Entertainment Archives - Page 56 of 70

The Long Center Hosts Free Fun All Summer Long

July 1, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena Leave a Comment

Bring a blanket, grab your favorite trailer food, and have yourself a picnic.

Summers in Austin are divine. That is, if you’re brave enough to put up with the sweltering heat, or are simply accustomed to it by now.

Those of us who have lived here long enough have found ways to deal with it, usually through a combination of live music, refreshing drinks, and food trucks.

For the third year in a row, Austin’s backyard, aka The Long Center, will be hosting several free and family friendly events that allow us to embrace the heat together, against one of Austin’s most picturesque backgrounds. [Read more…]

Summer Outdoor Movie Night with Cinema East

June 25, 2014 by Robert Luke Leave a Comment

Cinema East Sunday Movie Night in Austin

Outdoor movie night in Austin (Credit: Ben Sklar)

Living in Austin sometimes feels like living in an eternal, year long film festival. In addition to Austin Film Society and all the film festivals that happen in this town, we also get the Cinema East summer series.

Every summer Sunday at 9 PM, Cinema East hosts creative, independent films on the lawn of the French Legation in East Austin. This is an excellent way to end the weekend: watching a film, Austin style. [Read more…]

Summer Jam 2014: Cajun, Afro Latin, Psych Dub, Craft Beer

June 17, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena Leave a Comment

Audiences listen to Body Rock ATX at MapJam 2014 (Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for KUTX)

On January 2, 2013, KUTX, now owned by The University of Texas, began to pump out 29,000 watts of what they dub “The Austin Music Experience.”

98.9 FM had gone through numerous musical reformats before finally settling on a winning formula for a musically diverse city like Austin. That’s no small task for a public radio station in the Live Music Capital of the World, with competing stations offering the usual mix of pop, Spanish, and country programming.

But a diverse musical playlist isn’t enough to stand out in Austin, so KUTX stepped up their game and started offering unique and free concert events that highlight our musical culture. [Read more…]

2014 Republic of Texas Biker Rally Adds Family Activities

May 28, 2014 by David Thomas 2 Comments

The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, is booked as the Saturday night headliner at Travis County Expo Center (Photo Credit: rotrally.com)

With bikes, beer and a new element of family friendliness, the Republic of Texas Biker Rally (ROT Rally) is back for 2014 and bigger than ever.

Expo Center Busy with Music and Events

The nation’s largest ticketed motorcycle rally returns to the Travis County Expo Center June 12-15th.

This year, event organizers have stepped up their game by booking top notch music acts for the main stage.

Thursday night features Black Star Riders: The New Thin Lizzy. Friday’s headliner will be Reverend Horton Heat, whose frantic fusion of punk rock and rockabilly will get people’s blood flowing. Saturday night’s headliner is the Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar. The former Van Halen front man will kick off the annual Saturday night adults-only [Read more…]

Now Playing: Paramount Summer Classic Film Series

May 27, 2014 by Robert Luke Leave a Comment

Marquee at The Paramount Theatre

For the past 99 years, Austinites have enjoyed having The Paramount Theatre on Congress Avenue. When it first opened in 1915, it was called The Majestic Theatre.

When I was a kid, The Paramount presented a lot of kid-friendly plays that my parents and elementary school took me to all the time. I had always heard that it “used to” be a movie theater. What I didn’t understand then was that the venue hosted many types of shows, including plays, musical acts, cinema, and even Vaudeville in its early days.

One of the earliest memories I have of the theater was when my dad took me to see the entire Star Wars trilogy in one sitting. Today, The Paramount Theatre continues to show classic cinema favorites through its Paramount Summer Classic Film Series, allowing other Austinites to make memories of their own. [Read more…]

Frozen Dessert Is Teo’s Passport to World Champion Finals

May 19, 2014 by Jessica Pino Leave a Comment

My Vespa, Valentina, at the Gelato World Tour

When I heard that the Gelato World Tour was coming to Austin, I immediately penciled in time in my jam-packed schedule to attend.

In true stereotypical Italian fashion, I hopped on my Vespa (Valentina) and scooted down to Republic Square to check it out. There, I found sixteen gelato artisans from around North America battling for one of three spots to participate in the World Champion Finals in Rimini, Italy this fall.

