Austin Roots

Jason Mellard, Renee O'Connor, and TSSI
  • 5.0 (2)
  • 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

  1. "Pioneering The Family Traditions" with John Lomax III

    23h ago

    "Pioneering The Family Traditions" with John Lomax III

    "Pioneering the Family Traditions" with John Lomax III "So grandfather would lie in bed at night and hear the, uh, cowboys nearby. They would stop off and just spend the night nearby, practically in their yard, and he'd hear 'em singing songs, which they would do to keep the cattle calmed down. So sooner or later he started sneaking out of the house and hanging out with the cowboys and writing down the words to the songs that he heard. And somehow, without any musical training, without any books, … he figured out a way to remember the melodies of the songs that he heard, that he was writing down all these words for… and his first book came out in 1910." John Lomax III This episode of Austin Roots features an in-depth conversation with John Lomax III, continuing the legendary Lomax folklore dynasty. Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard explore John's family heritage—from his grandfather John Avery Lomax's pioneering cowboy song collections and the famous 1933 recording trip that discovered Lead Belly, to his uncle Alan Lomax's influence on the British Invasion and the BBC. John shares stories about his father managing Lightning Hopkins, his own career managing Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle, and the vibrant Austin and Houston music scenes of the 1960s-70s. The conversation covers the 13th Floor Elevators, Liberty Hall, the transition from folk to psychedelic rock, and John's perspectives on Nashville's country music evolution. Content Warning: adult themes Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Chapters:  02:00 - The Lomax Dynasty Begins (1880s-1910) 03:00 - John Avery Lomax's childhood near the Chisholm Trail 04:00 - Recording cowboy songs and "Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads" (1910) 05:00 - Harvard fellowship and academic validation 09:00 - The 1933 Recording Trip, and depression era struggles 10:00 - Recording technology: acetate discs in Model A Ford 11:00 - 17,000 recordings deposited with Library of Congress 12:00 - Song rights advocacy: Lead Belly, James Carter, and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" 16:00 - Bess Lomax Hawes and the National Endowment for the Arts 18:00 - John Lomax Jr. as folk singer and Lightning Hopkins' manager 21:00 - Alan Lomax's decade in England (1950s) and influence on British Invasion 24:00 - Alan's work on song rights and royalties 26:00 - John Henry Faulk and McCarthyism 30:00 - University of Texas years and music journalism 31:00 - Writing for Space City News and underground press 33:00 - First hearing Townes Van Zandt at the 11th Door 34:00 - 13th Floor Elevators and the birth of psychedelia 36:00 - Austin Venues: Vulcan Gas Company, Jade Room 39:00 - Lightning Hopkins in Houston's Third Ward 40:00 - Houston music scene at Liberty Hall with Mike Condrey 44:00 - Bill Simonson and managing Austin venues 47:00 - The Ritz and Jim Franklin 48:00 - Moving to Nashville (1973) 50:00 - Working with Jack Cowboy Clement 53:00 - Austin vs Nashville Rivalry 54:00 - Texas songwriters in Nashville: Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell 58:00 - How Eddie became a manager for Shiva's Headband  1:00 - Managing Townes Van Zandt, and moving Townes from Colorado to Nashville  1:02 - The fan club letters and emotional impact  1:05 - Townes' humor and personality beyond the tragedy  1:07 - "Live at the Old Quarter" album (recorded 1973, released 1977)  1:13 - Managing Steve Earle  1:14 - Guy Clark and Minor Wilson  1:15 - Travis Rivers connection  1:19 - Concerns about modern country music  1:20 - Writing career and future projects   Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills AND Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch  Guest: John Lomax III - Music writer, manager, and producer 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

