Blaze Foley

In 1999, at my first SXSW, my friends and I started a SXSW tradition of spending an afternoon at Waterloo Records, essentially going on a team shopping spree. That first year, I spent about $70, which, at the time, was far beyond my budget. I recall one friend spending somewhere north of $300. Could've been more. I picked up a Richmond Fontaine record and a few others, but the highlight was the record bought via a recommendation of one of the staff. With a few records in hand, I approached a guy at the register and asked him to simply make a recommendation. Without a second to think, he replied, "Blaze Foley's: Live at the Austin Outhouse. He's unknown outside of Austin and never recorded a proper album. But this just came out." I grabbed the CD and added it to my basket.

 It took me a while to get around to that record, but once I did, I was shocked at the beauty and simplicity of the songs. Just gorgeous. Like Townes Van Zandt beautiful. I started to scour the internet and other sources to find out about Foley. It was hard to find much. He was actually good friends with Townes. He evidently often slept beneath a pool table in an Austin bar. He died at the age of 39, victim of a gunshot wound to the chest. His life and passing sounded like the Old West. But he died in 1989.

Blaze Foley, Townes Van Zandt & Rex Bell 

 "Clay Pigeons" is the song that hit me the most, and 12 years later is among my favorite songs, ever. Yesterday at Amoeba Records, after making my way through the rock section, as I always do, I went and covered the other genres: soul, punk, folk, blues, jazz, oldies, bluegrass, world and country. When I hit the last section, I stopped in my tracks. On display sat a new release by Blaze Foley. Clay Pigeons it's called. And I was taken right back to that March afternoon in 1999.