‘Boyhood’ Still Marks The Grand Creative Achievement of Austin

“I kind of feel like we’re pirates. We weren’t supposed to be here.” - Boyhood actor Ethan Hawke on the Oscars red carpet.
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With a win for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2015 Golden Globes, and considered by many movie pundits as the favorite for Best Picture at the 2015 Oscars, it was a shock to many that Boyhood did not walk away with Sunday night’s top prize. The movie that follows a young boy and his family for 12 years has received some of the highest rankings by critics and fans alike ever seen for a film. But it was Birdman that was named the winner, once again stirring criticism about Hollywood rewarding movies that are about movies and acting over films that relate more to the general populous. Along with the 2012 winner Argo, and 2011’s winner The Artist, three of the last four years have seen movies involving movies in the plot win the Best Film Oscar.

Nonetheless, with the wins at the Golden Globes, the nominations for Best Film and Best Director at the Oscars, and Patricia Arquette winning for Best Supporting Actress, the independent and low-budget Boyhood arguably defines the grandest achievement of the great Austin, TX creative experiment, and a triumph of American independent art. The film, its director and Austin resident Richard Linklater, and its distributor IFC (formerly Independent Film Channel), proved that even in this late stage of the metastasizing of the American identity to corporate control of all aspects of life, including art and culture, the right idea, and the perseverance of independent art can still succeed.

Boyhood shouldn’t go unrecognized as an important moment and inspiration to all independent artists that the highest industry accolades can still be achieved. And creativity, not just commercial performance, can still be considered as a worthy measurement in society at large.

In 1991, Richard Linklater made his first film of note called Slacker, chronicling the doings of various Austin, TX characters in a single day, and did so on a budget of less than $25,000. At the time Austin, TX was a creative enclave, but not the one people love to rave about today. It was cheap compared to other desirable cities to live in across the United States, it was a fairly small city, and relatively unheralded to people outside the Texas consciousness.

The explosion of The Outlaws of country music and the greater music scene in Austin in the mid 70’s certainly helped set Austin, TX on its path toward both its creative and independent destiny, but Linklater’s Slacker is where the “weirdness” of Austin, TX was put on display for the rest of the world. Slacker became a cult hit, and the film was subsequently selected by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2012 for being “historically and culturally significant”—all for a flick that barely made a million dollars in revenue.


But then the secret of Austin, TX was out. When Slacker was shot, the population of Austin was near 470,000. Today that number has nearly doubled, not counting the massive explosion of Austin’s sprawling suburbs. Many of the locations in Slacker are now unrecognizable from the incredible growth the city has experienced, much of it from retiring baby boomers and transplants from California and other destinations looking to experience the creative energy of Austin, while at the same time inadvertently suffocating it.

Entertainment corridors are being encroached upon by condominium developments full of residents ready to complain about the noise from nearby music venues, or the weirdness of Austin’s homeless and bohemian populations. Older, affordable housing is being bulldozed to erect new expensive high occupancy residences that strain the city’s infrastructure. And next thing you know, much of the artist population is being forced to move out, the city is struggling to keep its creative identity, and the location for Slacker and many of the scenes in Boyhood has become the worst city for traffic in the United States according to some studies. When MTV’s The Real World set up shop in Austin in 2005, Austin’s creative and independent beauty was once again exposed, and eventually exploited on the national stage.

But now Austin and independent art can add Boyhood on its list of achievements, and one that Austin, TX may find hard to top with the challenges its creative community faces. Luckily, Richard Linklater and many others in the Austin creative consciousness were able to take root in the city before the its difficult price points became an all too familiar reality for many in the artistic population.

Boyhood also has a strong music component that parallels Austin’s music legacy. Though it opens to Coldplay’s super hit “Yellow,” and the film’s theme song is “Hero” by California band Family of the Year, there are many songs, snippets, and moments that have strong ties to the Austin music scene and the roots music in general. Some of these include:



Mason Sr. & Mason Jr. at Antone’s in Austin

•Austin Musician Charlie Sexton plays Mason Sr.’s (Ethan Hawke) roommate and friend. He makes two appearances in the film. One is fairly early on after Mason Sr. takes Mason and Samantha to a Houston Astros game, and brings them back to his apartment. The second is when Mason Sr. takes Mason Jr. to a gig at Austin’s legendary music venue Antone‘s after his graduation. NOTE: Antone’s has been forced to move a number of times, and since the filming of Boyhood, which featured its East Riverside location that was only open for about a year, it has since been mothballed completely, hoping to open again in the future, and highlighting the struggles of Austin’s legacy creative infrastructure.

