Austin Living Guide

culture

SXSW Coverage III

by Max Appling
May 21, 2008 | 0 Comments

This is my last update from the crazyness of SXSW

Saturday, March 15

After a well-deserved slumber, we woke up and were treated to one of those March days in Austin that are there to just let you know that someone “up there” is smiling down on our fair city.  Everything was green, it was 70 degrees, and there was not a cloud in the sky…it was a perfect day to head out West into the Hill Country and catch a performance at THE BEST VENUE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, The Backyard.  And, on this particular day, the performer was none other than the man that put the Backyard on the map (Literally), Willie Nelson.  Now, I’m not here to discuss Mr. Nelson’s tendency to “forget” to pay his taxes, or even his choice of “recreational” activities, but if that man’s voice and guitar work doesn’t send a chill down your spine, then you need to do one of two things: 1) Stop reading this blog, or 2) Keep reading, and then GO SEE WILLIE NELSON AT THE BACKYARD.  Opened in 1993 (with a performance by none other than Willie), this 5000 person amphitheater nestled among an incredible stand of Live Oaks, is located in what was once the sleepy town of Bee Cave, a half-hour from Downtown Austin.  In the past 15 years, The Backyard has become one of the most widely talked about venues in the entire country, hosting everyone from Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, the Gipsy Kings, and, my personal favorite, Widespread Panic, who have played among the trees almost 20 times since 1995.  Unfortunately, in recent years, commercial and residential development has swallowed The Backyard, essentially making it a part of the “Any-Town USA” strip center that now surrounds it.  While the days of all-day tailgating and BBQ-ing (as well as the care-free attitudes that came with them) amongst the hills and groves of Live Oaks that originally surrounded the venue are long-gone, the ambiance and acoustics once inside the ‘Yard are UNMATCHED.  I could go on in this manner for DAYS, but you have to go see for yourself (And you better hurry: It was recently announced that this will be THE FINAL SEASON at this original location, although plans are in the works for a new Backyard to be built just down the road, adjacent to the new Bee Cave City Park.).  So, anyway, where was I??  Before we made our way out to my parents’ house, which they have lived in (And, in fact, have recently put on the market) since 1991 and which is also conveniently located on the top of a hill overlooking the Backyard, we had to stock up on BBQ supplies.  Luckily, I live right down the street from the Central Market on North Lamar, and, at the risk of making a GROCERY STORE sound too much cooler than it is, IT IS THE COOLEST GROCERY STORE I HAVE EVER SEEN.  I prepared Reid and Meredith for what was about to happen and told them about the incredible selection of fresh meats and good beer that is available at the Market, and Meredith took that as her cue to go check out some of the stores in the Central Park shopping center while Reid and I decided on the menu.  So, while she perused through one of Austin’s most unique shops, Clarksville Pottery and Gallery, Reid and I loaded up on local beers (Try anything from Blanco’s Real Ale Brewery; you will NOT be disappointed) and Pork Tenderloins, Sausage, and Ka-bobs, ordered up true market-style from behind the butcher counter.  After we were satisfied with our purchases, we dragged Meredith away from Scarbroughs and headed out to the Lake area, windows down, listening to the new Black Crowes album, “Warpaint.”  We spent the next few hours drinking great beer, eating some great BBQ, and generally enjoying life in March in the Hill Country.  Once night was upon us, it was time to throw on the Wranglers and boots and make the 3 minute trip down the street to the Backyard, where, for the next 2 hours, we were serenaded by Willie and his band under the close watch of the Oaks, the stars, and the GIANT Texas State Flag that dropped behind the stage just about the time Willie himself dropped into “Whiskey River.”  Well, Reid could officially check that one off, as could the rest of the 5000 folks that made it just another magical evening out at The Backyard.  And, after closing down another Hill Country legend, the “Cosmic Cowboy Honky-Tonk” known as Poodie’s Hilltop Bar and Grill (Which is, of course, run by Poodie himself, who just also happens to be Willie’s stage manager), located a few miles further West down Highway 71, we retired to a friend’s ranch, the grins on our faces only silenced by our own exhaustion.Sunday, March 16

Sunday brought another beautiful day, and after a morning spent playing by the pristine Pedernales River, we headed over to Rosie’s Tamale House, for, what else, a “Willie’s Plate.”  In addition to the excellent breakfast tacos (Which, when I attended Lake Travis High School, actually constituted a legitimate reason for morning tardiness), Rosie’s has been serving some of Central Texas’s most well-known celebrities its own brand of Tex-Mex for longer than I can remember.  SXSW was now “officially” over, and we headed back into Austin proper with our stomachs full of Mexican food, smiles on our faces, and the spring air all around us.  In many ways it was just another week in Austin, and for that I am proud.  On the other hand, however, there is NOTHING like the week of SXSW in Austin, and you owe it to yourself to see what I mean by that.  Until next time…I’ll leave you with a quote that pretty much sums it all up…“This town is Nuts…It’s my kind of place…I don’t EVER want to leave.”-Widespread Panic, “Postcard”

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