The Armadillo World Headquarters (usually called simply The Armadillo) was the premiere music hall and entertainment center in Austin, Texas between 1970 and 1980. Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Music Look up Music on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikisource, as part of the 1911 Encyclopedia Wikiproject, has original text related to this article: Music Wikicities has a wiki about Music: Music MusicNovatory: the science of music encyclopedia Science of Music... Skyline from Town Lake City nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location Location in the state of Texas Government County Travis County Mayor Will Wynn Physical characteristics Area      Land      Water 669. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

History

In 1969, Austin's flagship rock venue, the Vulcan Gas Company, closed, leaving the city's nascent live music scene without an incubator. One night, Eddie Wilson, a member of the local group Shiva's Headband, stepped outside a nightclub where the band was playing and noticed an old abandoned National Guard armory that had later become a roller skating rink. Wilson found an unlocked garage door on the building and was able to view the cavernous interior using the headlights of his automobile. He had a desire to continue the legacy of the Vulcan Gas Company, and was inspired by what he saw in the armory to create a new music hall in the derelict structure. The armory was estimated to have been built in 1948, but no records of its construction could be located. The building was ugly, uncomfortable, and had poor acoustics, but offered cheap rent and a central location. Jump to: navigation, search 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A Venue is commonly the scene of an event or action (especially the place of a meeting). ... Business incubators are organizations that support the entrepreneurial process, helping to increase survival rates for innovative startup companies. ... A nightclub (often shortened to club in both the UK and US) is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... The United States National Guard is a significant component of the United States armed forces military reserve. ... An armory is a military depot used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Acoustics is a branch of physics and is the study of sound, mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids. ...

The name for the Armadillo came from the building itself. Wilson believed the building looked like it had been some type of headquarters at one time. He initially proposed "International Headquarters" but in the end it became "World Headquarters." In choosing the mascot for the new venture, Wilson and his partners wanted an "armored" animal since the building was an old armory. The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) was chosen because of its hard shell that looks like armor, its history as a survivor (virtually unchanged for 50 million years), and its near-ubiquity in central Texas. Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are concentrated. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, FL. A mascot is something, typically an animal or human character used to represent a group with a common identity, such as a school, professional sports team, or corporation. ... Genera Chlamyphorus Cabassous Chaetophractus Dasypus Euphractus Priodontes Tolypeutes Zaedyus Armadillos are any of several small mammals of the family Dasypodidae, mostly known for having a bony armor shell. ... Alternative meanings: vehicle armour, Armor (novel) A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ... Central Texas, a part of which is Texas Hill Country, is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. ...

The Armadillo World Headquarters officially opened on August 7, 1970 with Shiva's Headband and other local acts performing. The hall held about 1500 patrons, but chairs were limited, so most patrons sat on the floor on sections of carpet that had been pieced together. The Armadillo caught on quickly with the hippie culture of Austin because admission was inexpensive and the hall tolerated marijuana use. August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Flower-Power Bus Hippie (or sometimes hippy) is a term originally used to describe some of the rebellious youth of the 1960s and 1970s. ... Jump to: navigation, search Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ...

Soon, the Armadillo started receiving publicity in national magazines such as Rolling Stone. The clientele became a mixture of hippies, cowboys, and businessmen who stopped by to have lunch and a beer and listen to live music. At its peak, the amount of Lone Star draft beer sold by the Armadillo was second only to the Houston Astrodome. The Neiman-Marcus department store even offered a line of Armadillo-branded products. Even though illicit drug use was flagrant, the Armadillo was never raided. Anecdotes suggest the police were worried about having to bust their fellow officers as well as local and state politicians. Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music and popular culture. ... A cowboy (Spanish vaquero) tends cattle and horses on cattle ranches in North and South America. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... Lone Star is the brand name of a beer once produced in San Antonio, Texas and marketed as The National Beer of Texas. ... Jump to: navigation, search City nickname: Space City Location Location in the state of Texas Government Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Mayor Bill White Physical characteristics Area      Land      Water 601. ... The Reliant Astrodome, formerly just the Astrodome, is a domed sports stadium in Houston, Texas, and is part of the Reliant Park complex. ... A Neiman Marcus store, located in the International Plaza Mall in Tampa, Florida. ... The Chicago Police Department arrests a man An arrest is the action of police or other authority, or even in some circumstances a private civilian, to apprehend and take under guard a person who is suspected of committing a crime. ...

The blend of country and rock music performed at the hall became known as "The Austin Sound," "Redneck Rock," or "Cosmic Cowboy." Many upcoming and established acts such as Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, and ZZ Top played the Armadillo. Freddie King, Frank Zappa, and Commander Cody all recorded live albums there. Bruce Springsteen played five shows during 1974. The Australian band AC/DC played their first American show at the Armadillo with Canadian outfit Moxy in July 1977. Country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ... Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American guitarist and country singer, originally from Abbott, Texas. ... Ray Charles at the piano. ... ZZ Top is a rock band, most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s, from Houston, Texas. ... Freddie King (September 3, 1934-December 28, 1976) was a blues guitarist and singer. ... Jump to: navigation, search Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, singer and satirist. ... A famous college student who has many friends. ... Bruce Springsteen on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band. ... Moxy formed in Toronto Canada in 1974, from their previous group Leigh Ashford with singer Buzz Shearman. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ...

Despite its successes, the Armadillo always struggled financially. The addition of the Armadillo Beer Garten in 1972 and the subsequent establishment of food service were both bids to generate positive cash flow. However, the financial difficulties continued. This predicament was blamed on a combination of large guaranteed payments for the acts, cheap ticket prices, and poor promotion. The club finally had to lay off staff members in late 1976 and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1977. A beer garden (or in the German language, Biergarten) is an open-air drinking establishment that originated in Bavaria, where beer gardens in general are distinguished from traditional beer gardens today. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Promotion is one of the four aspects of marketing. ... Downsizing refers to layoffs initiated by a company in order to cut labor costs by reducing the size of the company. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Chapter 11 is a part of the United States Code dealing with bankruptcy. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ...

