Viva Terlingua!...50 years later

On August 18, 1973, Viva Terlingua captured the heart of Texas and a piece of outlaw country history was born. 

We have been working with Luckenbach for months deciding how best to celebrate Jerry Jeff and his recording “Viva Terlingua” on its 50th anniversary. It seems disrespectful to think the magic from 1973 can be recreated since the main man is not here.

What we hope to do is create some new magic by celebrating this recording and the man who was responsible….Jerry Jeff. 

We have reached out to all musicians and songwriters who were part of the recording and have put the shows together with those who have accepted the invite. They will be joined by artists whose own careers were influenced by this iconic recording. 

Here’s feedback from a long time fan as to what the focus should be for this event. “Jerry Jeff, as the spirit and protagonist of an era. The album, Viva Terlingua at 50 and what it meant. And the fans, the people who will join us to remind themselves of who they were fifty years ago…..or as soon as anyone heard that album, on a radio, a party at somebody’s house, or in my case….I heard the music when I saw my best friend’s smile.”

Kicking off the Friday night dancehall celebration is a Special Preview of the Six Film / 12 Hour Documentary Project, THEY CALLED US OUTLAWS, directed by Austin’s Eric Geadelmann in Association With The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, that features JJW throughout the epic series. The Viva Terlingua 50th screening will include never seen before archives, interviews with JJW himself explaining how a random walk in Manhattan turned into what Rolling Stone explained was important "because it demonstrated that Austin’s relaxed and liberal environment could yield an album of great artistic merit” 

The Friday night show in the dancehall will be a joyous occasion with songs, stories and who knows what else, in hopes of making some magic of our own with Jerry Jeff and Hondo hopefully looking on with approval. 

Saturday night will be under the stars and the ever famous Luckenbach Moon where we will sing and dance the night away with Viva Terlingua in our hearts and minds as myself and friends, old and new, play the songs we know and love from Jerry Jeff and that recording.