Riff : Bob Livingston, Part 3
Last week we left off Bob’s story in 1987 when he began a series of music tours sponsored by the U.S. State Department. With an aim to promote goodwill through music, he toured at least 25 different countries throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He returned time and again to these countries, and eventually, the tours included other artists and Livingston’s son, Tucker Livingston, also a musician. During these performances, the Livingstons invited local musicians onstage to play their instruments which opened up channels to exchange ideas and to trade culture.
Perhaps as a result of this global experience, Bob created Texas Music International in 2000. He assembled a group of musicians from Texas and India that he named, “Cowboys & Indians” that give performances and workshops in Texas schools and theaters. Their music fuses Native American, Texas folk and Indian themes like cowboy yodeling, Hindu mythology and Native American flute and story song.
Still vital with multiple irons in the fire, Bob is writing a book for Texas Tech University Press about his travels and working on a documentary of his U.S. State Department tours. He pursues a solo career and continues to create with the Lost Gonzo Band. In 2011, his album, Gypsy Alibi, won “Album of the Year” at the Texas Music Awards. He continues to tour and perform, often with Bradley Koop, who appeared with him at the Bugle Boy in La Grange in August.
If Bob Livingston wasn’t on your radar as an originator of the Austin music sound, put him there. This gamechanger continues to innovate and break boundaries, leaving a solid trail of achievement behind him. He’s a genuine treasure.
Roam: Flatonia and the Olle Hotel
About 80 minutes east of Wimberley off the I-10 corridor is the quiet town of Flatonia. It is ideally situated between Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Victoria, and is a perfect home base for visiting items on your Texas bucket list. It’s convenient, for example, to three of the best painted churches near Schulenberg, the brewery in Shiner, the Bugle Boy listening room in La Grange, the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum and the Texas Polka Music Museum, both in Schulenberg, the towns around Round Top, and to the historic town of Gonzalez. Texas Highways calls this part of Texas the “Prairies and Lakes” portion of the state.
It’s a picturesque expanse of working ranches with a rich heritage of English, German and Czech settlers, although the railroads also brought Arab, Bohemian, Greek and Italian immigrants. At 1,500 residents, it is undeniably small but in the last 20 years there has been a resurgence of interest in the town’s handsome old buildings. A dozen or more renovations and new businesses have opened in the downtown area. Leading the way is a retired nurse, Tammy Collins, who has single-handedly restored eight spaces for new businesses in the last couple of years.
Visitors will find an upscale grocer called “The Market,” the Lyric theatre, HenryK’s bar, the Red Vault Bistro, Darlin’s Diner and the Southern Produce Gallery in spaces that have been lovingly restored.
Before checking into the historic Olle Hotel, I roamed the painted churches in nearby Praha, Dubina and Ammonsville. In the early 1800 and 1900s, when Czech and German immigrants settled in the area, they brought their traditions with them, building dozens of churches to anchor their communities to their new home. Most have been extensively preserved, which is remarkable since all have active congregations. Tours can be arranged at the Schulenberg Chamber of Commerce, or you can visit on your own, as I did.
The striking E. A. Arnim Archives and Museum oriented me to Flatonia’s history and for railroad buffs, there is the Central Texas Rail History Center.
At the Olle Hotel, comfort and beauty reign in a historic space. It was built as a private residence in 1901 and converted into a hotel in 1915. It was bought by the Olle family and for the next four decades Mrs. Olle ran it as a boardinghouse for traveling salesmen. Closed since 1967 when Mrs. Olle died, the current owners Kathryn and Dennis Geesaman bought it in 2004 and brought it to its current glory. It manages to be gorgeous without being fussy, with a baby grand piano in the living room, fresh bouquets, good WIFI and a dining area for drinks and light snacks 24 hours a day.
It was Kathryn who suggested I walk to the Lyric Theater for the night’s feature, “My Cousin Vinny,” after dinner at the Red Vault. I shared the film’s gags and riotous dialogue with 15 other souls who enjoyed the intimacy of the space. After the film, HenryK’s beer and wine pub, several doors down, beckoned with wine and beer and a relaxed atmosphere. Like everyone I met in Flatonia, the locals were warm and genuinely welcoming.
Each October, Flatonia hosts Czhilispiel, a festival that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. The addition of the “z” in Chili is a nod to Czech spelling and the German word “spiel” means play. It is a chili cook-off with a concert series, biergarten, carnival parade, arts and crafts market and a 5K run.
As part of my hotel stay, I was directed to Darlin’s Diner for breakfast. Scrubbed and pretty, I breakfasted on avocado toast and juice.
From there I drove a short way to Cistern where the Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church held their church picnic, despite the 104 degree weather. $14 got me a church dinner of sausages, sauerkraut, fried chicken and potatoes, a drink, dessert and music under an outdoor pavilion with 300 other locals. The band consisted of an accordion, two saxophones, lead and bass guitars and a drummer. Despite the heat, the parishioners waltzed and two stepped before sitting down and fanning their brows. Stepping into this part of Texas, even for a day, offers an idealized experience of home, tradition and community.
Rave: Red Vault Bistro
Around the corner from the Olle Hotel and next to the Lyric Theater is the Red Vault Bistro. Behind the menu and the wine list is Master Chef and International Sommelier Gabriel Martinot who, along with partner Elizabeth Muguira, offer fine dining with all the accoutrements you’d expect. Guests receive a hot, crispy authentic baguette flown in from France upon ordering.
The bistro is in a restored building dating from 1880 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2017 it burned and was rebuilt by the owners. It is definitely the place to stop if you’re returning to Wimberley from a trip to Houston. It is one mile from I-10 via Exit 661 but check the hours. They are open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Wednesday night is Sushi-only night.