•Old Crow Medicine Show‘s song “My Good Gal” is featured in the film.

•Dale Watson‘s “I Held Onto My Pride And Let Her Go” plays during in the scene where Mason is gets his head shaved by a redneck barber.

•Ethan Hawke sings Guy Clark‘s “LA Freeway” during the camping scene. Ethan also sings two other songs in the film, including one where different family members take turns singing verses.

•The Austin Steamers perform “Old Black Crow” at Austin’s legendary Continental Club during the later portions of the movie when Mason and his girlfriend are exploring Austin.

•Texas artist Freddy Fender‘s song “Que Mala” is featured in the later portions of the film.

•And Charlie Sexton‘s “The Dog Song” is performed at the above-mentioned Antone’s venue.

Unfortunately, the music industry doesn’t enjoy the same equality for quality and creativity as the movie industry does. Boyhood being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards would be the music equivalent of Sturgill Simpson or Jason Isbell being nominated for the Best Album Grammy. But Boyhood, even without a win, elevates the perspective of the public about independent art. A couple of years after Richard Linklater’s Slacker, music artist Beck released a single called “Loser.” In 2015, Beck won the Grammy for Best Album for a work he recorded before he even had a label to distribute it.

Independent film, independent music, and independent art can still persevere, and even reach the topmost tier of the industry, if it is given a chance, and if it’s given a place to foster.

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The Waylon Jennings Quote About Garth Brooks – Real or Fake?

“Garth Brooks did for country music what pantyhose did for finger fucking.”

This is the quote that has been attributed to Waylon Jennings that you are likely to see in much greater frequency now that Garth Brooks has come out of retirement. For some, it is the totality of their argument against Garth. Forget all his music, past and future, whatever merits his music might have beyond the flashy stage show, however much the test of time has validated his music or not. To tens of thousands, or maybe hundreds of thousands of people, the totality of their Garth hatred, the alpha and omega of their anti-Garth argument, rests on this quote. And if you don’t believe me, just mention Garth’s name in the right (or wrong) company, it it will come flying out at you unsolicited.

The problem is there’s no verifiable records of Waylon ever saying it. And if he did ever say it, that he is the originator of the quote. But just like the urban myth that Kentucky Fried Chicken had to legally change their name to KFC because the birds they use are so genetically altered they can’t be classified as chickens, if you parrot something enough, people take it as fact.

If I had a hunch, not based on fact or research whatsoever, I would say that at some point Waylon Jennings probably did utter those words about Garth, and they probably made it out to the greater world through his son Shooter Jennings. But I’ve also heard from some who say that Poodie Locke—Willie Nelson’s long-time stage manager and one prone to such humor—was the first to say it. Maybe Waylon picked it up there. But I can’t verify that Poodie Locke said it either. There are records of the “_____ did for ____ what pantyhose did for finger fucking” phrase being used for other purposes way before Garth Brooks had even released his first album, so is it really fair to attribute the analogy to anyone?

When you start to try and find the origination point of the quote, and any factual information on if Waylon truly said it or coined it, you start finding a tremendous amount of fiction. The simple fact is the quote is so juicy, and many people just want it to be real so badly, they’re willing to look the other way and proffer it up for human consumption regardless of the truth.



Ethan Hawke

The first record of the quote being used goes back to of all places, Willie Nelson’s 70th Birthday Party in 2003, and from of all people, actor Ethan Hawke. In April of 2009, Ethan Hawke penned a feature on Kris Kristofferson for Rolling Stone. In the feature, Ethan Hawke recounts a story from 2003 where Kris Kristofferson and Toby Keith get into a verbal argument, and Kristofferson says the Waylon quote in response to Toby Keith’s demand, “None of that lefty shit out there tonight, Kris.”

