I’ve heard of Soap Creek referred to as “the best time you ever had that you don’t remember.” Actually, I made that quote up, but I think it applies. Unfortunately, I remember it all, because I drew a monthly calendar for the club from February 1974 to October 1985. That would be approximately 120 posters or three gallons of india ink. I think of Soap Creek as the essence of the Austin experience in those days. The Armadillo was bigger and had the big national acts of the day, but they only sold beer and became a tourist trap for Ft. Hood GIs looking to score pot. Soap Creek had tequila for 40 cents a shot, Paul Ray & the Cobras every Tuesday, and beautiful women looking to turn you on. I headed for the hills of Bee Caves.
You see, the great thing about Soap Creek was that it was out in the middle of nowhere, West Lake Hills. Now, you can argue that’s still in the middle of nowhere, but back then it really was. You had to drive down a three-quarter-mile dirt road that resembled the surface of the moon to get to the honky-tonk on the hill. Nothing but hills around you and a big Texas sky above you. That’s why we called it the home of the stars. You can imagine the scene in the parking lot: a lot of fighting and loving. Either way, you went home sore.
Being the house artist gave me certain privileges, and I took advantage of them. I never had to pay cover and got to meet most of the musicians that played there. Doug “Coach” Sahm taught me it was okay to live in Texas, and in fact, that it was my duty as a Texan to stay there and make art. Like he said, you can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul. Soap Creek gave my band the Uranium Savages a place to play, and because of that, we were able to become semi-regional rock gods, tour, and play places like Amarillo. We decided it was better if we stayed in Austin.
Austin has changed a lot in the last quarter century, and now everybody talks about “the good old days.” But you know what? I’m having as much fun now as I was then. If you lived in Austin a week or a lifetime, then you need to come out to the Soap Creek reunion on Sunday and the meet the people who helped make this town “Groover’s Paradise.” Because we’re going to have the best time, and we’re going to remember it this time. We have video cameras. 
This article appears in October 12 • 2001.