Bill Tucker - The Austinot

No Experience Necessary: Bougie’s Donuts Serves Fresh, Creative Donuts and Coffee

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Coffee and donuts with an upscale yet unpretentious vibe, await you at Bougie’s Donuts (Credit: Bill Tucker)

At some point in life, you have to take a leap of faith. Jump off the ledge and dive into the great unknown. Sometimes it’s a tiny tumble. Other times, it’s a 50-mile plunge.

Bougie’s Donuts is the result of one man’s drop into uncharted waters. With fresh flavor, outstanding coffee, and a heart for the surrounding community, one of the newest players in Austin’s dessert scene is a stand-out winner. [Read more…]

Nakia Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary With His Southern Cousins at Antone’s

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Nakia 10 Year Anniversary With Southern Cousins

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…]

Celis Brewery: Austin’s First Craft Brewery Reborn

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Celis Brewery’s line of brews brings back old school flavors in new, exciting ways (Credit: Jason Babos)

In the ever-expanding world of craft beer, you rarely get a second chance. Fail to gain a foothold in the marketplace, and your brewery could be sunk. Austin’s beer community is as close knit and supportive as a competitive market gets, but if you can’t stand out, you’ll quickly be forced to stand down.

These cold, hard facts make the story of Celis Brewery one for the ages. Like a phoenix reborn, Austin’s first craft brewery has risen from the ashes to reclaim its place among Austin’s beer elite. And it’s doing so with a heart for tradition, family, and old school quality. [Read more…]

Tip Back a Glass of Our 8 Must-try Austin IPAs

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Bill Tucker

In the wild, weird world of craft beer, one style reigns supreme: the IPA. A hopped up, more bitter version of the traditional pale ale, India Pale Ales serve as gateway brews that introduces non-beer drinkers to the world of craft.

With over 30 breweries making their home in the greater Austin area, there’s no shortage of these delicious hop bombs. In celebration of the style, and craft beer in general, we’ve picked eight of our local favorites IPAs. [Read more…]

Top 7 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in Austin

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Grilled cheese. Simply saying the words conjures up memories of creamy Velveeta toasted between two slices of bread, with a bowl of tomato soup on the side. The standard “visiting grandma” lunch.

Luckily, here in Austin, it’s easy to relive those memories with a wide variety of takes on the childhood classic. From the simply delicious to the decadently complex, Austin’s grilled cheese options are as diverse as our city itself. Here are some of the best. [Read more…]

The Black Angels Celebrate Latest Record With Stunning ACL Taping

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Bill Tucker

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…]

Pinballz Combines 80’s Nostalgia With Modern Games Since 2010

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Come spend an hour or three at one of Austin’s most carefully curated arcades (Credit: Bill Tucker)

Some kids grew up on the baseball field, others on their bikes. I was raised on video games. As a young lad in northern New Jersey, many an afternoon was spent at the local arcade. My dad would hand me $5 in quarters, and I’d wander the labyrinth of lights and sounds in search of the perfect game. The arcade experience defined my childhood.

And while the neighborhood arcade has gone the way of Game Boys and Pogs, one Austin institution is keeping the dream alive. Retro yet modern, classic yet contemporary, Pinballz safeguards the legacy of old school gaming in a modern age. [Read more…]

Emily Bell Celebrates Latest Record With Blistering 3Ten ACL Live Set

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Bill Tucker

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 Music Foundation Teaches Music’s Business Side With New Program

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Austin Music Foundation seeks to elevate and educate Austin’s music community (Credit: Mathis Kennington)

Even in the Live Music Capital of the World, it’s tough to make a living as a musician. From poor pay to middling tips to late hours, succeeding in the Austin music scene requires patience, persistence, and a little luck. Unfortunately, the music isn’t always enough.

Enter Austin Music Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to bolstering our creative community through artist-empowering programs, education, and economic opportunities. With the organization’s newest venture, the Artist Development Program, Austin Music Foundation aims to educate Austin artists on how to navigate the tricky world of the music industry. [Read more…]

Local Band Sweet Spirit Celebrates With Fiery Album Release

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Bill Tucker

Sabrina Ellis of Sweet Spirit lights up Barracuda (Credit: Paula Horstman courtesy of Compose Yourself Magazine)

When the mayor of Austin creates a day in your band’s honor, one of two things have happened. You’re either in “The Twilight Zone” or you’ve made a serious impression on the Austin music community.

When Mayor Steve Adler took the stage at Barracuda at the stroke of midnight, declaring April 1, 2017, “Sweet Spirit Day,” it was the latter. In response, Sweet Spirit launched into a 90-minute tour de force justifying the mayor’s proclamation.

An all-out blow out of sing-along choruses, blazing guitar, and Mick Jagger swagger, Sweet Spirit continues to rise into the stratosphere of Austin’s music elite. [Read more…]

Recent Posts

Welcome to The Austinot