Issuu

How Eeyore’s Birthday Keeps Austin Weird PAGE 60 Is AI Turning Gig Workers into Human Farms? PAGE 37

Best

s t s a f k a e r B DELICIOUS WAYS TO START YOUR DAY

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at Josephine House

P H OTO C R E D I T

MARCH/APRIL 2025 • $5.95 AUSTINMONTHLY.COM

Design your outdoor oasis. Available locally at Copenhagen.

Bring a burst of vibrant color and modern style to your backyard with Copenhagen’s new Circle Table and Click Chairs by HOUE. Showcasing Danish design and a minimalist aesthetic, Circle and Click feature durable, sustainable materials and intuitive comfort. Shop our in-stock selection or special order through our quick-ship program for a wide selection of colors and sizes. PH OENI X | T U C SON | GIL B ERT | SC OT T SDALE | SAN AN TO N I O | AU ST IN | E L PASO

Circle 59” Table with bamboo top, granite center, and aluminum base $1,804 Click Chairs with bamboo armrests and ergonomic plastic lamellas, starting at $370.

www.copenhagenliving.com

since since

furniture & accessories for your modern lifestyle furniture & accessories for your modern lifestyle PHOENIX 1701 E. Camelback 602.266.8060 AUSTIN 4501 W. Braker Lane at Hwy. 183 512-451-1233 SCOTTSDALE 15804 N. Scottsdale Rd. (South of Bell) 480.367.6401 SAN ANTONIO 18603 Blanco Road 210-545-4366 GILBERT 2000 S. Santan Village Pkwy. 480.838.3080 TUCSON 3660 E. Fort Lowell 520.795.0316 www.copenhagenliving.com

EXQUISITE HOMES, EXCEPTIONAL REPRESENTATION.

Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reﬂect actual property conditions.

F I N D YO U R A DV I S O R L U X U R YATC O M PA S S . C O M /A U S T I N - A D V I S O R S

At Compass, we understand that luxury homes require a unique level of expertise and discretion. We’ve established a new designation for the agents who specialize in the Austin luxury real estate market. This group boasts proven track records, extensive industry connections, and unparalleled access to exclusive market information. Whether you’re buying or selling, trust a Compass Austin Luxury Advisor to provide an elevated experience tailored to your unique needs, ensuring privacy, sophistication, and results.

FIGHT CANCER With Award-Winning Physicians.

Michelle T. Ashworth, M.D. • Punit Chadha, M.D. • Jane S. Chawla, M.D. • Mika Cline, M.D. • Robert W. Cline, M.D. Karen Cohen, M.D. • Caroline Coombs-Skiles, M.D., FACS • Quan T. Dang, M.D. • Helen Dinkelspiel Eshed, M.D. David C. Fleeger, M.D., FACS, FASCRS • April West Fox, M.D., FACS, FASCRS • Rob Alan Fuller, M.D., FACS • Allison E. Gorrebeeck, M.D. Moya Grifﬁn, M.D., FACS • Beth Hellerstedt, M.D. • Michael Herman, M.D. • Kathryn E. Hudson, M.D. • Priyanka Kamath, M.D., M.S. Michael Kasper, M.D. • Kyle T. Keyes, M.D. • Lynne Knowles, M.D., FACOG • Thiru V. Lakshman, M.D, FACS, FASCRS Kimberly B. Loar, M.D., FACOG • Paul V. Loar III, M.D., FACOG • Aimee Mackey, M.D., FACS • Shaun P. McKenzie, M.D., FACS Mathew Meeneghan, M.D. • Andrew H. Miller, M.D., FACS, FASCRS • Balijepalli Netaji, M.D. • Bridget O’Brien, D.O., FACS Christopher R. Oxner, M.D., FACS • Krishna Patel, M.D. • Debra Patt, M.D., Ph.D., MBA • Ashleigh Porter, M.D. Amar S. Shah, M.D., MBA, FACS • Courtney Sheinbein, M.D. • Julie M. Sprunt, M.D., FACS • Michael Teneriello, M.D., FACOG Sherrie Thomas, M.D., FACS • Ryan Tierney, M.D. • Lawrence Tsai, M.D. • Megan C. (Turner) Turley, M.D., MHS Athira Unnikrishnan, M.D. • James Uyeki, M.D. • Hareesha Vemuganti, M.D. • Rebecca L. Wiatrek, M.D., FACS Jennifer Wright, M.D. • Catherine Wu, M.D. • Jeff Yorio, M.D.

When you’re treated at Texas Oncology, you can be sure you’re getting leading edge cancer care. In fact, “Austin Monthly” magazine recently recognized our expertise by presenting 49 of our physicians with the “Top Doctors” award. These physicians are part of our knowledge base of cancer specialists. That means at every Texas Oncology location you have access to a team of award-winning experts. For more information on Texas Oncology or to ﬁnd a location near you, please call 1-888-864-4226 or visit us at TexasOncology.com/Austin.

SAVE 10% ON ALL COMFORT SLEEPERS FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 31

UNEXPECTED GUESTS? NO PROBLEM.

