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The original Threadgill’s on N Lamar Blvd has been around for 81 years
In 1933, 29 years after Austin sealed the deal on 31 used moonlight towers, bootlegger and entrepreneur Kenneth Threadgill opened a Gulf filling station just north of the Austin City Limits sign.
To Threadgill, it was more than just a filling station. [Read more…]
John Erler has made a 14 year career out of goofing on movies (Credit: robN8R via Flickr CC)
Alamo Drafthouse hates when people interrupt their movies, unless those people are with Master Pancake Theater (MPT). They can do just about anything they want.
Master Pancake Theater started in 2000 under the puntiferic name, Mister Sinus Theater 3000. John Erler, Owen Egerton, Jeremy “Jerm” Pollet and their spoof of a spoof charmed Tim League and the crew at Alamo Drafthouse. Soon the show became a popular staple at Austin’s favorite movie theater.
The name changed to the Sinus Show in 2004 at the request of a similarly named and older Mystery Science Theater 3000. The show finally ended in 2006, but John Erler’s adventure was just beginning. He moved forward in 2007, rebranded the show as Master Pancake Theater, and promptly started winning awards [Read more…]
Rap legend Nas is headlining the Blue Stage on November 8th villunderlondon via Flickr CC
November 7-9, 2014 will showcase one of the coolest cross genre entertainment festivals in the United States.
Fun Fun Fun Fest skillfully blends hard rock, hip-hop, indie rock, comedy and action sports in a three day hulabaloo that leaves event goers desperately wishing they were within range of the taco cannon.
Fun Fun Fun Fest prides itself on being an independent festival, encapsulating the spirit and personality of Austin. It’s become known as a platform for bands to reunite and for others to take the next step in their career by performing in front a large, enthusiastic audience. In the past, FFF Fest was the place where Run DMC [Read more…]
The two acre garden at Community First Village helps the community supplement their food (Credit: Mobile Loaves and Fishes)
It costs taxpayers up to $5 million per year to house 250 homeless people through the City of Austin.
Alan Graham and his Mobile Loaves and Fishes team members are offering a private solution to relieve the city of that burden, while lifting Austin’s homeless population up by providing them a place to live, be proud of and restore their confidence.
Sixteen years ago, a desire to help the homeless led Alan Graham to buy a catering truck. He began to feed and provide clothing to those in need.
His dedication became infectious and people started to volunteer. Mobile Loaves and Fishes has grown to 12 catering trucks and services roughly 1,000 people daily. [Read more…]
Austin Redskins fans (Auskins) take over Black Sheep Lodge every game day
Football season again. It may be easy for Longhorns, Texans and Cowboys fans to find a place to watch the big game in Austin, but what about those who aren’t believers? Where can they find like-minded fans to whoop and holler with? Though I may be stoned for it, I have a few suggestions. [Read more…]
Vintage First Thursday (Credit: David Ingram via Flickr CC)
I’m always excited to find our city supporting local artists, like you’ll find at 23rd Street Artists Market. It’s even cooler when it’s a whole neighborhood affair.
For several years now, businesses of all sizes have been congregating on South Congress Ave. for a monthly event called First Thursday. You can probably guess when this event takes place. Yes, the first Thursday of every month.
It is a neighborhood affair. The businesses up and down South Congress stay open late, many until about 10 PM. The bars in the area are known to offer drink specials for the monthly gathering, and parking areas and lot spaces are opened for artists to set up tents and sell their wares. [Read more…]
Improv group Ball and Chain puts a twist on being married (Credit: Out of Bounds Comedy Festival)
Austin may be known as the Live Music Capitol of the World. But Out of Bounds Comedy Festival is helping it become the Comedy Capitol of the World.
If you think Moontower and SXSW Comedy are the only big comedy events in Austin, think again. Out of Bounds Comedy Festival runs twice as long, involves the trifecta of comedy, and isn’t concentrated downtown.
The festival, now in its 13th year, begins on August 26, 2014 and wraps up on Labor Day. Originally an improv festival, Out of Bounds has grown to incorporate stand-up and sketch comedy acts. Since its founding in 2002 by Jeremy Lamb, the festival has grown to almost 200 acts and 9 venues stretching the length of the city. [Read more…]
New pizza recipes and a larger salad bar are part of the revitalization (Credit: Austin Park N Pizza)
Austin Park N Pizza is passionate about their brand and reputation. They’ve recently made some big changes to drive that point home.
Sean Milberger recently took the reigns as general manager of Austin Park N Pizza, and he’s made bold moves to update the menu and attractions. I recently had the opportunity to visit Austin Park N Pizza and see the changes myself. [Read more…]
Guy Harris has been a bladesmith for 24 years (Credit: David Thomas)
What do you do with an obsession? Do you embrace it? That’s what I did with motorcycles and that’s what Guy Harris did with knives.
It was around 1990 that Harris bought a book entitled The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection, by Jim Hrisoulas. That was the beginning of his quest to learn everything he could about the art of knife making.
In 1995, he received a phone call from a buddy. This friend wanted Harris to help him build a forge and, in the process, convinced Harris to build one of his own. As things sometimes work out, his buddy never finished his forge, but Harris completed his own.
Fast forward to 2004. Guy Harris decides to go all in and opens the doors to Harris Blades. Over the past 10 years, he’s been happily perfecting the art of bladesmithing in the greater Austin area. [Read more…]
Do you want to eat pizza like an old school Austinite? Then get to the nearest Conans Pizza and try to eat a large Savage.
It’s hard to imagine Austin without its artisanal pizza restaurants, food trailers, or the run of the mill, by the slice variety that populate the downtown area. There was a time, however, when today’s popular pizza spots didn’t exist. Back then, 183 wasn’t a freeway, 2222 was a dirt road, and South Park Meadows was a giant field.
Conans Pizza specializes in massive Chicago style deep dish pizza
That time was 1976. [Read more…]