Matthew Champion - The Austinot

Spice Up Your Fall In and Around Austin

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Matthew Champion

If you’re reveling in the break from the heat like I am, then you must want to celebrate and embrace the beautiful fall season that’s now upon us. Fortunately, there is an overwhelming number of things to do in and around Austin when the colors begin to change. Below are many of the stand-outs.

Mount Bonnell

Mount Bonnell in the Fall (Photo credit: tlp4682 via Flickr CC)

This one is obvious, for a reason. One of the first things my wife and I did this fall was get up early, grab a coffee, and [Read more…]

Journey to Bollywood: Om Shanti Delivers

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Matthew Champion

Shanti and Om (Photo credit: Sanjay N Patel)

I took the assignment of Om Shanti: Once Upon a Time in Bollywood on a complete whim. I had never experienced anything like it before. The closest I had come was attending my friends’ Persian wedding last year…and when I saw Slumdog Millionaire.

After repeatedly chanting “BOLLYWOOOOOOD!” on the way to the Long Center, my wife and I made our way to grab our tickets and head inside. We were genuinely excited. Upon looking into it, I discovered that Om Shanti was the first ever regionally-produced, large-scale Bollywood musical to come to Austin. Not only was it new to me, but probably to a few others in attendance as well. [Read more…]

That’s a Wrap: Austin Sports Film Intramural Completes Production

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Matthew Champion

I arrived on the set of Intramural shortly after 11 PM on their last day of shooting. They were wrapping the film on the football field of Manor New Tech High School, which seemed very quiet that night. I was surprised to hear the breeze and my own footsteps as I walked toward the shoot. A few days earlier, there had been hundreds of extras in the stands along with a booming high school marching band. Despite everyone looking exhausted, each person I spoke with on set told me they were sad this was their last night together. [Read more…]

Hill Country’s Lewis Wines Characterizes the Future of Texas Wine

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Matthew Champion

Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb Lewis Wines

Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb (Photo credit: Texas Wine Lover)

This guest blog post is by Matt Champion.

The Texas wine industry is rapidly expanding every year, and it’s not just the big operations that are making noise. A little place called Lewis Wines, just outside of Johnson City, is a prime example of quality over quantity. The winery opened earlier this year and has been creating buzz ever since.

Owners Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb (both in their twenties) met in college. They got their start working at Pedernales Cellars and haven’t looked back. [Read more…]

Creative Ways to Beat the Heat in Austin: Summer 2013

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Matthew Champion

This guest blog post is by Matt Champion.

It’s only June and we’re already sweating bullets. With temperatures quickly heading toward every day triple-digits, we’re all going to need our summertime havens.

Austinites have a tendency to be claustrophobic. We love the outdoors and won’t let anything, even the scorching sun, keep us stuck inside all day to mindlessly fiddle with the thermostat.

We all know the standards: Barton Springs, Blues on the Green, the Greenbelt, and the list goes on. But I know we’re getting antsy, so here are some ways to beat the heat in Austin, in addition to our wonderful local traditions.

Pull your head out of your freezer and smile because you live in one of the greatest cities in the nation, regardless of whether or not the summer sun gives you the ability to bake cookies on the dashboard of your car.

“Swimmin’ Hole!”

Credit: jessicareeder via Flickr CC

[Read more…]

Mount Bonnell

“Swimmin’ Hole!”

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