You Eat What You Kill

By Lucy Murphy

The lights dim. The crowd grows louder and louder as your heart begins pounding. Drops of sweat bead from your nose as the lights sway. It’s your moment. The first drum beats ring in your ears with their authoritative sentiments. Drinks spill sloppily as the crowd jitters and buzzes with excitement. Hints of blues and soul sneak through as the electric guitar slices through the soundwaves. Welcome to the Live Music Capital of the world.

Dozens of musicians move to Austin, Texas each year to become part of the vibrant music scene. Most of these musicians long for the buzz of a live audience, and Austin is the perfect place. Many musicians have found that the “Austin Soul” has rubbed off on their music style and compositions. Twangs of blues and rock find themselves lodged in the cramped lines of music in each new score. Exposure becomes everything as audiences grow and venues become larger. Slowly building up their careers, Austin musicians find their sound in the heart of Texas.

Sean Rodriguez is a bass guitarist that moved to Austin in the fall of 2017. He plays bass for several different music groups, but he mainly plays for the country group The Wilder Blue. Rodriquez’s passion for bass began in high school but flourished during his time in college at Texas A&M University.

“[I was fortunate] to see bands that would come from Austin like Roxy Roca, Soul Track Mind, The Nightowls, JT Coldfire, David Ramirez; I used to see all these bands that would come through, and every time I would see them, or play my shows, [that passion for music] would keep building,” Rodriguez said. As well as influencing the music styles of different musicians, Austin exposes different performers to the flourishing music scene that has erupted here over the years. Musicians build bonds with each other and get acquainted with each other’s careers. They find the people to help elevate their music, and slowly begin to build up bands.

“When you grow up in Austin, it’s just so much more accessible,” Rodriquez added. “When you don’t grow up in Austin it’s like music is almost this syncretistic stereotype of smoky bars and steamy people, and it’s not necessarily like that. You can go to Central

Market and see music while you get your groceries and a cup of coffee. It’s just such a different environment here than anywhere I’ve lived so far.”

However, like many musicians struggling to build a

“I had a buddy of mine, [and] he used to once say after a gig of his got canceled, that ‘you eat what you kill,’” Rodriguez said.

career, there are challenges along the way. So if you don’t go out there and kill, you don’t make any money and you don’t eat. There’s a certain amount of motivation that you have to have to go out and find work, and it’s unending. Even if I were my own artist and booking my shows, I would still be having to look for shows instead of looking for people who want my services.”

Neil Curran, a musician originally from England, has had similar experiences during his career as a singer.

“It was tough. It’s not glamorous at all when you’re younger. The van broke down all the time, these were the days when there [were] no cellphones, so when you broke down, you were stuck until somebody came to help you. It takes many many years for it to be the glamorous rock and roll life that we all dream about or hear about in movies.” Curran reflected. Curran moved to Austin in 1991 from Cleveland, Ohio, and has lived here ever since. He has been the main singer for multiple bands, focussing on punk rock. Austin’s music scene played an important role in the growth of his career, building a sense of community that many artists cherish.

“Austin, of course, calls itself the rock and roll capital of the world, and it kind of is deserved because people would try their best to have Saturday or Friday night gigs in Austin because they knew they were gonna get a good recieval from the audience,” Curran said.

Curran eventually retired from music around the year 2000 and pursued a career in construction. Although he feels spurts of jealousy when watching newer musicians pursue their careers, he stated that he doesn’t miss the struggles that come along with a music career.

“I feel like I could jump up there in a heartbeat if I was rehearsed, and do a good job, but I don’t miss that life, especially being on the road,” Curran said. “I realized how lucky I was with the job that I do have, that I didn’t lose my livelihood [to give up music]. So, no regrets. I love that part of my life and I wouldn’t change it, but I also would not want to do it again.”

Brian Scartocci is an R&B soul artist originally from New Jersey and has also experienced the struggles of a music career, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the beginning of the pandemic, Scartocci had been building his music career and had found his rhythm. However, without the ability to perform to a live audience to promote his new music, Scartocci’s career was halted. A young, lead singer, Neil Curran performing around 1996-1998. Photo courtesy of Neil Curran

“While my band found ways to stay alive and keep flourishing, I just faded,” Brian said. “It was tough; I got pretty depressed. It’s not like the things that I had done [were] gone and that it wasn’t gonna count, but I had no idea how to climb out of it. The wheels had stopped.”

However, Scartocci took time to reflect and keep working. With a new baby on the way, he was motivated to keep working and eventually gained his momentum back. His connection with local venues

helped to lift him back onto his feet, inspired by his love for the music he was creating. Influenced by legends like David Ruffin and Sam Cooke, Scartocci creates soul music with hints of Austin’s influence.

“I’ve lived [in Austin] for 15 years now, so it’s definitely had a giant influence on the way my music has ended up and the path that it’s taken,” Scartocci said. “I think that, in the simplest terms, it’s added a lot more of a rock element. More rock-bluesy; that Austin sound.”

Scartocci is heavily motivated by his family, especially his children, who have found their creative outlook through Scartocci’s pursuit of music.

“My son, he’s his own guy. But to see my influence on him, at least in what ways that it shows in a positive light, it’s really beautiful,” Scartocci said with pride. “My daughter is a little bit more like I was as far as being introverted goes, but she draws and paints, and she’s super cool.”

Sean Rodriquez of “The Wilder Blues” plays at the Sidetracks Music Hall in Huntsville, Alabama. Photo provided by Taylor Hendrix

Some of Scartocci’s favorite memories connected to music are from his children. Whether it’s the story of his son performing an Elvis song at his school’s talent show, his daughter Christmas caroling after a long flight, or his youngest daughter being mesmerized by the movie “Summer of Soul” just a few months after she was born, it is clear to see that Scartocci’s career, and Austin’s creative messages, have created lasting memories.

After exploring the careers of these inspirational individuals, it is evident that Austin’s music scene is something of a wonder. Its ability to shape the music we listen to, build up the careers of aspiring musicians, and spark a passion for music, is something that Austin locals hold close to their hearts. The live music capital of the world is growing and growing, and there is no doubt that its music scene will continue to thrive.

Brian Scartocci performing in Austin, Texas, at Antone’s nightclub in 2019. Photo courtesy of Antone’s