"Austin's Early Art Scene" with Danny Garrett

"The San Francisco posters sort of resonated with everybody and I mean everyone across the country, across the world. Of course, there was a very strong connection between Austin and San Francisco. There was direct feedback from that, from what was going on in San Francisco, especially with Gilbert (Shelton) and (Jack) Jackson out there. There was a resonance, but it wasn't the same thing. Approaches were very different anyway. I think the success of the San Francisco posters sort of drove the other poster scenes here and elsewhere." (Danny Garrett)

Danny Garrett, a central figure in Austin's music poster art scene, joins Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard to discuss his journey from Vietnam veteran to iconic poster artist. The conversation covers his work with the Armadillo World Headquarters Art Squad, his deep relationship with Clifford Antone and the blues scene, and his iconic posters for Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Garrett also shares stories about the transition from counterculture to tech industry, his teaching career in New Zealand, and the evolution of Austin's music venues from the 1970s to today.

Chapters:

02:00 - Early musical influences: Bobby Blue Bland, Roy Head and The Traits, BJ Thomas and The Triumphs

03:00 - Discovering art through comics and Mad Magazine

04:00 - Drafted in 1969 while pursuing history degree at Stephen F. Austin

05:00 - Return to civilian life and joining the counterculture in March 1970

06:00 - Moving from Houston to Austin in 1971

08:00 - First visit to Austin: Enchanted Rock trip, spring 1971

09:00 - Meeting Jim Franklin at the Armadillo to discuss underground comics

10:00 - First poster commission: John Sebastian (a financial disaster for the venue)

11:00 - Introduction to the Armadillo Art Squad

12:00 - Artistic education from peers, especially Guy Duke, Michael Priest, and Bill Narum

13:00 - Common visual language: Texas/Western iconography, music imagery

17:00 - Michael Priest's iconic first Willie Nelson poster (cowboy crying into beer, "Hello Walls")

20:00 - AWHQ Posters, importance of readability: "need to read it driving by a telephone pole"

23:00 - Creating the Antone's logo (also Texas Chili Parlor logo the same year)

25:00 - The iconic Muddy Waters bust poster (using Watt Casey photograph)

27:00 - The 21st Anniversary poster: petitioning Clifford to feature Stevie instead of Albert Collins

30:00 - Six locations of Antone's club over the years

34:00 - First seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan play at Antone's circa 1976: "the kid brother"

37:00 - Working with Willie's organization: "challenging" but an honor

39:00 - Eddie Wilson's story of booking Willie at the Armadillo

41:00 - The chaotic 1972 Dripping Springs Reunion

45:00 - The Tech transition: Michael Priest and Sam Yates founding Schenough Studios

48:00 - Origin Systems and Gaming

50:00 - Immigration to New Zealand after George W. Bush's reelection

51:00 - Teaching at Auckland University of Technology (2005-2010)

52:00 - Founding faculty member of digital graphics program (now partnered with Peter Jackson's studios)

53:00 - The challenge of old-style poster pricing vs. digital work

Content Warning: adult themes, stories of drug use

Content created during the global pandemic, in the room, and on Zoom.

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Guest: Danny Garrett, visual artist, author of Weird Yet Strange: Notes from an Austin Music Artist

Production Team:

Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder @Threadgills

Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian @jasondeanmellard

Editor, Renee O'Connor

Music Mixing, Matt Carlson @axemanguitar

Producer, Renee O'Connor @realreneeoconnor

Producer, Sandra Wilson @sandrawilson709

Executive Producer, TSSI

Music by Jake Andrews Music @jakeandrewsmusic

Production assistant, Miles Muir @miles_muir

Production consultant, Katey Psencik