Raul's was a live music nightclub at 2610 Guadalupe Street in Austin, Texas in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which specialized in punk rock music. The location is very near the University of Texas campus.[1]
It was the first club of its kind in the city and consequently the only one, for a time.
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Originally a bar run by Hispanics Joseph Gonzales (deceased in May 1996[2]) and Roy "Raul" Gomez, when, in late 1977, four musicians, Jesse Sublett, Kathy Valentine, Carla Olson and Marilyn Dean, approached them, looking for a venue to play, since those performers had difficulties being accepted elsewhere. The four musicians had formed a new punk band called the Violators. Jesse Sublett, along with Eddie Munoz and Bill Blackmon comprised the other new punk band in town, The Skunks.[3] Raul's gave both bands a chance, but at first did not enjoy the new style, which they deemed too chaotic, preferring rather Tejano music. The Violators and the Skunks first played at Raul's in February 1978 to a wildly enthusiastic audience. Thereafter, the Skunks garnered a huge following, not only at Raul's but other, more conventional venues around Austin.
Then there was the September 19 incident of the arrest for obscenity of the singer of The Huns, Phil Tolstead, while on stage for their first performance[4], which drew considerable attention after a scoop article on the matter was published in the university students' newspaper, The Daily Texan, and on to other publications such as Rolling Stone and the NME in the UK.[5] A photograph had been taken at the moment where a bare-chested Tolstead, being handcuffed on stage, was reaching to one of the police officers for a kiss on the cheek. The establishment experienced a noticeable increase in clientèle, fueled by curiosity, especially among young people, thanks to its proximity to the university.
Eventually the place became the punk rock venue in town, and its reputation was somewhat echoed throughout the United States.
A recording was made there, the 1979 Live at Raul's, a compilation of songs by five of the most popular of the Raul's bands: The Skunks, Standing Waves, Roky Erickson, The Explosives, The Next, and Terminal Mind. Other regular performers included: Radio Free Europe, Eddie and the Inm'8s, Joe "King" Carrasco and the Crowns, Sharon Tate's Baby, The MiƧtakes, Boy Problems, the Chickadiesels, the Re*cords, the Reactors, the Delinquents, D-Day, the all-girl band The Foams, Action Toys, the Electric Tools, the Stains, the Gators, the Derelicts, Radio Planets, the Rejects, Secret Science, Perverted Popes, ROKKER, the Invisibles, Toxic Shock;[6] then later, the Big Boys,and The Dicks.
The club hosted a number of touring bands such as The Plugz from LA, who had Texas roots, in the summer of 79, and The Dils, also from California.[7] The Urinals, from Los Angeles, happened by. Also : The Psychedelic Furs on their first US tour (1980), the Dinettes from Santa Barbara, on June 25 & 26, the Controllers from L.A. (November 17 & 18). Patti Smith made an appearance, and so did Devo, and Elvis Costello. Robert Fripp was once spotted in the audience.
A fanzine was circulating, named Sluggo!.
There have been several "Raul's reunions" around town, one in 1988, one on October 29 of 1994 at Liberty Lunch[8]; another on September 26 of 2003 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the "Huns riot", at Café Mundi;[5] a "Class of '78" performance at the Austin Music Hall for the Austin Music Awards on March 17, 2004;[9][10] one at the Texas Showdown, the now defunct bar at Raul's former location, on 2008-01-26.