Armadillo World Headquarters
Armadillo World Headquarters (The 'Dillo or Armadillo WHQ) was an influential Texas music hall and beer garden in Austin at 5251⁄2 Barton Springs Road – at South First Street – just south of the Colorado River and downtown Austin. The 'Dillo flourished from 1970 to 1980.[1][2][3][4] The structure that housed it, an old National Guard Armory, was demolished in 1981 and replaced by a 13-story office building.[5]
History
In 1970, Austin's flagship
The name for the Armadillo was inspired by the use of armadillos as a symbol in the artwork of
In founding the Armadillo World Headquarters,[8] Wilson was assisted by Jim Franklin,[7] Mike Tolleson (né Robert Michael Tolleson; born 1942), an entertainment attorney licensed by the State Bar of Texas in 1968, Bobby Hedderman from the Vulcan Gas Company and Hank Alrich. Funding for the venture was initially provided by Shiva's Headband founder's father, Dan Perskin, and Mad Dog, Inc. an Austin literati group that included Bud Shrake.
The Armadillo World Headquarters officially opened on August 7, 1970, with Shiva's Headband, the Hub City Movers, and Whistler performing.[9]
The Armadillo caught on quickly with the hippie culture of Austin because admission was inexpensive and the hall tolerated cannabis use. Even though illicit drug use was flagrant, the Armadillo was never raided. Anecdotes suggest the police were worried about having to bust their fellow officers as well as local and state politicians.
Soon, the Armadillo started receiving publicity in national magazines such as
The unique blend of
Despite its successes, the Armadillo always struggled financially. The addition of the Armadillo
"People don't remember this part: the months and months of drudgery. People talk about the Armadillo like it was a huge success, but there were months where hardly anyone showed up. After the first night when no one really came I ended up crying myself to sleep up on stage."
This predicament was blamed on a combination of large guaranteed payments for the acts, cheap ticket prices, and poor
The final concert at the Armadillo took place on December 31, 1980.
Live recordings made at the Armadillo
Progressive country, rock, blues, punk
- Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen: Sleazy Roadside Stories
- Recorded December 1973, released in 1988; OCLC 52943579
- Recorded December 1973, released in 1988;
- OCLC 872055098
- The Mothers: Bongo Fury(1975)
- Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals); George Duke (keyboards); Captain Beefheart (harmonica, vocals, shoppy bags); Bruce Fowler (trombone); Tom Fowler (bass); Denny Walley (guitar, vocals); Terry Bozzio (drums)
- Recorded May 20 & 21, 1975; "200 Years Old" and "Muffin Man" intros were recorded in January and February 1974 at the
- Back-side of the album cover: "Special thanks to the kitchen staff at The Armadillo, especially Jan Beeman" (née Janelle Gay Hopper; 1934–2007)[16]
- New Riders of the Purple Sage: Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, 6/13/75 (1975)
- Sir Douglas Quintet, Freddy Fender, Roky Erickson: Re-Union of the Cosmic Brothers (1975)
- Waylon Jennings: Waylon:Live (1976)[13]
- Sir Douglas Quintet: Live Love (1977)
- Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers & Friends: Wanted: Dead or Alive (1977)
- The Bugs Henderson Group: At Last – Recorded Live on Stage (1978)
- The Cobras: Live & Deadly
- Cobras: Denny Freeman (guitar), Larry Lange (bass), Rodney Craig (drums), Joe Sublett (né Joseph M. Sublett; born 1953) (saxophone), Paul J. Constantine (born 1950) (trumpet), Larry Medlow "Junior Medlow" Williams Jr. (1953–1997) (vocals, rhythm guitar), also with Angela Strehli & Paul Ray (né Paul Henry Ray; 1942–2016) (vocals)
- Recorded November 1979, released in 2011; OCLC 904409936
Jazz
- Freddie King; with David "Fathead" Newman and Jerry Jumonville: Larger Than Life (some tracks, not full record)[17]
- Freddie King (vocals, guitar); John Thomas, Darrell Leonard (trumpets); Jerry Jumonville (tenor and alto sax); David "Fathead" Newman (tenor sax); Jim Gordon (né James Wells Gordon) (tenor sax, organ); Joe Davis (né Joe Lane Davis; 1941–1995) (bari sax); Alvin Hemphill (organ); K.O. Thomas, Louis Stephens (piano); Michael O'Neill and Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones (guitar); Robert G. Wilson (1956–2010), Bennie Turner (bass guitar); Charles Myers, Big John E. Thomassie (1949–1996) (drums); Sam Clayton (congas)
- Recorded April 1975; RSO SO-4811
- Carla Bley
- Blue Gene Tyranny (keyboards); Patty Price (bass); Phillip Wilson(drums)
