Texas Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Austin-based Western swing legends Asleep at the Wheel to its esteemed roster earlier this month. The band’s half-century of performances promises to continue for as long as possible: Band leader Ray Benson told KLTV News at the induction that he plans to play “as long as I’m fit and able to do it.” The Singing Fisherman Johnny Horton was also posthumously added to the distinguished hall.
Waterloo Records reopens Saturday, Aug. 30, at its new 1105 North Lamar location with a party celebrating its expanded shop front and innovative additions, like a gold record vinyl press and immersive studio space. Waterloo Sound, a new post-production studio, aims to support multimedia audio projects including music, film, gaming, and podcasting with a “flexible, high-performance environment,” according to a press release. The studio boasts a first-of-its-kind modular studio platform developed by Grammy-winning engineer Chad Franscoviak, aptly named the Nu•Studio System. “This is our first Nu•Studio System in the wild,” Franscoviak shared in the press release. “Launching it here with a team equally committed to progress makes this moment especially meaningful for all of us.”
Coupland Dancehall is closing on Oct. 11. Two-steppers across Central Texas are already in mourning for the historic venue, which opened in 1904 about 25 miles east of Austin and has since stood as a mainstay among rural venues in Austin’s surrounding areas, like those in Luckenbach and Gruene. Owner Abbey Road told Saving Country Music earlier this month that a combination of aging audiences, dwindling alcohol and food sales, digitization of music discovery, and radius clauses have conspired to make running a mid-sized venue like hers more difficult. “I’m so thankful for the way this thing is ending,” Road said. “My whole intent for the next 10 weeks until October 10th is to honor the legacy and memories of this dance hall.”
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Asleep at the Wheel, Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, Ray Benson, Waterloo Records, Coupland Dancehall, Abbey Road
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Crosstalk: Highs and Lows From This Week’s Music News – The Austin Chronicle
