Enter the 1980's.

Andy Fuertsch and Becky Bickham, Delinquent surfpunk cohorts and co-magicians on the Lester Bangs project, discover a supine sculpture with enormous up-raised hands lounging amongst the gardens of Laguna Gloria Art Gallery (Austin). She was immediately dubbed Slap Lady. The experience triggered a variety of images...the myriad of larger-than-life sculptures adorning the Capitol...Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Alamo heroes...all robust in a marble Grecian stance...the carven images of the State Cemetery...the local works of Elizabeth Ney and Charles Umlauf. Texas gaudy...gaudy in Texas...Texas Gaud...Texas God.

Utilizing this inspiration, the A&B duo birthed a small radical art mag, dubbed Texas God. The first issue, with a cover depicting Pope John Paul riding in a pickup truck and exclaiming Jump In and Hold On, caused ripples in the artistic community, but the project hit bumpy financial waters and dried up shortly thereafter.



Enter the 1990's.

The new decade saw Andy writing tons of new material, kicking around at open mics and playing briefly with Jane Dylan. Then he met David Irwin. David recalls the event: "I was working at Bookstop and this guy tells me that Andy plays guitar, but I sure wouldn't want to be in a band with him. I asked him why not and he said I just wouldn't. My curiosity got the best of me and I arranged an introduction.

Irwin immediately fell in love with the songs, and the duo began jamming at Andy's house. During that period David was also playing in a project that rehearsed/recorded at David McDaniel's studio. The two moved rehearsals to the studio, and in due fashion McDaniel was added on keys/percussion, Mike Casey stepped in on drums and Ken Blum brought on his lead guitar.

The band played extensively around Austin for the next two years, recorded a studio album, did a local TV gig (that is still a cult favorite), and was at the heart of many urban legends still on the street today. Then life got in the way, as life has a tendency to do...alcoholism, a decimating fire at the studio, death in the family, marital/job conflicts, plain exhaustion...the band fell apart and drifted their separate ways.

The Milleneum

Hi tech, baby. David Irwin pulls the studio album up into mp3 format. McDaniel discovers a dusty casette containing live pre-production cuts for the second and third albums. A re-built studio comes to life. A couple of websites go up. Digital production on the casette albums begin. It is hard boring work...Andy picks up a guitar...Mikee sits down behind the drums...McDaniel wanders in and fires up the PA...



Is Texas God dead? (Is it possible to kill a god?)