Sometimes the buck stops with you and going out isn�t in the cards. What could be worse in Austin than not being allowed to experience its lifeblood, live music? The town where everybody knows your name giveth and taketh away � the Vulcan Gas Company, Armadillo, Liberty Lunch � but where would you be if you couldn�t take in South by Southwest, Chaos in Tejas, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Fun Fun Fun Fest?

Branson, Mo., that�s where. Welcome to me and the Austin Music Awards.

For the last decade, save for 2010 and 2011, I�ve been manning the Music desk at the paper during the annual celebration of local music by locals. Meaning I missed Bruce Springsteen with Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely at last year�s AMA finale. Missed the Dicks and Roky Erickson backed by the Black Angels in 2009. Didn�t see Erickson matched with Okkervil River (Rokkerville) the previous year, or Gary Clark Jr. playing the blues of AMAs to come, or the Uncle Walt�s Band tribute. I�ve only seen pictures of Pete Townshend guesting with Ian McLagan at the Faces tribute to Ronnie Lane in 2007. And I�d forgotten all about fellow Pomona College alum Kris Kristofferson duetting with Waylon Jennings� gal Jessi Colter. Ouch.

This year I�m missing the Brent Grulke Tribute, a riff off last year�s volcanic GrulkeFest as hosted by Mike Hall�s Wild Seeds and starring Alejandro Escovdeo, Robyn Hitchcock, Spoon�s Britt Daniel, Susan Cowsill, and God knows who else. I won�t see Texas� next Dixie Chicks � the Trishas � harmonizing with a reunited Mavericks� Raul Malo. No Ben Kweller, no Bill Carter & the Blame and his very special guest, or my Latin, fire-breathing brethren Brownout. I don�t even know who the headliner is!

Historical matchups beckon you, so report back. On second thought, better not.