Guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan And Austin, Texas Are Inseparable

Mention Austin, Texas, and people think of live music. Mention Austin and live music, and people think of Stevie Ray Vaughan. They are inseparable, and always will be.

Born in Dallas in the fall of 1954, Vaughan took to music at a very early age, and by his late teens, he had already quit school and was playing in Austin’s lively music scene. Playing in many different bands over the years, Vaughan gained a reputation as a very good blues guitarist in the Austin area. In the early 1980’s, he played on David Bowie’s, Let’s Dance, album. From then on, he became very famous, very fast, along with his band, Double Trouble.

Along with the rise to stardom, however, came an addiction to alcohol. In the late 1980’s, he checked himself into a rehab, and came out sober. And while his musical talents on the guitar continued to bring him great success, it all came to an abrupt end in 1990. Following a concert in Wisconsin, he boarded a helicopter which crashed soon after it took off. Vaughan perished in the crash, at the young age of thirty-five.

Following his death, it was not lost on anyone in Austin that Stevie Ray Vaughan and the city were connected to such an extent, that they could never be separated. In 1994, the City of Austin erected a memorial statue, in his honor, near the site of many of his Austin concerts, on Auditorium Shores.

It’s been nearly twenty years since his death, but in Austin and around the world, he is still remembered as one of the great guitar players of all time. And, locals and visitors alike visit the statue in great numbers every year, and many, leave small tokens and offerings to his memory.

And like Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), two other Texas musicians who, similarly died in an aircraft crash shortly after takeoff over thirty years earlier, the music that Vaughan, Holly, and Richardson made did not die, but lives on, even though they’re long gone.

The Live Music Isn’t Only Happening On Austin’s Sixth Street

Austin, Texas is called the “Live Music Capital of the World,” and rightfully so. With its hundreds of live music venues, you have more choices for music than you can possibly take advantage of on any given night of the year. And, while a great many places are on Sixth Street and various other streets and areas downtown, there is plenty of live music going on at other places all over the hill country.

A good example is the Deli Werks, located on the north shore of Lake Travis in Lago Vista. Deli Werks is a popular spot for both lunch and dinner, and offers patrons the choice of either sitting outside, or in the open but covered bar area. It’s a casual and friendly place with a lot of old pictures and other items hanging on the walls. And, for some reason, country music legend Willie Nelson’s old houseboat sits on dry land in the lot out back. The food is good, the drinks are cold, and it provides a nice intimate atmosphere to watch live music with the locals.

This past Saturday night, Austin’s very popular blues band, Mike Milligan and the Altar Boyz, provided the live music. The band’s lead is Mike Milligan, who supplies both vocals and harmonica. The other very talented musicians include Scott Unzicker on guitar, Leland Parks on bass, and Dave Novak on the drums.

This is one impressive band. Mike Milligan’s vocal ability is really very good, and his vocal talent was consistently good on every song. Scott Unzicker loves playing guitar, and that was quite apparent as he showed his wide range of talent as the night progressed. And, while Leland Parks, the bass player, and Dave Novak playing drums, were a bit more in the background of the performance, their musical talent surely wasn’t. You could tell that this band is composed of true professionals, who enjoy performing.

This prominent Austin band describes its music as “Texas Blues with Louisiana Attitude,” and plays a great many gigs in Austin itself, or at venues on the Texas Gulf Coast. It’s nice to have a band of this caliber come out to perform in the more relaxed atmosphere at Deli Werks. For folks living on the north shore of the lake, Deli Werks provides opportunities to see excellent bands, like Mike Milligan and the Altar Boyz, without having to make the long drive into downtown Austin. What could be better than that?