Make your home ready for anything with a Comfort Sleeper by American Leather. Whether hosting sleepovers, accommodating unexpected guests, or settling in for a late-night binge on Netflix, Comfort Sleeper has you covered. With over a dozen styles from transitional to modern, you’re sure to find the exquisite centerpiece to your living room. Choose from 3 premium mattress tops, hundreds of leather and fabric options, and infinite possibilities. Complete your room with matching sectionals, sofas, loveseats, and chairs. Made in Texas and ready in about 30 days.

Discover Austin’s go-to destination for American Leather. Let our expert Design Consultants help you personalize the perfect piece for your home!

Mon. -Sat. 10-7; Sun. 11-6 | www.skandinaviatexas.com | (512) 451-1868 | 4477 South Lamar Boulevard, next to Central Market

March 5 -6 6pm until 6pm

SHERRY MORRIS Austin Native, Ranch Owner. ♥s Austin’s dedication to greenspaces Favorite Eats | Evangeline Cafe & Jack Allen’s in Oak Hill LOVES ♥ Walking Lady Bird Lake trails ♥ Being around animals of all kinds ♥ Getting together with friends for backyard BBQs SMILE MAKEOVER BY MARK SWEENEY, DDS

www.austindentalspa.com (512) 452-9296

2023, 2024 FINALIST: BEST DENTIST 2023 FIRST PLACE: BEST COSMETIC DENTISTRY 2024 FINALIST: BEST COSMETIC DENTISTRY 2020, 2021, 2022 FIRST PLACE: BEST DENTIST 2018, 2020, 2022 FIRST PLACE:BEST COSMETIC DENTISTRY 2019 FINALIST: BEST DENTIST, BEST COSMETIC DENTISTRY

BASIS Ranks #1 The #1 school district in Tex xas is accepting applications! Apply today for the 2025-26 school year!

enrollBASISTX.com BASIS Austin

1605 Kramer Ln. Austin, TX 78758

BASIS Pflugerville 1217 S. 10th St. Pﬂugerville, TX 78660

Welcome to Collaborative Healthcare with Emmanuel J. Lee, M.D. Concierge Primary Physician

(737) 285-3770 mannyleemd.com 1305 West 34th Street Suite 204 Austin, Texas 78705

BASIS Cedar Park 165 N. Lakeline Blvd. Cedar Park, TX 78613

Should I ﬆay go?? or should I go Two resorts—one unmatched journey. Whether you stay close to home or hit the road, the award-winning golf courses, tranquil and rejuvenating spas and distinctive dining offerings at Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa and Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa promise the ultimate Texas staycation or getaway. So, will you stay close to home or adventure somewhere new?

Scan to learn more. OMNI BARTON CREEK RESORT & SPA

OMNI PGA FRISCO RESORT & SPA

PHOTO: MACKENZIE SMITH; MODELS: TAYLOR AND CHELSEA HUGHES; LOCATION: BIRD BIRD BISCUIT

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 5

The Best Breakfasts in Austin

A Walk on the Weird Side

Whether you love syrupy pancakes or savory omelets, the most important meal of the day starts with these standout spots across the capital city.

Eeyore’s Birthday Party is one of the original bastions of Austin’s funky identity. This year, the springtime gathering hosts its 60th celebration.

AUSTIN MONTHLY

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 5

Contents

Editor’s Letter 24 Scout A homegrown Western wear brand goes high fashion 29 Themed dance parties are all the rage in the live music capital 30 Let the good times roll at these mobile hot spots around town 32

What to do in Lockhart, from famous barbecue to vintage shopping 34

Beat

Looking back at SXSW’s evolution over five eras 40 A helpful guide to seasonal allergies 42

Weird History The time Doritos built a 60-foot vending machine in downtown Austin 66

ON THE C OV E R Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at Josephine House, by Mackenzie Smith. Food styling: Mary Helen McNally.

MARCH / APRIL 2025

DA N C E PA R T Y: J AY Y BA R R A ; T H E L EO N A H OT E L : L AU R E L C OY L E ; SXSW: C O U RT E SY SXSW

The alarming human cost of AI’s rapid rise 37

DEBUNKING THE

BIGGEST FERTILITY MYTHS Dr. Deborah Ikhena-Abel, MD, Reproductive Endocrinologist & Infertility Specialist at Aspire Fertility Austin

We live in a time when we have so much access to endless information. And while it’s great that we are more informed than ever, it can be hard to decipher between what is reliable, science-based information and what isn’t. These are the most common misconceptions I hear from patients every day. Myth: I must have been on birth control too long Too often, patients come in either asking if their birth control is a contributing factor to their infertility or feeling the need to share with me how long they’ve been on it. This is a perfect example of correlation, not causation - fertility difficulties after birth control do not mean birth control causes infertility. While it may take some time for a person’s menstrual cycle to return to normal after using hormonal birth control – including IUDs, the pill, a patch, or an implant – there’s no evidence that contraceptives affect fertility over the long term. If you continue to experience irregular periods, greater than 6 months after discontinuing your birth control, it is unlikely to be related to the birth control, and I recommend that you seek evaluation for an underlying issue. Myth: Everyone tells me I’m not getting pregnant because I’m too stressed So, here’s what we do know: infertility causes stress. While it is known that stress can cause cycles to become irregular and by doing so lead to infertility, the data does not show that stress causes infertility in women who otherwise have regular periods. It is also important to note that not all irregular periods are due to stress. In my experience, women aren’t coming into fertility clinics because of stress. There’s a medical factor causing their infertility, which absolutely elevates stress levels and can have an impact on your fertility care. Managing stress through fertility treatments is essential to overall health. The physical demands, uncertainties, costs, and emotions of infertility can significantly impact your mental health. Stress can also interfere with rational and well-planned decisions. When you reduce stress, you can make better decisions about the right treatment course.