- Recorded March 27, 1978; Hi Hat HHHCD3112
- Phil Woods Quartet – 2 releases: Live (1978) and More Live
- Mike Melillo (piano); Steve Gilmore (bass); Bill Goodwin (drums)
- Recorded May 23 & 26, 1978;
- Anthony Braxton (solo alto sax) (1978)
- Recorded October, 1978; released March 2011, Braxton Bootleg Records BL007[i]
Selected people
Music poster artists (alphabetical)
Posters by the following artists were part of the iconic artwork that helped define Armadillo World Headquarters in the 1970s – "The Armadillo Art Squad:"
- Michael Edward Arth (de) (born 1953)
- Kerry Awn
- Ken Featherston (né Kenneth Wayne Featherston; 1951–1975)
- dasypus novemcinctus) as the official state small mammal. Franklin has been called the "Michelangelo of armadillo art."[19][20][21]
- Danny Garrett[18][22]
- Henry Gonzalez (né Enrique Barrientos Gonzalez; 1950–2016)[18][2]
- Guy Juke[23]
- Bill Narum (né William Albert Narum; 1947–2009)
- Micael Priest (1951–2018)[18]
- Dale Wilkins (né Dale Evan Wilkins; born 1949)
- Sam Yeates (né Samuel Wade Yeates; born 1951)
Photographer
Vermont-born Burton Wilson (né Burton Estey Wilson; 1919–2014) – no relation to Eddie – was the de facto house photographer for the Vulcan Gas Company and Armadillo World Headquarters. Eddie Wilson once told him, "Just tell anybody who asks that you own the place. That way, you'll never need a backstage pass."[24][25][26][27][28]
Legacy
Historical marker
On August 19, 2006, the City of Austin dedicated a commemorative historical plaque that had been installed in the parking lot of One Texas Center, where the Armadillo once stood. The Texas Monthly, in its 1999 "Best of the Texas Century" edition, named Armadillo World Headquarters as the "Venue of the Century."[29]
It is still on the lips and minds of a lot of people 26 years after it closed. This is noteworthy for me because of the zero-tolerance mentality, and now the city erected a memorial that glorifies the things of the past that are not accepted today.
— Eddie Wilson, August 19, 2006
In 2024 the local soccer club, Austin FC, struck a deal with Eddie Wilson, the keeper of the Armadillo World Headquarters flame. They added an armadillo jocktag to the team's uniform, Austin FC President Andy Loughnane said it was important to pay homage to Austin's "creative and vibrant spirit". The relaunch of the Armadillo was celebrated at the Austin FC jersey launch party, with Asleep at the Wheel frontman, Ray Benson.[30]
See also
- Folk Music Club
- Music of Austin
Annotations
- ^ Braxton Bootleg Records is a project of the Tri-Centric Foundation, a Connecticut non-profit organization that supports the work and legacy of American composer and musician Anthony Braxton. (Tri-Centric website)
- ^ An inscription on the historical marker credits Sam Yeats [sic] for the illustration included in the collage, but earlier prints show the initials "JFKLN", the signature of Jim Franklin.
Notes
- ^ Richards 2012.
- ^ a b Galactic.
- ^ Zelade, pp. 46–49.
- ^ Menconi.
- ^ Gaylord.
- ^ McComb, pp. 35–36.
- ^ a b Franklin, p. 23.
- ^ Wilson, Eddie.
- ^ a b Shank, pp. 53–56.
- ^ Nunn.
- ^ Allen, pp. 288–289.
- ^ Hillis.
- ^ a b Stimeling.
- ^ "Joe Ely".
- ^ "Rollicking Texas", p. A10.
- ^ Buchholz, p. B1.
- ^ Reid, p. 7.
- ^ a b c d Patoski & Jacobson.
- ^ Weiseman & Smith, pp. 47.
- ^ Nye 1982, p. 7.
- ^ Richmond.
- ^ Garrett.
- ^ Juke.
- ^ Vermont Vital Records.
- ^ Wilson, Burton 2001, (back of dust jacket).
- ^ Wilson, Burton 1971.
- ^ Wilson, Burton 1977.
- ^ Blackstock, p. B4.
- ^ Hall.
- ^ Barnes, Michael. "How Austin FC is celebrating Armadillo World Headquarters legacy with a new kit". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
References
News media
- Austin Chronicle. Vol. 22, no. 6. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- Blackstock, Peter Mathis (June 3, 2014). "Photographer Burton Wilson Dies at Age 95 – Lensman Captured Heady Austin Music Scene of '60s, 70s". Newspapers.com.
- Buchholz, Brad (April 13, 2007). "Armadillo's Cook Fed Grateful Musicians". Newspapers.com.
- Doerschuk, Bob (June 21, 1974). "'Electro-Magnets' – Musical Group Grabs Spotlight". Newspapers.com.
- Hoinski, Michael (December 9, 2010). "GTT: Interesting Things in Texas This Week – Austin, Jingle Bell Shop". The New York Times. GTT (Gone to Texas) (online ed.). Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- Kelso, John G. (1944–2017) (February 9, 1980). "'Dillo Demise a Sad Loss". )
- "Rollicking Texas Honky-Tonk Hears Its Last Chord". The New York Times (Special to The New York Times). Vol. 130, no. 44, 816. January 2, 1981. p. B1. Retrieved October 19, 2020 – via TimesMachine.
