Austin venue the Backyard, which has hosted numerous well-known acts over the years has announced that it will close at the end of the summer. The ‘live oak amphitheatre’ opened in 1993 and has hosted shows by Phish, Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, String Cheese Incident and many other acts. The venue is closing in part because it has lost some of its ambience as in recent years the natural surroundings were altered with an development called The Shops at The Galleria. ZZ Top will kick off the final season of performances at the Backyard on May 15.