Myth: Age is only a factor in women We may have moved on from the myth that infertility is only a female issue, but we haven’t entirely conquered the stigma around age. The truth is, a man’s age is a factor in reproductive health, just not the same way it is for women. Women face a gradual fertility decline that becomes more pronounced around age 35, whereas, for men, their fertility isn’t affected until closer to age 50. At that point, significant changes in sperm production can begin, from lower sperm count and quality to the shape, movement, and DNA of the sperm. Children born to dads aged 45 and older also have an increased risk of autism and schizophrenia. And age isn’t the only thing that can affect sperm health. Lifestyle factors, like diet, can also impact sperm quality. At the end of the day, it’s important for both aspiring parents to be fully assessed. If you have questions about fertility health, I recommend reliable resources that will give you science-based insight into reproductive health, like RESOLVE.org and ASRM.org. If you would like to schedule a consultation with Aspire Fertility Austin, please visit https://www.aspirefertility.com/austintexas or call us at 512-479-7979.

Beautiful work.

THAT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL ON YOU.

March/April 2025 | Vol. 33 | No. 2

General Manager Randi Stevenson Editor-in-Chief Madeline Hollern Creative Director Mara Esquivel EDITORIAL Executive Editor Bryan C. Parker Contributing Writers Ali Khan, Rose McMackin ART

We work to make sure our patients who undergo any procedure gain confidence and a sense of well-being.from looking, feeling and functioning at their best.

Contributing Photographers John Anderson, Craig Busch, Dave Creaney, Mackenzie Smith Contributing Illustrator Matt Chinworth DIGITAL Digital Manager Abigail Stewart ADVERTISING

E:::o andrewTRUSSLERmdp11c

Chief Revenue Officer Kate Weber Senior Marketing Director Sara Bryant Account Director Dana Horner Senior Account Executives Teddy Ivanova, Jenn Tully Customer Success Specialist Kiely Whelan EVENTS Events Director Lauren Sposetta

Cosmetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery lnjectables & Skin Care

CIRCULATION Audience Development Director Tom Nork

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION 512.450.1077 / DRTRUSSLER.COM

Text Us: 512-686-4368

@trusslermd

CONTACT US PO Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2127, 512-263-9133 Advertising inquiries: advertising@austinmonthly.com Letters to the Editor: info@austinmonthly.com Subscriptions, Renewals, and Address Changes: Austin Monthly, PO Box 217, San Antonio, TX 78297-2127, 512-387-6234, subscriptions@austinmonthly.com or online at austinmonthly.com/subscribe.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA austinmonthly.com

MARCH / APRIL 2025

Editor’s Letter

Rise and Shine

AS LOCALS, WE all cling to our own memory of Old Austin—a bygone (and slightly mythical) time when the cost of living was affordable, the food scene was unpretentious, and the weirdness of the city was never in doubt. For some, that period might have been in the cosmic cowboy era of the 1970s or the slacker days of the ’90s. For me, it was the mid-2000s, when I moved to the capital city as a bright-eyed journalism student at UT. The stress of deadlines and finals could be reliably offset with a stack of Kerbey Lane pancakes at any hour—usually 2 a.m.—and a busy weekend meant refueling with the Don Juan plate at Juan in a Million, arguably the best bang for your buck in the city. Twenty years later, Austin has evolved into a bustling metropolis with high-rise condos, international festivals, and even its own Michelin-starred restaurants. But somehow, the breakfast scene here remains refreshingly nostalgic. Tried-and-true eateries like Joe’s Bakery and The Omelettry are just as popular as they were decades ago, while new hot spots like Rockman Bakery and Toasty Badger feel warm and approachable. For our cover feature, “The Best Breakfasts in Austin” (page 44), we chronicle the city’s top bakeries, boulangeries, biscuit shops, and beloved cafes where you can start your day on a high note. Meet a cinnamon roll maven who’s gone viral for her sweet treats, learn why the breakfast taco reigns supreme, and stock your kitchen with local staples, from chorizo to coffee to jam. When imagining an event that embodies the wonder and weirdness of Old Austin, one gathering immediately comes to mind: Eeyore’s Birthday. The quirky springtime festival somehow draws in drum circles, pot-smoking hippies, and young families alike to Pease Park, and this year, the whimsical party celebrates its 60th iteration. In his latest feature, “A Walk on the Weird Side” (page 60), executive editor Bryan C. Parker explores how this curious event named after a melancholy Winnie-the-Pooh character became a joyful celebration—and still maintains its charm by eschewing corporate sponsorships. In the end, authenticity is really what we’re seeking in Austin, and if you look around, it’s amazing where you can still find it across the city.

