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Thursday 7th August 2003 - Austin TX
We eventually arrived in Austin around 9PM, just as the sun was setting.
Our vehicular breakdown delay had scuppered my plans to visit the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue alongside the river and the bat colony under the Congress Avenue bridge but, c'est la guerre. I had managed a lot of sightseeing and couldn't expect to see everything in all the places we visited. I was happy to be in the States and to experience things that I wouldn't have, had I taken a normal holiday there. Hopefully, I would get another chance to come back and I would know what to see and where to go, next time.
Our vehicular breakdown delay had scuppered my plans to visit the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue alongside the river and the bat colony under the Congress Avenue bridge but, c'est la guerre. I had managed a lot of sightseeing and couldn't expect to see everything in all the places we visited. I was happy to be in the States and to experience things that I wouldn't have, had I taken a normal holiday there. Hopefully, I would get another chance to come back and I would know what to see and where to go, next time.
Emo's
Emo’s is a curious place to say the least. An odd, but feisty, Austin Crowd seemed to enjoy the show but were curiously active at times, motionless at others.
I watched Roadhouse on the big screen TV whilst Lower Class Brats and Street Brats played. Roadhouse is one of my favourite movies and, even though I've seen it many times, I always enjoy it, especially for the Jeff Healey soundtrack and Sam Elliot's excellent performance as the aged cooler.
After the show, Davey took me for a stroll along Austin’s famous 6th St, to sample the sights, sound and smells of this bohemian enclave. To simply be in this place where Stevie Ray had been a regular was a, strangely, powerful feeling. It was easy to see why so much good music has come out of this city. Austin rocks! At 2.30AM, Austin was still about 90º F, a drop of some 20ºF from the day, but still unnecessarily hot. The temperature in San Antonio had been 103ºF; Austin had been hotter at 107º. Texas was proving to be difficult to handle for me; it was the 70-80% humidity, which saps your strength and sucks your will to drink beer. Well, for normal human beings anyway, and even for some Skeptix.
Emo’s is a curious place to say the least. An odd, but feisty, Austin Crowd seemed to enjoy the show but were curiously active at times, motionless at others.
I watched Roadhouse on the big screen TV whilst Lower Class Brats and Street Brats played. Roadhouse is one of my favourite movies and, even though I've seen it many times, I always enjoy it, especially for the Jeff Healey soundtrack and Sam Elliot's excellent performance as the aged cooler.
After the show, Davey took me for a stroll along Austin’s famous 6th St, to sample the sights, sound and smells of this bohemian enclave. To simply be in this place where Stevie Ray had been a regular was a, strangely, powerful feeling. It was easy to see why so much good music has come out of this city. Austin rocks! At 2.30AM, Austin was still about 90º F, a drop of some 20ºF from the day, but still unnecessarily hot. The temperature in San Antonio had been 103ºF; Austin had been hotter at 107º. Texas was proving to be difficult to handle for me; it was the 70-80% humidity, which saps your strength and sucks your will to drink beer. Well, for normal human beings anyway, and even for some Skeptix.
The Emo's audience
The now, expected post-gig bash was held at an awesome architect-designed house in an Austin suburb. The host had thoughtfully purchased loads of beer, which was soon attacked with vigour.
Once again, I found myself outside in the night air with Max and Rick of the Street Brats, discussing all manner of pressing subjects. You know, football, cars, beer, women and all of the major provinces of male interest!
As the party fizzled out (because we had, as was now the norm, drunk the host out of beer) we were invited back to another’s house to crash for the night. In the splendid 65ºF coolth of the residence, we were blessed with relief from the Texas heat and high-speed Internet access. Yet another late night/early morning was had by all.
Click here for the next bit
Once again, I found myself outside in the night air with Max and Rick of the Street Brats, discussing all manner of pressing subjects. You know, football, cars, beer, women and all of the major provinces of male interest!
As the party fizzled out (because we had, as was now the norm, drunk the host out of beer) we were invited back to another’s house to crash for the night. In the splendid 65ºF coolth of the residence, we were blessed with relief from the Texas heat and high-speed Internet access. Yet another late night/early morning was had by all.
Click here for the next bit