    1h 21m
  2. "Archiving The History of Austin" with Leea Mechling

    May 20

    "Archiving The History of Austin" with Leea Mechling

    "Archiving The History of Austin" with Leea Mechling "Prosperity doesn't always mean dollar signs. Sharing music and sharing art really expands your heart." (Leea Mechling) Leea Mechling grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, where her earliest music experiences ranged from Czech dance halls to an Ike & Tina Turner backstage pass at age 11. After moving to Austin to attend UT, Leea fell in with the crowd at the Armadillo World Headquarters, where she worked from 1974 until its 1980 closing. She shares vivid stories from those years: the push to get women onto the main floor bar, and Henry Gonzalez's tireless creativity building stage sets and preserving posters. After the Armadillo closed, Leea worked with Asleep at the Wheel, Gregg Allman, and Stevie Ray Vaughan before channeling her passion for Austin music history into founding the Austin Museum of Popular Culture (AusPop) in 2004. What started on two folding tables next to Planet K on South Lamar has grown into a celebrated archive and exhibition space, with partnerships at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Wittliff Collections, and the Bob Bullock Museum. Leea sees AusPop's mission as essential in a rapidly changing Austin: not to recreate the past, but to inspire newcomers and young artists to build something authentic of their own. Content Warning: adult themes Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Chapters: 01:06 - Growing up in Corpus Christi; family music influences, Czech dance halls 02:03 - First concert: Ike & Tina Turner, 1968 (with backstage passes at age 11) 03:03 - The 13th Floor Elevators connection explained 04:05 - A fake Tiger Beat press passes and crashing a band rehearsal 07:09 - "Cowboys vs. surfers": the South Texas counterculture divide 07:44 - Friends from Corpus (John Main, Ken Featherston, Houston Evans) already at UT 08:38 - Starting at the Armadillo World Headquarters (1974) 11:55 - Women at the Armadillo: the fight to work the main floor bar 12:44 - The black nightgown strategy; breaking the barrier 13:55 - Jan Beeman: the Armadillo's den mother and moral compass 15:15 - Jan Beeman charms Frank Zappa into changing his backstage demands 17:54 - Henry Gonzalez: artist, muralist, and Armadillo creative force 22:48 - Most memorable musical nights at the Armadillo 23:58 - Roy Buchanan: babysitting Ben, and heartbreak at the Armadillo's closing 26:41 - Bruce Springsteen: "a Yankee who thinks he can rock and roll" 28:46 - Post-Armadillo: life after the Dillo closes, including a job with Asleep at the Wheel 30:42 - Founding the Austin Museum of Popular Culture (2004) 31:01 - Henry's poster preservation mission starting in 1968 35:01 - AusPop's role in a rapidly changing Austin 49:54 - Collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville 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: Leea Mechling, Founder, Executive Director and Curator, Austin Museum of Popular Culture 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

