Blues on the Green
We know hanging out with a few thousand friendly faces under the setting sun and starry skies of Central Texas is just one more reason why you love living here. That’s why we’re inviting you to bring your friends and family out every other Wednesday evening between June 8th and August 17th to enjoy six big nights of Austin’s longest running FREE music series! We’ve even doubled your dining options this year so you can enjoy food and non-alcoholic beverages from six different local restaurants. Blankets, lawn chairs, dogs on leashes, children are all welcome. Be sure to bring sun block! All shows start at 7:30pm.
One of Austin’s great music traditions, Blues on the Green,KGSR’s hugely popular and free Austin summer music series, has been going strong since 1991.
The outdoor concert series runs every other Wednesday (see 2011 Blues on the Green schedule below) and features some of the very best Blues talent in Austin and the surrounding region. Past performers have included Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall, Ruthie Foster, Marcia Ball, Papa Mali, Asleep at the Wheel, Raul Malo, W.C. Clark, Gary Clark Jr., Carolyn Wonderland, and Sonny Landreth.
Zilker Park is now home to the series, although the concerts have had different homes over the years. I believe the series first began over in the Arboretum area, and the 2009 season was held at Waterloo Park while the grounds at Zilker were getting prepped for the 2009 ACL Festival.
For more info check out the event page Blues On the Green
Texas Rollergirls 2011 Season Starts Today
Texas Rollergirls 2011 Season Bouts
Formed in 2003 as the only sports league of its kind, Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby® started today’s Flat Track Derby movement. There are now more than 300 Flat Track Derby leagues worldwide, with more forming every week. In its current incarnation, Roller Derby is a genuine athletic competition complete with well-defined rules, divisions, tournaments, and a governing body: the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Texas Rollergirls, Austin born and bred, is 100% skater-owned and managed. The league is composed of four home teams supported by a loyal, enthusiastic fan base: Hell Marys, Hotrod Honeys, Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, and Hustlers. A fifth team, the Texecutioners, is comprised of all-star members from each of the four home teams. In 2006, the Texecutioners were crowned the WFTDA Champions of the first Flat Track National Tournament.
Regular season bouts are held at Playland Skate Center, hosting sell-out, capacity crowds of 1,100 spectators. In addition to regular season bouts, the Texas Rollergirls also skate in exhibition games and interstate competitions and are available for public appearances.
Tickets run $10 – $25
Mysterious 2222 bike rider is missing a pair of pants
Mysterious 2222 bike rider is missing a pair of pants
No place but Austin: A man has been spotted by at least five people riding a bicycle close to nekkid in Northwest Austin.
Reports have the guy in a G-string or a thong, and that’s all she wrote. The guy has been seen riding on RM 2222 near City Park Road, in the vicinity of Bull Creek Park, ironically a high-end district.
“I was driving down 2222 one day,” said Jeff Mosteller, who lives in the area and sells patio furniture at the Greenhouse Mall. “He was wearing like a thong. It was about the Jester Estates area. He was just riding his bike, setting his own pace and pretty much naked. You just couldn’t help notice it — especially in an upscale area. Everybody just kinda slowed down to look: ‘There’s a naked guy on a bicycle.’ I thought, ‘Hey, that takes guts.’ ”
Jeff thinks this happened about a month ago. He says it’s one of those things that makes Austin special. “It kinda makes you smile; it’s that kind of uniqueness that’s so Austin sometimes. It was like Austin’s own version of the naked singing cowboy in New York City.”
“I’m surprised the police haven’t arrested him for indecent exposure,” said Peter Foss, who was driving down 2222 near City Park Road last month when he spotted the guy riding on the eastbound shoulder of the road headed west. “I don’t know how indecent you’ve got to be (to get busted), but he’s in good shape. I’ll tell you that.”
Think of this not as the Tour de France but the Tour de No Pants.
The Birthday Suit Pedaler (my tag for him) has been described as about 50, maybe 6 feet tall, around 165 pounds, slender, with dark blond hair. No one I spoke with knows who the guy is. Who’s going to approach a nearly nude man pedaling a bicycle and start asking questions?
“Nice day for a ride, huh? Want to borrow some britches?” That ain’t happening.
Maybe the guy is a tea partier, trying to bring down spending. Have you priced bicycle pants lately? “They can get pretty expensive,” said Brad Wimberly, manager of the Austin Tri-Cyclist bicycle shop at 923 Barton Springs Road. “They range from about $45 to a couple hundred dollars. I’d say the average pair is around $100.”
