I Still Miss Liberty Lunch Reunion w/ the Tail Gators, Shoulders, Dumptruck, the Wayouts, Pressure, Extreme Heat, the Uranium Savages, Doctors Mob, Wild Seeds, Larry Seaman, Walter Daniels, Kim Longacre, Walter Tragert, Kathy McCarty

“If you knew about Liberty Lunch, then there is nothing to explain,” the venue’s longtime co-owner Mark Pratz explained in a statement. “If you never knew Liberty Lunch, then this is your chance to experience a little of the iconic venue that lives on ... and on ... and on.” True enough. Liberty Lunch, the former lumber yard at 405 W. Second, was the single most inclusive, welcoming presence in Austin music from the late Seventies until closing its doors July 31, 1999 at the behest of the City of Austin, the property’s landlords. A hugely popular, highly active Facebook tribute page reinvigorates some of that magic on Saturday at the one modern venue to encompass Liberty Lunch’s spirit, the Far Out. In addition to the many figures seemingly emerging from Austin musical history to honor Pratz and J-Net Ward’s mythic stage – including the Tail Gators, Kathy McCarty, LeRoi Brothers, Shoulders, Extreme Heat, Uranium Savages, Dumptruck, and Doctors Mob – a silent auction contributes to the proceeds benefiting HOME and the SIMS Foundation. The only way the event could be more Liberty Lunch would be if every band in Austin turned up to play “Sweet Jane” all night long. – Tim Stegall