The addition of the Armadillo Beer Garden in 1972 and the subsequent establishment of food service were both bids to generate steady cash flow. ĭespite its successes, the Armadillo always struggled financially. The Clash played live at The Armadillo with Joe Ely on Octo(a photo from that show appears on the band's London Calling album) and the notorious Austin punk band The Skunks. The Australian band AC/DC played their first American show at the Armadillo with Canadian band Moxy in July 1977. Bruce Springsteen played five shows during 1974. Freddy Fender, Freddie King, Frank Zappa, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, The Sir Douglas Quintet all recorded live albums there. Many upcoming and established acts such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top played the Armadillo. The unique blend of country and rock music performed at the hall became known by the terms "The Austin Sound," "Redneck Rock," progressive country or "Cosmic Cowboy." Artists that almost single-handedly defined this particular genre and sound were Michael Martin Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker and The Lost Gonzo Band. The Neiman Marcus department store even offered a line of Armadillo-branded products. As Gary Nunn put it, "It's been said that our music was the catalyst that brought the shit-kickers and the hippies together at the Armadillo." At its peak, the amount of Lone Star draft beer sold by the Armadillo was second only to the Houston Astrodome. The clientele became a mixture of hippies, cowboys, and businessmen who stopped by to have lunch and a beer and listen to live music. In a story from its September 9, 1974, edition, Time magazine wrote that the Armadillo was to the Austin music scene what The Fillmore had been to the emergence of rock music in the 1960s. Soon, the Armadillo started receiving publicity in national magazines such as Rolling Stone. The Armadillo World Headquarters officially opened on August 7, 1970, with Shiva's Headband, the Hub City Movers, and Whistler performing. an Austin literati group that included Bud Shrake. Funding for the venture was initially provided by Shiva's Headband founder's father, Dan Perskin, and Mad Dog, Inc. In founding the Armadillo World Headquarters, Wilson was assisted by Jim Franklin, Mike Tolleson ( né Robert Michael Tolleson born 1942), an entertainment attorney licensed by the State Bar of Texas in 1968, Bobby Hedderman from the Vulcan Gas Company and Hank Alrich. He initially proposed "International Headquarters" but in the end it became "World Headquarters." Wilson also believed the building looked like it had been some type of headquarters at one time. The nine-banded armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus) was chosen because of its hard shell that looks like armor, its history as a survivor (virtually unchanged for almost 50 million years), and its near-ubiquity in Central Texas. In choosing the mascot for the new venture, Wilson and his partners wanted an "armored" animal since the building was an old armory. The name for the Armadillo was inspired by the use of armadillos as a symbol in the artwork of Jim Franklin, a local poster artist, and from the building itself. Posters for the venue usually noted the address as 525 1⁄ 2 Barton Springs Road (Rear), behind the Skating Palace. The building was ugly, uncomfortable, and had poor acoustics, but offered cheap rent and a central location. The armory was estimated to have been built in 1948, but no records of its construction could be or have been located. He had a desire to continue the legacy of the Vulcan Gas Company, and was inspired by what he saw in the armory to create a new music hall in the derelict structure. Wilson found an unlocked garage door on the building and was able to view the cavernous interior using the headlights of his automobile. One night, Eddie Wilson, manager of the local group Shiva's Headband, stepped outside a nightclub where the band was playing and noticed an old, abandoned National Guard armory. In 1970, Austin's flagship rock music venue, the Vulcan Gas Company, closed, leaving the city's nascent and burgeoning live music scene without an incubator.
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