Back to top...

COFFEE

photo by Kim Roche

Jo’s is the place to go for dogs and the people who love them. This outdoor café makes some of the best coffee in the city, along with yummy sandwiches, frito pies, and fresh baked goods. Visitors to Austin who miss their pups at home can grab a cup of coffee, make friends with the many dogs who frequent the joint, and watch the parade of people walking up and down South Congress, one of the very few pedestrian areas in the city.

Spiderhouse
2908 Fruth Street
512.480.9562
www.spiderhousecafe.com

Head down to Spiderhouse for coffee, beer, and junior hipsters galore. The coffee’s just okay, but the eavesdropping is priceless. Plug up your left year and listen to the faux-hawked youth ministers to your right spinning plans to start up the next Godly version of Victory Records. Plug up your right ear and try not to giggle as the kaffeklatsch of bearded hipsters to your left kick down the most sordid moments of last weekend’s house parties. But wait, there’s more! They recently acquired a full liquor license. The drama of a well-established coffee house fueled by a full bar? Laissez les bon temps roulez! Please just don’t puke up those $3 frozen screwdrivers on my porch, thanks.

Back to top...

BARS

photo by Kim Roche

Casino has the best jukebox and the best burgers in Austin, but beware: If you spend too many quarters on Klaus Nomi songs, the bartender will switch over to the house CD player until the jukebox stops making her want to kill people. And if you’re insufficiently deferential to the perpetually angry kitchen staff, they’ll kick your order to the back of the queue. Patrons who tip generously, order clearly, and stick to the holy jukebox trinity of David Bowie, Johnny Cash, and Black Sabbath will soon understand why we Austinites love Casino el Camino.

photo by Kim Roche

Is Lovejoy’s Old Austin? Is it New Austin? We’re not sure yet. Old Lovejoy’s was the best bar ever, maybe too good. If your friends were a little late meeting you, the bartender would hover over you like a mother hen and the regulars would go out of their way to make you feel at home. And on Sunday nights, a few DJs from KOOP would come in to spin the best reggae, dub, and bluebeat north of Orange Street.

When Austin passed a no-smoking ordinance last year, the old owner up and sold the joint in a fit of pique. So far, not much has changed under the new ownership, and that’s a good thing. In a club district where gimmicky bars open and close every week, Lovejoy’s is a friendly, unpretentious oasis. I just wish they hadn’t put in a stage; even in the live music capital of the world, is it too much to ask to share a quiet beer with a handful of friends?

photo by Kim Roche

I’m not giving away too many of my top-secret hangouts in this article. Like most Austinites, I’m rightfully worried that all our best places will soon be overrun by Californians. The G & S is a bit different — if you like it here, you’re my kind of people. Welcome.

The G & S sits alone on a dusty stretch of First Street at Oltorf. It’s disconcertingly well-lit, and as profoundly unsexy as your parents’ basement rumpus room. But it may be the most awesome bar mankind has ever created. Where to start? It’s absolutely enormous, so between the bar, the two main rooms, and the smoking porch, there’s lots of room to spread out. They’re stocked with good pinball machines, air hockey, foosball, and a couple of pool tables. And they have an amazing beer selection. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered the same beer twice. The only thing missing is a shuffleboard table.

Back to top...

RECORD STORES AND BOOKSTORES

Austin is a tough town for independent music and bookstores, but we love the ones we have.

photo by Kim Roche

Waterloo is a litmus test for new Austinites. For the freaky misfit kids who flee to Austin from other parts of Texas, it’s a wonderland where they can find CDs by indie bands they’ve only read about online. Jaded transplants from bigger cities yawn, scratch their heads and ask, “What? No Merzbow?!” They carry a large selection of new music, with a focus on local artists.

photo by Kim Roche

When 33 Degrees closed a few years ago, it became a lot harder for skinny indie-rock kids to find new music. End of an Ear has done an admirable job of filling that gap with its knowledgeable staff, tons of independent releases, and a popular series of free in-store shows. They’re located on S. First Street, so plan to spend some time browsing among the other small shops that share the neighborhood.

Intellectual Property
2402 Guadalupe Street
512.478.0007
www.intellectualpropertyaustin.com

Austin has two good-sized independent bookstores, BookPeople and Intellectual Property. I like BookPeople, but until IP opened, I always felt like Austin was missing something. IP’s selection caters to serious-minded readers, and it’s the place to go if you’re looking for academic titles, foreign newspapers, and harder-to-find periodicals. The store also hosts some heavyweight speakers and events.

photo by Kim Roche

Every city worth a visit has at least one radical bookstore collective. Monkeywrench carries a good selection of zines, political books, and small-press releases. They also host meetings and screen documentaries of interest to socially and politically conscious Austinites.

Back to top...

MUSIC AND GEAR STORES

Austin’s musician community is big enough to support some great specialty music shops, so we almost never need to brave those horrible big-box stores.

photo by Kim Roche

John Stile’s Bass Emporium is heaven for bassists used to guitar superstores that carry only a token selection of their beloved instrument. His store carries only the best new and used basses, from humble Fender P-bass workhorses to gorgeous, handmade custom pieces. They also do repairs, and I’m happy to report that they treat my well-loved $150 no-name beater with the same respect they give my fancypants carbon-necked Modulus. They also host clinics and private lessons.

photo by Kim Roche

Forget something? Break something? Don’t worry — Rock n Roll Rentals rents equipment by the day or the month. They have PA systems, amplifiers, instruments, and just about anything else you’d want to rent at the spur of the moment. They even have a huge Chinese gong, should you ever find yourself needing one ASAP.

photo by Kim Roche

Spend a few minutes talking to the friendly folks here, and they’ll find just the thing for you. Besides used instruments, they carry good quality new guitars, basses, and amps at reasonable prices. South Austin Music is a warm, welcoming store for beginning musicians looking for their first instrument, but beware — you might just walk out of there with the baritone guitar or electric sitar you never even knew you needed!

photo by Kim Roche

Drummers deserve some love too, and they can find it at Tommy’s, where customers are greeted on a first-name basis by the second or third time they walk through the door.