    56 min
  3. "A Cartoonist's View of Underground Characters" with Gilbert Shelton

    May 13

    "A Cartoonist's View of Underground Characters" with Gilbert Shelton

    "A Cartoonist's View of Underground Characters" with Gilbert Shelton "Chet Helms and Jack Jackson and some others, and then I bought a printing press. It was our idea to print rock posters. That was a big thing at the time. Nobody knew how to run our new printing press and our posters were really crappy, but then we discovered that printing on the comic books didn't have to be good printings. We shifted over to comic books at Ripoff Press. (Dave Morty) was running the small printing press and he had long hair. This is not a good idea for a printer. And the printing press caught him by the hair and pulled him in, but it wasn't powerful enough to crush him. And after 30 minutes, the postman came in with the mail. After a few minutes, Morty was able to instruct him how to find the off switch, and he was able to pull his hair, where that name comes from." Gilbert Shelton This episode of Austin Roots features an in-depth conversation with legendary underground cartoonist Gilbert Shelton, creator of Wonder Warthog, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, and Not Quite Dead. Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard speak with Shelton from his home in France, where he's lived since the 1980s, about his formative years in Austin during the 1960s counterculture movement. The conversation spans Shelton's time as editor of the Texas Ranger humor magazine at UT, his role as creative director of the Vulcan Gas Company, and his eventual move to San Francisco where he co-founded Rip Off Press. Shelton shares vivid memories of Austin's underground press scene, including colorful stories about fellow artists Jack Jackson, Joe Brown, and Jim Franklin, as well as musicians like Janis Joplin and encounters with Bob Dylan. The discussion also touches on the Austin Police Department's surprisingly lenient attitude toward marijuana, the origins of the armadillo as Austin's unofficial mascot, and how the Freak Brothers became an enduring symbol of 1960s counterculture. Content Warning: adult themes, stories of drug use Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Chapters:  02:00 - UT's humor magazine culture in the early 1960s 04:00 - Jack Jackson's artistic development and later historical work 08:00 - Early Comics as political and social satire elements 13:00 - Role as art director and poster designer for the Vulcan Gas Company 15:00 - Jim Franklin's arrival and armadillo artwork 20:00 - The armadillo as UT mascot movement 21:00 - Wonder Warthog and the evolution of the character through the decades 23:00 - First publication in Bacchanal magazine 27:00 - Billy Lee Brammer 29:00 - Drugs and artistic influence 31:00 - Early Influences: Dick Tracy and other comics 36:00 - The Bob Dylan encounter 40:00 - Musicians: PJ Proby and Tommy Hall 42:00 - Founding Rip Off Press with Dave Morty, Fred Todd, Jack Jackson 44:00 - Origins of 'The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers' in the Austin Rag newspaper 48:00 - Freak Brothers' cultural impact and resonance 50:00 - Rip Off Press, the warehouse space and legendary parties 54:00 - The Caswell House commune parties 59:00 - Living with Janis Joplin on East Ninth Street in Austin   1:03 - Final thoughts on the counterculture legacy Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills AND Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch  Guest: Gilbert Shelton - Underground cartoonist and creator of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers 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

    1h 9m
  4. "Austin's Early Art Scene" with Danny Garrett

    May 6

    "Austin's Early Art Scene" with Danny Garrett

    "Austin's Early Art Scene" with Danny Garrett "The San Francisco posters sort of resonated with everybody and I mean everyone across the country, across the world. Of course, there was a very strong connection between Austin and San Francisco. There was direct feedback from that, from what was going on in San Francisco, especially with Gilbert (Shelton) and (Jack) Jackson out there. There was a resonance, but it wasn't the same thing. Approaches were very different anyway. I think the success of the San Francisco posters sort of drove the other poster scenes here and elsewhere." (Danny Garrett) Danny Garrett, a central figure in Austin's music poster art scene, joins Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard to discuss his journey from Vietnam veteran to iconic poster artist. The conversation covers his work with the Armadillo World Headquarters Art Squad, his deep relationship with Clifford Antone and the blues scene, and his iconic posters for Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Garrett also shares stories about the transition from counterculture to tech industry, his teaching career in New Zealand, and the evolution of Austin's music venues from the 1970s to today. Chapters: 02:00 - Early musical influences: Bobby Blue Bland, Roy Head and The Traits, BJ Thomas and The Triumphs 03:00 - Discovering art through comics and Mad Magazine 04:00 - Drafted in 1969 while pursuing history degree at Stephen F. Austin 05:00 - Return to civilian life and joining the counterculture in March 1970 06:00 - Moving from Houston to Austin in 1971 08:00 - First visit to Austin: Enchanted Rock trip, spring 1971 09:00 - Meeting Jim Franklin at the Armadillo to discuss underground comics 10:00 - First poster commission: John Sebastian (a financial disaster for the venue) 11:00 - Introduction to the Armadillo Art Squad 12:00 - Artistic education from peers, especially Guy Duke, Michael Priest, and Bill Narum 13:00 - Common visual language: Texas/Western iconography, music imagery 17:00 - Michael Priest's iconic first Willie Nelson poster (cowboy crying into beer, "Hello Walls") 20:00 - AWHQ Posters, importance of readability: "need to read it driving by a telephone pole" 23:00 - Creating the Antone's logo (also Texas Chili Parlor logo the same year) 25:00 - The iconic Muddy Waters bust poster (using Watt Casey photograph) 27:00 - The 21st Anniversary poster: petitioning Clifford to feature Stevie instead of Albert Collins 30:00 - Six locations of Antone's club over the years 34:00 - First seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan play at Antone's circa 1976: "the kid brother" 37:00 - Working with Willie's organization: "challenging" but an honor 39:00 - Eddie Wilson's story of booking Willie at the Armadillo 41:00 - The chaotic 1972 Dripping Springs Reunion 45:00 - The Tech transition: Michael Priest and Sam Yates founding Schenough Studios  48:00 - Origin Systems and Gaming 50:00 - Immigration to New Zealand after George W. Bush's reelection 51:00 - Teaching at Auckland University of Technology (2005-2010) 52:00 - Founding faculty member of digital graphics program (now partnered with Peter Jackson's studios) 53:00 - The challenge of old-style poster pricing vs. digital work Content Warning: adult themes, stories of drug use Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook, at @Threadgills AND Check out our store here and collect our gear: https://Threadgills.com/merch  Guest: Danny Garrett, visual artist, author of Weird Yet Strange: Notes from an Austin Music Artist 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
  5. "The Contemporaneous Armadillo" with Woody Roberts

