Workers paste Armadillo signs onto a store front on South Congress. Photo: Asher Price/Axios
A beloved Austin brand is getting a revival.
Driving the news: Just in time for ACL, the music merch store Armadillo Forever is opening its doors Thursday on South Congress.
Flashback: The store, which will operate in the South Congress Hotel, dusts off one of Austin's most famous, long-shuttered venues.
The Armadillo World Headquarters, which opened in 1970 and closed a decade later, is forever associated with Austin's halcyon days.
The cradle of cosmic cowboy music, it's where you could see Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball and Joe Ely — and touring acts like Bruce Springsteen.
What they're saying: "Once a venue, always a state of mind," is the store's slogan.
The bottom line: Proceeds from the store, which will close at the end of December, will go to local charities aimed at helping musicians, store employees tell Axios.
