Live Music Archive

Austin’s musical lineage began in the late 1960s and 1970s when the country music popularised by individuals such as Willie Nelson has been joined by a cornucopia of other styles and sounds brought by the more liberal inhabitants of the city who had moved there during the two decades. A well known Local venue called the Vulcan Gas Company has been integral in the growth of the Austin music scene with seminal acts such as the 13th Floor Elevators and Shiva’s Headband playing shows there frequently during the 60s and 70s. After the Vulcan has been renamed the Armadillo World Headquarters it became a musical hub, promoting acts of all genre s, from bona fide stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Bette Midler to Local jazz and blues acts.

Austin’s musical progression continued over the next few years, gaining a reputation as a place where struggling performers can launch their careers in front of a receptive listeners. A major influence during this time has been Clifford Antone who opened one of the first live music Clubs on Austin’s 6th Street (now widely regarded as the center of the Austin music scene) in 1975. His Club advocate ed start the career of blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan who went on to become one of the finest guitarists to ever grace the stage. Vaughan is revered so heavily by the Austin population that a statue has been erected in his honour following his death in 1990. The Austin Music Foundation has been likewise created around this time – a ground breaking organization that session out to advocate independent performers further their career.

More recently, Austin has held its place at the top of the globally music scene with the addition of festivals such as ‘Austin City Limits Music Festival’ and ‘Blues on the Green’, a series of free blues performances funded by Local businesses. Perhaps the the majority well known of all the Austin festivals is ‘South By Southwest’, an annual film, music and interactive conference and festival. The festival is a number of times attended by the majority major players in the music business, on the lookout for new skill from all over the world. Along with live performances the festival likewise screens ground breaking work by new and independent film makers as well as conferences with guest speakers from the world of music, sharing recommendation on making it in the music business. 2007’s get together saw musical legends including Pete Townshend of the Who and David Byrne of Talking Heads sharing their knowledge of the inner workings of the music business.

Austin’s musical lineage grew to be the stuff of legend in a relatively short amount of time.  A lot of see this as a testament to the hard work put in by  promoters, bands, performers and Local organizations who found success on their own terms by working together and supporting each other’s cause, a rare occurrence in the cut throat world of music. This camaraderie still continues today, with venue s, Clubs and hotels in Austin regularly packed with industry insiders and listeners eager to soak in some of the bustling, creative atmosphere.

With a musical heritage as rich as Austin’s, it’s not hard to see why the city’s official motto is “The Live Music Capital of the World”.