H AY D E N WA L K E R

Madeline Hollern Editor-in-Chief madeline@austinmonthly.com @madelinehollern @madelinehollern

MARCH / APRIL 2025

REFRAMING LUXURY CLOUD CAMP AT THE BROADMOOR

A Peak Retreat Where Adventure Awaits Discover unparalleled adventure and luxury with The Broadmoor’s exclusive all-inclusive Wilderness retreats. Cast your line in pristine waters at the Orvis-endorsed Fly Fishing Camp, set amidst timbered canyons and meadows teeming with wild trout. Embrace the spirit of the West at The Ranch at Emerald Valley, where rolling lawns, shimmering lakes, and a cascading waterfall invite endless exploration. Or rise above it all at Cloud Camp, perched high in the Colorado mountains, offering breathtaking vistas, dedicated meeting space at The Overlook, gourmet cuisine, and unforgettable adventures. Experience an unrivaled, comprehensive getaway, where your stay includes luxurious accommodations, gourmet meals, unlimited beverages, exciting daily activities, and exclusive amenities—at one exceptional rate. Whichever you choose, escape where nature’s beauty and timeless memories await. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK YOUR WILDERNESS GETAWAY, VISIT BROADMOOR.COM OR CALL 888.231.4263.

WHAT IGNITES YOUR CREATIVE SPARK?

WHEN MIND, BODY, SOUL AND SENSES ALL PL AY TOGETHER, YOU’RE LIVING THE CREATIVE LIFE . At Maravilla @ The Domain, you’ll encounter captivating neighbors, stylish ambiance, chef-crafted cuisine and a tantalizing array of creative activities and clubs to embrace. If the dance of life has a hub, this is it. Visit MaravillaAtTheDomain.com and call (512) 575-3839 for a personal tour.

11001 Austin Lane, Austin, TX | 512.575.3839 | MaravillaAtTheDomain.com Located in The Domain at Austin Lane (formerly Newman Drive) & Kramer Lane

AN SRG SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY

FACILITY ID: 110291

Tex Appeal

J U ST I N C O O K

Bonnie and Ben Kennimer built their reputation on Western wear, but they aren’t about to let that fence them in. “We get put in a Western category quite a bit, but it’s definitely not the only thing we do,” Bonnie says. Their eponymous brand made its New York Fashion Week debut in February—a case of Texas influence reaching the fashion capital rather than the other way around. It was a huge milestone for the husband-and-wife duo, who founded Kennimer in Houston in 2017 before relocating to Austin. While plenty of designers try to wrangle a cowboy aesthetic, these native Texans have an authenticity that reflects their heritage while introducing refined sensibilities. The brand often turns to nature for inspiration, incorporating glittering details such as birds and Texas wildflowers. Their newest collection emphasizes Victorian influences and velvet textures. In 2021, Leon Bridges honored his Lone Star roots with a custom white Kennimer hat at the Met Gala, while musician Summer Dean donned a red cowgirl-inspired ensemble for her Grand Ole Opry debut this winter. “With the popularity of Western fashion, it’s nice to be able to work with people who are picking that up and realizing that it’s cool,” Ben says. See the looks at kennimer.co. —Rose McMackin

AUSTIN MONTHLY

Scout Dance Revolution

Shut Up and Play the Hits From Taylor Swift Night to Charli XCX tribute events, artist-themed dance parties are taking over Austin nightlife. But are they drowning out club culture?

DANCERS SOAKED IN MAGENTA LIGHT bounce in unison, anticipating the familiar chorus break as it approaches. “Pink Pony Club! I’m gonna keep on dancing!” they shout together. The house is packed, but this isn’t a Chappell Roan show. It’s a themed dance party where a DJ plays songs by a particular famed pop star for adoring fans—and these events are popping up across the capital city. Taylor Swift, One Direction, Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, LCD Soundsystem, and many more have received the theme-night treatment, often accompanied by a catchy title: Good Luck Club, A Bratty Dance Night, Dance Yrself Clean. “In the past year to two years, it has really become very popular,” says Ben Schechter, founder of What the Dance, a company that designs and promotes such themed parties in cities across the country, including Austin. A graphic posted to the business’ Instagram account touted hosting 512 events across 87 different cities in 2024. What the Dance has created events around Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Britney Spears (among many others), and it has a sister brand, Noche 30

MARCH / APRIL 2025

de Verano Sin Ti, which organizes Bad Bunny theme nights. Schechter started the business in 2021 in San Francisco, but he has branched out to dozens of markets as demand for the parties has grown. Now, the slate of dates for his events looks like a pop star’s tour schedule, crisscrossing the country. What the Dance is just one of several like-minded groups that have rapidly taken off in recent months, including Candi Pop, Orlove, and Taylor Swift Night. Even major concert promoters such as Live Nation have ventured into the trend, partnering with a Los Angeles–based company called Club 90s for a Justin Bieber–themed event this past January at Emo’s. Other Austin venues like the Parish, Empire, and Volstead have also been early adopters of the movement. Schechter, a music lover from Seattle who got his start organizing concerts for indie bands, says the format is a high-interest, low-cost way to fill dates on club calendars. Expenses for promoters and venues are much lower for a single DJ than for several multi-piece bands, and DJs can perform for longer periods of time. That savings is magnified when a company can take the

