But this spring, landowner M. K. Hage, Jr., who rented the building to Alrich without a lease, could no longer resist the offers for his increasingly valuable property near Town Lake, which is the hottest area for downtown revitalization. There was a small rumble of resistance; a group of people tried to halt the inevitable by unsuccessfully petitioning the Austin Planning Commission to designate the building a historic landmark. But it is probably just as well, Hippies are pretty hard to find these days, even in Austin. Alrich says he's tired of the bar business, and sacrificing one's life for rock 'a' roll isn't too appealing in the era of the shrinking dollar. And Gilley's in Pasadena now rightfully lays claim to the title of world's largest honky-tonk.

Halls like the Armadillo World Headquarters are endangered species, limited by size and finances. They can never compete with a place like the University of Texas Special Events Center for big-name acts. Franchising is the byword for smaller facilities these days. The Agora in Dallas, for instance, has other venues in Houston, Atlanta, and Ohio, enabling it to route touring bands on a circuit and to pay the bills with local hard-rock acts. Some qualities, though-like enthusiastic audiences and a staff with a genuine love of music-can't be franchised. For those reasons alone, I miss the Armadillo already. Visit it while you can.