I feel like I "shook the hand that shook the hand". That's a favorite
album of mine, and Stormy Monday's a favorite track.

I lived in Austin around 1978-84. We used to go see SRV all around
town in little joints like soap creek saloon, Liberty lunch and
Antones (which also had great barbeque for lunch). Joe Ely and Albert
Collins (was he the ice picker?) also come to mind. Anyway, Austin was
an unbelievably great town for music. I'll also add Omar and the
howlers, Roomful of blues and Marcia Ball to the list of blues
musicians from Austin (or at least they all played in town a lot).
Janis Joplin also got her start in Austin playing at Threadgills.

So, I'd say the guy at the party was right about Austin blues. I don't
know if Austin blues was a genre unto itself, but the town and the
blues have a long history together.

Mitch