M A N U E L F R AY R E

BY BRYAN C. PARKER

DA N C E R S : M A N U E L F R AY R E ; DJ : J AY Y BA R R A

same exact programming from city to city without vans or hotels involved, since they often tap regional DJs to work the show. The trend arrives at a time when concerts have stumbled, and musicians have lamented the economic hardships of touring. Even high-profile performers like The Black Keys and Jennifer Lopez have struggled to fill venues (both artists canceled tours last year). Schechter saw a shift in nightlife in the post-pandemic era. “I really felt like there was that need for more of a community at events,” he says. “People were coming out in public again, and you could be dancing and belting out your favorite lyrics with your friends.” The experience instilled a more profound sense of connection than the kind of show where strangers stand in silence and stare at a band performing. While the corporatization and the hyperspecific nature of these parties are new, themed events are not. Local DJ Ezra Edwards (aka Boi Orbison)startedacountrymusicdancenightcalled Neon Rainbows at Cheer Up Charlies way back in 2012. In fact, the Red River Club has been on the forefront of this trend for years, with a recurring Middle School Dance Party (also created by Edwards) and events like Madonnathemed drag shows and sapphic pop nights. Edwards isn’t the only Austinite who was thinking ahead: Alex Chavez, a promoter known in the scene as Ding, created Emo Night about a decade ago at Barbarella, and it’s still going strong today. Ding’s foresight in this arena led him to start a company called Texas Emo Club, which promotes a slew of other events like Beyonce’s Roundup and Boys Don’t Cry, a new wave party. Although Ding’s company focuses on local or regional markets rather than national circuits, it shares some similarity to the larger groups in this burgeoning market. “They have their finger on the pulse with the zeitgeist and understand these things are in demand,” he says. But he still feels like he’s got the edge over newcomer competitors. Years of experience in Austin allows him to better understand the nuances of its particular tastes, he explains. Plus, he can be more agile. The week Brat dropped, he scrapped plans for a Disney Channel pop night

and pivoted to a Charli XCX theme, which was a huge hit. Meanwhile, larger companies with a touring schedule are obligated to fulfill those scheduled dates. Despite the success of the events, not everyone is a fan. “These traveling theme nights make a lot of money, but they suck the culture out of the city,” says local DJ Orya. From her perspective, the events smother creativity and appeal to an audience that isn’t passionate about nightlife or electronic music. These “cash grabs,” as she calls them, often roll through tracks like a playlist rather than incorporating the more complex mashups, overlays, or crossfades typical of DJ sets. If people go to clubs expecting to hear their favorite Spotify playlist, Orya says it could set up DJs for failure. Her concern hints at something else at the root of the theme party craze: Culture is becoming ever more homogenized. We all rememberGalGadot’s cringey “Imagine” video or that dude drinking cranberry juice on a skateboard while vibing to Fleetwood Mac—and Brat’s recognizable lime green became inescapable last summer. We’re all living the same moment every day. The world is less global forum and more high school cafeteria. To compound the matter, we’ve learned how to communicate in memes at the behest of Gen Z tastemakers. And due to a few streaming giants and the power of TikTok, we are seeing the memeification of music. You’re either ubiquitous or superfluous. At a time when it’s more difficult than ever to motivate people to leave the house and to spend hard-earned dollars, it helps to have something recognizable to drive interest. Something that doesn’t demand brain power and thrives on an emotional response. Don’t overthink it, just hurry up, you’re hot to go!

Opposite page and above: Partygoers at Cheer Up Charlies during a Chappell Roan–themed dance night. Inset: DJ Rvby Knight performs at a sapphic pop event.

AUSTIN MONTHLY

Scout Movers and Shakers Travelers Lounge

You might feel a bit like Austin Powers as you board this double-decker British bus. Tucked between Holiday on 7th and Cabana Club, the East Side vehicle is home to a two-story lounge helmed by hospitality mavens Gustavo Ortega Oyarzun and Paola Segovia (Visitant Social Club), who converted the bus into a retro yet futuristic speakeasy on wheels. Lounge on plushy modinspired furniture as you snack on house-made roasted nuts and sip out-of-this-world cocktails like the bubbling and illuminated Anti-Gravity. The first-come, first-served bar is open Thursday through Saturday nights and features kitschy touches like a silver mannequin “driver” and servers dressed in spacesuits. While the bus is stationary, it will transport you to a different time. Yeah, baby! travelerslounge.vip

Party on Wheels

Lioness Books

Austin Arcade Trolley

If you grew up yelling “Finish Him!” in Mortal Kombat or chomping pellets in Ms. Pac-Man, you’re bound to love this new arcade on wheels. Trey Tschoepe renovated an old trolley to build the mobile concept tailored for private parties and events. Fitting up to 15 people comfortably, the trolley boasts eight arcade favorites from the ’80s and ’90s (including NBA Jam, The Simpsons, and Street Fighter II) as well as a custom game top with more than 30,000 available games. While he had initially envisioned the arcade for children’s birthdays, Tschoepe says its nostalgic appeal has also garnered a much older crowd: “I have a 57-year-old neighbor who likes to sit in the trolley and play Asteroids—maybe more than my 8-year-old neighbor likes to sit in there and play NFL Blitz.” austinarcadetrolley.com 32

