12 posts tagged “austin”
According to Travel and Leisure magazine, Austin has the best singles scene, but the shopping here is rated subpar. Our best feature is our live music while our worst is, sadly, public transportation. Read the rest of the findings here.
This year's main headliner is the man himself, Bob Dylan. That in itself should be worth braving the hordes of sweaty people and the dust that everyone kicks up from the park. Some of the other great acts to look forward to are Bjork, the Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Damien Rice, Peter, Bjorn and John, the National, Bloc Party., Muse, and the Decemberists, just to list a few of the bigger names.
You can see the entire lineup here and the schedule here.
If I survive the heat and the mass of people, I will write a review of what I experience after this weekend. Until then, start counting down the days.
-Harmon
By the way, if you regret not having a ticket for ACL, check craigslist and here for some additional sponsored and non-sponsored shows that will also be playing this weekend outside of the main festival area.
May is just around the corner and a whole new round of artists and bands are playing in Austin. Here are some of the ones that grabbed my attention. Get out there and enjoy what our music scene has to offer!
Thursday, May 3
- Mutemath @ La Zona Rosa
- Mono @ Emo's
Friday, May 4
- The Album Leaf @ Emo's
Wednesday, May 9
- Modest Mouse @ The Backyard
- Kings of Leon @ Stubb's
- Damien Rice @ Bass Concert Hall
Sunday, May 13
- Bright Eyes @ Bass Concert Hall at UT
Tuesday, May 15
- Ben Gibbard (Deathcab for Cutie, Postal Service), David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) and Jonathan Rice @ Emo's
(this show is sold out, but look for tickets on craigslist or ebay...worth seeing all these artists together)
Thursday, May 17
- Under the Influence of Giants @ The Parish
Friday, May 25
- Voxtrot @ Emo's
Saturday, May 26
- Morrissey @ The Backyard
Monday, May 27
- Pretty Girls Make Graves @ Emo's (their final tour)
Thurs, Apr 5 (TODAY) - TV on the Radio @ La Zona Rosa
Fri, Apr 6 - Guster @ Stubb's
Sat, Apr 7 - Yo La Tengo @ Stubb's
- Evan Wilson @ Reap Benefits Party (held at the Rhizome Collective)
Fri, Apr 13 - The Killers @ Frank Erwin Center
Sat, Apr 14 - The Bent Moustache @ Emo's (I don't know this group; I just like their name.)
Fri, Apr 20 - Jadens Move @ Momo's
Sat, Apr 21 - Tapes 'n Tapes @ Emo's
Sun, Apr 22 - The Shins @ The Backyard
Fri, Apr 27 - Sunset Rubdown (Spencer Krug of Wolfparade) @ Emo's
Sat, Apr 28 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Stubb's
Many more shows can be found on this ShowlistAustin.
Part one can be found here
I moved to Austin in 1996, and since then many things have changed: traffic has gotten much worse, SXSW has become a giant industry shindig, and we have an Apple store. But, in all the years I have lived here, I have always loved this town... and here are a few reasons why:
4. Movies- When you want to go see a movie in Austin, you aren't relegated to the usual giant-box of a blockbuster theater. Between Alamo Drafthouse, The Arbor, and various other small coffee shops that have movie nights, there are some really nifty places to attend a screening. There are a ton of festivals year round, many of which are almost as big as their musical counterparts.
5. "Laid Back" Atmosphere- Spend any time in another "hip" place like New York or LA, and you might walk away thinking, "These people are so frantic." Austin is the opposite: everyone seems to be going about their business in a slow, languishing way. People seem relaxed, eager to enjoy themselves, and it's not uncommon to randomly chat with someone at a coffee shop or park. Austin has the friendliest parts of Texas nicely mixed with the hip bits of major cities.
6. The University of Texas- I went to this school for five years of my life, and after all of that, I still remember it fondly. The campus is a great mix of trees, lawns, old, and new buildings. Every day there is some sort of student organization, concert, or film to attend, and the food options nearby are pretty great as well. There are always tons of people walking, biking, and skateboarding around, and while the area is probably one of the least car-friendly in Austin, it's great for local students.
