Austin Official Visitors Guide 2008-2009 - (Page 14) CoUNTRy The South Austin Jug Band has created their own widely acclaimed style using traditional bluegrass instruments. The Gourds are true Austin natives who crafted a unique sound by blending alt-country and bluegrass, while the Austin Lounge Lizards combine offbeat lyrics with bluegrass beats. Popular country acts that regularly play local venues include Dale Watson, Heybale and The Derailers. Country music icon Willie Nelson often receives credit for jumpstarting the city’s music scene in the '70s, and plenty of musicians have benefited from his blazing trail. One big success story, Asleep at the Wheel, keeps the Western swing style of music alive while Guy Forsyth incorporates the musical saw and banjo. BLUES Austin’s deeply rooted blues sound lends thanks to late blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. The city erected a memorial statue to its “patron saint of music,” on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in 1994. Blues piano legend Pinetop Perkins scored his first Grammy in 2008 at age 94 and still manages to play local venues a few nights a week. Saucy blues singer Marcia Ball brings audiences to their feet with her bayou background, while musician and actor Gary Clark, Jr., who starred in the film “Honeydripper,” unites R&B, blues, reggae and soul. Pick up Austin Music, Volume 8, a Cd sampler of local bands that comes with a detailed booklet filled with information about live music in Austin. order the Cd online at www.austintexas.org or pick up a copy at the Austin Visitor Center or Waterloo records. Country legend Willie Nelson is known for his down-home Texas sound; live music surrounds you in Austin. Photography: ©Scott Newton, ©Denise Chambers/Weaver Multimedia Group http://www.austintexas.org
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