The only Austin-based participant was Matthew Lee of Teo Espresso, Gelato & Bella Vita (Matthew told us he was the only American competing), so obviously I was a bit biased. I wasn’t able to actually sample his gelato submission because I’m allergic to nuts. But the lines that formed tempted me to pull out my Epipen just for a taste. [Read more…]

Date Night with Austin Lyric Opera

May 13, 2014 by Robert Luke Leave a Comment

Austin Lyric Opera at The Long Center

The Long Center has been home to many types of events in Austin. Many of you may have visited for a live music show, play or even stand-up comedy.

The largest auditorium at The Long Center, the Michael and Susan Dell Hall, also hosts performances by Austin Lyric Opera.

Earlier this month, Austin Lyric Opera put on Gaetano Donizetti’s romantic comedy, Elixir of Love. It’s a story about a simple peasant, Nemorino, who tries to win the affection of the beautiful Adina by drinking the “elixir of love.” In actuality, this elixir is a cheap wine Nemorino purchased from a fake, traveling doctor. This hilarious comedy starred Austin Lyric Opera’s Sara Gartland, Rene Barbera, and Kelly Markgraf.

Nemorino declares his love for Adina

[Read more…]

Dress Up, Spell Words, Fight Illiteracy at Great Grown-up Spelling Bee

May 6, 2014 by David Thomas 1 Comment

The Great Grown-up Spelling Bee benefits the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

The Great Grown-up Spelling Bee took place on April 29, 2014 to support Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

Why would grown adults dress up in costume, parade onto a stage and try to spell words? Well, we do live in Austin, but there is a greater good to consider: literacy.

We live in a world where literacy is a necessity. Helping people reach this goal is why Austinites dressed up in costumes for another year and participated in the Great Grown-up Spelling Bee last Tuesday evening.

The Event

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I walked through the doors of the Zach Topfer Theater. The night turned out to be a blast. Volunteer workers dressed in their best bee-themed garb and assisted participants and fans. The corporate-sponsored teams huddled in small groups, strategizing, practicing, and psyching themselves up for the knockdown, drag-out war of words they’d soon participate in. [Read more…]

Diverse Film Screenings and Events Held at Marchesa Hall and Theatre

May 2, 2014 by Robert Luke 1 Comment

The exterior of Marchesa Hall and Theatre

As a native Austinite, I have a lot of memories of going to the Lincoln Village Theater when I was a kid. The last movie I remember seeing in that theater’s era was Star Trek First Contact in 1997.

Austin has changed in a lot of different ways since then. Within that time, the shopping center has been purchased by private owners and rebranded as The Linc. The movie theater in particular is now called The Marchesa Hall and Theatre.

When you walk into The Marchesa, it’s like walking into a movie museum. The walls are decorated with old film posters, as well as record covers of vintage soundtracks. Partnered with the Austin Film Society, this venue has a 280-seat theater, equipped with Dolby surround sound and projectors for both 35MM and the currently used DCP. While these specs are pretty standard for a multiplex, they’re more unique for [Read more…]

Whole Foods Rooftop Hosts Shakespeare at the Market Performances

April 25, 2014 by Jessica Pino 1 Comment

Whole Foods’ rooftop stage

Present Company Theatre’s performance of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing opened last weekend and exceeded my expectations.

For those not familiar with Present Company, it’s a non-profit theater collective that makes theater fun and accessible to everyone. Instead of performing within the confines of four walls, the group brings art to “the heart of the community: the marketplace,” says actor Jennifer Coy. After all, everything is better when done outdoors: eating, drinking, watching movies and even theater.

April marks Shakespeare’s 450th birthday and, while the idea of going to watch a live performance may seem daunting to those who haven’t watched Shakespeare since Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio, Present Company is a group of extremely talented individuals who make Shakespeare fun and entertaining.

There is even a pre-show that will teach you just enough about the man, iambic pentameter, and modern-day idiomatic phrases from Shakespearean plays that you won’t feel ignorant or lost. [Read more…]

Expo Center Busy with Music and Events

The Event

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