Guest Blogger - The Austinot

Austin Music Equipment Rental Company Supports Community

November 20, 2014 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

LoudMouth Rentals offers music equipment for rent at rates everyday musicians can afford

Guest article by Gina Sigillito

When musicians, music professionals and music lovers walk into the newly-built, enormous, guitar and gear-filled space of LoudMouth Rentals in Northeast Austin, they are instantly hit by the feeling that something special is coming alive.

With enough room for several small stages and enough amps, drums, and lighting equipment to put on a large concert, it’s about to get noisy in this neighborhood, in the best way.

Located in the burgeoning area sprouting up along [Read more…]

Bonjour, Austin! Exploring and Celebrating Austin’s French Culture

November 14, 2014 by Guest Blogger 3 Comments

Delicious French cuisine can be found in Austin, like the Steak Bearnaise at Chez Nous (Credit: Chez Nous)

Guest article by Kristella Montiegel.

Within the hip and diverse city of Austin, you’ll find an alluring presence of French culture and community. Fittingly so, since French colonization of Texas dates back to the the 1600’s. Traces of French influence – especially in historical locations, food and art – can be found throughout the Austin area.

While it might be a stretch to attribute the creative and experimental culture of Austin to the avant-gardism of modernist Paris, the fact remains that an impressive French community has been sustained through Austin’s growth and diversification. So, whether you’re a native of France or someone who’s simply curious about their customs, Austin has plenty of opportunities for you to get your daily dose of French lifestyle. [Read more…]

Top 4 Best Cookies in Austin

November 7, 2014 by Guest Blogger 6 Comments

Guest article by Kathleen Crandall

Austin’s Best Cookie? The winner is on this plate. I’d invite you over to share some, but I’m afraid all that’s left are crumbs.

Top row L-R: Chocolate Chip Cookie, San Francisco Bakery; Salty Oat Cookie, Quack’s.
Middle L-R: Dark Chocolate Ginger, Quack’s; Salted Toffee Chunk, The Steeping Room. Bottom L-R: Ginger Cookie, Walton’s Fancy and Staple; Chocolate Chip Cookie, Lee’s Meat Market; Walnut Chocolate Chip gluten free, Wild Wood Bake House.

I have a tough job as a cookie reviewer. Having to go out there and hunt down the best cookie in Austin is a job full of challenges, but it pays well…in chocolate chips, walnuts, toffee, etc. Being the cookie connoisseur that I am, I was up for the task. But where to start with so many good cookies in this town? [Read more…]

Haunted ATX: Austin Streets in Spooky Ride with Freaky Facts

October 23, 2014 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Chris English and the Haunted ATX hearse

Guest article by Kendra Wright

There are multiple ways to experience the weird side of Austin. You can cruise the streets via a Segway, you can catch a ride in a real life Mystery Machine, and now the Austinot has discovered yet another unforgettable approach to exploring our city…and it’s unlike any way you’ve ever seen it before.

What if I told you your next great adventure involves riding in a hearse driven by a blood drawing Phlebotomist and planting your butt checks on the same seat Carl from The Walking Dead once used?

Interested? Read on. [Read more…]

Music Is Adrian Croom’s Bridge to Special-Needs Clients

October 22, 2014 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Adrian Croom, Austin musician

Guest article by Debbie Stanley

Some of Adrian Croom’s best relationships are completely nonverbal. As a songwriter, composer and producer, he creates captivating instrumental music that is sometimes lavish, sometimes elegantly spare and always evocative.

As a service provider for Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC), he assists clients ages 17-52 who have behavioral health needs and developmental disabilities, and his music is often a fundamental component of his work. [Read more…]

How to Dress Like an Austin Local

September 17, 2014 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Guest article by Dawn Sarnecky

Every Austinite knows that dressing appropriately for the Texas weather is an absolutely necessary task each day. The trick is to be comfortable as the beads of sweat drip down during summer and to be cozy during the winter (a.k.a. fall?). If you to dress like an Austin local with wardrobe pieces no one else will have, skip the mall action and check out these local stores.

