One great thing about the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar — it’s never too late for last-minute shopping. Well, almost never too late — the Bazaar is open daily 11am to 10pm, including Christmas Eve.
A good thing, too — for years, the Dillo was my last-minute go-to shopping destination. Having cruised the entire show a few times each year, I would often have zeroed in on just the perfect hand-crafted gift, swoop in on Christmas Eve and grab it. I miss that now that we don’t live in Austin.
And, of course, there’s the music. With three performances daily, you’ve almost always got incredible music being played and piped throughout the entire show. Today, the ladies take the stage — watch out for some serious fun.
Shelley King kicks it off in style at noon, and her frequent musical cohort, Carolyn Wonderland, takes over at 3pm. Given how often these two play music together, I would not be surprised to see either one sit in with the other this afternoon, so you best get down there before noon. Here they are together on the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar stage a few years back, just to give you a taste.
This evening, Marcia Ball brings her keyboard extravaganza, Pianorama, back to the Bazaar stage for a good Saturday night romp. Here’s a clip from a previous incarnation of Pianorama, featuring Floyd Domino, Johnny Nicholas and Nick Connolly tickling the ivories along with Marcia.
Seeing Marcia at the Bazaar highlights a favorite aspect of the Bazaar for me: the ongoing link to the past. Those ACTV programs for the Dillo Bazaars of the 80s featured Marcia quite often, and she’s always been great. Though Bruce Willenzik made a big deal about handing off the reins to a newer generation several years ago, the musical line-up brings back old favorites as well as featuring new acts every year. You can still count on the final days of the Bazaar, especially Christmas Eve, to feature a musical line-up to make a seasoned Austinite and ‘dillo lover grin from ear to ear.
Part of that Christmas Eve line-up this year is Albert & Gage — here’s a little taste of that magic here. Enj0y!
You better head down to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar sometime between now and Monday, 10pm. The music, the magic, the vendors & staff all await you, along with a holiday horde of Dillo shoppers looking for that perfect hand-crafted gift while enjoying mazing Austin music.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
Buller's back porch 