    Apr 29

    "The Contemporaneous Armadillo" with Woody Roberts

    "The Contemporaneous Armadillo" with Woody Roberts (January 10, 1941 - May 20, 2023) What does a Top 40 DJ, the Armadillo World Headquarters, a failed but ambitious TV and radio show project, within Austin City's limits, have in common with Horse Racing? The city's original influencer in media, Woody Roberts.  This episode of Austin Roots features Woody Roberts, a veteran of Texas radio and the Austin music scene, discussing his career spanning from Top 40 radio's golden age through the Armadillo World Headquarters era to Maynard Downs and the Austin Music Network.  Roberts shares firsthand accounts of how radio integrated American culture, Willie Nelson's first 4th of July picnic, the development of Austin as "Live Music Capital of the World," and his work with artists like Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The conversation reveals the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that transformed Austin into a major music city. Chapters:  03:00 - The Radio Revolution and the Birth of Top 40 Format (1952-53) 05:00 - Gordon McLendon bringing format to Texas (KLIF Dallas, KTSA San Antonio) 06:00 - First time in history: popular music available 24/7 07:00 - The British Invasion (1964). Woody playing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" 10:00 - Childhood inspiration: Herb Ruth & Paul Berlin 14:00 - Radio as integrated space in segregated era; Sammy Allred's influence 16:00 - Origins and Planning of Willie Nelson's First 4th of July Picnic 19:00 - Television and radio show ambitions at the ARMADILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS 23:00 - The ZZ Top UT Stadium Debacle (1976) 27:00 - Tina Tacky and Lone Star Beer campaign 30:00 - Community arts laboratory exposing audiences to national and local acts 32:00 - The Armadillo pilot as inspiration for the Austin City Limits. 34:00 - The origins of Maynard Downs, built from a dirt bike track 35:00 - Stevie Ray Vaughan Era 37:00 - End of rock era (1986) - return to horses only 39:00 - Launch and Vision of the AUSTIN MUSIC NETWORK 40:00 - Houston group takeover and shutdown (2008) 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:  Woody Roberts - Author, Horse Racing and Rock and Roll: How America's Live Music Capital Tripped Out, Cowboyed Up and Shook the World 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 Content Warning: sexual references, adult themes

