Even if his name isn’t instantly familiar to you, Will Johnson has probably been a part of at least one musical project you’re a fan of. After moving to Denton, Texas, in the early ’90s for college, Johnson formed Centro-matic, which has released numerous records since 1996. In 2002, Johnson, his Centro-matic bandmates and guest musicians started issuing more introspective records under the South San Gabriel moniker; the same year, Johnson released his first solo LP. Since, Johnson has played drums with Monsters Of Folk, toured with the Undertow Orchestra (featuring David Bazan, Mark Eitzel and Vic Chesnutt) and started work on a Woody Guthrie project (with Jay Farrar, Jim James and Anders Parker) in the vein of the Wilco/Billy Bragg Mermaid Avenue albums. Johnson’s latest release is the self-titled debut by Molina And Johnson (on Secretly Canadian), his duo with Jason Molina (Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co.). As if he wasn’t busy enough already, the Austin-based Johnson will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with him.
Johnson: This medicinal-green Portal To (Vicious) Happiness lives in the Stop And Shop parking lot in South Austin, on the corner of South First and Heartwood. Most people haul ass right by La Flor, probably not thinking much of it (much less seeing it), but in my quests for peeks into Breakfast Taco Heaven, this place provides a pretty nice vista. It’s family owned and run, and the service is very friendly. The tacos and quesadillas are usually very good (lots of fresh cilantro and onion), though I’ve found the al pastor to have its good and bad days. Their gorditas are assembled with thick, handmade corn tortillas and very generous helpings of meat and quality vegetables. But in the end, their breakfast taco situation is what made me willing to follow them to the end of the Earth. Soft, warm tortillas cradle generous portions of fluffy egg alongside your choice of bacon, sausage, chorizo, barbacoa, beans or potatoes. This is topped with a smooth, probably-not-super-good-for-you, crack-like trail of cheesestuff. Make sure to involve their tomatillo salsa. I’m lucky to live in an area where life-affirming taco experiences abound from unsuspecting store/trailer fronts, and sometimes there’s an overwhelming feeling trying to get to them all. I respect the possibility that holier grails might await. It’s just that over time I’ve let my love affair with La Flor’s breakfast taco routinely drag me right on through some gastronomical culvert of happiness.
