Austin: Keeping It Weird

photo courtesy of Austin CVB

Pinetop Perkins shuffled slowly across the stage at Antone’s, the divey blues Austin joint that’s been around just about forever. Although the club was packed, a hush of anticipation fell over the crowd. Then, the 98-year-old former sideman with Muddy Waters lit into a blistering rendition of “Got My Mojo Workin’,” and the place went wild. Perkins, who recently earned his first Grammy for his part in “Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas” is a living legend.

That experience was exactly the reason my girlfriend and I chose the funkiest city in Texas for a reconnecting getaway. The destination needed to meet strict criteria: 1. Be a great music town. 2. Have plenty of good restaurants. 3. Offer eclectic non-mall shopping. 4. Deliver pampering and R&R. 5. Boast ethnic and cultural cache.

The only blue dot on the red map of Texas, Austin’s town slogan is “Keep Austin Weird.” Enough said. We were there.

On the national music map for two main reasons, the annual South by Southwest indie music fest, and the rootsy Austin City Limits PBS show, Austin has a soundtrack for every music lover. Into a crazy club scene? Head to Sixth Street, akin to a mini-Bourbon Street, seven blocks of neon-lit honkytonks that draw a (mostly) college-aged crowd to a wide mix of nightclubs and lounges, including Light Bar, Fuel and Momo’s, which has an awesome rooftop deck overlooking the city. Our highlight here was Esther’s Follies, a Sixth Street musical comedy revue that pokes hilarious fun at current events and politicos.

Nearby, the Warehouse district also covers a lot of musical ground, most of it centered on 4th and 5th Streets, this is where we ran across Pinetop Perkins at Antone’s. It’s also home to the eclectic Alamo Drafthouse, a pub/art movie house that sometimes features live music, and the basement at the Elephant Room on Congress Avenue, a draw for jazz groups.

photo by Beth D'Addono

We took a cab to what turned out to be our favorite bar in town. (Although more research needs to be done.) Deliciously located in a former chain saw factory, the Mean Eyed Cat is a live music venue that also happens to be a Johnny Cash tribute bar, complete with velvet paintings and prison photos.

Eats in Austin span new school barbecue at Lamberts Downtown BBQ, to swank at Trio, the recently renovated restaurant at the Four Seasons, which offers a top shelf wine list, including 60 by the glass. But, in keeping with our music-themed trip, brunch and gospel music at Stubb’s, with its $16.95 buffet laden with red eyed gravy, grits, biscuits, brisket and barbecue chicken, was an absolute must.

Tags: D'Addono, Texas, U.S.