Another factor in the club's demise was that it sat on 5.62 acres of prime real estate in what soon became a prime development area in the city. The Armadillo's landlord sold the property for an amount estimated between $4 million and $8 million. Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ...

The final concert at the Armadillo was held on December 31, 1980. The sold-out New Year's Eve show featured Asleep at the Wheel and Commander Cody. Some reports say the show ended at 4 a.m., while others claim that the bands played until dawn. The contents of the Armadillo were sold at auction in January 1981, and the old armory was razed for a high-rise office building. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge illuminated under New Years Eve Fireworks 2005 New Years Eve is a celebration held the day before New Years Day, on December 31, the final day of the year. ... Asleep at the Wheel is the name of an Austin, Texas based Western swing band, winner of nine Grammy Awards. ... A famous college student who has many friends. ... Dawn or civil dawn is the time at which the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning. ... An auctioneer and her assistants scan the crowd for bidders An auction is the process of buying and selling things by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An office is a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organisation with specific duties attached to it (see officer, office-holder, official); the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one...

Legacy

With the success of the Armadillo and Austin's burgeoning music scene, KLRN (now KLRU), the local PBS television affiliate, created Austin City Limits, a program showcasing popular local, regional, and national music acts. Austin City Limits is still in production as of 2005. KLRU is the local PBS public television member station in Austin, Texas, in the United States of America. ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... Austin City Limits is a music program on American television. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar began in 1976 at the Armadillo, and is still held annually during the Christmas season. The bazaar was another attempt to improve cash flow for the hall. When the Armadillo closed, the bazaar changed locations every year, as it leased whatever large empty retail space might be available at the time. In 1995, the bazaar settled at the Austin Music Hall, its current home. The bazaar has become one of the top-ranked arts and crafts shows in the nation with a long waiting list of artisans who wish to show their work. Jump to: navigation, search 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with ones own hands and skill. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ...

Some acts that played at the Armadillo

• Boz Scaggs
• Jimmy Buffett
• Budgie
• Charlie Daniels Band
• Cheech and Chong
• The Clash
• David Allan Coe
• Count Basie
• AC/DC
• Devo
• Greezy Wheels
• Kinky Friedman
• Mance Lipscomb
• Marshall Tucker Band
• Bette Midler
• Moxy
• Ted Nugent
• The Pointer Sisters
• The Police
• Linda Ronstadt
• Rush
• Bob Seger
• Ravi Shankar

Boz Scaggs album cover Boz Scaggs (born William Royce Scaggs June 8, 1944) is an Ohio-born Texan singer, songwriter and guitarist. ... In License to Chill, Buffett paired with several famous country music stars on the albums songs. ... Budgie has several meanings: Budgerigar, a type of bird Budgie, a rock band Budgie, the self-titled debut album of the above band Budgie, a 1971 British TV drama starring Adam Faith Budgie, the pseudonym of Pete Clarke, drummer of Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Creatures Budgie the Little Helicopter... Charles Edward Daniels (born October 28, 1936) is a very popular country singer. ... Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, Cheech and Chong, were a comedy duo who found a wide audience in the 1960s and 1970s for their stand-up routines, which were based upon the 1960s hippie, free love and (especially) drug culture movements. ... The Clash was a successful British punk rock group that existed from 1976 to 1986. ... David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939 in Akron, Ohio) is an American country music singer who achieved his greatest popularity in the 1970s. ... William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was a jazz pianist, organist, and bandleader. ... Jump to: navigation, search AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band. ... Promotional photo distributed during Are We Not Men? era. ... Greezy Wheels was a well known Texas rock band in Austin in the 1970s. ... Richard F. Kinky Friedman, (born October 31, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter and novelist. ... Mance Lipscomb (April 9, 1895 - January 30, 1976) was an influential blues singer and guitarist. ... The Marshall Tucker Band is a southern rock band, who in 1973 released their first EP, simply titled The Marshall Tucker band. Originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Marshall Tucker Band still play up to 150 shows in a year. ... Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945), is a singer, actress, and comedian. ... Moxy formed in Toronto Canada in 1974, from their previous group Leigh Ashford with singer Buzz Shearman. ... Ted Nugent Ted Nugent (born December 13, 1948) aka the Nuge and the Motor City Madman is a guitarist from Detroit, Michigan, originally gaining fame as a member of the Amboy Dukes. ... The Pointer Sisters was an American vocal group and recording act that achieved great success during the 1970s and 1980s. ... The Police, (L to R): Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers. ... Linda Ronstadt on the cover of her 2002 collection The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer. ... Rush is an acclaimed Canadian progressive rock band comprising bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee (formerly Gary Weinrib), guitarist Alex Lifeson (real name Alexander Zivojinovich), and drummer Neil Peart (pronounced: Peert) who recorded their first album in 1974. ... Robert Clark Bob Seger (born May 6, 1945) was an important figure in American rock and roll and pop music in the 1970s and 1980s, and continues to be influential today. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

References

• Zelade, Richard. (Winter 1985). "The Armadillo's Last Waltz". Texas Times, pp 46-49. (from the Austin History Center collection)
• "The Decade of the Dillo". Official Website of the Armadillo World Headquarters. Retrieved Jun. 20, 2005.
• "History". Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. Retrieved Jun. 20, 2005.

External links

• Official Website of the Armadillo World Headquarters
• Austin City Links
• Armadillo Christmas Bazaar