Monday, August 27, 1984/The Battalion/Page 3B
Austin music scene seeing troubled times
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ijkuSTIN — When he thinks about
the Austin music scene these days,
Joe Nick Patoski says what conies to
mind is a lyric in a Joni Mitchell song
[Jhat goes, “They paved paradise and
put up a parking lot.”
“Austin has been unique because
it encouraged original music and the
ienues to play,” says Patoski, who
nanages musician Joe “King” Car-
asco. “What’s been unique about it
sn’t quite there any more.”
“Progressive” country music made
opular by Willie Nelson and Way-
[onjennings put Austin on the musi-
:al map nationally in the 1970s, but
oday there is disagreement over the
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I Patoski is one of’ those who be
lieves Austin’s booming economy,
(linked to high-tech industry, is
trangling one its main drawing
:ards — the live music scene.
University of Texas professor
owell Myers spurred debate over
he issue recently when he con-
hluded in a study of the city’s quality
nflife that Austin’s music scene was
in a state of decline because of the
lumber of live music clubs that have
Hosed.
Others associated with the busi-
ness disagree, saying Austin clubs
are merely going through a regular
[ransition where one type of music
supplants another.
All agree, however, there is more
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quality live music of all types to be
heard in Austin than any city outside
New York or Los Angeles.
“There are a lot of squeaky wheels
looking for oil,” says Ernie Gam-
mage, who leads an Austin-based
rhythm blues band known as Ernie
Sky and the K-Tels. “The people
who are bitching about the scene are
the ones whose music is going down
the tubes.”
Gammage, president of the Aus
tin chapter of the Texas Music Asso
ciation, says R&B and jazz are on the
rise and country-western and new
wave are on the decline in Austin.
Myers’ study was based on a sur
vey of the number of live music clubs
that have closed in Austin, starting
with the renowned Armadillo World
Headquarters in 1980.
“For the bankers, the only thing
they care about is the symphony and
ballet,” he said. “For the young high-
tech workers, what’s great about
Austin, Texas, is Texas music, not
the symphony.
The UT professor notes that two-
thirds of the people moving to Aus
tin are under the age of 35.
Myers says one of the main rea
sons for the drop in the number of
clubs in Austin because of inflated
land prices.
Myers cited the closing of the Ar
madillo World Headquarters, which
was replaced by an IBM office build
ing; the recent closing of the Silver
Dollar, a country-western club that
will he replaced by a high-tech fa
cility, and the razing of Xalapeno
Charlie’s to build an office complex.
But Hank B. Vick, manager of the
successful club Steamboat 1874, said
in Austin’s “Third Coast” magazine
that club managers and owners must
shoulder much of the blame.
More than one customer has com
plained that many Austin clubs drive
away customers by starting their
shows as late as midnight, even on
work days, and charge excessive
cover charges.
“I think the creativity is still here,
but Austin is really lacking a point of
putting all this together again,” says
Lewis Carp, a record shop owner
and local promoter. “We have bars
in town, hut there’s not really a scene
in Austin anymore.”
“I think Austin has become what
people who have moved here want it
to be,” he said. “People want to make
it Houstonish or Dallasish.
“I don’t know if Austin has gone
to sleep or not, or if we can wake it
up again,” said Carp. “People in the
area are still trying, but they’ve suf
fered (financially).”
Carp, 32, says the younger gener
ation has turned to “canned” music
and frequent Sixth Street, Austin’s
answer to New Orleans’ Bourbon
Street.
John T. Davis, a music writer for
the Austin American-Statesman,
doesn’t take as dim a view of the
city’s music outlets.
“It’s a cyclical thing that’s happe
ning,” he said. “We’re going through
a decline right now, but I don’t think
that spells the end of the scene he
re.”
Davis notes several clubs closed
about Five years ago with the open
ing of disco clubs, which were then
replaced by punk and new wave
clubs.
“Right now, musically, there’s not
much innovation, not much new in
put,” says Davis. “But the scene
keeps on going. I think we’re more
resiliant.”
“In the long run if Austin is going
to maintain its reputation as an oasis
between the two coasts, it has to keep
two things going,” he said. “It has to
maintain its water ... and its music.”
Gloria Moore, director of visitor
development for the Austin Cham
ber of Commerce, says business and
civic leaders recognize the value of
the city’s music industry and are
anxious to help preserve it.
Gammage suggests that the popu
larity of the Public Broadcasting
Service’s country-western show
“Austin City Limits” has given a false
impression to people around the
country.
“A lot of people still think its tum
bleweed and cowboy boots,” he said,
explaining that Austin’s live music
runs the gamut from country to jazz
and from reggae to R&B.
Good friends keep you going
when all you want to do is stop.
Your feet hurt. Your legs
hurt. Even your teeth hurt.
But your friends thought
you looked terrific. And with
them urging you on, your
first 10 lulometer race didn’t
finish you. You finished it.
Now that you have some
thing to celebrate, make
sure your support team has
the beer it deserves.
Tonight, let it be Lowenbrau.
Lowenbrau. Here’s to good friends.