Credit: Photo By John Carrico

A “wet, sloppy kiss from a fleeting, beer-breathed soul mate,” concluded the Chronicle‘s Greg Beets about this year’s local music scene prom (austinchronicle.com/dailies), which is a damn sight better than a “Cold Night for Alligators,” as belted out by this year’s Music Awards headliner, Roky Erickson. “I’m on the Right Track Now,” another highlight from his Music Hall slaycase, is far more appropriate. So, as always, an AMA encore. Clockwise from top: Roky & the Explosives, feelin’ all right; Best Experimental Band and SXSW 06 music fest manhandlers Octopus Project; Guitars a Go-Go guest Jerry Cole, who may have invented the classic shredder pose; Tres Hombres: art hounds Jim Franklin (l) and Guy Juke flank KVET mouthpiece Sammy Allred; Best Female Vocalist, Songwriter, Folk Band, and all-around queen of Austin music Eliza Gilkyson; perennial Best Punk Band poll-toppers Cruiserweight; River City’s grand dame of the blues, Ms. Lavelle White; and finally, Black Joe Lewis (l) and Red River patron saint of punk blues Walter Daniels. Yes, Roky, those were stars in our eyes.

This article appears in March 24 • 2006.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.