Welcome to Austin...maybe?
Club Deville throws Billy Bob Thornton a welcome party, just in case he's here
Rumors started swirling months ago that Billy Bob Thornton was maybe moving to Austin to join his friend Kinky Friedman out here once and for all. After the release of their co-authored book, The Billy Bob Tapes: A Cave Full of Ghosts, Austin kept coming up more and more in interviews.
The music-adjacent movie star told The New York Times that Austin was his second home. "It’s my kind of town," he said, unprovoked, "because it’s a hippie town and a cowboy town."
No one has officially spotted Thornton or offered proof of his move to be true. But lack of evidence isn't going to stop Red River rock bar Club Deville from throwing the sexy redneck a big ol' Welcome to ATX Party.
Monday night, enthusiastic Austinites are invited to join the free karaoke party dressed up like Billy Bob, "whether you want to be rascally or hoity toity." Either way, there will be a fair number of pre-printed Billy Bob masks for party goers to wear so you can look the part.
"We're throwing Billy Bob a party to welcome him to Austin as a new resident in high hopes that he shows up [and] parties," says the invite. To help him know where to go, there will also be a giant projection of his face on the stone wall out back. Like Batman, but for Sling Blade.
Even when this turns out to be another Bill-Murray-Comes-To-Your-Party-If-You-Just-Invite-Him hoax and there's no ex-Mr. Angelina Jolie, you'll still have hundreds of people in Billy Bob masks looking to party. And that can't be all bad.
But, also: What if he DOES show up...? I'd bring your copy of his book for him to autograph anyway.
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The Billy Bob Thornton Welcome to ATX Party kicks off at 8 p.m. at Club Deville.