Here’s the complete interchange from Rolling Stone, as dictated by Ethan Hawke:

“Up from the basement came one of country music’s brightest stars (who shall remain nameless). At that moment in time, the Star had a monster radio hit about bombing America’s enemies back into the Stone Age.

“Happy birthday,” the Star said to Willie, breezing by us. As he passed Kristofferson in one long, confident stride, out of the corner of his mouth came “None of that lefty shit out there tonight, Kris.”

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Kris growled, stepping forward.

“You heard me,” the Star said, walking away in the darkness.

“Don’t turn your back to me, boy,” Kristofferson shouted, not giving a shit that basically the entire music industry seemed to be flanking him.

“You ever worn your country’s uniform?” Kris asked rhetorically.

“What?”

“Don’t ‘What?’ me, boy! You heard the question. You just don’t like the answer.” He paused just long enough to get a full chest of air. “I asked, ‘Have you ever served your country?’ The answer is, no, you have not. Have you ever killed another man? Huh? Have you ever taken another man’s life and then cashed the check your country gave you for doing it? No, you have not. So shut the fuck up!” I could feel his body pulsing with anger next to me. “You don’t know what the hell you are talking about!”

“Whatever,” the young Star muttered.

Kristofferson took a deep inhale and leaned against the wall, still vibrating with adrenaline. He looked over at Willie as if to say, “Don’t say a word.” Then his eyes found me. “You know what Waylon Jennings said about guys like him?” he whispered.

I shook my head.

“They’re doin’ to country music what pantyhose did to finger-fuckin’.”
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Yes, as a traditional country fan, maybe you’re pumping your fists. “Hell yeah, you tell ‘em Kris!” The problem is, Ethna Hawke’s story is, and was, complete bullshit, including the Waylon Jennings quote. And this was verified later by both Kris Kristofferson, and Toby Keith.

In the aftermath of the Ethan Hawke story, Kris Kristofferson told The Tennessean: ”I have to say, I have no memory of talking so tough to anyone at Willie’s birthday party — least of all to Toby Keith, (if that’s who the nameless star is), for whom I have nothing but admiration and respect.”

As for Toby Keith, he was a little more heated about the situation, as can be seen in this clip from the 2009 ACM Awards that happened right after the story was published.

But the damage had already been done. The Waylon quote was so juicy, and the clarifications about the story so buried compared to the reach of the original Rolling Stone article, the quote became a matter of public record. In fact some people want the Waylon Jennings quote about Garth Brooks to be true so bad, as well as the fictitious Toby Keith vs. Kris Kristofferson interchange, that they say the clarifications by Toby Keith and Kris Kristofferson are just saving face, and if fact both the quote, and Ethan Hawke’s story are still true.

Of course beyond Kris and Keith’s clarifications, Ethan Hawke and the story’s defenders also have to figure out how to resolve the fact that Toby Keith, flag waver or not, is and was a registered Democrat. So for Keith to say “None of that lefty shit,” seems very unrealistic. Also the quote from Kris from the story, “Have you ever killed another man?” seems to allude that he has. But this gives into the common misconception that Kris Kristofferson saw combat as a helicopter pilot in the Army when in fact he was stationed in Germany during The Vietnam War, and never exchanged live fire.

Though Ethan Hawke’s fictitious story had the Waylon Jennings quote about Garth Brooks going down in 2003, it wasn’t until 2005 when we find the first documented source of the quote in print—at least that can be found on the internet. It comes from an East Bay Express feature on Shooter Jennings, but interestingly, Shooter isn’t giving the quote, it is used to preface the Shooter interview and is recounted by the author of the story. This was 3 1/2 years before the quote would wind up in Rolling Stone and become a matter of public record. Again, it’s very likely that Shooter probably did hear his father use the quote, but was Waylon the originator?

