Nashville FM - Chip Taylor Sings For Cactus Cafe

Chip Taylor was home in New York City when he learned that the University of Texas planned to close the Cactus Cafe on its grounds in a cost-cutting move.
The venue, a small room on the University campus selling wine and beer, featured artists ranging from Townes van Zandt to Lucinda Williams to the Dixie Chicks to Lyle Lovett.
The savings is estimated to be about $122,000 per year.

But with its pending closure, Taylor decided to write a song about the club he liked.
“One of my favorite memories is my 1974 concert at Austin's Armadillo World Headquarters with Tom T. Hall”, Taylor said. “Shortly after that revered place closed, the Cactus Cafe opened its doors, with that same magical Armadillo vibe. When you walk into the Cactus, it's like going to church, actually better than that. For years, it's been one of my favorite places to play and I can't stand the thought of it closing its doors. It's way too important”.

Taylor headed into the studio with a band consisting of fiddler Kendel Carson, guitarist
John Platania, bassist David Jacques and keyboardist Seth Farber and recorded the song and, with the addition of a half-dozen songs recorded on “Live Set”, a radio show broadcast on
KUT-FM, the University of Texas' NPR station, earlier this year, has rushed it into print.

“Jesus Christ, Don't Let the Cactus Fall” will be released on March 19 on Taylor's Train Wreck Records label, just in time for the 24th annual South By Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW).

The single will be available exclusively at Austin's legendary Waterloo Records and through Taylor's Train Wreck Records. To sweeten the deal, live versions of six songs, mostly drawn from Taylor's most recent album “Yonkers, N.Y”., were added from the radio broadcast.

Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe started to protest the closing. Protests have been held to demand that the club remain open.