We (the Austin Lounge Lizards) got our start in 1980, 44 years ago. Our first gigs were at Luigi’s Other Side, on the Drag. In those days we played mostly for beer and the venue got the worse end of the deal. At first we played mostly cover tunes but our original funny songs became popular, so our repertoire moved in that direction. We released our first album, “Creatures from the Black Saloon,” in 1985. Some radio stations picked it up and we began touring the country (for money, not just beer). Over the years we have put out ten albums and have performed in 41 states, Canada, and England.
There have been some good gigs and some bad gigs. One of the best was the Vancouver Folk Festival. Our plane was late, so our afternoon slot turned into a twilight slot. It was magical playing for thousands of listening people as the sun set over the bay. On the other hand, there was a show at a small bar in Hickory, NC. At the intermission a drunken patron came up to Conrad and Tom in the bathroom and said “These guys suck.” When the guys explained they were in the band, he expounded, “Well, you suck.” This became known in our band lore as the “You Suck” gig.
Let’s hope the Austin Acoustical Cafe show is more like Vancouver.
-- The Austin Lounge Lizards