    44 min
  6. "Keeping the Heart in the Music Community" with Emma Little

    Apr 22

    "Keeping the Heart in the Music Community" with Emma Little

    "Keeping the Heart in the Music Community" with Emma Little "I think I learned that a lot of the guys who were successful generally had a woman backing them up at home, helping them out. That's the thing is you have to have somebody, and I think that that's where the women came in most… they could also run anything. We were the invisible matriarchy." (Emma Little) Emma Little shares her unique perspective on Austin's cultural history, from growing up in Travis County to becoming a key figure at the legendary Armadillo World Headquarters. She discusses her rural upbringing near Lakeway among political elites and astronauts, the vibrant hippie community on 33rd Street, and her multifaceted role at the Armadillo including poster distribution, hospitality, and print shop work. The conversation explores overlooked artists like her late husband DK Little and blues legend Denny Freeman, examines the "invisible matriarchy" of women who powered the Austin music scene, and discusses the founding of the Austin Museum of Popular Culture to preserve this cultural legacy. Content Warning: adult themes Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Chapters:  01:00 - Growing Up in Travis County 02:00 - Babysitting for White House aides and socializing with sports legends 03:00 - Early Austin memories: Big Bear Grocery, cotton fields, driving cattle down Highway 620 05:00 - Sewing hippie clothes and selling them at Maya and other stores 07:00 - Meeting Eddie Wilson and getting involved with the Armadillo 10:00 - Living in Hirschberg's house with its medicinal/psychedelic plants 12:00 - First weekend at the Armadillo, no beer license 16:00 - The atmosphere and audience response to legendary performances 17:00 - Emma's roles: poster distribution, airport pickups, hospitality, food planning 18:00 - Working with the Armadillo Art Squad on posters and t-shirts using split fountain printing 23:00 - The Artist, DK Little 24:00 - DK playing with Alvin Crow 26:00 - DK's struggles with avascular necrosis from Agent Orange exposure 32:00 - DK's missed opportunities with Jerry Wexler and Atlantic Records 36:00 - Hanging with the Blues crew 38:00 - The Artist, Denny Freeman 40:00 - Eddie and Emma's perspectives on Denny as "the coolest guy" and cornerstone guitarist 41:00 - Denny's career with Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, and teaching himself lap steel guitar 43:00 - Denny's legendary Saxon Pub residency 45:00 - Denny's relationship with Emma's granddaughter, Lily Pearl 46:00 - Henry Gonzalez's vision to preserve the Armadillo Art Squad legacy 47:00 - Finding lost Henry Gonzalez murals around Austin 50:00 - Preserving cultural DNA in a rapidly changing city 52:00 - Emma's challenging year and the importance of community and resilience 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: Emma Little - Key figure at Armadillo World Headquarters, co-founder of Austin Museum of Popular Culture 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

    45 min
  7. "The Underground Comix Movement" with Dave Moriaty

    Apr 15

    "The Underground Comix Movement" with Dave Moriaty

    "The Underground Comix Movement" with Dave Moriaty "The cartoons never made any money, in my opinion… we became the default printer for the revolution from the beginning. We printed family dog posters, we printed straight theater posters. I still have all the pamphlets that we did for the Berkeley Revolution, various types and, we also printed lots of pamphlets and books for people that were frankly either schizophrenic or bipolar, that were very amusing, even though somewhat confusing." (Dave Moriaty) This episode of Austin Roots features Dave Moriaty, a key figure in the 1960s-70s Texas counterculture who bridged Port Arthur, Austin, and San Francisco. Moriaty co-founded the influential Underground Comics publisher Ripoff Press and later became managing editor of the Austin Sun newspaper. The conversation explores his journey from Port Arthur's surprising cultural scene, through University of Texas Austin's early counterculture, military service during Vietnam, founding Ripoff Press in San Francisco with fellow Texans, and his return to Austin to work on the Austin Sun. The interview reveals the interconnected web of Texas creatives who shaped both coasts' counterculture movements. Content Warning: adult themes, references to drug use Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Chapters:  03:00 - Port Arthur, how the petrochemical industry attracted professionals during Depression 05:00 - The "hood intellectuals" cohort: Jim Langdon, Janis Joplin, and others 06:00 - Louisiana bar scene and early creative friendships 08:00 - Arriving at UT in 1959 for aerospace engineering 09:00 - The Ranger humor magazine parties  10:00 - Jim Langdon 12:00 - Threadgill's and the beatnik scene 13:00 - Early Austin counterculture figures like Powell St. John 14:00 - Beatniks before Hippies 17:00 - European travel with Jack Jackson before being drafted in 1966 19:00 - Marine Corps experience during Vietnam escalation 20:00 - Typing skills saving him from combat deployment 22:00 - Moving to San Francisco and joining underground newspaper scene 25:00 - Founding Ripoff Press with Gilbert Shelton, Fred Todd, and Jack Jackson 26:00 - The "Texas Mafia" in San Francisco's counterculture 28:00 - Technical challenges: fires, relocations, equipment disasters 31:00 - Printing underground materials and establishing national distribution 38:00 - Working with Robert Crumb and other cartoonists 41:00 - Final visit with Janis Joplin 44:00 - Coming back to Texas in 1974 as underground scene changed 50:00 - Rescuing the Austin Sun from financial collapse 51:00 - Managing editor role and keeping the paper afloat 54:00 - The Sun's influence on the Austin Chronicle 59:00 - Austin's evolution from a place people left to a destination 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: Dave Moriaty, founder of the Underground Comix, Ripoff Press, and key figure in the paper, the Austin Sun. 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

