Brittany Highland - The Austinot

Lilting Urban Folk from Austin’s Award-Winning Erin Ivey

February 19, 2013 by Brittany Highland 3 Comments

Singer Erin Ivey at Flipnotics in Austin

Erin Ivey at Flipnotics, February 2013

Austin singer and songwriter Erin Ivey has a lovely, lilting voice and poetry in her bones. Texas Music Magazine named Erin one of the top artists of 2011, and her newest album Dreamy Weather was funded by fans through a successful Kickstarter campaign late last year.

I’ve had the chance to enjoy Erin and her music in different settings, and she never disappoints. If you appreciate lyrical depth and musical calm that leaves space for your thoughts, Erin Ivey is for you. [Read more…]

Bridget Dunlap: Gritty Imagineress Reigning Barefoot on Rainey

February 18, 2013 by Brittany Highland 6 Comments

Bridget Dunlap reigns barefooted

Visionaries are the ones who look at what’s in front of all of our faces, and have just enough careless abhorrence of common sense to imagine a metropolis where the rest of us see only a mound of dirt.

Successful Houston business owner Bridget Dunlap had visited Austin many times. Despite the economic bust of 2008, she was looking for opportunity when she parked in the dirt lot on the north side of Driskill St. near I-35.

The parcel of land on the northeast corner of Rainey Street at Driskill – now known as Lustre Pearl – was for lease. Signs communicated that the property was condemned, and the former home was completely boarded up. “You could barely walk up the stairs,” Dunlap recalled. [Read more…]

Austinot Podcast: Congress Bats, Austin Itinerary and Local Weirdness

February 15, 2013 by Brittany Highland 10 Comments

Click the Play button on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast.

Whether you’re new to the city or have been here all your life, Austin holds its mysteries for all of us. If a local conundrum has been keeping you up at night, submit a question for our Austinot Podcast and we may just answer!

This week’s questions were submitted on our Facebook page. You can also feel free to ask questions on Twitter, Google+ or Pinterest.

This Episode Covers… [Read more…]

Austinot Podcast: Plastic Bag Ban, Radio Stations, Tex-Mex and More

February 8, 2013 by Brittany Highland 4 Comments

Click Play on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast.

For those of you who tuned in last week, you know that we’re experimenting with a new format on our Austinot Podcast. Instead of focusing on one topic, we’ve started soliciting your burning questions about Austin!

Holy Mountain is a new live music venue in the Red River district

This episode of the Austinot Podcast covers some stellar questions about our beautiful city. Tune in to hear the answers to the following questions:

“How many live music venues are there in Austin?”
-Laurie A. Valek, Facebook
“When will Austin get better radio stations?”
-@kelz514, Twitter
“What is the one best resource for finding out what’s happening in Austin for the weekend?”
-Stephanie Stacy Phelps, Facebook
“What are your thoughts on the plastic bag ban that’s going into effect?” -Tyler Edmunds, Facebook
“I’m looking for the ‘best’ or at least ‘good’ Tex-Mex in Austin. What are y’all’s favorite places?”
-Ellen Deleganes, Facebook
“Are there any Austin area writers groups?”
-@literarygrrrl, Twitter [Read more…]

Austinot Podcast Remixed: Awesomely Answering Your Austin Questions

February 1, 2013 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

@deliciousgames: “Why do Thai restaurants insist on no windows and bad decor?”

Click the Play button on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast!

Austin may not be the largest city around, but there’s still so much going on that it’s challenging to keep up!

We normally cover a specific event or topic during a podcast episode, but this week we’re trying something new. We collected interesting questions that we’ve been asked recently on Facebook and Twitter, and we’re giving the answers on our podcast episode! [Read more…]

Non-Profit Black Fret Plans to Give Millions to Austin Music Industry

January 29, 2013 by Brittany Highland 2 Comments

Quiet Company performs at the Black Fret launch party

Quiet Company is a 2012 Black Fret grant nominee

We love our local music. But there’s a noteworthy difference between sending out raving groupie tweets to three hundred followers about the no cover show you attended on 6th Street, and being instrumental in helping a band with legs get their first album out.

If you’re addicted to your groupie tweets and free shows, read no further. But if you’re part of the smaller group that means business when it comes to helping talented musicians earn a living doing what they love to do, I’ve found the organization for you. [Read more…]

Make Plans for Summer Days at the Austin Boat and Travel Trailer Show

January 18, 2013 by Brittany Highland 2 Comments

If Lake Austin is calling your name…

Click on the Play button on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast.

January is the perfect time to dream about warmer days by the water. Or, better yet, on the water. This weekend at the Austin Convention Center, the Austin Boat and Travel Trailer Show has corralled practically everything you need for outdoor fun in Central Texas. [Read more…]

Witness the Dramatic Life of Queen Elizabeth I at the Vortex Theater

January 16, 2013 by Brittany Highland 5 Comments

Butterfly Bar at the Vortex

If you haven’t visited the Vortex theater in East Austin, you’re missing out on community theater at its best. Come early and grab a drink and a snack at the Butterfly Bar, which occupies the same building. Watch a movie on the wall by the bar (you may see Popeye episodes), or step outside to the lighted patio for a game of chess.

Pick up your “ticket” at the box office – a suited selection from a deck of cards – and enter the theater when your suit is called. Don’t worry about finishing your drink before the show; you can take it in. Grab any open seat you like. [Read more…]

Goodybag Launches Local Loyalty Program With Philanthropic Twist

January 15, 2013 by Brittany Highland 14 Comments

Co-founder Jay Panchal demonstrates the Goodybag system with a card and tablet

You’ve probably walked into a local business and seen an iPad by the register, giving you the chance to earn points or save money by swiping a rewards card. There are a handful of these loyalty programs on the move in Austin, but only one of them was founded here: Goodybag.

If you’re the one oddball Austinite opposed to our mantra of “keeping it local,” Goodybag has something else going for it. Every time you “tap in” at a business through Goodybag, 5-10 cents is donated to a local charity of the business’ choice. Ten cents is donated if your Goodybag account is connected to Facebook, five cents if it isn’t.

To date, Goodybag has donated more than $3,000 to Austin Pets Alive!, HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians), Austin Children’s Shelter, Austin Humane Society, Please BE KIND to Cyclists, and Meals on Wheels and More. [Read more…]

Gruene, Texas Is One of Our Favorite Day Trips from Austin

January 11, 2013 by Brittany Highland 1 Comment

The landmark of Gruene Historic District, the water tower

Click on the Play button on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast!

Less than an hour south of Austin is Gruene, Texas, an area with a colorful history that’s perfect for a day trip or weekend away.

Founded in the 1840’s, Gruene was once a booming transportation and commerce center. However, the boll weevil disaster and Great Depression hit the town hard, and Gruene was basically a ghost town by 1950.

With the help of friends, many of Gruene’s most important buildings were restored and designated as historic landmarks. Today, Gruene Historic District is a lovely town with an old-time feel that’s easy to appreciate. [Read more…]

This Episode Covers… [Read more…]

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