Every year for the last 35 years, Austin Chronicle has hosted the Austin Music Awards, celebrating the best local music and musicians. But what might sound like a “local” award show to those not knowing the Austin music scene, is a fierce competition to win among some of the best musicians and artists in the USA. This year the award show was held at the ACL Moody Theatre, the home of the weekly TV show Austin City Limits.
The first time I saw Ian Moore was in 2005, and then some years later at the Continental Club. I remember his playing and his extrovert show as something special. This year he played at the Continental Club again during SXSW, at 1 AM the last day of the festival. And it was the perfect artist to close SXSW for me.
Everyone know about Bruce Springsteen, and his songs are well known throughout the western world. He has also toured extensively with his E Street Band, so many have also seen him live. September 23rd Bruce Springsteen turned 64 years old, with no plans to stop making and performing music. (Picture above: Bruce Springsteen with Th E Street Band at the Telenor Arena in Oslo, 2013.)
Obviously Austin, Texas has many artists, some great, some good, and some not so good. Among the great ones there are a few who have put their mark on the music history. Willie Nelson is one of them, and so is Joe Ely, Jimmie Vaughan, John Cotton and a handful of others. Jon Dee Graham is also one of those, being instrumental in defining the term alt.country with The True Believers in the late 80’s.
Alejandro Escovedo is one of the musical jewels of Austin. At the Austin Music Awards show, he was the closing act, and he brought many of his musical friends with him on stage. Among them Bruce Springsteen, Joe Ely, Dan Dyer and Garland Jeffreys.
Everyone present at Alejandro Escovedo’s concert at the end of the Austin Music Awards during SXSW got a pleasant surprise when he told the audience that “we need another guitarist in the band”. That extra guitarist was none other than Bruce Springsteen. Continue reading
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