Living in a Dream: The Story of the Arc Angels

How Four Musicians Revived Austin’s Spirit and Redefined Texas Rock

De: Southerland

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

In the early 1990s, Austin, Texas was reeling. The sudden death of Stevie Ray Vaughan had left the city’s blues-rock heartbeat silent, its community searching for a new sound to believe in. From this grief and uncertainty emerged the Arc Angels—a band forged from accident, survival, and undeniable talent. With Doyle Bramhall II’s upside-down guitar wizardry, Charlie Sexton’s polished fire, and the powerhouse rhythm section of Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (fresh from Double Trouble), the Arc Angels became Austin’s most electrifying supergroup.

Living in a Dream: The Story of the Arc Angels is the first full-length biography of the band that captured lightning in a bottle with one unforgettable album before imploding under the weight of addiction, tension, and impossible expectations. But the story does not end with their collapse. This book follows each member through their solo careers, their collaborations with legends like Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, and Roger Waters, and their eventual reunions that reminded the world why their sound mattered.

From the sweaty Austin clubs of the 1970s and ’80s to the Stubb’s Bar-B-Q reunion shows that reignited their legacy, this is a story of resilience, reinvention, and the enduring spirit of Texas music. It explores how the Arc Angels reflected the contradictions of Austin itself: raw yet refined, chaotic yet professional, brilliant and broken but always alive.

For fans of Texas blues, Austin history, or the messy brilliance of rock and roll, this biography offers a front-row seat to one of music’s most fascinating what-ifs—a band that burned fast, burned bright, but left behind a glow that refuses to fade.

Inside you’ll discover:

• The cultural roots of Austin’s blues and cosmic cowboy scenes that set the stage for the Arc Angels.

• How the band formed in the aftermath of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s death, almost by accident, at the Austin Rehearsal Complex.

• The story behind their celebrated 1992 debut album, their fiery tours, and their sudden breakup.

• Doyle Bramhall II’s crooked-guitar genius, addiction struggles, and eventual resurgence as Clapton’s protégé.

• Charlie Sexton’s transformation from teen idol to Dylan’s trusted guitarist and respected producer.

• Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon’s endurance as the rhythm section that defined Texas blues-rock.

• The 2005 reunion at Stubb’s, the Living in a Dream CD/DVD release, and their ongoing place in Austin’s mythology.

This book is more than a biography of a band. It is a chronicle of a city’s sound, a meditation on music as survival, and a testament to the fact that even short-lived bands can carve legacies that last for decades.

Whether you’re an Arc Angels devotee, a fan of Doyle or Charlie’s later work, or simply someone who loves the strange alchemy of Austin music, Living in a Dream tells the story you’ve been waiting for.