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Austin Music

The 2003 AMP Awards

Top 10 local music stories of the year

By Michael Corcoran
American-Statesman Music Pundit
Thursday, January 8, 2004

Photo by Peter Yang/AA-S

Los Lonely Boys (Henry, Ringo and JoJo Garza)

1. Los Lonely Boys, a trio of brothers from San Angelo, lead a vibrant and varied Latino rock scene, which includes Del Castillo, Grupo Fantasma and Patricia Vonne. Henry, JoJo and Ringo Garza go on to become the year's best-selling act at Waterloo Records and sell 70,000 copies and counting of their self-titled debut nationally.

2. The Austin City Limits Music Festival continues to grow, and its namesake KLRU program, awarded the National Medal of Arts in the Oval Office in November, is enjoying a rejuvenation. The fest's promoter, Capital Sports & Entertainment, signs on to co-produce the TV show beginning with its 30th season this year. Also, staffers confirm that "Austin City Limits" is looking to relocate to a new permanent facility downtown.

3. Hundreds of counterfeit wristbands are confiscated at South by Southwest, and several men are arrested weeks later. Despite the piracy, the conference rebounds after a couple of flat years, with a 10 percent increase in registrations (about 6,600). A dour music industry apparently sees our international festival as a more cost-effective way to promote new acts than big-budget videos and ad campaigns.

Photo by Michael Corcoran/AA-S

Joe Ely and Clifford Antone at Antone's homecoming party.

4. Alejandro Escovedo collapses after an April show in Arizona, and doctors discover he has a badly scarred liver, the effects of hepatitis C. Without health insurance and unable to perform, the songwriter begrudgingly gives his OK for two benefit shows at the Continental Club. Soon cities all across the country, from Raleigh, N.C., to San Diego, Chicago and NYC, host fund-raisers for the ailing troubadour. A "sweet relief" album is currently in the works, with such acts as Billy Corgan, Jackson Brown, Ian Hunter and more signed on.

5. Clifford Antone is released from prison and has a jubilant homecoming in June at the nightclub that bears his name.

6. The Dixie Chicks live here. A Pemberton Heights mother trashes our president in London, and her life changes forever. But Natalie Maines refuses to back down, as evidenced by the F.U.T.K. shirt, reportedly a message for Maines-basher Toby Keith.

Photo by Sung Park/AA-S

Natalie Maines makes a sartorial statement.

7. The Mercury, one of the last venues for live original music on Sixth Street, announces that it's closing, to be replaced by a hip hop lounge. When that idea falls through, the Mercury stays open and changes its name to the Parish.

8. The City Council passes a smoking ordinance that many club and restaurant owners say will kill their businesses. The council then decides to set aside its decision and revisit the issue later this month.

9. The Two River Canyon Amphitheater, off Texas 71 in Spicewood, has a memorable debut, not so much for the music at the Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic, but for a nine-mile traffic jam that had more than a few Deadheads losing their good vibes.

10. (tie) The Hole In the Wall reopens. Steamboat closes. Ed Hall gets back together. The Derailers break up. Scott H. Biram makes a remarkable recovery from a head-on collision with a semi. Don Walser's health gets worse, and he retires. Willie Nelson turns 70, and we all get another year older.

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