MARCH / APRIL 2025

While brick-and-mortar bookstores have always been gathering spaces for bibliophiles, Sarah Ambrus wanted to create a hub that beckoned non-readers, too. Opened last June, Lioness Books is a mobile used bookstore that pops up everywhere from breweries and coffee shops to dog parks. The former high school teacher retrofitted the 20-foot cargo trailer into a cozy reading space filled with fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, and even comic books for adults and kids. Ambrus named it “Lioness” to honor the animal’s ability to connect: “The way that the lion takes care of the pride and maintains the connections—to me, that was a really good symbol of both the power of community, but also a feminine symbol,” Ambrus says. Catch the trailer at rotating spots such as Canopy, Slackers Brewing Co., and 5th Element. lionessbookstx.com

T R AV E L E R S : PAO L A V EG A ; L I O N E S S A N D AU ST I N A R CA D E T R O L L E Y, C O U RT E SY B R A N D S

Get on board with these cool mobile concepts rolling around town. BY MADELINE HOLLERN

Scout Travel This page, clockwise from top left: The Leona; Mill Scale Metalworks; Magic Mirror. Opposite page: Old Pal.

What to Do in Lockhart BY MADELINE HOLLERN

130

Buda 35 130

San Marcos

A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, Lockhart has experienced a renaissance in the last decade. While the Barbecue Capital of Texas is best known for classic joints like Kreuz and Smitty’s, the growing town located 35 miles southeast of the capital city recently earned a “music friendly” designation by the Texas Music Office, driven in part by Austin artists who are relocating there for its affordability. Whether you’re looking for a day trip or weekend jaunt, Lockhart has a laid-back vibe that attracts cowboys and creatives alike. 3

Lockhart

Eat Meat lovers flock from across the state to try the post oak–smoked pork ribs at Smitty’s and original sausage at Kreuz Market. If you’re in town on a Saturday or Sunday, snag a spot in line early at Barbs-B-Q, which recently nabbed a Bib Gourmand recognition in Texas’ new Michelin Guide. At Loop & Lil’s, sink your teeth into the scratchmade, thin crust pizza or order the Hondo stromboli, stuffed with Italian sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, and ham. Looking for something a little lighter? Enjoy a rainbow of veggies with the Gramma’s Orchard salad at Market Street Cafe. Drink Austinites might notice some familiar names behind the nightlife scene in Lockhart. Follow the neon sign pointing down the stairs to discover popular dive bar Little Trouble, helmed by former Justine’s executive chef Casey Wilcox, and sip a Dr Pepper Old Fashioned or Smokey Frozen Margarita on the historic town square at Old Pal (4), operated by Travis Tober (Nickel City). Denis O’Donnell pioneered capital city favorites such as The White Horse and Sagebrush before open-

MARCH / APRIL 2025

T H E L EO N A : L AU R E L C OY L E P H OTO G R A P H S ; M I L L S CA L E M E TA LWO R KS : J AY BA LT I E R R A ; M AG I C M I R R O R : A L I C E G I B S O N

Chow down on barbecue, enjoy First Fridays on the historic square, and discover vintage treasures in this burgeoning small town.

Austin

ing his new namesake Irish-themed pub. Located in the former Lockhart Bistro space, O’Donnell’s features 20 beers on tap and a stage for live music. Stock up on chef memoirs, cookbooks, and bottles of vino before ordering a glass at Best Little Wine & Books, a wine bar just off the downtown square.

O L D PA L : C O N S U M A B L E C O N T E N T

Shop p Those on the hunt for vintage treasures will love thumbing through the curated selection at Magic Mirror (3) and Golden Hour Shop. To add a mod element to your home, drop by Stampworthy Goods, which sells custom-tiled furniture as well as midcentury rare finds. (The shop also offers free weekly delivery to Austin.) Peruse art from Central Texas creatives like Patrick Puckett and Landry McMeans at Commerce Gallery and grab gourmet gifts before indulging in the famous banana pudding at The Culinary Room. If all the barbecue in Lockhart inspires you to become a pitmaster, you can purchase your own perfect smoker at Mill Scale Metalworks (2).

Find us. Follow us. Share weird stories with us.

f AustinMonthly

@Austin_Monthly

x Austin Monthly

Exp plore On the First Friday of each month, businesses stay open until 8 p.m., beckoning locals and visitors with free snacks, beverages, and discounts. Just 10 miles southeast of Lockhart, Old Settler’s Music Festival brings together music lovers with its annual springtime fest. This year, the four-day gathering (April 24-27) will include performances by Watchhouse, the Heartless Bastards, and Devil Makes Three. For more live music, take the whole family to Courthouse Nights, an outdoor music series every third Friday from April to August at the Caldwell County Courthouse Lawn. Stay y Revitalizedfromtheruinsofaformercementbatch plant along an aquifer, The Leona (1) features eight stylish rental cabins designed by Austin’s Lake|Flato Architects. Savor bold wallpapers and maximalist decorbySarahStaceyInteriorDesignandreconnect with nature by taking a walk next to the rushing waterfall and wildflowers on property. AUSTIN MONTHLY

Join Sustainable Food Center at Farm to Plate—a celebration of Austin’s vibrant food scene with top chefs, fresh flavors, and local food, all supporting our mission. Tickets are limited—get yours now! Scan the QR code or visit FarmToPlate2025.givesmart.com

M AT T C H I N WO R T H

Human Resources In Austin’s booming tech sector, companies are turning highly educated gig workers into human farms for AI. BY ROSE MCMACKIN

AUSTIN MONTHLY

Beat The City UT professor Matthew Lease speaks on a panel about the ethics and policy of AI at the TAMEST conference.

