Antone’s Nightclub already reigned on Sixth Street by the time junior sibling the Chronicle appeared. The businesses bonded instantly as the elder established an initial identity for Austin and the latter documented every note. Hopping through July 23, the Home of the Blues’ 47th anniversary touches off week 1 with Zydeco scion C.J. Chenier and Cajun cousin Lynn August (Fri.), Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli (Sat.), Houston MC Trae tha Truth (Sun.), and hip-hop/neo-soul one-two Magna Carda and Eimaral Sol (Thu.), all of whom we’ve written about before.
“[Opening] night in 1975, Clifton Chenier & His Red Hot Louisiana Band tore the night into a 1,000 pieces, blew every mind in the room, and established beyond any reasonable or unreasonable doubt that … Austin would never be the same.” – Bill Bentley, 2006
“We were bathed in a steady stream of pure and undiluted funk, tight and smart and built from the nuts and bolts of New Orleans rhythm and jazz. … I don’t remember particulars of the show – besides Leo Nocentelli’s incredible guitar, Russell Batiste’s drumkit held together by chains, and the silent satisfied awe that accompanied a post-show pitcher of Pabst at the Deep Eddy Cabaret.” – Jay Hardwig, 1999
And the bio-ready one-liners:
Trae tha Truth: “Proved that word in the streets spreads faster than anything on your FM dial.” – Chase Hoffberger, 2011
Magna Carda: “Best homegrown rhyme syndicate since the League of Extraordinary Gz.” – Kahron Spearman, 2016
Eimaral Sol: “Best ever hip-hop album by an Austin femcee? Short list … 2019’s Sol Soliloquies.” – Raoul Hernandez, 2020