Yeah, but what about the money he has to spend on baby powder?
Anyway, if you’re the Birthday Suit Pedaler, or if you’ve seen him or know him, please give me a call or send me an e-mail.
So did the guy at least have on shoes? “I guess he probably does,” said Foss, who didn’t notice the footwear situation. “He must be … but you don’t look at the shoes when you realize the man has almost nothing on.”
I asked Foss, who used to work deluxe world tours aboard cruise yachts, if he’d ever seen anything like this before.
“On the beaches in southern France and Rio de Janeiro, I have, yes. Nobody bats an eye,” Foss said. “But not around Jester” Estates.
A woman who didn’t want her name used for fear of repercussions (drive-by flashings, perhaps?) said she followed the Birthday Suit Pedaler about three or four weeks ago in her car on a winding road.
“I accused her of intentionally following him for a couple of blocks,” her husband joked.
“I live in Jester, and I was cutting through by there on Lakewood between (Loop) 360 and 2222,” she said. “He was on there, and I came up behind him, and it’s a very narrow road, and I couldn’t get around him. He’s just very bronze, and he’s been out in the sun a lot.”
It’s probably a seasonal thing. I imagine the guy will have to quit the thong routine once cooler weather sets in.
“Or get a fur-lined one,” Foss said.
ACL Festival Day 1: Cheap brews, sweet perks
ACL Festival Day 1: Cheap brews, sweet perks
The 2010 edition of the Austin City Limits Festival kicked off nicely Friday (10/8), helped along by mellow weather and excellent logistical planning on the part of the event’s organizers.
General admission tickets to this year’s festival sold out months in advance, and weeks before a single act was announced. Event producers C3 Presents also cranked up capacity this year to 75,000 from previous limits of 65,000, with the main consequence appearing to be slower migration between major stages across the park, along with the need to grab a spot earlier for popular bands.
For attendees, the move of the festival in 2009 from September to mid-October shaved several degrees from the often-punishing late-summer heat of Austin. Still, hydration continues to be a concern, with temperatures this weekend topping out at a respectably warm 88-89 degrees. To accommodate the thirsty and avoid the mud-pit experience that surrounded the water fountain clusters of years past, ACL welcomes water bottles and has introduced fresh water pump stations, manned like bars, but free.
There are also free phone charging services, bike racks and shuttles between the park and downtown. For several days before the festival, box offices operated to allow locals to avoid last-minute wristband collection, and in a particularly innovative twist, a remote box office was set up at the airport to allow incoming visitors to grab their wristbands while grabbing their baggage.
Moving up the ladder from free, food and refreshment prices across the festival are a welcome surprise compared to many major festivals and large-market concert venues, with bottled water and soft drinks clocking in at $2, regular-sized beer at $5 and wine at $6.
Campus shooter not violent, friends said
Campus shooter not violent, friends said
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 4 (UPI) — The University of Texas student who fired shots from an AK-47 on campus before committing suicide was intelligent, and not violent, friends said.
Colton Tooley, 19, was eulogized at a memorial service at Austin’s Angel Funeral Home, where friends said they didn’t know what caused the outburst, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
“If he was depressed, you would never know it because he never usually expressed his emotions,” a cousin who identified himself as Marcus said.
University of Texas Police Chief Robert Dahlstrom said investigators haven’t discovered anything to indicate Tooley was troubled.
Police said Tooley wore a ski mask, and fired several shots on the campus Tuesday before he shot himself on the sixth floor of the Perry-Castaneda Library. No one else was injured in the incident, the newspaper said.
“If you wanted to talk to him, you always had to start the conversation,” said John Walz, who attended middle school with Tooley. “But when you did, he would leave you blown away by what he had to say.”
Neighbors said Tooley’s family was quiet and they rarely saw Colton Tooley outside his house.
Police said they know where Tooley got the weapon but would not release information until the investigation is concluded.
Officer shoots, kills robbery suspect
Officer shoots, kills robbery suspect
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin police confirmed an alleged robbery suspect is dead in an officer-involved shooting that occurred outside a Big Lots store this morning in South Austin.
Initial reports are that officers responded to a burglary alarm at the Big Lots store on Interstate 35 at William Cannon just before 6 a.m.. Two suspects were involved.
