Entertainment Archives - Page 52 of 70

Black Fret Poised to Change Lives of Local Musicians in 2015

January 16, 2015 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

Graham Wilkinson, awarded $10,000 by Black Fret (Credit: Flipintex Fotos)

If you love Austin’s music scene, but haven’t heard of local non-profit Black Fret, that changes now.

Imagine being a talented musician trying to make a living following your passion. You have a fan base, regular shows and even a couple of albums. But it’s an uphill struggle every day, and you find yourself having to refocus energy into another job so the bills get paid.

Then a local non-profit comes along and offers you a chance to play private shows for music patrons in Austin. Your exposure grows among these influencers, and then you get news that will change your life and career: [Read more…]

Butterfly Girl: Remembering Abigail Evans

January 12, 2015 by Bill Tucker 10 Comments

Only Abbie Evans could be so relaxed while drinking from her feeding tube (Credit: butterflygirlmovie.com)

The Alamo Drafthouse on West Anderson was packed on a drizzly Sunday night. The lobby felt like a homecoming. Local Austin musicians chatted amongst pints of beer. Hands were shaken. Hugs were constant and everywhere.

Everyone was there to celebrate the life and legacy of Abigail Evans, a local Austin teenager whose battle with a horrific skin disorder is chronicled in Butterfly Girl. Full of real people and real moments, the documentary chronicles a two year period of Abbie’s battle with EB. Before the screening, I knew very little about Abbie and her disease. By the time it was all over, I felt like a member of the family.

[Read more…]

Keep Austin Weird at Spider House Cafe and Ballroom

January 8, 2015 by David Thomas Leave a Comment

Spider House Cafe and Ballroom has been on Fruth St for 20 years
(Credit: John Cabuena/Flipintex Fotos)

The Christmas lights are always on at Spider House Cafe. The funky atmosphere will grip you as soon as your foot is in the door, and the coffee drinks, full bar and food options will make you want to stay a while. Just next door, Spider House Ballroom keeps nightlife on an aggressive dose of oxygen with regular shows and events.

Maybe you haven’t been around Spider House since you moved out of West Campus with that degree in your hand. Or maybe you haven’t been initiated yet, your assaulted senses carrying you over the wooden threshold. Whatever the case, I’m here to tell you why a visit should be in your future. [Read more…]

EXCLUSIVE: Meet the Unofficial Guide to SXSW

December 3, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 1 Comment

Albert Smith’s Unofficial SXSW Guide Facebook and Twitter accounts reach in excess of 80,000 fans

It all starts with your first SXSW showcase. For music industry veterans, you never forget it.

The year was 2007 and Amy Winehouse was creating headlines with a soulful performance at Stubb’s that ended with her in handcuffs. A tiny social media company was in town promoting a network that limited your entries to 140 characters (based around the old SMS limits, remember that!?).

And Albert Smith was putting together his first unofficial SXSW showcase at the Bayou Lounge. Seven years later, 19,000 people are following him on that “tiny” social network (Twitter, for those of you who haven’t caught on) and an additional 62,000+ like him on Facebook. [Read more…]

Threadgill’s: 81 Years of Food, Beer and Music

December 2, 2014 by David Thomas 9 Comments

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…]

Before MTV, There Was…

November 26, 2014 by Jessica Pino Leave a Comment

The Moody Theater, home of Austin City Limits (Credit: Andy via Flickr CC)

The concept of music television existed long before MTV was created. The award winning PBS series Austin City Limits has been shaping the way we experience music for 40 years.

ACL began with a vision to highlight local music and has grown into an international sensation. Musicians and fans from around the world look up to ACL’s simple – yet sophisticated – take on music. What started Austin on its journey to becoming the “Live Music Capital of the World” remains a pillar in our culture today.

As ACL begins its fifth decade of live music broadcasting, I want to pay tribute to the show’s legacy by examining where it came from and what its existence has meant to local Austin musicians. [Read more…]

3 Austin Music Venues That Go Beyond Mainstream

November 24, 2014 by Erin May Leave a Comment

Entrance to the underground Elephant Room

Austin is often hailed as the Live Music Capital of the World. While this grandstand title is nice, if your musical tastes don’t fit into popular genres, you may wonder where to find unique music to enjoy.

If you’re looking to move beyond mainstream, read on to learn about a few of my favorite Austin music venues in town. While by no means an exhaustive list of offbeat music spots, my collection features vastly different options, all worth checking out for a change of pace. [Read more…]

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…]

Black Fret Awards $100,000 to Austin Musicians

November 10, 2014 by Cris Mueller 1 Comment

On left, Black Fret founders Matt Ott and Colin Kendrick (Credit: Flipintex Fotos)

The red carpet was aglow with paparazzi flashes as Austin’s music royalty arrived at The Paramount for Black Fret’s inaugural Black Ball. A surge of music and energy was brought to the stage at 7 PM this past Saturday night, kicking off five hours of unique performances from 16 of the 20 grant nominees.

Black Fret lined up a night that will forever remain unmatched (at least until next year’s Black Ball), including talent from [Read more…]

Frog and Toad at Zach Theatre for Kids and Kids at Heart

October 31, 2014 by J. Alan Nelson Leave a Comment

Nicholas Kier and Chase Brewer at Zach Theatre

Chase Brewer (Toad) and Nicholas Kier (Frog) in Zach Theatre’s A Year with Frog and Toad

Frog and Toad are your friends. They’ve been your friends for more than 40 years, since the two leap-frogged from Arnold Lobel’s head into the now classic children’s books.

A Year with Frog and Toad, playing at Zach Theatre through November 29, 2014, cleverly delivers the favorite stories of Lobel onto the stage with catchy tunes you will hum long after you leave the theatre. Director Nat Miller has crafted the latest version of the Tony-nominated show, which will take you back to the imaginary world of childhood. [Read more…]

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