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Heather Wagner Reed with Juice Consulting team members, Amber LaFrance (L) and Madison Snelling (R), at Black Fret Black Ball (Credit: Juice Consulting)
“The creative energy is in my blood,” Heather Wagner Reed pointed out before detailing the abundance of work she’s accomplished over the years. [Read more…]
Credit: Chris Lawton via Unsplash
Guest article by Archana Vemulapalli
Austin is a book lover’s paradise. With numerous independent book stores, a world-renowned poetry festival, book readings, and one of the nation’s premier annual literary events, the annual Texas Book Festival, there’s something for everyone. It’s no surprise, then, that there’s an abundance of Austin book clubs for the bibliophiles among us.
Book clubs have a long history in the United States, with groups like Benjamin Franklin’s literary society in Philadelphia, called the Junto, and Hannah Adam’s reading circle in the late 1760’s. More than two centuries later, book clubs have expanded beyond the genteel in society. They span every genre and style, with the central theme always being a shared love of the written word.
While I’m still compiling an exhaustive list of Austin book clubs, I did have time to check out a few of the book clubs hosted by or at Austin’s independent books stores. Here are 10 interesting, fun book clubs, organized by genre. Choose one that suits you and find a group of kindred spirits. [Read more…]
Nakia’s wild and varied career has brought him back to his Southern Cousins roots (Credit: Katie McDowell)
Everyone has a story. A tale composed of tiny moments weaving through our day-to-day routines and occasional adventures. The small parts define our past and influence our future.
Austin soul man, Nakia, has a story that has taken him from singing in Alabama churches to NBC’s “The Voice,” and everywhere in between. With his June 29, 2017 reunion with His Southern Cousins at Antone’s, the latest chapter in his tale is a loving nod to an extraordinary past. [Read more…]
The Black Angels celebrate their new record, “Death Song,” in style during an Austin City Limits taping on May 23, 2017 (Credit: Scott Newton)
Full disclosure: psychedelic music isn’t my thing. No offense to the genre, but my appreciation is closer to respect than enjoyment. Something about freeform, meandering soundscapes clashes with my drum line, percussion ensemble upbringing. In the correct headspace, it can be beautiful, but it’s not something I blast in my car during my evening commute.
Or so I thought. By taking the evocative expressiveness of traditional psychedelic music and trapping it in a barbed wire cage of aggressive hard rock, Austin’s The Black Angels have created a unique sound. Their May 23 taping for the 43rd season of Austin City Limits on KLRU-TV was a celebration of a new record and 13 years of rocking out. [Read more…]
Austin Mic Exchange takes place weekly at Spider House Ballroom
Houston has a rap pedigree that goes back for generations. Dallas has also produced great hip hop, and the same goes for San Antonio. Austin’s contribution to music, on the other hand, has gravitated towards guitar picking and live outdoor festivals, a reputation we’ve been happy to embrace.
Pay closer attention to what’s happening with our live music scene, though. Austin Mic Exchange is rewriting what it means to be the Live Music Capital of the World by growing a DIY hip hop culture right here in Austin, Texas.
[Read more…]
Aaron Franklin helped Rebecca Masson of Houston’s Fluff Bake Bar serve “Thurston S’moores” during The Thurston Moore Group’s performance at The Mohawk (Credit: Daniel Cavazos)
Hot Luck founder Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, along with partners James Moody of The Mohawk and Michael Thelin of Feast Portland, just wrapped up a successful four-day food and music festival that featured more than 50 celebrated chefs from around the country, over half of whom reside right here in Austin.
The concept was inspired by intimate and informal gatherings–drawing on the nostalgia of foods that comfort, and then are reimagined for a new generation. Hot Luck was for anyone who could appreciate a thoughtfully curated sensory experience, minus any pretension. (Note: you’ll find the words “hoedown” and “hootenanny” used to describe the event on the festival’s website. Boots were optional, koozies were required.)
Humble in presentation, but certainly not lacking in creativity and innovation, samplings were designed to be utensil-free and enjoyed in a picnic atmosphere. [Read more…]
Scene from The Comedy of Errors at Zilker Hillside Theater (Credit: Sam Zavieh)
Free Shakespeare in Zilker Park is an experience I look forward to every year. It combines three of my favorite things: Shakespeare, being outside under the stars on an early summer evening, and free stuff. That’s right! Shakespeare in the Park is completely free theater, although they gladly accept donations.
This is a great place to take a special someone or your group of friends, and let the Bard’s words wrap around you while the fireflies dance. [Read more…]
1947 Barton Springs Bathhouse dedication ceremony (Credit: Barton Springs Conservancy)
Located within Zilker Park’s 358 acres is Barton Springs Pool, a three-acre, underground fed spring that has been referred to as the “Heart and Soul” and “Crown Jewel” of Austin. If you’ve been there, you understand why. In 1947, Barton Springs Bathhouse opened its doors for the first time, welcoming swimmers from all walks of life who sought fun, relaxation, and healing in the water beyond its walls.
This year marks 70 years that the historic Barton Springs Bathhouse has been open. On May 13, Austinites can celebrate this anniversary during the 70th Birthday Splash: Parade and Plunge. The event is hosted by Barton Springs Conservancy, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor, preserve, and enhance the Barton Springs experience through education and facility improvements. [Read more…]
Emily Bell and The Talkbacks celebrated their new record, “Kali,” at 3Ten ACL on April 28 (Credit: Katie McDowell)
Music should be a constant evolution. If a band’s fifth album sounds the same as the first, something is wrong. And while die-hard fans may want the same old, same old, the work of a musical artist almost inevitably changes as he or she does.
With her April 29 record release show at 3Ten Austin City Limits, Emily Bell shook off the retro soul trappings of her former self, and donned a rock star persona of leather and lace. Vibrant and urgent with a rock-n-roll strut, Emily Bell and The Talkbacks’ latest crop of songs balances beauty and blast in every hard rocking note. [Read more…]
Austin’s music events are becoming flashier and more spectacular every year. International acts frequently entertain our city, and our festivals bring huge crowds and revenue to our city. But all the pizzaz and growth can cause us to overlook what made Austin’s music scene unique in the first place.
We’ve always been about local acts playing music for local people in local venues. Now, more than ever, it’s important to support local business and music if we want to retain what makes Austin weird. [Read more…]