Thursday, June 6, 1991

Austin American-Statesman Folk

By Peter Blackstock

[...] As if that weren't enough, coming up June 15 is the birthday party for "The Granddaddy of Them All" - Hole in the Wall, which turns 18 this year with a bash featuring the LeRoi Brothers and Two Hoots & a Holler.

To be truthful, there are a couple of places that have been around for longer - the Broken Spoke recently passed the 25-year mark - but among bars that feature music seven nights a week, the Hole's long lifespan is nothing short of a miracle in this town.

Sure, some things have changed - most recently, we saw the departure of Jimbo, the bartender known to millions as the tall, blond-haired guy walking out of the bar during the closing credits of Austin City Limits. Although Jimbo actually had been working at the Hole for a little less than one-third of its lifespan, he was a part of a firm but friendly staff.

Though he'll be missed, the rest of the Hole family is quite capable of carrying on the venue's tradition. It's that familial atmosphere, and a consistent presentation of quality Austin music (recently broadened and improved when longtime employee Debbie Rombach took over booking), that makes Hole in the Wall this writer's pick for the best live-music venue in Austin. And now it's even old enough to vote.