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Austin’s vibe has become more widely recognized and celebrated in recent years. We’ve developed a reputation for being a city full of hippies, great music, and collaborative, forward-thinking communities. But this culture didn’t develop out of thin air — it was cultivated over time, by the people who built Austin before it was “on the map”. Today, we’re going to pay homage to one of these trailblazing individuals, who moved to Austin in 1978 and planted roots in the behind-the-scenes side of our famous music industry.
Jack Yoder has a solid background in music, coming from a musical family and oozing an undeniable passion for all things music and performance related. But rather than becoming a music-maker himself, Jack’s journey led him to production management, where he supported musicians by facilitating their shows, from huge national tours or one-off gigs. Jack has done production management work for a variety of celebrated musicians, from Julio Iglesias to Frank Sinatra to Austin’s own Willie Nelson! It’s safe to say that Jack is the definition of a cool, old-school Austinite.
“Willie was my introduction into Texas music and the Austin vibe,” Jack explains, talking about how he was invited by Willie Nelson to come down to Austin and check it out one weekend, and then, thanks to the hospitality, the music, and the overall vibe, Jack decided to stay. He kicks off his episode casually dropping amazing stories about things like living in the same apartment complex as Willie Nelson, collecting from reluctant promoters, and running into world-renowned musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ray Benson, Martin Michael Murphy, and others who got their start in our great city.
These musicians were all living and working in Austin back before it was known as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” and at the time you could go down to a venue like the now-closed Armadillo World Headquarters and pay $1 to see them. Jack explains that they were all drawn to Austin because of its focus on music and community and the freedom it gave them to express themselves authentically. “Willie had enough of being told how to do things, so he came down here [to Austin] and started doing things his own way and … I was happy to be a part of it,” Jack explains.
Jack’s role as production manager included coordinating the physical aspects of a performance for the musicians, such as hiring and organizing the crew, lights, catering, security, and more for each and every show on a tour, and then ensuring that everyone followed through on their roles. When musicians weren’t touring on the road, Jack would do similar work for his local shows and events. Production managers were, and are, integral to the music scene here in Austin — without them, we couldn’t have any live music!
Jack reminisces on the “hippy-cowboy” vibe at all the shows he threw in Austin, and talks about how lawyers and hippies could come together at these events and get along, because “all they paid attention to was the actual music.” He also reinforces what we have heard from most people on Vibe Austin, which is that community is central to our success as a city. “It’s a collaborative effort down here, it’s not a competition. And we all don’t have to look alike or dress alike to be a success,” Jack explains.
While there are still a lot of excellent, classic Austin venues still standing, such as Emo’s, Saxon Pub, and C-Boys, Jack shares his sadness that so many great venues had to be shut down. He encourages newcomers to preserve the iconic spaces that built the foundation for our city to become successful and thriving today. And how can we do that? By patronizing them. “Plenty of people like to critique Austin and talk about what’s been shut down,” Jack says.“But if you don’t get involved you’re part of the problem, not the solution.”
As Austin pride develops and “musicians start to realize their value,” Jack explains that he hopes people become motivated to frequently support local music venues and musicians.
Listen to the full episode for more profound insights from an OG Austinite, and to hear great stories about legendary musicians like Willie, the Monkees, Frank Sinatra, and more!
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