A few weeks ago, I went to Mendez Middle School. As Matt, Gid, and I walked in, Matt got the 1st kid in there. This shy girl came in next. Her name was Elizabeth. Our task at hand - long division. We started off with dividing by numbers in the hundreds, then thousands. Before I knew it, we were making up problems where it was something absurd like 5,678,164,152,623 divided by 4.
I knew there was more to tutoring than long division. There was encouragement that when you ask for help, others will be there. There was the affirmation of Elizabeth. There were high fives, smiles, and laughter. In a classroom of 30+ students, this is the 1st time she truly gets one on one help. I was glad to hear that her mom would help her with her homework too. I wanted to send a note home to her mom saying how proud I was of her. For that one afternoon, I became part of the educational system. The TAKS test is not something that just the kids or teachers are looking to as a challenge, but it'a a challenge for the entire community.
As the number of kids have grown to 11-12 that are coming, I know they'll need more tutors. They'll need more people to be their tutors, cheerleaders, and support group. I can't wait to go tomorrow to see Elizabeth and her progress. After just one tutoring session, I'm excited not just to tutor "people" but specific kids. Specific people. Because we are truly part of the same community.
See you at 3:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Brian Lin
If you'd like to help out, please contact Marsha.
I moved to Austin in 1996, and since then many things have changed: traffic has gotten much worse, SXSW has become a giant industry shindig, and we have an Apple store. But, in all the years I have lived here, I have always loved this town... and here are a few reasons why-
1. Music- Some people call Austin the "Live Music Capitol of the World," which might be true (though we often miss out on acts that prefer to gravitate towards NYC and LA), but I do know that any night of the week, I can go see my choice of bands in any number of genres. We have some of the coolest venues, cover prices are usually pretty cheap, and the smoking ban means that you can come home with your ears ringing, but your clothes smelling minty fresh. Austin is also home to SXSW, ACL, FunFunFun Fest and countless other festivals that pack as much music as they possibly can into a few days of pleasure. And, though the number is shrinking, we have a few nice independent record shops, like End of an Ear and Waterloo.
2. Food- When I get hungry, as I tend to do everyday, I am often stumped for where to go eat. In many cities, this confusion is caused by lack of options, or a desire to avoid long waits in the car and for a table. But, in Austin, I have trouble deciding which great place to get some grub. Almost every single ethnic and regional cuisine can be found in some form or fashion here (with the horrific exception of Chinese Bakeries... please someone fix this), and they range in price from dirt cheap breakfast tacos, to the kind of frou frou food that I'd have find a suitcase full of money to afford. BBQ is one of the specialties of Texas, and Austin is home to some of the finest, with even more within a close drive. Austin also caters to Vegetarians and Vegans, of which I am one of the former, at all night places like Kerby Lane and Magnolia, bakeries like Dhaba Joy and Quacks, and unique eateries such as Mother's and Mr. Natural.
3. Green- In other cities that I have lived in or visited, the predominant color is the drab grey of concrete highways and overpasses. But, in Austin, we have greens, blues, and when the sun sets just right on Lake Travis, oranges, reds, and yellows. The community here strives to make sure that we protect and preserve the environment around us, with numerous recycling, green building, and renewable energy options... and this ensures that Austin will be beautiful for years to come.
- Brook Shelley
O God of peace and love,
Companion in solitude,
Protector in exile,
You inhabit the shadows of our communities.
Show us the way to stand against injustice,
To protect and nurture life,
To live nonviolently.
Help us to embrace simplicity,
To be mindful of the value of all things,
To care tenderly for others.
Teach us to conserve
And protect the natural gifts of this world.
Help us to take time and to be present
To one another.
Increase among us the spirit of tolerance and good will.
Bring us to the quiet, still place of healing,
And transfer our souls into a reflection
Of your Love and Compassion.
Amen.
