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Willie Nelson’s 1972 arrival in “The Live Music Capital of the World” proved epic in Austin’s music history.
With the nation’s collective attention suddenly on the city, a new form of country music exploded and led to a veritable counterculture – one hinging on a single venue: Armadillo World Headquarters, a beer garden turned music hall that opened two years prior and stood for a decade at Barton Springs Road and South First Street.
Liberal politics and low cost-of-living ushered in a new generation keen on celebrating Austin’s burgeoning music scene, as evidenced by the venues around Sixth Avenue that remain.