The Holy Child — “Sweet Release” Turquoise mountains slowly pulse as vocalist Robert Alarcon appears with a bundle of sage. The Holy Child has been working tirelessly over the past few months to self produce their own in-house music video and navigate the landscape of DIY promotion. Keyboardist Johanna Alaracon and percussionist Fernando Sanchez wave […]
Glowing disco balls pulse atop the outdoor stage west of San Antonio, Texas. Calliope Musicals burst into song with all of their might as cheers echo around the canyons in Utopia. Calliope Musicals perform at Viva Utopia. Photo by Andrew Blanton. “Here’s to the ones who love me,” Carrie Fussell announces to the campers […]
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Bear Tales: the Legend of the Hill Country Delta Blues A beam of sunlight in the crystal-clear sky pierces my eye as we drive past rural farmland and a John Deere outlet store northeast of Austin. The modern sign welcoming you into Taylor is fitting for the massive growth the community has faced recently, as […]
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Splice Records’ River Retreat Blue and green Christmas lights dance along the archway that guides campers to the main stage. The River Retreat is one of several events Splice Records holds throughout the year at the KL Ranch Campground, a beautiful stretch of land in New Braunfels that sits along the Guadalupe River. Each day […]
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A tourist dragging a rolling suitcase slowly makes her way down an unusually quiet downtown corridor, her white medical mask firmly tightened behind her ears. The cancellation of South By Southwest, one of the largest music, film and tech festivals of the year seemed shocking last week, but now can be seen as one of […]
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My eyes struggle to adjust to scattered Christmas lights as I seek refuge from the bitter-cold night. I fend off shaky pool cues as I pass a busy quarter table in Austin’s Eastside entertainment district. Long-time local guitar slinger Chris Ruest is tuning up his vintage Airline on the corner stage at the White Horse […]
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A dreamy introduction with guitar riffs and wind chimes set the ambiance for a formal announcement that it’s “time for their experience.” The hypnotizing atmosphere quickly morphs into a driving bass groove as ticket holders fill Antone’s Nightclub in Downtown Austin. Spyboy J’Wan Boudreaux and Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. lead the audience in their […]
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Over the past year, Folk Family Revival has made one of Austin’s best kept secrets their home away from home. Creased cowboy boots shuffle across the dance floor at Sam’s Town Point as owner Ramsay Midwood entertains the crowd. Midwood’s warm blend of country and blues makes you feel right at home, like a campfire […]
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photos by Rick Moore Walkie talkies wave from side to side as the crackle of the signal gets lost in the shuffle. Media personnel are rushed into a small conference room at the end of an eerily-quiet corridor. Eagles’ guitarist Joe Walsh emerges through a huddle of security guards to take photos with families […]
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I’m winding through narrow dimly-lit streets deep in South Austin. The gravel parking lot is filled to capacity at the acclaimed retro dive bar. An attendant gives me directions through the neighborhood to some overflow spots behind a massive backyard and I pull off into knee-high grass. Faded-neon beer signs glow above dozens of friends […]
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