Every once in a while, I'll let my fingers do the walking and do a few random Google searches: my name, the Alamo Drafthouse, whatever. Last night I happened to let my attention drift and embarked on a Google search for the Ritz. I stumbled upon an incredible account on leftofthedialmag.com documenting May 8, 1982. That was the day that Randy Biscuit Turner booked the very first punk show at the Ritz, unknowingly ushering in the golden age of hardcore in Austin.
I'm more acquainted with the Jim Franklin days of 1974-1975 than I was with the brief but apparently white hot year of 1982 when punk exploded at the Ritz, so I devoured this article quickly. Before May 8, 1982, no sizeable venue was booking hardcore shows in Austin. Once the floodgates were open though, the Ritz hosted all of the legendary hardcore bands of the day: Minor Threat, Husker Du, the Misfits, the Circle Jerks and of course, Black Flag, until the police ended up shutting things down later that year.
The more I read about the Ritz, the more I get excited about our new home and the amazing, unique and varied history it's had. Once we open up, we'll be decorating select spots in the new space with photos of all the amazing eras of the Ritz, from the beginning days, the Jim Franklin years, 1982 and of course the post-punk metal years. I for one, can wait to get the doors open again to hopefully continue the story.
Read the complete article on Left of the Dial
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Sunday, August 26, 2007
An historic day at the Ritz: May 8, 1982
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5 comments:
Very cool story. Don't let his modest voice fool you - Craig Underwood was an influential mover and shaker in the early Austin punk scene. Along with Biscuit, he and Mark Pratz/J-net Ward literally shepherded(?) the gnarly gang of delinquents, speed-freaks, and curious ex-hippies cast adrift in the wake Duke's and Rauls' closings, eventually impressing even the most hardened capos of the Granola Mafia such as Jim Franklin. I'd wager that the multi-million dollar local music scene we have today would never have happened without these tenacious hold-overs from the days of the 'Dillo and Oat Willie's roachclip factory. Today's Red River hipsters would find it hard to believe, but in the early 80's you could count the Austin clubs willing to host live original (non-C&W) music on one hand.
If you read Rollin's "Get in the Van" he tells the tale of playing at the Ritz, right before the gig a girl threw a cup of piss on him and he did the show covered in piss.
Also you'll find some live footage of the Dead Kennedys at the Ritz on the DVD 'In God We Trust Inc.'
nice tim. we should do a punk showcase next may 8 to commemorate, get bands to do covers of the original bands that played or something? ill help hand out lonestar and mop up puke. (i knew going to college would pay off.)
I seem to remember an early Stray Cats show soon after that at the Ritz.
There was intermittent bizarre theatre stuff and comedy in the Ritz later on too. Austin's ComedySportz had a pretty long run in the Ritz, about 1990 or so, also Esther's Follies used it as a home base for some time. And of course the Uranium Savages crazy rock'nroll shows, there are some wild photos of those. And then the Big Stinkin comedy festival used it in the 90's.
Hey Jim,
Thanks for the great tribute. We loved all the work at Liberty Lunch and the punk days there and our old Continental Club were vibrant and memorable. thanks for remembering...remember the riot biscuit caused at the Lunch when he identified a 'nazi skinhead' in the crowd and said...get him! Oh my.
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