Liberty Lunch, Friday 22/Saturday 23

There’s music 365 days a year in Austin Texas, and you don’t have to go
very far to find it. We recommended Liberty Lunch for two nights this weekend.
Friday’s radio war bribe — a free bash from KNNC — looks to be good as
Dallas’ Spot comes to town to see if their FM hit “Moon June Spoon” caught
Austin ears. One release that did catch Austin ears was Days of Fear by
Dumptruck, Seth Tiven’s Eighties vehicle which has not played enough of late.
Hildegard opens. Saturday night it’s a gimme: surfabilly thrash rock with the
Rev. Horton Heat, and S.F.’s balls-out trio, the Meices.

SALSA EXTRAVAGANZA

La Zona Rosa, Friday 22

The Fat Tuesdays Corp. has its handa full reviving the La Zona Rosa name.
Right now they’re looking for what will work, booking-wise, and this booking is
an interesting one. Two Puerto Rican populars find themselves deep in the heart
of Texas as Yomo Toro, a sixtysomething cuatro player (south of the
border guitar) juxtaposes his Afro-Caribbean dance folk with Van Lester’s
twentysomething salsa desire to conquer the Western Hemisphere.

LUCKY STRIKES

Ritz Upstairs, Saturday 23

Before this lounge craze there was Craig Marshall and Lucky Strikes. Before
there was Christmas music there was Craig Marshall and Lucky Strikes. Before
there was heartbreak and redemption — before there were standards, even —
there was Craig Marshall and Lucky Strikes. Upstairs, at the Ritz.

EMILY KAITZ

Waterloo Ice House 38th, Saturday 23

Now that Chicago House has closed (look for a benefit or two in January) where
will Emilyfest be held? After all, she’s one of Austin’s unsung songwriting
stalwarts, and some of her songs on the Barnstormers’ Christmas tape are at the
heart of this loose evening of celebration and musical guests.

P.T. SNOOKY’S KARAOKE

Hole in the Wall, Monday 35

What happened to the Wannabes? And just what is it about Karaoke machines that
brings out the worst in the Hole in the Wall? This year, Wes Lane is going
multimedia (he says) and Monday night looks to be something out of an Oliver
Stone movie: madness.

FUNLAND

Electric Lounge, Thursday 28

Kurt Cobain reminded us of John Lennon, and the dead Beatle introduced us to
mad white guy rock & rollers with lots of passion and pop song ability.
That’s a pretty good description of Dallas’ Funland — judging from their
scrappy-catchy reverb rock debut — and they head a good Austin bill with
Wheel, Bongo Hate, Million Sellers and Pam Peltz.

ED HALL, SIXTEEN DELUXE

Liberty Lunch, Friday 29

Maybe now that Sixteen Deluxe is the hit of the dance they’ll point back to
their friend on the wall, Ed Hall, and see if anyone wants to dance with her.
They are, after all, sisters in the Trance family, and you can tell because
those loud, psychedelic smiles run in the family. One of the best reoccurring
double bills anywhere.

CHRIS DUARTE

Steamboat, Friday 29 & Saturday 30

This year has been a good one for Chris Duarte. He kept working the
well-received Texas Sugar/Strat Magik, and with the appearance of a
contemporary blues chart in Billboard, found himself riding high on the
charts. Steamboat may still be the best place in town to hear big guitars,
which for two nights is Chris Duarte.

TENDERLOIN

Emo’s, Saturday 30

Ernie Locke is a big fat guy who loves to show you his belly. He also wants
you to spank him. He’ll make faces at you, and pretend he’s all five stooges at
once, all while furiously blowing spit through the mike and his little
collection of harps. The band meanwhile, goes nuts with fast-moving, back-trash
blues. If your heart doesn’t burst, you must be frozen.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

Austin Everywhere, Sunday 31

Plenty o’ live music and other goings-on this night. Turn to our “New Year’s
Eve Guide” on pages 38 — 39 to see what they are.

TONY CAMPISE BIG BAND

Elephant Room, Tuesday 2

When I hear the phrase “big band,” I start to get excited. Apparently I’m the
only one too, as evidenced by the absence of crowd at the Nash Hernandez
Orchestra affair a couple weeks back. If saxman Tony Campise and 17 other
musicians can’t rock your world, then I musta missed you at Donn’s Depot for
Nash.

CRUST NIGHT

Hole in the Wall, Thursday 4

We’re not really sure what’s going on in the Hole as January 4 is a whole new
year and everything, but we do know the boys in Crust are involved via their
alter-ego Dick Tucker. That means I’m bringing bread and earplugs, expecting to
see something loud and warped. ALSO PLAYING

Friday 22: Alejandro Escovedo & Amy Tiven, Flipnotics

Saturday 23: Banana Blender Surprise, Hole in the Wall

Sunday 24: Dino Lee, Cedar Street

Monday 25: Some Holiday Thang at Your House

Tuesday 26: Elliot Fikes, Pearl’s

Wednesday 27: Ned Henry, La Zona Rosa

Thursday 28: Retarted Elf (last show), Liberty Lunch

Friday 29: Brutal Juice, Emo’s

Saturday 30: Buick MacKane, Electric Lounge

Sunday 31: New Year’s Eve Out on the Town

Monday 1: Earthpig & Fire, Black Cat

Tuesday 2: Patrice Pike, White Rabbit

Wednesday 3: Beto y Los Fairlanes, Continental Club

Thursday 4: Brown Hornet, Flamingo Cantina

This article appears in December 22 • 1995 and December 22 • 1995 (Cover).

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