Best Roadshow
Beets: Rail Road Jerk, Emo’sBlount: The Supersuckers at Emo’s
Gabriel: The Roots, Catfish Station
Gray: White Zombie, Sunken Gardens, San Antonio
Hernandez: Sonny Rollins, Jazz Fest, New Orleans
LaBernz: Presidents of the United States of America, Emo’s/Ben Folds Five,
Electric Lounge
Langer: Joan Osborne, Continental Club
Mitchell: Innocence Mission, Liberty Lunch
Moser: Chris Isaak, Music Hall/John Cale, Paramount
Stegall: Lazy Cowgirls, Emo’s/John Cale, Paramount
Trachtenberg: Skatalites, Liberty Lunch/Bob Dylan, Austin Music Hall
Best Local Show
Beets: Ted Roddy’s Graceland Revue, Continental Club
Gray: Ed Hall, Emo’s
Hernandez: Sixteen Deluxe, Crown Roast, Emo’s
Langer: Scabs, Steamboat
Mitchell: Gilligan Stump, Electric Lounge
Moser: Sixteen Deluxe, Emo’s
Stegall: Sons of Hercules, Emo’s
Trachtenberg: Ed Hamell’s Farewell Gig,
Electric Lounge
Local Act You Saw the Most
Beets: The Fuck EmosBlount: The Derailers
Gray: Starfish
Hernandez: Magneto USA
LaBernz: Magneto USA
Langer: Ugly Americans
Mitchell: 21st Century Blues
Moser: Sixteen Deluxe
Stegall: Tallboy
Local Venue Visited the Most
Beets: Hole in the Wall/Blue FlamingoBlount: Continental Club
Gabriel: Catfish Station
Gray: Emo’s/Liberty Lunch
Hernandez: Liberty Lunch
LaBernz: Electric Lounge
Langer: Steamboat
Mitchell: Electric Lounge/Cactus Cafe
Moser: Liberty Lunch/Emo’s
Stegall: Hole in the Wall
Trachtenberg: Continental Club
Local Bummer
Beets: Clubs closing Gray: The vacant expression in the eyes of 95% of the bands I saw
Hernandez: Chicago House and Austin Outhouse closing
LaBernz: Carl Normal [Stretford] moves to San Antonio
Langer: DMZ’s collapse leaving Dangerous Toys and Billy White hanging just when
they needed it the most
Mitchell: Suicide of Pariah bassist Sims Ellison
Moser: Sims Ellison’s suicide
Stegall: Tim Hayes [Hormones] left for Seattle, injuring hand shortly
beforehand
Trachtenberg: No regular touring jazz in town
National Bummer
Beets: Ramones break up as hapless imitators swarm pop charts Gabriel: Many talented artists such as Ras Kass and Gemeni were slept on
because record labels refuse to support originality
Gray: The highest praise a record could garner in 1995 was “Well, it doesn’t
suck.”
Hernandez: Calvin & Hobbes sled off into history
LaBernz: Grateful Dead ends its reign of terror meaning more roadside tie-dye
stands, Phish fans, and a sudden glut in the job market as Deadheads scramble
to…get…a…life
Langer: Records I anticipated by LL Cool J, Dan Baird, and AC/DC all sucked
Mitchell: Death of Sonic Fred Smith
Moser: Hootie & the Blowfish
Stegall: Deaths of Sterling Morrison, Mickey Mantle, and the Ramones
Trachtenberg: Jerry died!!!
Best Thing to Happen Locally
Beets: Someone stole Courtney Love’s purse at Emo’s Blount: Lisa Pankratz throws in with the Derailers
Gabriel: With KVRX hitting the FM airwaves, underground shows such as the
“House of Phat Beats” are now widely transmitted
Hernandez: Every club that managed to stay open, and every musician that played
there
LaBernz: Magneto USA makes a record; Spoon signs, finally
Langer: Paul Wilkins who?
Mitchell: More coffeehouses than you can count on your fingers and toes
offering live music
Moser: Better roadshows in 1995.
Stegall: Hole in the Wall’s new P.A.!
Trachtenberg: SXSW
Best Thing to Happen
Nationally
Beets: “Snoop Doggy Dogg’s murder trial will not be televised.”Blount: Anti-Nashville spirit – yes, it’s getting national
Hernandez: Dilbert boots up everywhere
LaBernz: Beatles, Beatles, Beatles
Langer: Hootie and Alanis smashes give hope to their fellow half-talents
everywhere
Moser: More women making great music
Stegall: Jerry Garcia took the fucking Grateful Dead with him to his grave!
Trachtenberg: Jazz renaissance
Music in 1995 Was…
Beets: …in dire need of artists with staying power. Blount: …only changed to my eyes by an encouraging number of George Jones
converts.
Gabriel: … saw hip-hop steadily progressing as it embraced the exploratory
nature of jazz expression.
Gray: … a good reason to turn on the TV and pray 1996 would be better.
Hernandez: …marked by mid-decade doldrums.
LaBernz: … saved by Brits.
Langer: …the rare year three-star records make Top Ten lists.
Mitchell: …cool enough (especially with resurrection of Rickie Lee Jones) to
keep my skeptical ass listening in ’96.
Moser: …evidence that rock & roll will never die, even though it might
gag and choke sometimes.
Stegall: …not built to last, in most cases. Call in two years and tell me how
often you still play the Presidents of the United States of America.
This article appears in January 5 • 1996 and January 5 • 1996 (Cover).