One suspect fired shots while trying to leave through the store’s back door, Chief Art Acevedo said during a news conference this morning. One of the officers responding to the scene returned fire, shooting and killing the suspect. The suspect was 16.
Acevedo said the suspect was carrying a revolver. He has reviewed the dash cam video and said he does believe the officer acted within proper department procedures.
Officers just apprehended the second suspect, who was 15. The suspect’s father turned him into police. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave. Acevedo said the officer had been on the Austin police force for almost three years.
The officer turned on his dash cam before he left his car, which means the incident was caught on tape, Acevedo said.
William Cannon Drive is now open. The only business in the area that remains closed is the Big Lots store.
The status of Pleasant Hill Elementary School, located on Circle S Drive, is “shelter in place,” which means that children are being escorted to their classrooms by teachers and other staff. No one other than children can enter campus. Bedicheck Middle School also is on a “shelter in place” status.
Horns must forget defeat, focus on Sooners
Horns must forget defeat, focus on Sooners
The Longhorns football team has a 24-hour rule. After 24 hours, the previous game, win or lose, is forgotten.
This week, that might be easier said than done. But after Saturday’s 34-12 beatdown at Royal-Memorial Stadium to unranked UCLA, this is a week where abiding by the rule is probably not only advisable but necessary, considering what looms on the horizon.
As they prepare for the 105th renewal of the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma, Texas players insist they aren’t worried about being able to put the UCLA disaster behind them. So Mack Brown will do the worrying for them.
The Longhorns coach readily acknowledged Saturday he is concerned about his players’ collective confidence level, after the most lopsided home loss in his 13-year tenure.
Brown called the defeat “disappointing and stunning. In fact, I’m shocked.”
Not shockingly, Texas plummeted Sunday in both major polls. In the coaches poll, which is part of the BCS rankings equation, the Longhorns fell from fourth to 16th; in the media poll, they dropped from No. 7 to No. 21.
After falling to 3-1, though, the Longhorns say they’ll be ready for the 4-0 Sooners, who have lost to Texas in four of the last five years.
“I don’t think we’re in trouble,” said tailback Fozzy Whittaker, who managed only 14 rushing yards on seven carries against UCLA. “This is just a wake-up call for us, to just say, ‘Hey, you’re not doing things right. It’s time to get on your horse and actually focus because you see what can happen whenever you don’t focus.’ ”
Texas didn’t appear focused in any phase of the UCLA game. That is what Brown and his players found so disturbing.
“It’s the hardest thing in the world when you do not play well as a team,” Brown said. “It’s an awful feeling for a coach because you feel like you let your kids down, you let the fans down, you let everybody down. It’s just awful. It’s the worst thing you can do in our business.”
“I’m very upset,” said cornerback Aaron Williams, one of the few Longhorns who played well. “The expectations here are so high, so having a loss like this, I’m really angry inside .”
Twice earlier under Brown, the Longhorns entered the Oklahoma game after a loss. In 1999, Texas fell 35-17 to Kansas State before defeating the Sooners 38-28. In 2007, a 41-21 loss to K-State — the previous worst home setback for Brown — was followed by a 28-21 loss to OU.
Coach Bob Stoops’ Sooners had close shaves in three of their four games, the exception a 47-17 rout of Florida State. Saturday night they escaped with a 31-29 victory at Cincinnati. They also posted closer-than-expected home wins over Utah State (31-24) and Air Force (27-24).
Oklahoma is ranked eighth in both polls.
Texas is a wounded animal in the most critical stretch of its Big 12 season. Following OU, the Longhorns have an open date before a highly anticipated contest at Nebraska, in a rematch of last season’s controversial Big 12 championship game.
Texas players acknowledge they were wounded by the loss to the Bruins. They hasten to add it’s not a mortal wound.
“It’ll be fine,” safety Blake Gideon said of the Longhorns’ confidence. “We came to Texas for a reason. We’re used to winning and we’re going to be a winning team. We’re going to prepare like winners and that’s all there is to it. We have all the confidence in the world.”
Defensive end Eddie Jones said he isn’t worried about the players’ mental state because “everybody on this team has a lot of heart. They’ll come back, ready to fight.”
In the aftermath of 34-12, though, even Jones had to confess “I never thought I’d see this. Never. Especially not at home.”