GHOST IN THE MACHINE

MARCH / APRIL 2025

ferences like one held by the Texas Academy of Medicine Engineering Science and Technology (TAMEST) in Austin last February, where he spoke passionately about responsible AI and the human cost of the current paradigm. However, Lease and those who share his concerns face an uphill battle, as the conditions for employees are dismal and have few guardrails. Conversations about limits on AI development generally focus on hardware and energy, but data is a valuable resource, too. Most industry players are scrambling to get ahold of it at any cost, especially as it becomes scarcer. “The big models are trained by scraping the internet and pulling in all human-generated training data… and there’s just literally only so much of that,” said Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz, on a November 2024 episode of business podcast a16z. While some companies have built internal teams, others turn to third parties like Scale AI and Invisible Tech, which offer robust datagenerating squads. By controlling the creation of the training materials, AI models can sidestep the biases and limitations that come from, say, scraping the entirety of Reddit. Some data work is outsourced cheaply to emerging economies— but fine tuning also relies on niche skills, including advanced degrees and specialized knowledge. Data work isn’t new. Even before the emergence of generative AI, machine learning systems relied on human moderation. For example, Google hired subject experts to evaluate search results to refine its algorithm. But generative AI has changed the demand for data, especially as billions of dollars get funneled into the AI race. So, people are paid poorly to train AI on their expertise, only for the technology to scale that knowledge in a way that makes their work even less valuable.

Humans face a shifting landscape as they navigate a new realm of AI.

6 in 10

Ratio of jobs that exist today but did not in 1940.

$379,000

Median annual compensation for a Meta employee in 2023, per a recent SEC ﬁling.

$4.5 billion Total VC funding for Austin startups in 2024.

10%

Portion of the internet considered high-quality enough for AI training.

$20

Hourly wage for many data labeling workers, depending on task complexity .

C O U R T E SY TA M E ST ( T E X AS ACA D E M Y O F M E D I C I N E , E N G I N E E R I N G , S C I E N C E A N D T EC H N O LO GY )

WHEN ARTHUR GOT his master’s degree in literature, he never dreamed it would lead to a job in artificial intelligence. But in fact, an advanced degree is part of what qualified him for his current occupation, where he spends days typing out local business descriptions used to fine tune AI. It isn’t creative work; it’s repetitive, and his team has a strict style guide. Arthur, who preferred to use a pseudonym for this story, took the gig after being laid off from a marketing career he loved in 2022. Now, he’s making a little over minimum wage as a contractor, with no benefits and little security. While he hoped the role would be temporary, he’s struggled to find other work. An Austin native, Arthur is increasingly unsure where he fits into the city’s shifting economy. “This used to feel like a place where creative people could make a living,” he says. “Now, I’m not sure.” The capital city’s AI sector is thriving, but its success hinges on a growing force of data workers. Thekindofdatatheseartificialintelligencesystems yearn for isn’t stats and figures—it’s organic human knowledge, things like grammatic fluency and regional nuances. Imagine lifeless zombies with an impulse to feast on all the juicy contents of human brains. The major companies are hiring subject matter experts, including doctors and lawyers, to label and create proprietary data that can be used to refine AI models. As companies race to build the best versions, access to high-quality fodder has become a differentiating factor. But the work resembles mind-numbing data entry, and the pay is paltry. “In responsible AI, we think very much about producing good outputs for the people who use our systems,” says Matthew Lease, a professor in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin and an expert in fair AI. “We don’t talk nearly enough about the people who help create those systems.” Lease has spoken at con-

The worth of an AI model depends on the quality of the underlying information on which it was built, and there’s a lot of money on the table. AIstartups,includingsomeinAustin,arebooming with speculative venture funding, focused more on value extraction than on sustainable economic growth. The capital city’s rapidly expanding tech sector doesn’t necessarily translate into lucrative or stable job creation. Last year, Scale AI abruptly shuttered its Austin office, laying off dozens of data workers. Even software engineering is becoming more vulnerable to automation, as AI coding assistants threaten to replace junior developers. Techno-optimists compare generative AI to the printing press or the Industrial Revolution, arguing that while the cutting-edge technology eliminates some careers, it creates new ones in their place. But not all those jobs carry the thrilling sheen of innovation—many are hidden, grueling, and dangerously underpaid. Job growth is often concentrated in customer service and data roles. From that perspective, AI appears to be merely shifting workers into low-paying positions that exist to manage its shortcomings. “The work is precarious, it’s contingent. [These workers] don’t have a lot of the social safety nets we’re used to,” Lease says. “The extreme form of this iscontentmoderation,whereit’snotjustthatyou’re doing routine work and not getting compensated well for it. You’re doing something where you’re goingtoundergopsychologicalstressandpotential harm.” In January 2024, X reported the creation of 100 new content moderation jobs at its Austin office. A year later, Meta announced that it was shifting its content moderation to Texas as well. These are jobs that the Wall Street Journal once described as “the worst job in technology,” where employees review content that confounds AI algorithms. What those employees are stuck with is often traumatizing, including animal cruelty, hardcore pornography, and conspiracy theories. Increasingly,thosemoderatorsarewadingthrough the flood of bot content on sites like X. Data workers are bound by strict NDAs, and companies are secretive about the size of their workforces. “The NDAs associated with this stuff are not just because of proprietary trade secrets, but also because of potential ethical concerns around the work,” explains Lease. There’s a widening gulf between these low-paid contractors and the lavishly compensated in-house teams at companies like Meta, X, and Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. that they work alongside—proof that not all tech jobs are created equal. So, for a lot of data workers, an AI-powered utopia is still out of sight. “I’m still just thinking about finding a job that matches my old salary,” says Arthur, who is ready to jump ship from his data job as soon as possible. He’s sending out resumes and using ChatGPT to tweak cover letters, but he isn’t sure he’ll stay in the capital city. He’s got four months left on his South Austin lease, and the job doesn’t cover his rent. It’s a small blue house with plastic pink flamingos in the yard. From there, he can see the futuristic high-rises of downtown Austin, bright with possibility yet somehow very far away.