Back to top...

BANDS

Austin now:
Some nights, there are so many good bands playing in town that music lovers hit two or three clubs over the course of an evening. It would be impossible to list them all, but here are some of the more interesting bands in Austin.

Guy Forsyth

Music by Austin bands
	Guy Forsyth, Love Songs: For and Against
	The Octopus Project, One Ten Hundred Thousand Million
	White Ghost Shivers, Everyone's Got 'Em
	Big Boys, Wreck Collection
	Scratch Acid, The Greatest Gift

Austin has a veritable army of singer-songwriters, too many of them boring vanity projects backed up by formulaic hired-gun musicians who will play along with anyone as long as they get paid at the end of the night. Guy can write a mean song, and he’s chosen some of the best musicians in Austin to work alongside him.

Midori Umi

www.myspace.com/midoriumi

Every scene has bands that take off immediately and rise to national prominence, bands that gets played on college radio across the country and become a cult item, and bands who become That Band, the one that has more potential than brains and gets signed, screwed over, and shelved by a major label. Then there’s the Local Band. The Local Band is usually better than all three, but they never write that one song that propels them into stardom. Midori Umi is one of those bands. They’re one of my favorite Austin bands, and I can see them play live over and over again. I’m not the only one — their shows are always packed with people who come to hear their compulsively listenable, well-written songs. Midori Umi is a great night out; Paula Smith has a beautiful voice, and she’s a great guitar player who pulls lovely tones out of her instrument. Her bandmates work with her to create perfect vocal harmonies. And they have the best ear for cover songs west of Yo La Tengo.

The Octopus Project

photo by Aubrey Edwards
www.theoctopusproject.com

I’m glad I’m not in the Octopus Project. If I were, and some random person at a party asked me what kind of music I played, I’d look really stupid. I’d stare at my feet for a minute or two, and then say, well, we’re kind of this band where we play raucous, human music with analog instruments, but we also use a bunch of synthesizers. At times, we reach a level of joyfulness that might remind you of Deerhoof, but we don’t really sound like Deerhoof that much. Then they’d walk away, and I’d feel like a dork.

White Ghost Shivers

www.whiteghostshivers.com

Seeing the White Ghost Shivers play always feels magical to me. Sometimes, when my grandfather was in a certain mood, he’d pull out his 78s and play them for me, and I’d dance around as four-year-olds do. WGS’s boisterous mélange of swing, hillbilly, and ragtime make any bar feel like a speakeasy.

Wino Vino

www.myspace.com/winovinomusic

I got hungry one night and stopped by my friend’s pizza restaurant. Midway through my salad, some freak rolled up on a unicycle. Our pizza came, and we watched some more kids pulling gear out of their station wagons. A girl disembarked from the #1 bus with a trombone, a music stand, and a messy pile of sheet music. They assembled in the parking lot and busted out murder ballads, gypsy songs, and crazy, crazy carnival ruckus. After their set, they picked up their instruments and played their way out the door, trombone, concertina, snare drum, standup bass, and all. If Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Gogol Bordello tried to have a baby together, I don’t think it would take. Until then, Wino Vino will have to carry the torch.

Austin then:
Austin is too musically diverse to be defined as a one-genre town. The most popular bands to come out of Austin tend to be pioneers rather than part of a larger scene.

Big Boys


www.soundonsound.org

Several Austin bands have come to prominence lately, but no one in the past twenty-five years has matched the influence or flat-out genius of the Big Boys. Like the Minutemen, they grabbed hold of punk rock in its infancy and took it to completely new levels, and like the Minutemen, their true brilliance lay in the rhythm section. At its worst, punk devolves into a social club of straight, white, privileged boys in active, self-righteous denial of rock music’s rich African American and queer roots. Hardcore punk has always been the worst offender. The Big Boys weren’t afraid to bring the funk, using sixteenth-notes and wicked drumbeats to put some dance in your pants. And Randy “Biscuit” Turner was queer in a time and place when it took a lot of balls to be anything but a straight, white male.

God rest and keep your soul, Biscuit. You were the godfather of skate punk, an inspiration for a generation of queer kids who sometimes thought that they were the only ones out there, and a pioneer who helped blaze trails for punks like me who, thirty years later, think nothing of injecting a little bit of Stax, Motown, or funk into our music.

Scratch Acid

www.touchandgorecords.com/bands/band.php?id=66

Scratch Acid is my Id’s favorite band. They played filthy, dirty, distorted music that confirmed that rock and roll really is a tool of the devil. When he was in his element, David Yow put out live performances that made Iggy Pop look like an extra in a Gilbert and Sullivan play. The best Scratch Acid songs are lustful, evil abominations unto the Lord that confirm every Baptist preacher’s deepest fear. They were the first true grunge band, but don’t hold that against them.

Back to top...

Posted March 2007

Send to del.icio.us  |