Discover the Best Things to Do in Austin, Food & Drink deals and more!
Austinites gather for The Elephant Table pop-up dinner at Gypsy Floral (Credit: Ashleigh Amoroso)
Austin’s food and beverage scene is a hotbed for exciting, new concepts, and the many restaurant openings each season prove it. It’s no surprise that pop-up dinner concepts have been making their way onto the scene. These three Austin supper clubs, a mixture of newcomers and proven concepts, are currently the talk of the town. [Read more…]
Under the Sea House, part of this year’s Weird Homes Tour
Guest article by Cris Mueller
Austin’s long-standing reputation for weird serves as the perfect stage for the annual Weird Homes Tour. The tour is a showcase of 10 select homes, and your chance to stop just peeking through the blinds. With your ticket, you are invited inside for a personal tour and opportunity to chat with the owners of some of the Bat City’s most creative and unique homes. [Read more…]
Visitors to the 2016 East Austin Urban Farm Tour (Photo: East Austin Urban Farm Tour)
In Austin, “locally-grown” means right inside the city limits. Possibly even in your neighborhood. Each year, East Austin Urban Farm Tour celebrates some of the wonderful working farms in the heart of East Austin. The event gives visitors the opportunity to tour four working farms, all within walking distance of each other. [Read more…]
Comedians and comedy fans alike worked hard to make SXSW 2017 memorable. It paid off because nearly all the comedy events were PACKED. In fact, you could hear the hearts breaking among those who didn’t make it in, after waiting an hour or more to see a show.
My main objective this year, while covering SXSW Comedy for The Austinot, was to witness raw, unadulterated comedy. I did just that, and the experience was electric. In case you missed the events this year, these were my favorite moments–a glimpse into what SXSW Comedy 2017 was all about. [Read more…]
Pride & Joy: The Texas Blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan is open now through July 23, 2017
(Credit: Bullock Texas State History Museum)
Growing up Texan, loving Stevie Ray Vaughan was never optional. Something deep inside us stirs when we hear his bluesy, wailing chords. We stop whatever we’re doing to listen with due reverence. His music speaks directly to the heart.
Jimmie Vaughan and The Grammy Museum are bringing a one-of-a-kind exhibit of Stevie Ray Vaughan memorabilia to the Bullock Texas State History Museum for music buffs to enjoy. Pride & Joy: The Texas Blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan opened on March 10, 2017 and will be open through July 23, 2017. The exhibit includes several items that haven’t been on display since the musician’s tragic early death in 1990. Austin, long-time home for Stevie Ray Vaughan and his older brother, Jimmie, is the fourth and final stop of the tour. [Read more…]
Jenny Slate performing at SXSW (Credit: Rebecca Adler via Flickr CC)
In my opinion, comedians are the new rockstars of SXSW. It’s about time, since SXSW Comedy is celebrating its tenth edition during the multi-track festival. Over the past 10 years, SXSW has showcased the comedy industry’s influential and up-and-coming comics.
There were amazing comedians around in 1987 when SXSW started, but it wasn’t considered a necessity at a festival that put its primary focus on music. Back then, the organizers considered SXSW to be a regional event. They expected around 150 people to attend, but over 700 showed up.
Let’s take a quick journey back in time, to examine how comedy came to be an undeniable part of SXSW. [Read more…]
SXSW is a war. Locals curse invading tourists. Business types attending the conference rub elbows with media-loving millennials. Downtown becomes choked with product placement, badge-only lounges and swarms of ads for tech startups. It’s madness.
It’s also a blast if you do it right. During SXSW Music, the eyes of an entire industry are focused on our fair city. Hopefuls trek thousands of miles to play 1 a.m. showcases, hoping a record exec attends their gig, digs their sound and changes their life forever. Dreams fuel the festival, and it’s that sense of discovery that makes SXSW Music special.
After covering SXSW Music last year, I’ve learned valuable lessons on how to ease your experience. Get prepared, valiant festival goer, and get ready for a fantastic SXSW! [Read more…]
Film still from “One” (Credit: Emily Ma and Grace Zhang)
While narrative and documentary features get their fair share of buzz, movie lovers should know SXSW offers a slew of short films that educate, entertain and inspire viewers. Although the festival highlights work from all over the world, there are many Austinites and other Texans who are showcasing their shorts between March 10 and 18, too. Here’s a list of the screenings you should look out for to support local creatives. Some of them are free and open to the public. [Read more…]
Writer and actor Andres du Bouchet, known for his work on Conan, talks comedy at SXSW
(Credit: CleftClips via Flickr CC)
Welcome to your unofficial “how to” guide for getting the most out of SXSW Comedy 2017. The first thing you need to do is drop all expectations because, with comedy, ANYTHING can happen. Yes, there are scheduled events all week long. Yes, there are big names in comedy who will be performing. Yes, you may need a badge or wristband to attend some of the events. And yes, you can catch local comedians doing their thing, as well.
SXSW Comedy showcases officially kick off on March 10, 2017 at 8 p.m. and run until 2 a.m. on March 18, 2017. If you’re interested in catching some of the shows, I suggest you take a look at the lineup.
Now to answer a few questions you may have about how to maximize your SXSW Comedy experience. [Read more…]
Credit: Bill Tucker
For seven days in the middle of March, Austin becomes the epicenter of the music world. Over 2,000 artists will play official SXSW Music showcases this year. And that doesn’t count those playing unofficial shows, parties, festivals or busking on Sixth Street. Thousands of musical dreamers road-trip to our city with nothing but a song and the desire to get it out to the masses.
But of the 2,000 officially invited artists, 244 are our hometown heroes. From DJs to punk rock, electro-pop to indie, ATX is well represented at this year’s festival. And I listened to every single band to bring you my Top 15 list of Austin bands playing SXSW 2017. Enjoy the list, enjoy SX and–most importantly–enjoy local live music. [Read more…]