Tip of the Brim at Hatbox

Hatbox (Credit: Ashley Brinkman)

If you are looking to cover your dome from the severe sun with style, then look no further than

[Read more…]

Austin Fashion Update: MOD Event and Ross Bennett

September 16, 2014 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Lady Bird Johnson, inspiration for MOD: A Modern Take on 60’s Fashion (Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons, Painting by Elizabeth Shoumatoff)

Guest article by Lisa Taylor

Fashion has left an indelible mark on our social conscience, whether we’re aware of it or not. If you were alive in the 80’s, you know what “Hammer” pants were and who they were associated with. Music and fashion have often melded into a unique expression of the artist, but it’s not just music that has brought fashion into our social stream of awareness.

Not surprisingly, fashion made its way into politics as well. One of our most photographed First Ladies was Jacqueline Kennedy, known for her fabulous sense of style. From her sheath dresses to her statement scarves or pillbox hats, she was always turned out impeccably. The same was true of Texas’ own, Lady Bird Johnson. And on September 12th at the LBJ Library [Read more…]

Wild Child: Austin’s Hottest Breakout Band Remains Untamed

September 16, 2014 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Wild Child

Guest article by Gina Sigillito

In the last year alone, the Austin natives of Wild Child have taken this city, and the rest of the world, by storm. They have graced the stage at ACL Live, had their songs “Crazy Bird” and “The Runaround” featured on NPR’s World Café, had their video featured on MTV Hive, and received glowing reviews in Pop Matters and Paste Magazine.

Most impressively, they gained a nationwide audience when they became the featured artists on CBS This Morning and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (Craig even wore the warpaint that has become the band’s signature).

Despite their overwhelming success [Read more…]

Move Over, Pumpkin Spice Latte! 6 Local Autumn Treats

September 11, 2014 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Guest article by Mia Moore

Like many others, as soon as the first autumn breeze hits, I go nuts for all things pumpkins spice. But I’ll be the first to admit that pumpkin is not the be-all, end-all of fall flavors. Apple, cinnamon, pecan, salted caramel, chai…there is so much more to choose from than your typical pumpkin spice latte.

This fall, why not challenge yourself to enjoy ALL the flavors of the season? Luckily, with Austin’s focus on keeping it local, many businesses offer seasonal treats for your delight. Here are a few of my personal favorite local Autumn treats.

Kerbey Lane Cafe – Pumpkin-Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Kerbey Lane Cafe pumpkin cinnamon pancakes (Credit: Kerbey Lane on Facebook)

It’s no secret that Kerbey Lane Cafe has a weekly pancake flavor. But once Autumn hits, Kerbey begins serving pumpkin pancakes and sometimes even pumpkin-cinnamon roll pancakes. With a pumpkin flavored base and cinnamon sugar swirl, one taste of these pancakes may inspire [Read more…]

Blue Starlite Is Austin’s Drive-in Movie Theater

September 4, 2014 by Guest Blogger 3 Comments

Get a taste of the past at Blue Starlite (Credit: Cameron Bergeron)

Guest article by Lisa Taylor

Theaters have come a long way since I was a child. We have so many options open to us these days that it really just depends on what you want your movie watching experience to be.

Do you prefer things to fly out from the screen at you, while you’re wearing funky glasses and screaming in terror? If so, the 3D experience may be the way to go. If you’d rather “feel” the movie, then a trip to the Interactive Theater, replete with moving seats and blasts of air into your face may be more up your alley. Is full bar service brought straight to your recliner more your style? You can get that at a few places around town as well.

But we also have another movie watching choice in Austin. To experience it, we have to jump into our way back machines and head out to Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In. [Read more…]

Tip of the Brim at Hatbox

Kerbey Lane Cafe – Pumpkin-Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

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