“I’m shocked,” Jones added. “But it’s a loss and we can’t do anything but accept it, take 24 hours to get rid of it and come back and get ready for work.”
Central Market Brewtopia Preview
Central Market Brewtopia Preview
Leave it up the HEB crew to host a beer celebration that coincides with Octoberfest. One could argue this being a case of good timing or simply a mere coincidence. Regardless, both Central Market stores in Austin (and at other stores in Texas) are sponsoring a fantastic event for beer snots and newbies alike – branded Brewtopia.
The event takes place from September 22 – October 2 and features both Texas-based and national brews. Some of the events will be hosted by Central Market staffers who will be offering various tastings from a single brewery to actual brewers being on-hand in the store handing out samples – how fun is that? Any way you slice this pie, something tells me I will be in the Central Market stores often over the next few weeks. Below is a preview of the official tastings by location, date and time. Some noteworthy events to keep an eye on:
- Beer /Brewing 101 Event – Free event that introduces participants to both beer and brewing
- Real Ale Events – get to meet the owner and one of the brewers
- Sierra Nevada – get to meet the brewer
- Ommegang – Say it three times in a row and make a wish
| Brewery | Date | Time | Brewery Rep on hand? |
| Boulevard | Wednesday, September 22 | 4-7PM | Yes |
| Victory Beer | Thursday, September 23 | 4-7PM | No |
| North Coast Brewing | Friday, September 24 | 4-7PM | No |
| Magic Hat | Saturday, September 25 | 11-2PM | Yes – Matt Cohen |
| Real Ale | Saturday, September 25 | 2-5PM | Yes – Tim Schwartz |
| Magic Hat Dinner | Saturday, September 25 | 6:30-9PM | Yes |
| Stone Brewing | Sunday, September 26 | 12-3PM | No |
| Left Hand Brewing | Monday, September 27 | 4-7PM | No |
| Harpoon | Tuesday, September 28 | 4-7PM | No |
| Beer / Brewing 101 | Tuesday, September 28, | 7-8PM | No |
| Brooklyn | Wednesday, September 29 | 4-7PM | No |
| Pyramid | Thursday, September 30 | 4-7PM | Yes – Tom Bleigh |
| Ommegang | Friday, October 1 | 4-7PM | Yes |
| New Belgium | Saturday, October 2 | 4-7PM | Yes |
| Shiner Beer Dinner | Sunday, October 3 | 6:30-9PM | Yes |
| Brewery | Date | Time | Brewery Rep on hand? |
| Santa Fe Brewing | Wednesday, September 22 | 4-7 PM | No |
| Magic Hat | Thursday, September 23 | 4-6 PM | No |
| Boulevard Brewing | Thursday, September 23 | 4-6 PM | No |
| Sierra Nevada | Friday, September 24 | 4-7 PM | Yes – Terrence Sullivan |
| Breckenridge Brewery | Saturday, September 25 | 10-2 PM | No |
| Sierra Nevada | Saturday, September 25 | 11-2 PM | Yes – Terrence Sullivan |
| Real Ale | Saturday, September 25 | 2-5PM | Yes – Brad Farbstein (owner) |
| Breckenridge | Sunday, September 26 | 2-7PM | No |
| Summit Brewing | Sunday, September 27 | 4-7PM | Yes – Mark Stutrud |
| Harpoon | Monday, September 27 | 3-7PM | No |
| North Coast Brewery | Tuesday, September 28 | 4-7PM | No |
| Ace Cider | Wednesday, September 29 | 4-7PM | No |
| New Belgium | Friday, October 1 | 4-7PM | No |
| Brooklyn | Friday, October 1 | 4-7PM | No |
| Gordon Biersch | Saturday, October 2 | 4-7PM | No |
| Flying Dog Brewery | Sunday, October 3 | 12-3PM | No |
In addition to these (mostly) free beer tastings, there are also private events featuring food pairings with a brewery for a fee. Some examples include Sierra Nevada, Saint Arnold, and Magic Hat. These events are being hosted at the Central Market North store in their Cooking School area featuring chefs pairing various courses of freshly prepared food with different beers from a brewery. Did I mention you get to meet a brewer or owner? All of the details, including menus and beer flights, can be found here.
I tip my hat to Central Market for facilitating these events. It offers a great way to sample a lot of different styles of beer from a legitimate line up of breweries. If this event doesn’t tempt you to put down the Bud Light, nothing will
