Austin Roots

Jason Mellard, Renee O'Connor, and TSSI
  • 5.0 (1)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

In March 2020, when the world shut down, Eddie Wilson compiled an eclectic list of Austin's artists, authors, movers, and shakers who defined the city's cultural scene in the sixties, seventies, and eighties. In their words, we thread together what made the city they called home, a world renown destination for music, art, and food. Listen to Eddie (Threadgill's proprietor and author of Armadillo World Headquarters), historian Jason Mellard, and our esteemed friends connect on a nostalgic journey down memory lane, with stories of food, music, politics, measuring the true character of Austin, Texas. Music by Jake Andrews Music Content Warning: adult themes Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir Production consultant, Katey Psencik

Episodes

  1. "The Austin/San Francisco Connection" with Travis Rivers

    2D AGO

    "The Austin/San Francisco Connection" with Travis Rivers

    "The Austin/San Francisco Connection" with Travis Rivers From underground publishing to music management to technology adoption, Travis Rivers' life exemplifies counterculture entrepreneurship. "I've remarked that my entire life's career has been noticing a need and filling it." (Travis Rivers) This episode of Austin Roots features Travis Rivers, a pivotal figure in the Texas-California music connection of the 1960s. Rivers discusses his Austin upbringing, his role as a co-founder of the San Francisco Oracle newspaper, and his catalytic influence on Janis Joplin's career with Big Brother and the Holding Company. As manager of Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth, Rivers helped pioneer the country-rock movement by recording in Nashville, reducing touring costs and opening the city to West Coast artists. The conversation traces his journey from Austin bookshops and UT libraries through the Haight-Ashbury scene, explores the cultural shift from community-building to commercialization, and concludes with his transition to the early computer industry and Adobe Photoshop. Content Warning: adult themes Chapters:  01:00 - Family history in Austin since the 1880s 03:00 - Early entrepreneurship - paper route success 04:00 - High school and introduction to theater 05:00 - Travis Bookshop and rare book dealing 09:00 - Library work and archival skills 14:00 - Jazz clubs and integration (Tropicana, Flamingo, Deluxe Hotel) 15:00 - Relationships with Bobby Bradford and other musicians 16:00 - Folk and country connections (Mance Lipscomb, Powell St. John) 20:00 - California Migration (1965-1966) 22:00 - Arrival in Haight-Ashbury 23:00 - The Print Met bookstore 25:00 - San Francisco Oracle (1966-1968) 27:00 - Connecting Janis Joplin with Big Brother  28:00 - Building Mother Earth around Powell St. John 30:00 - Bill Graham and the Fillmore Auditorium 33:00 - Bill Graham at the Armadillo World Headquarters 39:00 - Haight-Ashbury's Decline (1967-1968) 40:00 - The Human Be-In as peak moment 42:00 - Securing Mercury Records deal 44:00 - Tracy Nelson's preference for Nashville 45:00 - "Make a Joyful Noise" album 47:00 - Career Transitions and Film school in New York  49:00 - Computer industry entry and  Adobe Photoshop involvement Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills AND Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch  Guest List: Travis Rivers - Cultural entrepreneur, San Francisco Oracle co-founder, music manager for Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth Production Team: Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor  Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir Production consultant, Katey Psencik

