In the late ’90s, Clifford Antone had a problem. His namesake club, Antone’s, had been Austin’s home for the blues for decades, but it was too small of a venue for a lot of his favorite artists. In 1999, Clifford decided to throw the first Antone’s Blues Festival in the much-larger Waterloo Park, and over the course of three years, the fest featured legends like Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, and John Lee Hooker.
But now a new generation at Antone’s is bringing the festival back to the revamped Waterloo Greenway. On April 29, Austin Blues Festival takes over the Moody Amphitheater, and the lineup features blues and soul legends like Booker T.’s Stax Revue, Los Lobos, and C.J. Chenier (son of zydeco star Clifton Chenier, who helped kick off Antone’s in the mid-70s). Plus, Austin’s Adrian Quesada and BLK ODYSSY bring a homegrown flavor to the fest.
This week on My KUTX, we hear a preview of the fest from organizers Susan Antone, Zach Ernst, Haley Caradine, and Will Bridges. Hear My KUTX on Saturday, April 15 at 6 p.m. or listen anytime at the top of the page.
Playlist:
- C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band – “Louisiana Two Step” (live)
- The Glorifying Vines Sisters – “Get Ready”
- BLK ODYSSY – “GHOST RIDE”
- Adrian Quesada – “Noble Metals”
- Robert Randolph & The Family Band – “Peekaboo” (live)
- Jimmie Vaughan – “The Pleasure’s All Mine”
- Rufus Thomas – “Cause I Love You”
- Booker T. & The M.G.’s – “Green Onions”
- Carla Thomas – “B-A-B-Y”
- Sam & Dave – “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”
- Los Lobos – “Kiko & The Lavender Moon”
- Los Lobos – “I Got Loaded”
