Live music review: Bad Times for Bad Larry’s and Little Brother Bar Shows
Ever notice we don’t see “Keep Austin Weird” shirts any longer? That phrase used to be plastered on the backs of cars and worn by old Austin folks walking their dogs with a hemp leash, but now, it’s a slogan reserved for visitors to grab a tie-dyed shirt at the airport before hopping on a plane back to Des Moines. I’m not saying the magic of Austin isn’t alive, but there’s a battle continually raging for what this city has always been, a mecca for the strange and fun, while yuppies on Bird scooters want their version of Austin too, complete with $230 sneakers, and all. At least there was Bad Larry’s at Little Brother… until there wasn’t.
Little Brother Bar on Rainey Street is an oasis amidst the throngs of shitheals with popped collars and bad manners. It’s a tiny closet of a bar that brings big fun with strong drinks, a bartending crew full of characters, and of course, the beloved Bummer Burritos. But for the last year or so, the bar would partner up with the Bad Larry Burger crew and throw the best free shows in Austin that were the thing of legend. And then they were forced to stop.
Rainey Street is a constant banging of bass with a dose of screaming coeds, dipped in never-ending traffic. The street is rarely quiet, even when it’s a slow night. DJs might spin to an empty room, but the music is never not loud. So, when Bad Larry and Little Brother would throw their infamous “Weekend at Larry’s” shows, it was a service industry party, always on a weird day during the week; whatever bands happened to be passing through would sometimes suit up and play a renegade rock n roll show on the tiny patio for the gawking tourists and the beer-hoisting locals. Bands like The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, Mugger, Whores, And You Will Know Us by The Trail of The Dead played. And over the summer, so did hardcore behemoths Cave in and Converge, putting on one of those magical moments in town where people will say, “I was there,” and those of us who were will know, that’s bullshit – you weren’t. Seeing Converge play “The Saddest Day” in the middle of the afternoon on a scorching hot Monday will never not be a thing of beauty and memory worth cherishing.
Sure, were these shows loud? Yes. But so is Rainey. Were there a lot of people? Yes. There are always people on that street. The shows were always over early to beat sound ordinances. Everyone was typically well-behaved, despite slamming cans of Gatorade or watching a guy jump off the glass doors in the middle of a donnybrook. Weekend at Larry’s nights was one of those authentically Austin experiences that, while they still happen, are becoming less frequent due to changing attitudes of what’s allowed vs. what should be an obvious slice of culture worth preserving. Outside of Converge, none of the shows ever got rowdy, but instead were a welcome respite of loud, to bleed away the stress of just trying to keep afloat in a city that becomes more unaffordable by the hour.
The Camden Apartments told Little Brother that if they threw another show, they’d lose their lease – the power of the yuppies has spoken. Instead of finding a solution together, the fun must stop, and now, those memories exist in a vacuum for those of us who were there. It bears asking the bigger question of what’s next?
In the spirit of rock and roll party times, we should be glad we get to experience things like Bad Larry’s shows, legal or not, but one thing we shouldn’t have to compromise on is some dipshit HOA president who day trades to make the rules on what is ok and what isn’t. Just because someone is screaming for a little while and the kids are having fun doesn’t make it any worse than hearing Bad Bunny blasted till 2AM every night. For a condo unit that claims to be “effortlessly cool” y’all sure sound like NARCS to me. More like “effortlessly lame.” The hypocrisy shows Camden; if you don’t like Austin being Austin, go back to Cleveland or Dallas.
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