    1 hr
  8. "The Real Deal in Austin Food" with Hoover Alexander

    Apr 8

    "The Real Deal in Austin Food" with Hoover Alexander

    "The Real Deal in Austin Food" with Hoover Alexander Food, Community, and Austin's Culinary Legacy, breaking bread with Hoover Alexander. In this deeply personal conversation, Hoover Alexander shares his journey from East Austin neighborhood kid to restaurant proprietor, weaving together stories of food, culture, and community. Growing up in a "small village" within Austin, Hoover describes a tightly-knit East Austin where everything was within bicycle distance - from Thompson's Grocery to Rosewood Park, from barbecue joints run by relatives to the Harlem Theater. His career in restaurants began almost accidentally at Nighthawk Steakhouse in 1973, where he learned under the legendary Harry Akin - a trailblazing restaurateur who integrated his restaurants during segregation and served as advisor to LBJ. The Nighthawk became Hoover's "parallel training ground" where he mastered every aspect of restaurant operations. Hoover eloquently describes how food serves as a prism for discussing culture, history, and heritage. His menu at Hoover's Cooking honors the "smoke culture" of Texas barbecue, the Tex-Mex influences from his Catholic school days, and the farm-to-table traditions of his family's roots in Elgin, Texas. He sees his restaurant as continuing Nighthawk's legacy of bringing diverse communities together across the table. The conversation also explores the transformation of East Austin, the entrepreneurial spirit of pre-integration Black businesses, and how the restaurant industry provided opportunities - and created lasting memories and relationships that transcend the challenges of the work. Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom. Chapters: 01:00 - The "small village" of East Austin 05:00 - Unpaved streets and dirt roads 08:00 - "Farm to table" before it was a buzzword 09:00 - The smoke culture of Texas beef 12:00 - Tex-Mex as "second food group" from Catholic school 14:00 - The soul in Texas home cooking 20:00 - The Nighthawk Steakhouse legacy 24:00 - Harry Akin as trailblazer 28:00 - Seven Nighthawk locations at peak 31:00 - Starting as busboy/dishwasher in 1973 at the Nighthawk Steakhouse 35:00 - Bringing people together at the table 38:00 - College years and working multiple jobs 39:00 - Opening Toulouse on Sixth Street in 1982 41:00 - Working at Good Eats Cafe and eventual buy-in 42:00 - The handshake deal for Hoover's 43:00 - Opening Hoover's on Manor Road 44:00 - The restaurant as integrated space and community hub 46:00 - "Texas home cooking" honoring multiple influences 47:00 - Mississippi Delta hot tamales and cultural fusion 48:00 - Southern Foodways Alliance and Food Ways Texas 49:00 - Making something good from what's available 51:00 - Richard Overton's neighborhood 52:00 - Honoring great-great-grandfather's entrepreneurship 53:00 - The importance of relationships over material things 54:00 - Location: 2002 Manor Road, east of I-35 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: Hoover Alexander - Native East Austinite, fifth generation Texan, proprietor of Hoover's Cooking (2002 Manor Road) 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

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

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
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    ©AUSTIN ROOTS 2026
  • Show Website
    Austin Roots

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