Festival Lineup
Legendary rock n roll pioneer Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson hails from Austin, Texas. He is, in the words of music writer Richie Unterberger, one of "the unknown heroes of rock and roll." As singer, songwriter, and guitar player for the legendary Austin, TX band The 13th Floor Elevators, the first rock and roll band to describe their music as "psychedelic", Roky had a profound impact on the San Francisco scene when the group traveled there in 1966. While bands such as The Grateful Dead and The Jefferson Airplane had the their roots in traditional acoustic folk music, the Elevators unique brand of heavy, hard-rocking electric blues pointed to a new direction for the music of the hippie generation. The Elevators only had one chart hit, the Roky-penned You're Gonna Miss Me, but their influence was far reaching.
Unfortunately, Roky's struggles with drug abuse and mental illness took a serious toll. His 1969 arrest in Texas for possession of a single marijuana cigarette led to his being committed for three years to Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he was reportedly subjected to Thorazine, electroshock therapy, and other experimental treatments. Most agree he was never the same after his release. Roky has had prolific periods of creativity in the intervening years, but unscrupulous managers and record label executives often took advantage of his condition, leaving Roky to live in poverty while others profit from his music.
Happily, today we find Roky in the process of being his own miracle and making an astounding recovery from nearly a two-decade long period of almost total tragedy. His youngest brother, singer/songwriter and former Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Principal Tubaist Sumner Erickson, was appointed Roky's legal guardian in June, 2001. Roky is now back in Austin, where his health continues to improve dramatically. In March, 2005, Roky made his first public performance in 10 years performing 3 songs at the Roky Erickson Psychedelic Ice Cream Social at Threadgills in Austin. He was backed by the Explosives. We now welcome Roky for a full performance at this summer's Keep Austin Weird festival!
Dale Watson, born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Pasadena, Texas, began performing at 14, and has appeared in clubs and concert venues across the U.S. and Europe to great acclaim.
He's recorded hundreds of original songs, some of which have been included in major film soundtracks, has been featured in numerous complication albums with country legends, including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam, and has performed live with Nelson as well as Merle Haggard and Johnny Paycheck. His music videos have aired on CMT, and he's appeared on Austin City Limits.
He has won the British Country Music Awards "Best International Artist on an Independent Label," and country music awards in Holland and Spain, making him a household name in Europe.
In 2005, he was inducted into The Austin Music Hall of Fame, and beat out Willie Nelson for The Austin Music Awards "Best Country" band. It was the third time he won that award. He's also won an Austin Music Award as Best Songwriter.
Grady Johnson from Canadian Multi platinum Hard Rock/ Dub Reggae Band Big Sugar. Whip Layton who redefined the genre with Stevie Ray Vaughan. and later Billy Maddox veteran of Alien Love Child, and The Eric Johnson Band..Big Ben mainstay of The Phantoms, Toronto's pre Chili Peppers Alt/Rock/Blues/Reggae/Hardcore badass band.
Together they kneel at the alter of The One Chord Stomp
And everything sounds good. and loud.Delta Metal..
GRADY recently toured with Three Days Grace and opened the only Texas date on The Black Crowes reunion tour.
THE MOTHER TRUCKERS are an irreverent, mildly offensive country band. The Truckers play an authentic brand of Americana, with non-traditional lyrics. From sin to redemption, The Mother Truckers tell classic tales with their own imaginative and original style.
After recording demos with Tim Alexander of Primus, the Truckers quickly built up a large and loyal Bay Area following while selling their demo CDs at shows. The Mother Truckers have now completed an independently-produced, full-length album entitled "Broke, not Broken". The album showcases their skillful musicianship and fresh, infectious songwriting. Josh and Teal share in the lead vocals, weaving their voices into a distinct sound unlike anything else in today's music.
LARRY has built a huge family stretching throughout Texas and Colorado and slowly seeping into the pores of America. They have played with many amazing bands from around the country including Merl Saunders, Leftover Salmon, Grey Boy Allstars, Col. Bruce and ARU, and Chris Duarte.
The Steps is a solid, young rock and roll four-piece going back to the basics in playing a mixture of the band's influences ranging from 60's soul, southern rock, pop, psychedelic, punk, and more. They combine a unique sense of music, style and electrifying stage presence.
Cooper's Uncle was born in the spring of 2001 at a weekly backyard barbeque parties called "Bluegrass Fridays", and they cut their teeth playing open mics at the Pier. Their first real show was a standing room only event at Austin's Hole in the Wall. This quickly sparked a trend, and soon after that they were appearing in clubs all over tow