Mean Eyed Cat

LIKE MANY MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD I INSTANTLY BECAME A FAN OF THE LEGENDARY JOHNNY CASH THE VERY FIRST TIME I HEARD HIS AMAZINGLY UNIQUE VOICE. MY BRILLIANT DAD KNEW GREATNESS WHEN HE HEARD IT AND QUICKLY INTRODUCED A STEADY DIET OF GRITTY CASH CLASSICS TO MY TWIN BROTHER CLAY AND I BEFORE WE WERE EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO COMPREHEND WHAT A QUINTESSENTIAL COUNTRY MUSICAL EDUCATION WE WERE ACTUALLY RECIEVING. RUNNING STARK WILD IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS EACH NIGHT BEFORE BED, MY BROTHER AND I WOULD CATCH THE FAINT JANGLY CHORDS OF CASH'S &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT &rdquo ECHOING OFF THE ROCKS FROM MY DAD'S BEAT-UP RECORD PLAYER SIGNALING THE END OF MESSIN' AROUND AND TIME FOR BED. FOR SOME REASON, THE &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT &rdquo WAS OUR SONG. NO NURSERY RHYMES. NO FOLK BALLADS. NO BING CROSBY HARMONIES. JUST SWEATY REBEL COUNTRY MUSIC WITH ATTITUDE AND PURPOSE, OR AT LEAST ENOUGH PURPOSE TO GET OUR DUSTY BUTTS OUT OF THE NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARD AND INTO PAJAMAS. THE &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT &rdquo WAS ALWAYS UNFINISHED JOHNNY CASH BUSINESS FROM THE GET-GO AND FOR SOME REASON I THINK THAT'S WHY MY DAD LOVED PLAYING US THE SONG SO MUCH. TAKING 41 YEARS TO COMPLETE, THE &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT &rdquo FIRST APPEARED ON CASH'S EARLY SUN RECORD RECORDINGS MISSING A FINAL VERSE, ONE THAT CASH WOULD FINALLY LAY ON WAX BEFORE HIS GRACEFUL DEATH IN 2003. MY FATHER PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS 15 YEARS OLD, LEAVING US UNFINISHED BUSINESS, THE GROWING-UP-KIND, THE TURNING-INTO-GOOD-MEN-KIND, AND I WASN'T ABOUT TO LET HIM DOWN. MY TINY JOINT ON WEST 5TH STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, CALLED OF COURSE THE &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT &rdquo IS AS MUCH A SHRIN TO JOHNNY CASH AS IT IS A TRIBUTE TO MY LATE FATHER. OPENING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004 IN THE OLD CUT-RITE CHAINSAW SHACK, NESTLED UNDER A 300-YEAR-OLD TREE ON ONE SIDE AND THE WHISTLING RAILROAD TRACKS ON THE OTHER, THE &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT &rdquo IS A CONSTANT WORK IN PROGRESS, JUST LIKE ITS NAMESAKE. I WAITED TABLES FOR 10 LONG YEARS AT THE BUSTLING LITTLE TEX-MEX HOLE-IN-THE-STRIP-MALL MAUDIES' CAFE ON LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD SAVING TIPS AND HOARDING IDEAS ON HOW TO COMBINE MY AFFINITY FOR CASH AND MY 20-SOMETHING YEARS OF RESTAURANT AND BAR EXPERIENCE INTO SOMETHING MY DAD WOULD HAVE FREAKED OVER AND JOHNNY CASH WOULD HAVE SMILED AT. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S TAKEN AN ETERNITY TO GET MY DREAM UP AND RUNNING, BUT YOU KNOW I'M JUST GETTIN' STARTED! TRUST ME! YOU HAVE MY PERSONAL INVITATION TO COME BY AND SEE MY CREATION.HAVE A BEER. GRAB A BITE TO EAT. PUT A DOLLAR IN THE JUKE, AND LET JOHNNY KICK UP SOME HONKY TONK DUST. I'M PROUD OF EVERY NAIL, FLOORBOARD, CASH PAINTING, PHOTO, AND PICNIC TABLE IN THE &ldquo MEAN EYED CAT,&rdquo AND I'M EQUALLY PROUD TO LEY ALL OF YOU INTO MY COOL CHILDHOOD OBSESSION WITH THE MAN IN BLACK. SEE YOU SOON! SUEY!

		From	To	From	To	From	To
Monday	Open	17:00	02:00
Tuesday	Open	17:00	02:00
Wednesday	Open	17:00	02:00
Thursday	Open	17:00	02:00
Friday	Open	17:00	02:00
Saturday	Open	14:00	02:00
Sunday	Open	14:00	02:00