Vulcan Gas Company

The Vulcan Gas Company, (usually called simply The Vulcan) was the first successful psychedelic music venue in Austin, Texas. The Vulcan opened its doors at 316 Congress Avenue in the fall 1967, and shut its doors in the summer of 1970.cite web|url=http://www.faculty.missouristate.edu/D/DennisHickey/vulcan.htm|title=THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED LIST OF VULCAN GAS COMPANY POSTERS AND HANDBILLS|accessdate=2008-06-08] Houston White, Gary Maxwell, Don Hyde, and Sandy Lockett started the Vulcan.cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/VV/xdv1.html|title=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/VV/xdv1.html|accessdate=2008-06-08] By 1969, management was primarily by White and Lockett, along with Jim Franklin. There was a substantial sound system installed by Sandy Lockett. Charlie Sauer was the principal audio engineer for the last year of operation. Bobby Hedderman and Marty McDermott managed the club for the last few months. A name plaque for the Vulcan is still on the front wall of the historic W.B. Smith building, named after the dry goods store which first occupied the building in 1884.cite web|url=http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/04/09/0409patagonia.html|title=Patagonia to open retail store downtown|accessdate=2008-06-08] Patagonia plans to open a store in the building in the fall of 2008. However, in 1967 this end of the street leading to the state capitol was not particularly prosperous and rents were relatively low.

The Vulcan provided a concert stage for unconventional bands of various genres, most notably the 13th Floor Elevators and the Conqueroo. By 1969, Shiva's Headband became the "de facto" house band, and in the first half of 1970 the Hub City Movers played frequently at the Vulcan.

The club had no seating, and the audience either sat on the floor or stood. Smoking marijuana inside the club was discouraged but prevalent. Alcohol was discouraged until the last few months, when beer was served. For some time, the Vulcan used space in the adjoining building to the north for serving sandwiches and as office space, but this auxiliary space was eventually abandoned to reduce rent.

Most of the income came from gate receipts, typically $1.50 per person. Johnny Winter, as a favor to White and Lockett, played a benefit concert, along with the Hub City Movers, March 10 & 11, 1970. Even that concert was not enough to offset ominous financial difficulties.

The elevated stage at the northwest end of the hall was rustic, but the psychedelic light show offset that appearance. There was a large horizontal drain pipe across the back of the stage -- that pipe is prominent in many photos of performances at the Vulcan.

For much of the history, concerts were advertised with both large posters and letter sized handbills, similar to those produced for concerts at The Avalon Ballroom and The Fillmore. Gradually, the larger posters were sacrificed to save cost, and eventually the handbills were abandoned for the same reason. A comprehensive annotated collection is available at [http://www.faculty.missouristate.edu/D/DennisHickey/vulcan.htm THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED LIST OF VULCAN GAS COMPANY POSTERS AND HANDBILLS] .

ome acts that played at the Vulcan

*13th Floor Elevators
*1948
*Afro Caravan
*Angela, Lewis and the Fabulous Rockets
*Austin Suburban Loan Co
*Birth
*Blues Bag
*Bubble Puppy
*Canned Heat
*Captain Beefheart
*Children
*Conqueroo
*Consolidated Smoke House Limited
*James Cotton
*Endel St. Cloud in the Rain
*Sleepy John Estes
*Fat Emma
*Fugs
*Georgetown Medical Band
*Golden Dawn
*Good Humor
*Greezy Wheels
*Grits
*John Lee Hooker
*Lightnin' Hopkins
*Hub City Movers
*Jomo
*Freddie King
*Mance Lipscomb
*Liquid Marble
*Lord August and The Visions of Life
*Lost and Found
*Fred McDowell
*Steve Miller Band
*Moby Grape
*Mother Earth
*Mustangs
*Naked Letus
*New Atlantis
*New Moan Hey
*Night Hog
*Ohio Express
*Onion Creek
*Poco
*Ramon Ramon and the 4 Daddyos
*Jimmy Reed
*Rubaiyat
*Salt
*Shepherd's Head
*Sherwood
*Shiva's Headband
*Sky Blues
*South Canadian Overflow
*Space American Eagle Squadron
*Strawberry Shoemaker
*Sunnyland Special
*Swiss Movement
*Texas, with Jimmie Vaughn, Denny Freeman, Paul Ray
*Texas Pacific
*Texas Rangers
*Zachary Thacks
*Thingies
*Big Mama Thornton
*Velvet Underground
*United Gas
*Untouchables
*Water Brothers
*Muddy Waters
*Wild Chickens
*Big Joe Williams
*Johnny Winter
*Zig Zag Quartet

See also

* Music of Austin

References