30+ Years in Austin

Recent Permit Clients:
Saxon Pub (Building Permit & Certificate of Occupancy for Outdoor Seating)
Mean Eyed Cat (“OWANA Approved” Outdoor Music Venue Permit)

SxSW 2010 Location Scouting and/or Permit Clients:

St Patrick’s Day “Austin Fleadh” | 216 E. 4th St. | The Electric Company
The Big One 2010 | 216 E. 4th St. | Do512 & Shiner
MWTX Party | 1001 E 6th St. | Transmission Entertainment
The Levi’s – Fader Fort | 1101 E 5th St. (Pine Street Station) Lacy Maxwell Productions
Threadgills | 301 W Riverside Dr. | Music Fog
ATX Sports Bar | 1504 E 6th St. | Becky Ledesama
Whip In | 1950 S IH 35 | Dipak Topiwala
Urban Outfitters | 2406 Guadalupe St. | Travis Serpa

Past Projects: 1980 – Present:

I hitchhiked to Austin, from Arlington, in 1971, and visited as often as Engineering school would allow, settling here in ’76 – ’77. I started finding my footing in the small business community around the time the Armadillo closed, after ushering in a whole new era of homegrown music venues.

You Scream Ice Cream (1980)
The heart and star detail on this booth end, designed & carved in clear heart redwood, is fairly representative of my “hippie carpenter” period. 2 of the 3 original booths remain, having survived the location’s former incarnation, The Beach, and current tenant, the Crown and Anchor Pub.

Liberty Lunch (1981)
As I drove to work each morning, I would see Jim Franklin sitting in his VW Bug, capturing, on paper, the demolition of the Armadillo World Headquarters. As the old Armory quonset hut yielded to the wrecking ball, the recycled wood and metal was transported directly over to a former lumberyard site and current “space between two buildings” that had become Liberty Lunch. Also, the 1st Permit I ever pulled.

Club Foot (1983 and ‘84)
Contracted, designed and built the tiered seating on the upper level, the big oak bar in the entry, and the orange formica bar, down under. What was Club Foot like?

Getting paid for my work, backstage, then being introduced to a highly energized Carl Perkins, just coming off stage. Mr. Perkins headlined, but the night was marked by a smokin’ hot opening by the Joe Ely Band, with 14 yr old “Little Charlie” (Sexton) quite dramatically sitting in for injured lead guitarist, Jesse Taylor.

Baze Hair Design (1983)

Bertha and Vera announce their arrival for their “Hair-Do Appointment”, on the opening day of my late friend, Kenny Baze’s, hair salon.

Greater Tuna’s Bertha Bumiller and Vera Carp, (friends, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams)

Brad First Clubs (1980′s) Cannibal Club, etc.

Working with Brad was always interesting. He specialized in running clubs on the barest shoestring of a budget, based on that night’s receipts. Brad has, for years, booked the best music in town.

Amy’s Ice Cream, Arboretum (1985)

A whole lot of fun. Smallest, but highest grossing Amy’s store for a time. My daughter, Marianne was born during this project. Her first non-Mother’s-milk food, ever? ….. Why, Mexican Vanilla, of course!

The Continental Club (1987)

Russel Buster, Bob Burson, Ken Carpenter, myself and 4 or 5 other independent contractors had formed a crew, during the 80’s bust, and tore into the venerable but dilapidated building that had been the Continental Club, until the night the roof and the water-filled tarp above the stage both gave way.

We were fussed at during the work day, right through the front door, by loyal music fans accusing us of “destroying everything”. This was even as we stripped 2 layers of putrid carpet, 3 more layers of various types of flooring, all layered over the original, rotted wood floor.

I laid the current floor at 4 in the morning, on 2 hours rest, just prior to December 31st, 1987, specifically so owner Steve Wertheimer could open on New Year’s Eve. You tend to remember things like that. That same floor is still there.

We peeled just as many layers off of the walls. One day, while removing a sheet of faux, wood-grained paneling, one of the namesake “Continental” murals was revealed, and quickly recognized from a photo laying around that can now be seen on the wall behind the bar.

West Lynn Cafe (198?)

The most fun was placing those 18 ‘ tall windows in the front facade. Heard and watched a car knock fiddler Ralph White off his bike, in the intersection. Took breaks to talk with Raymond Taytum, over at Jeffrey’s

Amy’s Ice Cream, Original Store (1990)

All you can eat Ice Cream, on the job? Oh, the horror. The horror. Gained 30 lbs, easy. Also gained a lot of great friends, including Phil, Amy’s production manager, who is sorely missed by many.

Wine Rep – Quality Beverages (what?) (1990 – 1993)