"As the years past, I found myself at the Cactus time and time again, always nourished by the talent of the musicians and also impressed and grateful for the quiet, attentive and educated audience. I have talked to many other touring musicians and find that the Cactus is known for its great sound, great ears, and great history. For me, even though I was not a UT student, this was one of the most important elements to my professional education. This was a room dedicated to Song, a place people went to bask in poetry and melody, be healed, understood, and made whole. As much as Antone’s, Austin’s blues throne room was where I learned about The Late Night Voodoo Sex Ritual, Cactus was where The Story was told, where guitars became conch shells and the mystery was taught. Townes Van Zandt’s songs still hold potent medicine, more than any of the books of the Bible for this mystic."
Guy Forsyth, on the proposed closing of The Cactus Cafe, one of Austin’s most storied venues, which happens to sit upon some prime real estate on the University of Texas campus. The closure is going to happen no matter how many students, pillars of Austin’s music community, and regular people get up and complain at town hall meetings. It’s a done deal.
I am not a nostalgic person, I am not a person who gets upset about these things — but this whole situation just PISSES ME OFF SO HARDCORE. Mostly because UT finally found a way to close The Cactus (I have no doubt they’ve been trying for YEARS) by citing the fact that they need to trim the Student Union budget. But the thing that irks me most is that the university isn’t monetizing (yeah, I said that) the Cactus brand in light of Austin’s reputation as That Place Where There’s Live Music All The Time. Hello! Build a set and start a spin-off of Austin City Limits called Live from the Cactus Cafe, or something — and then start a smaller-than-ACL music festival for American roots music. DUH. If this is about making money in that space, I got your ideas for making money, you fools!
xoxo, c. hotpoint.