    54 min
  2. "Early Folk Singing" with Powell St John

    MAR 4

    "Early Folk Singing" with Powell St John

    "Early Folk Singing" with Powell St John Powell St. John (September 18, 1940 – August 22, 2021) Episode recorded in 2020 Wednesday night hootenannies, Peyote, and Janis Joplin, brim the surface of Powell's contributions to folk music and Texas songwriting. This episode explores the vibrant Austin folk music scene of the 1960s through the eyes of two key figures: Powell St. John and Eddie Wilson. Powell St. John was a harmonica player and songwriter who performed with Janis Joplin in the Waller Creek Boys, wrote songs for the 13th Floor Elevators, and later pioneered country rock with Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth. Eddie Wilson became the impresario who brought folk legends to the Armadillo World Headquarters stage. Together with host Dr. Jason Mellard, they paint a vivid picture of Kenneth Threadgill's legendary venue - Threadgill's Place, the University of Texas folk scene, integration of blues artists like Mance Lipscomb and Lightnin' Hopkins, and the meteoric rise of Janis Joplin from local folkie to rock icon. Content Warning: adult themes, references to violence and drug use, offensive language Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on computers zoom. Chapters:  02:00 - Growing up in Laredo - farm life on the Mexican border 04:00 - Learning harmonica after doctor prohibited flute playing 05:00 - Meeting Lanny Wiggins and forming Waller Creek Boys 06:00 - Janis Joplin joins the group 07:00 - Kenneth Threadgill's background  08:00 - The bootleg operation and whiskey stash house 10:00 - Eddie Wilson's initial visits to Threadgill's in 1959 12:00 - UT Sings and the student union scene 15:00 - Jack Jackson's comics documenting the scene 17:00 - The Hootenanny Hoots band formation 21:00 - Threadgill's Place, physical space and atmosphere 22:00 - Mance Lipscomb's broad repertoire and gentle nature 26:00 - Lightnin' Hopkins performance at Armadillo World Headquarters 28:00 - First impressions of Janis Joplin 33:00 - Janis' friendship with Powell and migration to California 34:00 - The Psychedelic Transition and the formation of the 13th Floor Elevators 35:00 - Rocky Erickson's spectacular performances 36:00 - Powell's songwriting contributions 37:00 - Charles Whitman tower shooting impact 38:00 - Travis Rivers as manager for Mother Earth 40:00 - Reconnecting with Janis in California 41:00 - "Bye Bye Baby" recording and credit issues 42:00 - Importance of preserving history Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills AND Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch  Guest List:  Powell St. John - Harmonica player, songwriter, founding member of Waller Creek Boys with Janis Joplin, songwriter for 13th Floor Elevators, pioneer of country rock with Mother Earth. Production Team: Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor  Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir Production consultant, Katey Psencik

    42 min
  3. "Austin in the 1920s" with Richard Zelade

    MAR 4

    "Austin in the 1920s" with Richard Zelade

    "We have this idea now of Austin being this liberal, communist bastion, but a hundred years ago we were one of the most conservative cities in Texas." - Richard Zelade.  Richard Zelade, author of Austin and the Jazz Age, shares fascinating details about how UT Austin became the epicenter of early jazz culture in Texas, producing influential musicians like Jimmy's Joys and pioneering figures in country western music including Tex Ritter and John Lomax. The conversation explores the stark contrast between conservative Austin city politics and the liberal university culture, covering topics from wild jazz bands to the Ranger humor magazine, hamburger culture on "the drag," and legendary figures like gunslinger Ben Thompson. The episode reveals how Austin's 1920s cultural renaissance - driven by innovations like radio station KUT's powerful broadcasts and the university's bohemian spirit following WWI and the Spanish Flu - laid foundations for the city's later reputation as a music capital. CW: adult themes, historical references Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on zoom.  Chapters: 03:00 - Bicycle training and the Handbook of Texas 05:00 - Advertisements of early jazz records 08:00 - The Marshall of Austin, Ben Thompson 13:00 - Early bands: Shakey's Orchestra, formation and exile 17:00 - Radio station KUT's crucial role in spreading jazz nationally 20:00 - Unbridled nature of early jazz music as a result from WWI 24:00 - 1920s humor magazine and the Steiner family 26:00 - The sexual revolution and temporary marriages  30:00 - John Lomax's cowboy song collection journey 33:00 - J. Frank Dobie and Carl Sandberg's East Austin club visits 36:00 - Barbette: Round Rock's gender-bending trapeze artist in Paris 38:00 - Moton Crockett: elevator music and Big Bertha cannon 39:00 - John Bowles as premier yodeler and early singing cowboy 43:00 - 1904 origins at Camp Mabry fair and "Hamburger Alley"  46:00 - Jimmy Joy's improvisational and wild performances 49:00 - Gene Ramey's path to Kansas City 51:00 - 1928 segregation plan vs. jazz appreciation 52:00 - Conservative city vs. liberal university dichotomy Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills AND Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch  Guest List: Richard Zelade, Austin historian and Author, Austin Murder & Mayhem, Austin in the Jazz Age, and Guy Town by Gaslight Production Team: Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor  Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producers, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir Production consultant, Katey Psencik

