Austin Music Hall- 311 Concert

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the 311 concert at the Austin Music Hall. I was extremely excited about seeing 311 again (I have seen them quite a few times) however I have never been to the Austin Music Hall.

The location is good- 208 Nueces, which is at the corner of Nueces and 3rd Street. There was plenty of parking on the street, and in close parking lots and garages. The 311 concert was on a Tuesday so parking was free or very cheap. Of course if you attend an event on the weekends you may not have as much luck with the parking.

had a lot of fun at the concert but was not impressed at all with the Austin Music Hall. Even though there was a large crowd it was easy to get into the venue and not a long line at all. Or should I say not a long line for those who had their tickets. The AMH has two levels and it is all general admission; except a few 'reserved rows' on the top level. The bottom was standing room only and the top level had general admission bleachers. After realizing the top level was general admission I had wished that we had gotten there sooner and had a good view from up there. However, my boyfriend said that he liked being on the bottom level standing and being squished with the crowd; "True concert style" he said.

I do not mind concert crowds, however at the AMH there was little or no air circulation which made it extremely hot, stuffy and uncomfortable. We were dead center on the bottom level at first, but then some guy was dancing and his HUGE, UGLY elbow came down on my head- hitting me HARD. We then moved to the back, right under the ledge of the top level and some one spilled their entire beer down on top of me getting my hair, shirt, shoes all wet. All of which is expected at a concert but still is not fun especially if you are already suffocating.

Other than that the music was great and they only played one song from their new album due out in June (I guess they want to keep it under lock and key until then). I was kind of disappointed that they did not play for much longer (only an hour and a half). Now some of you may say that IS a long time but the last couple of concerts I have been to the bands played for well over two hours. As always 311 fans are super cool and fun to be around.

My tips for attending a show at the AHM are: even though we had free parking don't plan on especially if the show you are seeing is on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night; if you want a good view arrive early to be able to sit/stand on the top level- but if you like "True Concert Style" arriving late will put you on the bottom level in the middle of it all; buy and pick up your ticket in advance; as always be prepared to pay a pretty penny for a drink; and just have fun- it is a concert!

311:

The Fans!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. Cinco De Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of the French Army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The holiday of Cinco de Mayo is primarily a regional holiday in Mexico. There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country.For the most part the celebrations combine food, music, and dancing.In Mexico City, like the rest of the Mexican capitals, all the young men who serve the military services pledge allegiance to the Mexican national flag and the institutions that it represents(Wikipedia).

Here in the USA we use Cinco De Mayo to celebrate the Mexican culture.I think we as Americans use any excuse to celebrate; whether a holiday has any actual personal relevance. We celebrate St.Patrick' Day, Oktoberfest, Chinese New Year, etc. I think it is great that we all participate in all of these holidays. It truly shows what a melting pot America is.

Cinco De Mayo celebrations around town:

• Fiesta Gardens
  2101 Bergman Ave, Austin, TX 78702 (512) 480-8318
  This Town Lake venue will host several events from May 5-May 8, including live music and a custom car show for Austin's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration. Tickets are $5-$8. Kids get in free.



• Cinco de Mayo Downtown Block Party 5pm 401 W. 2nd Street Austin TX 78701 (512) 494-1500 Presented by La Condesa & Lamberts. Food, drinks & more. Live performances by: Charanga Cakewalk, Cienfuegos, Los Bad Apples featuring DJ Chicken George. This event is FREE!



• Jasper's Cinco de Mayo Beer Dinner 7pm 11506 Century Oaks Austin TX 78758 (512) 834-0111 Don't miss this fun and delicious Cinco de Mayo celebration with local breweries, Independence and Real Ale. Delight in hors d'oeuvres and four courses as you learn about the ins and outs of brewing great beer. Cost: $45 plus tax and 20% gratuity



• Serranos Various locations in Austin and Round Rock http://www.serranos.com/ Happy Hour Menu: Mon- Fri 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm
  House Margaritas $2.50, Flavored Margaritas $2.50, Wells $2.00, Draft Pints-Bud Light, Shiner Bock $1.50, Cheese Quesadillas, Bean & Cheese Nachos & Chicken Flaquitos $1.50

Old Pecan Street Festival

The Pecan Street Festival is a FREE, bi-annual arts and crafts festival held on 6th Street in Austin, Texas. The festival has been an Austin tradition for more than 30 years. The show features artisans from all over the United States who display and sell homemade art and craftwork. Festival goers can find paintings, sculpture, woodwork, candles, jewelry, cowboy hats, home decor, games, and other useful and whimsical household items.

There is also FREE activities for the kids. As an arts and crafts festival, Old Pecan Street Festival, supports art education in Austin’s youth and so they are proud to feature, The Capital One Kids’ Art Tent! At the Kids’ Art Tent, children ages 6-12 can enjoy free art activities directed by Austin artist Lindsey Bailey.

The 31st Old Pecan Street Festival is being held this weekend (May 2nd and 3rd) from 11 am to 10 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 8 pm on Sunday.

