Perhaps the sleeper showcase of SXSW takes place in South Austin at the home of a knight of the round table. A single grouping with four of the best songwriters this state ever produced tallies its own raisons d’etre, particularly when it stars two Flatlanders (Butch Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and even money Joe Ely shows too), one True Believer (Jon Dee Graham), and another flatlander in multimedia maven Terry Allen, whose new disc Bottom of the World rides to heaven and hell and back. Add in their offspring, however, and it’s a one-of-a-kind occurrence. Rory Hancock supplies licks to his father’s lyrics; Colin Gilmore‘s grown into a singer-songwriter carrying on the family tradition; William H. Graham blogs for this paper when he’s not woodshedding; and Bukka and Bale Allen are Renaissance men, just like their dad. Pile on top of that the musical family legacy of Kevin, Dustin, and Savannah Welch, plus Willy, Cody, Micky, and Gary Braun of both Reckless Kelly and Micky & the Motor Cars, and the only question remaining goes out to the latter siblings: Braun brothers, where’s your dad, Muzzie?
This article appears in March 8 • 2013.
