Honky Tonkin’ and Hydrating
Get some boots, for heaven’s sake, and then get yourself to the best country music in Austin.
Before I moved to Texas from Connecticut, my Yankee cohorts and I were convinced that honky tonks were a myth. Then I came to Austin, ended up at a Dale Watson show, and met a group of country dancers who advised me to get some boots, for heavens sakes, and then get myself to the best live music in this city. The legends were true. I alerted the masses back East.
Granted, things have evolved since Hank Williams sang about drinkin’, smokin’, and general honky tonkin’ debauchery, and Austin’s honky tonks are not always easy to spot. They come in the gritty neighborhood dive variety (Ginny’s Little Longhorn, on Burnet) as much as the hip, versatile variety (South Congress’ Continental Club). No matter the flavor, some fundamentals prevail: a dance floor, and unparalleled Texas country.
The key is figuring out where to go on which night, and as I found out at that first Dale Watson show, someone else has already done the research. In these venues, that means The Dancers. Aptly labeled within their circle, these folks are inevitably at all the best shows. They’re the ones clustered around the orange water jug, hydrating between songs. And let’s be clear: they are two-stepping. Not to be confused with line dancing. Perish the thought.
Published September 2007 in INSite Magazine.