Sunset at Pan Am Park during MapJam 2014

This weekend’s MapJam, presented by KUTX 98.9, is a one day music tour that brings Austin Music Map to life.

KUTX is a relatively young radio station – they just celebrated their 2nd birthday – and one of their first ideas was Austin Music Map. The Music Map is an online collaborative effort between KUTX and their audience. It gives Austinites the opportunity to highlight their favorite up and coming musicians and promote their preferred music venues by charting them on an interactive map. It was revolutionary.

With MapJam, KUTX found a way to connect radio to the community. Having a “Jam” session with local musicians at local venues listed on the “Map” brought a formerly online experience to life.

So here is the lowdown on the 9 bands, 4 venues and grub you can sample tomorrow, February 21st, during KUTX’s Third Annual MapJam. [Read more…]

2nd Street Soundcheck is an opportunity to experience local food, shopping and free music (Credit: 2nd Street Soundcheck)

If you’re familiar with Austin at all, you know March brings the music loving masses to our city during SXSW, one of the biggest music festivals around. What better way to prepare for the madness than by attending 2nd Street Soundcheck for free music, food, shopping and just plain fun?

2nd Street Soundcheck takes place February 28, 2015, from 1-8 PM and admission is free! The event features 22 artists downtown on Second Street, spanning three city blocks from San Antonio Street to Colorado Street.

We are fortunate to live in a city with so much musical talent surrounding us, and this is an excellent opportunity to experience it for free. Below are a few of my favorite artists who will be playing during the festival. [Read more…]

Guest article by Lindsey Moringy

Has anyone ever told you that you have the personality of a lamp post? Well that might not be such a bad thing anymore!

A new project called Hello Lamp Post Austin enables residents to have in-depth conversations with objects and local treasures around town – everything from parking meters to buildings to Treaty Oak. For instance, on Thursday, City Hall (the building itself, not a representative) and I were discussing Austin’s biggest claim to fame. I suggested our longest-running music television program “Austin City Limits,” while City Hall was thinking more along the lines of breakfast tacos. [Read more…]

Festival Beach Food Forest, Austin’s edible forest garden

Guest article by Megan Renart

“Edible forest garden” might be the most Austin-y words I’ve ever written besides cold springs, breakfast tacos and live music.

And yet, we can now add said words to the list of actual places that exist in Austin. The Festival Beach Food Forest is a city-council-approved two acre stretch of land that runs next to I-35 and has been described as a “fence-free edible Eden where all are welcome to learn about food forestry and experience the beauty of an edible oasis in the heart of Austin.”

Festival Beach Food Forest is a pilot project of East Feast Coalition, a grassroots, volunteer run organization and offshoot of Urban Patchworks. And it’s free. The entire point of this edible food forest is to make it accessible to the public, which is why it’s being planted in one of Austin’s public parks. [Read more…]