Music, the real story in Austin

Until I read Beverly Beyette’s “Bats, Armadillos and LBJ, Deep in the Heart of Texas,” May 30, I wouldn’t have believed that someone could spend time in Austin and so completely miss the essence of the city. Beyette notes that Austin is the live music capital of the world, but nowhere in the article do we see the evidence.

Austin is rife with the spirit of music: Every night of the year, six blocks of East 6th Street are awash with the sound of guitar as students and other Austinites partake of some 20 music nightclubs. A mile south, Congress Avenue’s resolutely indie music careens from every restaurant, bar and taco stand amid folk art galleries and resale shops. Radio station KGSR-FM has taken on a national profile for promoting Texas’ many indigenous talents.

And it doesn’t stop there. Musicians play on the streets and wherever crowds gather. A gospel breakfast at Stubbs’ BBQ is great, but doesn’t even begin to cover the internationally recognized music scene of Austin.

Cary Baker

Sherman Oaks