For the next two-and-a-half years, he earned a living performing weekly at a popular venue in town, the Soap Creek Saloon, and ultimately the newly opened Antone's, widely known as Austin's "home of the blues".
Durante os seguintes dous anos e medio, gañáronse a vida semanalmente nun popular local da cidade, o Soap Creek Saloon e, finalmente, o recentemente inaugurado Antone's, coñecido como "a casa do blues" de Austin.