I’m not a big fan of travel books, but you know when Kinky Friedman writes one, it won’t be your typical travel book. That’s certainly true of THE GREAT PSYCHEDELIC ARMADILLO PICNIC, which is all about the Kinkster’s hometown of Austin, Texas.
Now, I have to commit some Texas heresy here and admit that I’m not a big fan of Austin, either. I’ve spent too much time trying to get through there on the way somewhere else, which means I’ve gotten stuck too many times in that hellish I-35 traffic. However, I know several people who live there and think very highly of them, and since I’ve spent more time there and learned how to get around and avoid the interstate, I like Austin a little better. At one time, Austin had one of the best used bookstores I’ve ever run across, the Pirate’s Den on North Lamar. Sadly, it’s gone now, and the last time I drove by there the building was occupied by a used furniture store. That’s just not the same. But there are still some good bookstores in Austin and some fine places to eat. What else do you need, other than less traffic?
My other complaint about Austin is that nearly every time I go there, I get a flat tire on whatever vehicle I’m driving. I don’t know why that is. But I would ask that if you ever find yourself in Austin, don’t throw nails out of your car window. My tires will find them if you do.
Anyway, getting back to Mr. Friedman’s book, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I learned quite a few things I didn’t know about Austin, mostly concerning places to listen to music, get drunk, and eat barbecue. And while I hate to contradict the Kinkster, the best barbecue in Austin is at Rudy’s in northwest Austin, not at Sam’s. Although I’m sure that Sam’s barbecue is good. Just not as good as Rudy’s. You also have to like any book that has nice things to say about the Cornell Hurd Band, as this one does. Now, I could pick nits and point out that there should have also been a mention of Gary P. Nunn’s classic song “London Homesick Blues” (the one with the lyrics “I wanna go back to the Armadillo . . .”), but I won’t.
So if you’re going to Austin, or if you live in Austin, or if you just like writing that is funny and poignant and occasionally raucous, I recommend THE GREAT PSYCHEDELIC ARMADILLO PICNIC. Just remember, watch out for my tires.
4 comments:
As for good barbecue, drive another 40 miles to Lockhart (my mother's home town) and eat at Black's Barbecue. James Crumley even mentioned it in THE FINAL COUNTRY.
I haven't been to Lockhart in years and hadn't heard of Black's Barbecue. There used to be another barbecue joint there that got a lot of press, but I didn't care for it all that much. During the Sixties and early Seventies my dad owned part of the radio station in Lockhart, KHRB, my brother-in-law worked there as a DJ, and I hung around there a lot and made a nuisance of myself. There was also an old-fashioned newsstand in Lockhart where I bought an occasional paperback. It was a nice town back then, and I assume it still is.
Since my son does the sound for the Cornell Hurd Band's live shows and since he does their CDs, too, I have to cut the Kinkster some slack on the bbq bit.
Ah, the Pirate's Den. I wonder how many others besides the two of us remember it fondly? I distinctly remember picking up my copy of Ace Double #1 there in the long ago.
The last time I got stuck on 183 North of Austin, I promised I wouldn't go back, but of course I did. Listened to Gary P Nunn in the park at Crockett the other night, and got a little homesick for Austin.
Babbles
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