The Long Center celebrated their 10th anniversary with a concert by two of our favorites bands: Asleep at the Wheel and The Avett Brothers.

Austin-based Asleep at the Wheel was first on the program. This Texas-swing group played all of our favorite songs, including Hot Rod Lincoln. Leader Ray Benson noted that they were the first band to play at the Long Center when it opened in 2008. He added that they were honored to play again for this anniversary.

After a short intermission, The Avett Brothers took the stage. They played all their hits, starting with an energetic Satan Pulls the Strings and ending with their most popular song, I And Love And You. Scott and Seth Avett live in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina. They said that Austin is on their short-list of places to live. After seeing the documentary, May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers, at SXSW last year, I think a move seems rather doubtful. But I can dream!

Ray Benson and the Asleep at the Wheel fiddlers joined The Avett Brothers for two songs.

Wow. The Long Center is ten years old. I can barely remember the old Palmer Auditorium that previously stood on that site. Traces of that earlier building can still be found if you know where to look: the recycled marble walls in the restrooms, the green hail-damaged panels that were formerly the Palmer roof, the circular terrace that marked the outline of the auditorium. The Long Center is now an Austin landmark and home to the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin, Austin Opera, Austin Shakespeare, Tapestry Dance, Conspirare, and Pollyanna Theatre Company. Here’s to many more years of high-quality arts and entertainment at the Long Center!

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