Books, journals, magazines, and papers
- Allen, Michael Robert (Autumn 2005). "'I Just Want to Be a Cosmic Cowboy': Hippies, Cowboy Code, and the Culture of a Counterculture". OCLC 5556736269.
- Clark, Caroline Sutton (December 2016). A History of Austin Ballet Theatre at the Armadillo World Headquarters (PDF) (PhD – Department of Dance, College of Arts and Sciences). OCLC 984940245. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- England, Nelson (Autumn 2005). "Texas Music". Portal to Texas History.
- Portal to Texas History. poster – Note: an original poster – 11 3/16 in. (284.2 mm) × 16 13/16 in. (427.0 mm) – is held by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
- Garrett, Danny (2015). Weird, Yet Strange: Notes From an Austin Music Artist (1st ed.). OCLC 912045317.
- Hall, Michael (December 1999). "Venue of the Century – Armadillo World Headquarters". Texas Monthly (Special Issue: The Best of the Texas Century). 27 (12).
- Hillis, Craig D. (2002). "Cowboys and Indians: The International Stage" (PDF). Journal of Texas Music History. 2 (1). Berkeley Electronic Press.
- Horowitz, Hal (n.d.). "New Riders of the Purple Sage – Austin Texas 1975". AllMusic. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- "Joe Ely – Live Shots". myreccollection.livejournal.com (blog). LiveJournal. September 24, 2008.
- OCLC 8015494.
- Long, Joshua (May 1, 2010). ISBN 978-0-29-272241-5. (preview via Google Books)
- McComb, David Glendinning (September 1, 2008) [1st ed.; 2002]. Spare Time in Texas: Recreation and History in the Lone Star State. Jack and Doris Smothers series in Texas history, life, and culture. University of Texas Press – via Internet Archive.
- Menconi, David Lawrence (1985). Music, Media and the Metropolis: The Case for Austin's Armadillo World Headquarters (M.A. in journalism thesis). University of Texas at Austin.
- OCLC 992748564.
- Nye, Hermes (1982). "Goin' Home With the Dasypus Novemcinctus/the Mystique of the Armadillo". In Abernethy, Francis Edward (ed.). T for Texas: A State Full of Folklore. Dallas: E-Heart Press. pp. 3–13. Portal to Texas History.
- Patoski, Joe Nick (essays); OCLC 958883275. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- Reid, Jan Charles (1945–2020) (March 1, 2004) [1st ed.; Austin: Heidelberg Publishersin Austin)
- Richards, David (2012) [1st ed.; 2002]. "The Times They Are a Changin'". In Carleton, Don E. (ed.). Once Upon a Time in Texas: A Liberal in the Lone Star State. Ma Ferguson) in 50 years to be elected to a state-wide office; after their divorce, she went on to become the Texas Governor.
- Richmond, Jennifer Lynn (December 2006). Iconographic Analysis of the Armadillo and Cosmic Imagery Within Art Associated With the Armadillo World Headquarters, 1970–1980 (, UNT Digital Library.
- Shank, Berry (2011) [1st ed.; OCLC 940649616.
- Stimeling, Travis David (January 2008). "¡Viva Terlingua!: Jerry Jeff Walker, Live Recordings, and the Authenticity of Progressive Country Music" (PDF). Journal of Texas Music History. 8 (1). OCLC 1120872697. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- Wilson, Burton Estey (1919–2014) (2001). The Austin Music Scene Through the Lense of Burton Wilson, 1965–1994 (1st ed.). )
- Wilson, Burton Estey (1919–2014) (1971). Burton's Book of Blues (1st ed.). Austin: Speleo Press.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Wilson, Burton Estey (1919–2014); foreword by )
- ISBN 978-1-477-31382-4.
- Weiseman, Dale Eric; Smith, Joe Griffis (December 2002). "The Enduring, Endearing Armadillo" (PDF). Portal to Texas History.
- Zelade, Richard Erwin (Winter 1985). "The Armadillo's Last Waltz". Texas Times. 6. OCLC 9104814. The Texas Times is a bygone tabloid, monthly except June, printed by the Texas Student Publications, Inc. (UT Austin), under the auspices of the University of Texas System; it launched September 1968
Audio-visual media
- Gaylord, Richard; Hanna, Mark (.
- Vulcan Gas Company/ Armadillo World Headquarters Tribute. Anna Galactic. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
Government and genealogical archives
- "Vermont Vital Records, 1760–1954". GS Film: 2073394; Digital Folder: 7011700; Image 1690 of 2859; citing Secretary of State; State Capitol Building; Montpelier)
External links
- awhq.com – Armadillo World Headquarters Official Site (website registrant is Threadgill's Restaurant – officially known as Threadgill's Restaurants, Inc. – which, since the mid-1970s, has been owned by Edwin Osbourne Wilson, co-founder of Armadillo World Headquarters)