Shiva's Headband

Shiva's Headband (or Shiva's Head Band), was an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Austin, Texas, United States, in 1967. Original members included fiddler Spencer Perskin and his wife Susan, keyboardist Shawn Siegel, guitarists Kenny Parker and Bob Tom Reed and drummer Jerry Barnett. The group was the house band at the Vulcan Gas Company, a late 1960s Austin nightclub. The band is credited with a significant role in the founding of the Armadillo World Headquarters. The band's first royalty check opened the club and hired Eddie Wilson as manager. Shiva's Headband was also the first band to perform there. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, the band played with touring acts such as Spirit, Steppenwolf, ZZ Top, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat and Steve Miller. Austin psychedelic bands contemporary to Shiva's Headband included The 13th Floor Elevators and The Conqueroo. Shiva's Headband's Capitol Records debut album, Take Me To The Mountains, produced by bandleader Spencer Perskin with Fred Catero, became the first record released nationally by an Austin-based rock band. The album cover featured artwork by Jim Franklin. In 1973, the band had an onscreen performance in the film, The Thief Who Came to Dinner, a Houston-based production that starred Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset. In 1999, long-time bandleader Spencer Perskin was voted " Austin's Old hippie” at Eeyore's Birthday Party, an annual Austin rite of spring. In 2005, Perkins released the recording, Magic Feather, again with artwork by Jim Franklin. The band still performs in Austin, using the name Shiva's Headband Experience. "Kaleidoscoptic" / "There's No Tears", Sonobeat Records, 1968 (unreleased test pressing) "Kaleidescoptic" (sic) / "Song For Peace", Ignite Records, 1968 "Take Me To The Mountains" / "Lose The Blues", Armadillo Records, 1970 "Country Boy" / "Such A Joy", Armadillo Music, 1971 "Don't Blame Me" / "Extension", Armadillo Records, 1976 Take Me to the Mountains, Capitol Records, 1969 Coming to a Head, Armadillo Records, 1971 Psychedelic Yesterday, Ape Records, 1977 In the Primo of Life, Moontower Sounds, 1983 Shiva’s Headband Classics, Vol.1: Down In Texas, Moontower Sounds, 1996 The Singles Collection, Bluethroat Records, 2011 Shiva’s Headband Classics, Vol.2: The Temple Of Rock And Roll, 2003 The Thief Who Came to Dinner, directed by Bud Yorkin, 1973 Music of Austin Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2256. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. Stein, Ricky (2014). Sonobeat Records: Pioneering the Austin Sound in the '60s (First ed.). Charleston: The History Press. p. 57. ISBN 9781626192454. Official Shiva's Headband website Shiva's Headband fansite Photos of Shiva's Headband Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle article "Psychedelic Blues Pioneer Spencer Perskin of Shivas Headband" by Thorne Dreyer, The Rag Blog, May 30, 2012. Includes podcast of Dreyer's May 5, 2012, Rag Radio interview with Spencer Perskin, Susan Perskin, and Shawn Siegel—with performance. (57:19) v t e