Flipnotics Features Live Music Every Night of the Week

Editor’s Note: Flipnotics closed in March 2014 due to a rent dispute. So passes another well-loved local business. 

This guest blog article is by Michal Ann Morrison.

Austin is the city of live music, with bluegrass being a popular intersection between a nod to the past and the youthful exuberance that celebrates it. Flipnotics, a coffee bar on Barton Springs that boasts live music every night of the week, showcases bluegrass on Monday nights that rivals any other venue in the city.

Gathering with friends at Flipnotics, with its spacious, covered patio area and cozy indoor seating, makes it easy to wile away the evening hours over a beer or espresso. Eaters of all kinds are welcome, with a menu offering pastries, breakfast tacos, vegetarian empanadas and vegan snacks. Hoboken Pie pairs deliciously with a local brew from behind the bar.

On any given night, you will see an eclectic array of patrons enjoying the laid-back environment, from devoted, Patagonia-clad college students to talented musicians with gray in their beards. But musically oriented or no, it would be hard to find anyone who wouldn’t enjoy the music coming from the indoor stage.

Against a backdrop of colorful Christmas lights, various bands bring the music of the Appalachians to life with guitars, the upright bass, the mandolin, banjo and fiddle. Many songs are known favorites, and others allow the musicians to improvise, showcasing skills developed by long-time performers.

Perhaps the most inviting part of the experience is the camaraderie between audience and performers. It’s not unusual for regular visitors to shout out a song request. If the band is familiar with it, away they go. If not, the audience member may be asked to sing a few bars to remind them.

Ever a hideaway for the unexpected, on my last visit I was sitting next to a stooped, older gentleman who told me he had only been there a time or two, but who was then unexpectedly called up to the front to lend his fiddle to the band. Up he jumped and his fingers flew along his aged instrument, the cheers from the audience bringing a bashful smile.

A visit to this quirky Austin icon is sure to please those looking for a relaxing, authentic, live music experience. I, for one, may just become a regular myself.

Flipnotics is located at 1601 Barton Springs Rd.

Michal Ann recently finished a graduate program at Dallas Theological Seminary, where she earned a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies. Now, when she’s not traveling around the Mediterranean for research, she’s working on the publication of her first children’s book. Her favorite things to do include kayaking, hiking the Greenbelt with her rescue pup Lady, and searching for the best coffee places in town.

 

@theAustinot asks:

Have you ever been to Flipnotics for bluegrass on Monday? Are there any other venues in town you’d recommend for bluegrass-lovers?