History & Stories

The peculiar tale of Gram Parsons’ death and its infamous aftermath

Head east from L.A., and soon the sprawling metropolis is swallowed by the vast emptiness of the Mojave Desert. It’s an otherworldly terrain boasting some of the most inhospitable conditions on this planet. Rugged mountains and precariously balanced stacks of boulders are the defining characteristics of the hot, dusty expanse. The only visible signs of…
The revival of Townsend’s Treacherous Treat, Austin’s beloved cocktail of yesteryear

Townsend Miller was a unique character who was larger than life. This article is our attempt to recreate his signature drink, Townsend’s Treacherous Treat, which he carried in a flask while making the rounds of Austin’s honky-tonks in the seventies. To learn more about his extraordinary life, click here. “Townsend’s Treacherous Treat” is a legendary…
The sensational double life of Townsend Miller

Townsend Miller is a character who should not exist in the real world, but for over a decade he was one of the unique personalities comprising the outlaw country scene that permeated Austin in the seventies. He is a throwback to a time when America was great, and dinosaurs like Hunter S. Thompson roamed the…
Kacey Musgraves long history with Austin

It’s time to recruit Kacey Musgraves back to Austin. No slight to Nashville, it’s just that Kacey is a more natural fit in the capital city of her home state. She is one of us. It’s time to come home with the Armadillo and rule the city alongside Willie Nelson and Matthew McConnaughy.
Stay all night, stay a little longer: Part III

We arranged our tarp into a small tent. With our backs against the ice chest, the tarp came over our heads and gave us coverage down to our feet. We were dry and relatively comfortable and could still see out to watch the crowd celebrating the rain and the drop in temperature. “Man, if you…
Kinky Friedman – In Memorium

Yesterday’s unfortunate news of Kinky Friedman’s passing has been difficult to grapple with. He had an oversized personality that was a constant presence in my life, and it is a sad realization that this presence is now a memory. I’m not sure what this is that I’m writing; it’s not an obituary. I guess these…
The largest heist in city history, a clash with the Crimson Tide, and flying submarines – it’s the holiday’s in Austin, 1964

All of the stories, quotes, and other anecdotes are from articles published in the Austin American Statesman between November 15, 1964 and January 2, 1965. As 1964 bowed away and 1965 danced in, a crew of yeggs pulled off the largest cash heist in Austin history. The crime was dutifully reported by the Statesman but,…
Stay all night, stay a little longer: Part II

The following is part two of a mostly true historical fiction recollection of Willie Nelson’s 1975 Fourth of July Picnic in Liberty Hill. For part one click here.
Stay all night, stay a little longer. A mostly true tale of Willie’s 1975 4th of July Picnic

A mostly true recollection of the 1975 4th of July Picnic in Liberty Hill. A tale of 70,000 hippie cowboys at the redneck Woodstock.
The history of Antone’s, Austin’s Home of the Blues

Life outside the ‘Dillo 1970’s Austin was dominated by the hippie adjacent cosmic cowboys with their long hair, cowboy boots, and distinctive country-rock fusion music. It was their fashion and attitude that defined the national perception of Austin. Still does. The center of their universe was the Armadillo World Headquarters where there were some pretty…