Local musicians provide entertainment on five stages. The festival is the largest art festival in Central Texas, attracting over 300,000 people per event and generating $43 million in economic impact. The show benefits local charities including the Austin Boxer Rescue, Friends of the Planetarium and United Care USA. The show is also the primary fundraiser for the Old Pecan Street Association, an organization established to preserve and beautify 6th Street.

Like Austin itself, Pecan Street Festival attendees are diverse. Festival admission is free, so people from all walks of life flock to the streets. Some come to buy art. Some come for food, others for the music, but they all come to take part in a tradition that is 100% Austin and has been known for the last 30 years as a great way to spend a weekend.

Sixth Street is the heart of Austin’s live entertainment scene and the self-proclaimed live music capital of the world. It is lined with many historical houses and commercial buildings dating from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The storied old buildings now house numerous bars, a host of live entertainment venues, art galleries, casual cafes and upscale restaurants.

When Edwin Waller first laid out the street plan for Austin, the north-south streets were given the names of Texas rivers in the order in which they appeared on the Texas map. While Waller had recommended numbers for the east-west streets, they were instead given the names of trees. Later on, numbers replaced the tree-named streets and what had been Pecan Street became today’s 6th Street. The Old Pecan Street Spring and Fall Festivals honor the original name of the street.

http://www.oldpecanstreetfestival.com/img/OPSF_Spring_2009_Street_Map.pdf

For more information about the event go to http://www.oldpecanstreetfestival.com/

19th Annual World's Biggest Disc Golf Weekend

This weekend (May 2nd and 3rd) is the 19th Annual World's Biggest Disc Golf Weekend. This event was created in Austin, Texas in 1991 by John Houck, a two-time World Champion in Freestyle Frisbee and the sport's premier course designer. The WBDGW has grown to be an international event, with 18,000 players in 200 cities in nine countries at its peak. The very first event was held at Zilker Park – the first course Houck designed.

Disc golf has been around almost as long as flying discs themselves. Back in the 1950's players would use trees, lampposts, and even garbage cans as "holes" for a game of golf. Things have changed a lot over the years, with the introduction of the chain basket in 1974 and the invention of patented discs made just for disc golf in 1983. Today there are more than 3,000 courses around the world, including over 180 in Texas.

This year's local events are held at Circle R Ranch, Houck's ranch and world class courses in Wimberley on Saturday May 2nd and Sunday, May 3rd and at Zilker Park on Sunday, May 3rd from 8am to 6pm. The event is essentially non-competitive. Registrants will receive an event t-shirt and special golf disc for $25 to $35 entry fee. They will have volunteers on hand to show everyone how to throw and which disc to use for different types of shots. For more information, call Pascale at 512-970-9001 or Event Chair Dee 512-426-7722 and visit WBDGW.com.

The event is designed to bring attention to the game but also help charities. This year WBDGW would like to raise at least $50,000 for 4 major non-profit organizations. They are the American Red Cross, Disc Golf Foundation, Council on At-Risk Youth and Educational Disc Golf Experience, EDGE. The Central Texas Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Council on At-Risk Youth are two local non-profit organizations who can benefit greatly by local public attendance as they will be receiving $4 for every entry if you mention one of these organizations as you register for the event.

If you didn't have time to register you can just show up to the event.

Let's Talk ACL Line Up

So even if you are a Austin 'Newbie' hopefully you have at least heard about ACL or Austin City Limits Festival. This is a huge three day music festival that takes place at Zilker park every year. Until recently it has always been at the ed of September. However, this year they have moved it to the first weekend in October (hopefully it will be a little bit cooler by then). A few days ago they released the line up and I am so excited!

The bands I will defiantly be checking out:

• Dave Matthews Band


• Pearl Jam


• Kings of Leon


• Ben Harper


• John Legend


• Thievery Cooperation


• Ghostland Observatory


• Toadies


• The B-52s


• Flogging Molly


• Citizen Cope


• Arctic Monkeys


• Coheed and Camberia


• The Airborne Toxic Event


• Asleep At the Wheel


• Reckless Kelly


• Beastie Boys


• STS9


• and many more that I need to learn about

What are your top picks? To check out all the bands or for more information about tickets or the festival go to http://www.aclfestival.com/

EYE HEART AUSTIN

I am not a born and bred Austinite. I am a born again Austinite, as I am coming up on four years of living in Austin. I have lived in various cities and states my whole life, but mostly in Texas. I have traveled to many places near and far, too. But no place is like where I call home now and that is Austin. I love everything about Austin. The music, the art, the food, the hospitality, the funkiness. I LOVE IT ALL!

In my four years of living here I have learned a lot. Not only about the city, but about myself. I have experiment many things- fun things, personal things, eye opening things. I continue to learn and experience things every day.

I hope through this blog I can document Austin's variety of food, music, art, festivals, and people. Most importantly I hope to share the things I love about Austin and experiences I have as I continue to explore this great city.