Austin City Limits

Basil McJagger's Swingin' Organ

Basil McJagger's Swingin' Organ

The Derailers Pull into the Station at Dan Electro's

The Derailers Pull into the Station at Dan Electro's

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The Texas Tornado Spins Again for Record Store Day

By Bob Ruggiero
Mar 23, 2023

It wasn’t quite subterfuge, and it wasn’t exactly a scam. But during the mid-‘60s any band that smacked of the British Invasion was hot and sure to get attention. So, a number of, um, decidedly American groups tried to adapt a Union Jack in their quest for attention and chart...
Brothers in Blues Explores the Familial and Musical Bonds of the Vaughans

By Bob Ruggiero
Mar 21, 2023

It’s a well-worn cliché in music history that Brothers Will Battle. From the Dorsey, Everly and Davies boys to the Fogerty, Robinson and Gallagher lads, sonic siblings often don’t get along. But maybe that’s because they’re in the same band. Or—just possibly—They’re not from Texas. After all, two of the...
Jason Roberts Keeps the Music of Bob Wills Swinging

By Bob Ruggiero
Mar 3, 2023

Merle Haggard called him “The Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World” on a tribute album. Waylon Jennings opined that it didn’t matter who roamed the halls of state governmental power in Austin, because he was “Still the King.” And his influence is evident on acolytes ranging from Asleep at...
Everything's Coming Up Aces for Angela Strehli

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 24, 2022

It had been nearly two decades since vocalist Angela Strehli stepped into a recording studio to cut a solo record. But she knew if she didn’t, there just might be some disappointment at home. After all, it was longtime husband Bob Brown who suggested and encouraged her to make a...
Mike Barfield Comes Home. And He's Ready to Dance!

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 30, 2021

It’s the morning after Mike Barfield has played his regular Thursday night gig at the Continental Club in Austin, so he’s shaking off a bit of fuzziness. The ragweed count around his house isn’t doing his allergies any favors either. Still, he’s more than happy to be able to say...
Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's Reveals All She Ever Wanted

By Bob Ruggiero
Mar 27, 2020

Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the book signing/meet and greet with Kathy Valentine scheduled for April 26 at Cactus Music has been postponed indefinitely. For Kathy Valentine, it was a Christmas gift that not only kept on giving, but in many ways came to define her life and music...
With the Travails of 2020, the Mastersons Have No Time for Love Songs [UPDATED]

By Bob Ruggiero
Mar 12, 2020

It’s the morning after the city of Austin announced the complete cancellation of the SXSW festival when Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore are on the phone from New York City. The day prior also marked the release date for their new album, No Time For Love Songs, and they’d played...
Fastball Celebrate Two Decades Since Breakthrough Album and "The Way"

By Bob Ruggiero
Dec 4, 2018

The members of Fastball are in a pretty good mood these days. The Austin-based band have just released a 20th anniversary reissue of their breakthrough album All the Pain Money Can Buy that includes the original album’s 13 tracks, plus 9 more rarities, demos, and outtakes. “We wanted to mark...
Nobody's Girl Launches Country-Folk-Pop Band of Sisters

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 21, 2018

In the comic book world, a familiar storyline move is to put heroes who have established their own books and storylines together at some point to form a super team (think the Avengers or Justice League of America). When it comes to Texas-based contemporary folk and country bands, three of...
Ethan Hawke's Blaze Tells Turbulent Tale of the Duct Tape Messiah

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 15, 2018

Ethan Hawke loves music. And he enjoys being in Houston, having filmed large portions of the movies Reality Bites and Boyhood here. But sitting onstage recently at Rockfeller’s nightclub for an invite-only concert/fireside chat/Q&A about his new movie, he does have an issue with film biographies about musicians. Which is...
Breaking Down the ACL Festival 2018 Daily Lineups

By Cory Garcia
Aug 1, 2018

The time is not quite here for the tough decisions of which stages you’ll be at when two of your favorites are playing at the same time, but the 2018 Austin City Limits Festival schedule did become a little clearer this week as the festival announced which acts were playing...
"The Ice Queen" Sue Foley Returns With Some Texas Blues All Stars

By Bob Ruggiero
May 15, 2018

Growing up in Canada, Sue Foley found herself compellingly drawn to a type of music that emanated from her land mass neighbor to the south. She just didn’t know quite what that type was just yet. “I was born in the late ‘60s. I just turned 50, and I grew...
Waterloo Fest Drops Groovy First Year Lineup

By David Garrick
May 8, 2018

If you're starting a music festival today, you better stand out a bit. Now with festivals hosting many of the same names across multiple cities, it's hard to tell one from the other. However, with the newly announced Waterloo Fest, Austin will get a little closer to how the city...
ACL Fest Sensation Mondo Cozmo Gives Houston Some "Shine"

By Jesse Sendejas Jr.
Oct 13, 2017

"The songs on this record saved me and took me out of the dark and into the light."
Houston Makes Its Mark on ACL Fest's Weekend 1

By Jesse Sendejas Jr.
Oct 11, 2017

Houstonians at Zilker Park didn't have to go far to find little reminders of home.
ACL Fest Artists and Audiences Stand Against Terror

By Jesse Sendejas Jr.
Oct 10, 2017

"For eight hours a day, people put their differences aside; they all stand in the same crowd and watch people that they love."
Mark Proct's Camera Captures Four Decades of Texas Music History

By Bob Ruggiero
Jul 10, 2017

"I wanted to take people to places they would not necessarily get the chance to see," says the longtime Austin insider.
Chili Peppers, Chance the Rapper, Gorillaz Top ACL Fest 2017 Lineup

By Chris Gray
May 4, 2017

More than 100 performers from all sorts of genres will converge on Zilker Park October 6-8 and 13-15.
Top 10 Moments of ACL 2016 Weekend Two

By Marco Torres
Oct 10, 2016

The annual Austin City Limits Music Festival culminated over the weekend at Zilker Park in the heart of our sister city down the road. Most of the lineup carried over from the previous weekend, although a handful of artists opted only to perform on Weekend Two, with the most beloved...
The Best Things We Overheard at ACL's First Weekend

By Cory Garcia, Jack Gorman and Marco Torres
Oct 3, 2016

"This lady is trying to listen to Radiohead and all she can hear is your story about the urinal." “USA! USA! USA!” — So, I’m not entirely sure what the group of bros chanting this was trying to accomplish by jumping up and down and yelling during The Naked and...

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