Ken Hoge.com

The Austin Music Scene 1977-1984

“I Can’t Figure Out Your Watery Love! (Cause it’s a secret...)” -Submission: Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols at Randy's Rodeo in San Antonio, January 8, 1978. photo c. Ken Hoge

In 1977 when I graduated from the University of Texas like many others I was a slacker and wasn’t ready to leave Austin. I took my meager photography portfolio into the editorial offices of the Austin Sun (now the Austin Chronicle)and asked editor Jeff Nightbyrd to let me do photo assignments for the paper.

For some reason he agreed. I think it had something to do with some of the staffers encouraging him to give me a chance, specifically writer Margaret Moser. I almost got myself fired on my very first assignment when I naively shared photos I took of the Borodin String Quartet with the U.T. Daily Texan as well as the Sun. Music journalist Moser and I began covering the music scene as a team. For $5 a published photo I experienced first hand what may have been the most amazing music scene that has ever existed.

From 1976 to the mid 80’s, I photographed the Austin, Texas music scene. Austin was enjoying an international reputation as a cultural “Third Coast”. Progressive Country exemplified by Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rusty Weir and a host of others had gained national attention. But a phenominal mix of musical styles was co-existing in Austin: country, progressive country, folk, world, blues, jazz, progressive rock, rock and roll, rockabilly, glam-rock, gospel, psychedelica, humor/parody, etc., etc. These varied styles all found a common home and faithful audiences 7 nights a week at venues like Soap Creek Saloon, Antone’s and the famous Armadillo World Headquarters. It seems amazing now that these varied styles could co-exist in the same venues but it seemed totally natural back then.

January 8, 1978, the Sex Pistols played a gig in San Antonio at Randy’s Rodeo, a country western bar. We bought our tickets for $2 at Joske’s and drove down for the show. This absurd concert, one of only 5 in the US tour, dropped like a bomb on the Austin music scene. An explosion of punk creativity resulted in an entirely new music scene that formed almost overnight. This new scene found a home in Raul’s club on the drag and also at clubs like Duke’s, Clubfoot, and of course Soap Creek and the Dillo. We were free and we didn’t waste that freedom to express ourselves. Disco dancing, punk posing, counter-culture, art-happening, music-making, honky-tonking honey baby! God bless America!

Photos are available here for collectors of fine art prints and for publication. Currently I am building a database of the many shows I shot back then. Soon I will have this information and many more photos on this site. Meanwhile, feel free to contact me at promethman@aol.com

Ken
 

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