ROT RALLY
"Austin music's rowdiest festival"

Congress Avenue parade. Photo/CodeHooligans

ROT Rally (Republic of Texas Biker Rally)is one big biker event. Top to bottom. Offering everything from extreme fighting championship events to four stages of great music. Even if it is a little long in the tooth and a bit deceiving. Headliner, Canned Heat, has only one of its original members.

This rally takes over the Travis county Exposition Center. Rally and music begin on Thursday night and end at 2 pm the following Sunday.

Thousands of bikers move on the grounds and camp out. Food and booze are available at the Skyline Bar, Paradise Bar, Cowboy Bar and the Drive-through Beer Bar.

The Thunderdome is where the Skyline Bar is located and the only air-conditioned bar on the rally grounds.

Music offered included headliners Canned Heat, 3 Dog Night, Molly Hatchet, Johnny Winter and Big Brother and the Holding Company. Talk about oldies but goodies!

The real Austin music was happening at the Paradise Bar where Joe Ely played and the Cowboy Bar featuring Austin music guitar big shot Mike Vernon and 3 Balls of Fire.

This is very, very good local talent offered and worth the price of admission if it was only three days of music. But there is so much more than the music.

• ROT Rally Parade – Bikers rumble into downtown Austin and line the street with thousands of bikes of all varieties.
• Congress Avenue Party – 100,000 people jam downtown Congress Avenue in a carnival party-hardy atmosphere. Very adult. A lot of guys. Free concert.
• Stand-up comedy, death defying bike stunts, Texas Roller Girls and Xtreme Fighting Championship highlight the agenda.
• Bike build off, bike give-away, tattoo contest and Speed Shop Invitational.

Vendors offer all kinds of biker gear and rally memorabilia.

I've been to two ROT Rally's for local talent reviews and had a surprisingly good time. This is an adult environment.

Loose fun and not to be taken too seriously. Really an opportunity for bikers to enjoy biking in the Hill Country.

Riding up Hwy. 71 to Llano to check out Biker Magazine's #1 Roadside Attraction, Cooper's Old Time BBQ. One of the most beautiful rides in Texas. Some of the best BBQ in the world. Get the prime rib and big chop. Both are enormous. (for more about Cooper's click here).

Some of the stuff you see at the ROT Rally. Photo/CodeHooligans

ROT can't be all things to all people. Created by bikers, for bikers. If you're not a biker or at least a motorcycle enthusiast then you may feel like a bastard at a family reunion. Or at best, a voyeur.

ROT Rally is the bad boy. And probably the most laughs of all the Austin music festivals.

Austin music benefits greatly from the ROT. For the most part bikers are courteous on and off the road.

Check their web site for updates, registration and more in-depth information about this years events.

Held in mid-June which usually is beautiful Austin 80 degree weather. The rally is held rain, shine or snow. Hardy folks I guess.

Go to the Congress Avenue party and if you get good vibes, check out the ROT Rally at the Travis County Exposition Center.

Three nights of great music, a real good time.

Web Site: Click here to go to www.rotrally.com, opens in a new window.

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