This also opens up the second problem with this supposed Waylon Jennings quote, which is that it is no longer relevant in the forum of public discourse. For example, in the 2005 feature, Shooter says he thinks country music became more about show through Garth. But later in 2013 in an interview with the Charleston City Paper, Shooter says,

“Garth Brooks is as country as shit. Back then it was like, what the fuck is going on. This guy is terrible. This isn’t country music.” Jennings says. “I would take that any day now. That means the bar has been lowered so far that we’re like, please. I would listen to only Garth Brooks all day if that’s what I could get.”

As Saving Country Music once spelled out in detail, time has been kind to the music of Garth Brooks, and this change of heart by Waylon’s son has played out in the hearts of many country fans over time. In fact when Shooter first spoke on Garth in 2005, Garth had already been retired for half a decade. Garth hasn’t even been around for 13 years to hate on. But some, including many who have the Waylon quote top-of-mind and at-the-ready any time Garth’s name is uttered, use it as a crutch to continue their war on Garth Brooks.

Another die-hard Garth Brooks hater turned apologist has been singer-songwriter Todd Snider. Todd had a beef with one of Garth’s songwriters after a dispute over the song “Beer Run”. Todd also interfaced with Garth’s alt. rock character Chris Gaines at one point, and told defaming stories as part of his stage schtick for years. But in Todd’s new book released in 2014 called I Never Met A Story I Didn’t Like, Snider reconciles his Garth hatred, and says from his personal interactions with the entertainer, he was more kind to him than most in the music business.

I loved Garth Brooks. I was, and am, a very big fan. I think Garth Brooks fucked up country music for a while, through no fault of his own: he made music so good and so successful that tons of people came along after him trying to imitate what he did. Garth fucked up country music like Kurt Cobain fucked up rock.

Because of Garth’s massive success, there’s a bit of a push and pull in Nashville about him. When you sell more records than anyone has ever sold, you tend to make more people jealous than have ever been jealous of a singer.

It’s a crock that I think prevails in this country: we bully the people who entertain us. We get on the computer and bully them. We buy magazines with pictures of them where they look fat or drunk or imperfect. And we suppose that those people’s success excuses our meanness.

Read The Full Story

Another interesting thing about the Waylon quote about Garth, and something that leads to speculation if it’s true or not, is that the exact same quote has been attributed to different people. It has been attributed to Willie Nelson and David Allan Coe for example, and to Kris Kristofferson directly because of the Rolling Stone piece. In 2012, the alt-country band Deer Tick took to Facebook and attributed the quote to Merle Haggard, illustrating the urban myth nature of the Waylon/Garth quote.

Interestingly, in January of 2012, Merle Haggard was read the supposed Waylon Jennings quote by 11th Hour, and Merle’s response was,


Well. I think, Waylon got dumber with age. I don’t know. I love Waylon, but he was awful critical of different things. He just got grouchy. I love listening to Waylon and Willie and Johnny. They still set my ears to burning … I think what Waylon meant by that statement was that somebody ought to be able to walk out on a stage with a guitar and put on a good show that people can enjoy. We don’t really need explosions to enjoy a concert do we?

Whether the quote is completely true and coined by Waylon Jennings himself, was borrowed by him from someone else, or the entire thing is a total fabrication of urban myth, the simple fact is that the Waylon quote about Garth is no longer a statement that in any way does the complex perspective that one needs to understand Garth Brooks any bit of justice. Garth started his career a quarter century ago, and hasn’t released a new album in over 13 years. And Waylon Jennings has been dead for a decade.

Here’s some quotes that can be verified that they actually came from Waylon Jennings because they can be found in his autobiography. They’re nearly 20 years old, but relevant as ever to the conversation.

Of course, the next generation better not believe everything they hear. At this point, I’ve been accused of all manner of carousing. Mostly, it’s something that I might have done, or would have done, or couldn’t even imagine doing. Pretty soon it’s etched into stone. If I led the life that people think I did, I’d be a hundred and fifty years old and weigh about forty pounds …

The thing is, we’re in this together, the old, the new, the one-hit wonders and the lifetime achievers, the writers and the session pickers and the guy who sells the T-shirts. The folks that come to the shows, and the ones that stay at home and watch it on TNN. Those who remember Hank Williams, and those who came on board about the time of Mark Chestnut, who named his baby boy after me …

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