I assume Treasure Island was an early acquisition for the Yassines, because although the one-upmanship you mentioned in your piece hadn't reached the staggering heights of Qua's live shark or Kiss & Fly's caged go-go dancers, there was a faux sunken ship near the entrance. We played in front of it, on the floor. The staff didn't seem to know that there was an official SXSW showcase[1] happening, because I remember the festival volunteers having to scramble to find an eight channel powered mixer before the early artists (which included pre-Moving Panoramas Leslie Sisson!). Combine the consumer grade PA system, the disgruntled staff, and the sunken ship (boy, the metaphor!), and you had a gig that felt like an under-attended Bar Mitzvah. Treasure Island would be the first of the Yassine properties to be raided nine days later[2]. It almost goes without saying that I was offered cocaine in the bathroom.
The Yassine’s were awful but their clubs were among the best in town. Always a raucous time and i remember the black marble bathrooms that looked like the sort of place Tony Montana would do some lines
> "They rarely even participated in SXSW."
One of the strangest gigs I ever played was at Treasure Island during SXSW '12. It was the same month they were arrested!
Tell us more, please.
I assume Treasure Island was an early acquisition for the Yassines, because although the one-upmanship you mentioned in your piece hadn't reached the staggering heights of Qua's live shark or Kiss & Fly's caged go-go dancers, there was a faux sunken ship near the entrance. We played in front of it, on the floor. The staff didn't seem to know that there was an official SXSW showcase[1] happening, because I remember the festival volunteers having to scramble to find an eight channel powered mixer before the early artists (which included pre-Moving Panoramas Leslie Sisson!). Combine the consumer grade PA system, the disgruntled staff, and the sunken ship (boy, the metaphor!), and you had a gig that felt like an under-attended Bar Mitzvah. Treasure Island would be the first of the Yassine properties to be raided nine days later[2]. It almost goes without saying that I was offered cocaine in the bathroom.
[1]: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_MS18862
[2]: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2012-03-22/feds-raid-sixth-street-bars/
Excellent research and documentation of the early years beginning with the immigration in the 1880s and going forward. Important music history.
The Yassine’s were awful but their clubs were among the best in town. Always a raucous time and i remember the black marble bathrooms that looked like the sort of place Tony Montana would do some lines
These guys are complete trash and should both be deported.
just great info adding to the genesis of Sixth Street’s past in Austin,Texas