Doris Miller Auditorium, Sunday 17
The shows are coming fast and furious as students settle back into a new
semester and the night life. In one Austin weekend, you’ve got Pearl Jam, The
Ramones, R.E.M., Peter Case, Ronnie Dawson, Storyville, Medicine, Los Pinkys,
Toni Price and Sue Foley, Seaweed, El Vez, The Derailers, Wayne Hancock,
etc… It’s insane. So, how ’bout relaxin’ – relaxin’ and soaking in some of
that Austin blues tradition? That’s what Sundays are for, or so sez the city
and state who are issuing proclamations for Sunday’s Tribute to Texas Piano
Professors like Grey Ghost (inset), and the recently departed Erbie Bowser,
pictured above right with T.D. Bell – who will play with his Blues Specialists.
Also playing this tribute and fundraiser for Bowser, Lavada “Dr. Hepcat” Durst,
Grey Ghost, and the late Ural Dewitty are golden gospelers Bells of Joy, Blues
Boy Hubbard, James Polk & Martin Banks, Jake Andrews and many others.
Starts at 7pm.
AMANDLA POETS
Flamingo Cantina, Friday 15
Elouise Burrell returns to her former home-town with the S.F.-based, funky
world-music troupe, Amandla Poets. As Burrell does her vocal acrobatics with
founding Poet Dumile Vokwana, the rest of the band – complete with dancers and
horn section – whirls through furious South African dance rhythms, and snaking
rasta beats. It’s a full scale, Sly Stone production that went over great ay
SXSW ’95.
PETER CASE/ERIC TAYLOR
Cactus Cafe, Friday 15/Saturday 16
The Austin crashpad for singer-songwriters hosts two good ones on
consecutive nights. On Friday, “Rock My Plimsoul” Peter Case brings the largely
acoustic sounds of his wonderful new Vanguard release, Torn Again, to
the Cactus, reminding us that Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar aren’t the only
songwriters with country twangs and contemporary takes on folk & roll.
Saturday, Watermelon celebrates the release of Eric Taylor’s eponymous debut on
their label, and the Houston songwriter celebrates a couple of decades of craft
that has influenced the likes of Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. Whip out the
acoustics, boys.
WOMEN IN JAZZ
Cafezino, Saturday 16
A preview of the yearly “Women in Jazz” concerts (October 13 & 14 at the
Live Oak), this cozy Cafezino show features the smoky charm of four of Austin’s
premiere jazz divas: Pam Hart, Hope Morgan, LaDonna Jones, and Willie
Nicholson. Turn the love light low.
RETARTED ELF
Liberty Lunch, Saturday 16
If you didn’t score tickets to Pearl Hamster or don’t necessarily want to
watch Eddie Chedder sweat, you can put your best baseball cap on backwards and
bop along with the goofy psycho stage shenanigans of Retarted Elf. And if you
break a sweat yourself, not to worry, it means you’re probably even cooler than
you thought you were. Crowd surfing is thoroughly encouraged. The costumes and
the props are almost as fun as the driving, soul-searing funkathon
– which
on this night is gratis. Free. – Abel Salas
ZILKER PARK FALL JAZZ FEST
Zilker Hillside, Saturday 16 & Sunday 17
Moving through puberty and into adulthood, the annual Zilker Park Fall Jazz
Festival turns 15 this year, and in music town Austin, that’s practically
mandatory retirement age. Not so crotchety though, is this years lineup: On
Saturday, Paul Glasse (3pm); Austin Jazz Workshop (4:15pm); Greenstreet
(5:30pm); Hope Morgan (6:45pm); and Big Band Sound of Austin (8pm). On Sunday,
there’s Round Trip (3pm); J.W. Davis (4:15pm); C02 Orchestra
(5:30pm); Maryann Price (6:45pm); and Tomas Ramirez (8pm). Both days are free.
Bring a blankee.
DRUHA TRAVA
Chicago House, Sunday 17
In Spanish there’s a saying: En su casa le conocen, which translates to
`they know ’em at home,’ but really means `I’ve never heard of ’em, but I’m
sure someone has.’ In the case of Czech bluegrass band Druha Trava, that
`someone’ is the entire continent of Europe it seems, as these Czech Grammy
winners mine the cross-continental equivalent of Appalachian mountain music.
SILKWORM, EDSEL
Electric Lounge, Monday 18
One of those last-minute bookings that oughtta relieve those Stormy Monday
Blues. Missoula’s cerebral trio Silkworm, fresh from the indies C/Z and El
Recordo, bring their angular smart-rock, and anguished love-rock to the Lounge,
before Matador gets them in the fall. D.C.’s Edsel, themselves making the jump
from Grass Records to Relativity in October, are a good pairing with similar
art-noise textures dressing up pop songs. Good double bill.
PATTY DAVID
Broken Spoke, Wednesday 20
Hard to break into the Austin country scene if you’re (a) female, and (b) a
Nashvillian (musically speaking, that is). But Patty David’s giving it a shot,
and so’s the Broken Spoke, so maybe we all should. David’s new album, Let Me
Be the One, gets a preview here, and so can you.
BLUES MUSICAL FESTIVAL ’95
Erwin Center, Thursday 21
The H.O.R.D.E. tour of the blues set, B.B. King’s annual Blues Tour sports the
singular talents of Blues Boy King, Austin’s own Jimmie Vaughan, Etta James,
and Jay Geils with Magic Dick and Elvin Bishop. The last two years have been
loose, fun affairs, with King delivering the real goods at the end of the
evening. Vaughan ought to give him a run for the money.
ALSO PLAYING
Friday: Ronnie Dawson, Continental Club
Saturday: Seaweed, Into Another, Drop Kick, Emo’s; Los Pinky’s, Jovita’s; Celtic Music, Dougherty Arts Center
Sunday: R.E.M., Radiohead, Natalie Merchant, South Park Meadows; Hank
Williams Tribute, Continental Club
Monday: Lou Ann Barton, Antone’s
Tuesday: Itzhak Perlman, Bass Concert Hall
Wednesday: Marilyn Manson, Back Room
Thursday: X/XX5 Fringe Fest, Electric Lounge
This article appears in September 15 • 1995 and September 15 • 1995 (Cover).