Austin Texas Home of the Armadillo! Austin has been know for years and years as the Live Music Capital of the World! Part of that claim comes from the 70's when the Armadillo World Headquarters was the place to hear music from the Clash, Willie Nelson, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, Johnny Winter, and many others. The Armadillo closed forever Jan. 1 1981.
http://www.armadilloworldheadquarters.com/
However there was another venue in Austin that had existed since 1933 as a Filling Station that was owned by a local bootlegger named Kenneth Threadgill. The same year Kenneth opened the station the County turned "Wet" and Kenneth stood out side in the rain waiting to get the first liqueur license. Soon the filling station became a favorite spot for traveling musicians since it was open 24 hours for drinking, gambling and jamming. Kenneth would sing songs by his beloved Jimmie Rodgers nightly. Musicians who came to play were paid in beer. Such was the atmosphere at Threadgill's, it was only when a curfew was enacted in 1942 that its owner had to get a key for the front door, before that it had yet to have been locked. Going forward the filling station beer joint flourished with the beatniks and hippies and rednecks. It was here that Janis Joplin developed her country and blues hybrid-styled voice that would blur the lines between country and rock n' roll. In 1974 Kenneth Threadgill's wife died and he sold the beer joint to Eddie Wilson. Eddie Wilson just happened to own the Armadillo World Headquarters. Eddie turned the beer joint in to a restaurant serving some of the best Southern style homecooking in Texas. Eddie named it Threadgills! To this day you can't find a better place to eat the likes of fried okra, meatloaf, fried chicken, biscuits etc. It is a must for those visiting!
http://www.threadgills.com/history.cfm
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