    53 min
  4. "The Dixie Mafia" with Jesse Sublett

    FEB 27

    "The Dixie Mafia" with Jesse Sublett

    Bank burglaries, prostitution, and gambling, the hidden layers of Austin history. "Everybody knew who all the tough guys were... every couple of years there was a new super bad guy." In this episode of Austin Roots, hosts Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard sit down with Jesse Sublett to explore the hidden criminal history of 1960s Austin. Sublett, a musician-turned-author, discusses his research into the Overton Gang, a notorious criminal organization that operated in Austin during the 1960s, and the colorful underworld characters who shaped the city's darker side.   The conversation covers the gang's leader, Tim Overton—a former UT football player who turned to crime after being kicked off the team by coach Darrell Royal.   The discussion explores the gang's criminal activities, and their connections to Austin's nightlife scene, particularly venues like Ernie's Chicken Shack on East 11th Street.   Sublett reveals fascinating connections between Austin's criminal underworld and mainstream history.   The episode also examines legendary madam Hattie Valdez, who ran houses of prostitution on South Congress for decades while becoming a respected civic figure.  The conversation extends into the 1970s, discussing how law enforcement evolved, the role of reformers like DA Ronnie Earle, and Sublett's research into bail bondsman Frank Smith's criminal empire.   Throughout, the hosts connect this criminal history to Austin's music scene, showing how these worlds intersected at venues like the Armadillo World Headquarters. Content Warning: sexual references, adult themes Chapters:  01:00 - The Overton Gang.  04:00 - Tim Overton's background as UT football player under Darrell Royal.  05:00 - Madams Hattie Valdez - Legendary madam operating from 1920s-1960s, civic donor, real estate investor.  14:00 - Ernie's Chicken Shack, gambling and prostitution. 17:00 - East Austin blues clubs and the integration era. 22:00 - Frank Smith - 1970s bail bondsman 30:00 - East-West class divide at Austin High School. Eddie Wilson's Switchblade Business. 33:00 - Formation of the Overton Gang. Gang's criminal activities: operating territory: small-town banks across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas. 40:00 - Charles Whitman - UT Tower shooter who lost money to gang in poker game (1961).  47:00 - The 13th Floor Elevators and police surveillance.  51:00 - Hattie Valdez's Complicated Relationships. 55:00 - Overton Gang's dissolution in the early 1970s.  57:00 - The 1964 UT Co-op heist during the UT-A&M Thanksgiving game (biggest cash burglary in Austin history).  59:00 - 1966 FBI bust in Moody, Texas and subsequent conspiracy trial.  1:03:00 - Armadillo World Headquarters relationship with law enforcement. Musicians' empathy with outlaws due to shared police harassment. 1:04:00 - Armadillo World Headquarters solving the Ken Featherston murder. 1:07:00 - Frank Smith's Criminal Empire. 1:14:00 - Ronnie Earle and Reform. 1:17:00 - The Reform Generation, including Dave Richards. Vietnam veterans' influence on progressive politics. Transition from fist fights to gun violence.  Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills  Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch   Guest List:  Jesse Sublett - Author, 1960s Austin Gangsters and Last Gangster in Austin; Musician, and Austin historian @jessesublett https://jessesublett.com  Production Team: Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor  Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producers, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir Production consultant, Katey Psencik   Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on zoom.

    1h 2m
  5. Austin Roots

    TRAILER

    Austin Roots

    In March 2020, when Threadgill's and the world shut down, we found ourselves in a reflective mood with time on our hands. Eddie Wilson compiled an eclectic list of Austin artists, authors, movers, and shakers who defined the city's cultural scene in the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Novice podcasters, we did what we could to get them on Zooms and in rooms to tell their stories. In their words, we thread together what made the city they called home, a world renown destination for music, art, and food. Listen to Eddie (Threadgill's proprietor and author of Armadillo World Headquarters, a memoir), myself (historian Jason Mellard), and our esteemed friends connect on a nostalgic journey down memory lane, with stories of food, music, politics, measuring the true character of Austin, Texas. Welcome to Austin Roots.  Music by Jake Andrews Music Content Warning: adult themes Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor  Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Nineteen episodes recorded during the global pandemic, 2020-2021.

    1 min

Trailer

About

In March 2020, when the world shut down, Eddie Wilson compiled an eclectic list of Austin's artists, authors, movers, and shakers who defined the city's cultural scene in the sixties, seventies, and eighties. In their words, we thread together what made the city they called home, a world renown destination for music, art, and food. Listen to Eddie (Threadgill's proprietor and author of Armadillo World Headquarters), historian Jason Mellard, and our esteemed friends connect on a nostalgic journey down memory lane, with stories of food, music, politics, measuring the true character of Austin, Texas. Music by Jake Andrews Music Content Warning: adult themes Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard Editor, Renee O'Connor Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709 Executive Producer, TSSI Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir Production consultant, Katey Psencik

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Mellard, Renee O'Connor, and TSSI
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©AUSTIN ROOTS 2026
  • Show Website
    Austin Roots

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