Not that Austin is ever at a loss to offer a helping hand, but when the hurricanes hit, this town rallied like never before. Not only did the capital city open its arms to thousands of Katrina (and later, Rita) evacuees, the benefits began to rock & roll into action. The biggest and most star-studded, organized by Clifford Antone at the Erwin Center, featured Jimmie Vaughan, the Flatlanders, Patty Griffin, the Neville Brothers, Ray Price, Eric Johnson, and Willie Nelson. New Orleans and the Gulf Coast lie as near and dear to Austin's heart as the musical beat, you see, and Mother Nature just can't take that away. "As long as these hurricanes keep coming, we're just going to keep doing them," declared Antone. Amen, brother.