it’s all in the details

TRIED-AND-TRUE RESTAURANT COVERAGE WITH NO SURPRISES. SMALL DETAIL. BIG DIFFERENCE. Long-standing industry expertise means that nobody understands the unique challenges of protecting your hospitality business better than Society Insurance. Offering tried-and-true specialized programs for every type of restaurant establishment, we are proud to provide our comprehensive coverage to the Lone Star State.

Find an agent & request a quote at societyinsurance.com/Texas

AUSTIN MONTHLY

Beat Local Motion

Left to right: Julianna Margulies, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater, and Matthew McConaughey hold a Q&A during the 1997 SXSW Film Festival.

How Austin’s springtime event grew from a small start-up festival into an industryshaping juggernaut with conferences on three continents. BY BRYAN C. PARKER

In addition to delivering the keynote address in 2012, Bruce Springsteen performed an unforgettable set at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

1987-1993 T H I N K I N G BI G Almost 40 years ago, enterprising UT undergrad Roland Swenson approached Austin Chronicle co-founders Louis Black and Nick Barbaro with an idea to bring music industry professionals together in Texas’ capital city. With some input from local promoter Louis Jay Meyers (who became one of the venture’s first directors), the inaugural South by Southwest was held in March 1987. The gathering consisted of panels, workshops, speeches, 177 artists playing on 15 stages, and 700 registrants (more than four times the expected number). Even then, the festival’s bustling energy transformed the college town into a teeming epicenter of ideation and communication. 40

MARCH / APRIL 2025

1994-2006 A L L T H E C O O L K I DS Not only did Johnny Cash provide SXSW’s landmark keynote address in 1994, that year also marked the launch of the festival’s interactive and film components. Alongside homegrownheroeslikeRichardLinklaterandEthanHawke, rising talent flocked to the fest in the ensuing years, with directors like Quentin Tarantino and Jonathan Demme and artists such as Wilco, Liz Phair, and Lauryn Hill making appearances. Austin became the place to be each March.

F I L M PA N E L : J O H N A N D E R S O N ; S P R I N G ST E E N : M I C H A E L B U C K N E R /G E T T Y I M AG E S FO R SXSW

Five Eras of SXSW

L A DY G AG A : K E V I N M A Z U R / W I R E I M AG E ; P R E S I D E N T O BA M A : N E I LS O N BA R N A R D/G E T T Y I M AG E S FO R SXSW; SY D N E Y: N I N A F R A N OVA /G E T T Y I M AG E S FO R SXSW SY D N E Y

Pop star Lady Gaga performs at Stubb’s BBQ for an event sponsored by Doritos during SXSW’s 2014 festival.

2007-2015 A PH E N O M E N O N In the late aughts, the event became an incubator for some of the biggest voices in tech as brand activations proliferated. “The launch of Twitter in 2007 served as a turning point, as technology moved from a side element to the main driver of growth,” says SXSW president Hugh Forrest, who has been with the company since 1989. But it was also a period that drew stratospherically popular music talent: Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and Kendrick Lamar, to name a few.

In 2016, President Barack Obama delivered SXSW’s keynote address, a powerful indicator of the upstart fest’s growth.

2016-2024 S U IT A N D T I E S Every component of SXSW broached a new level of industry in the late 2010s: major activations by Showtime, HBO, Netflix, Capital One, and Spotify; red carpet appearances by A-list celebs like Jordan Peele, Olivia Wilde, and Jon Hamm; and a keynote address from President Barack Obama. And that was all before the pandemic led to SXSW selling a majority of its shares in 2021 to the Penske Media Corporation, which owns brands like Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter. Corporate ties have also led to controversy, and not just the general lament of a bygone cool factor. In 2024, bands dropped out of the festival en masse to protest the fest’s partnerships with military defense contractors. (SXSW later released a statement saying it would not retain those sponsors moving forward.)

2025 and Beyond

Ed Husic, Australian Minister for Industry and Science, and Andromeda Robotics CEO Grace Brown during SXSW’s inaugural Sydney event.

G O I N G G L O BA L In October 2023, SXSW launched its first conference outside of Austin with an event in Sydney, Australia, and will follow up with an installment in London in June 2025. Those spinoffs will accentuate each city’s unique qualities, according to Forrest, who says, “It’s less about trying to recreate what has made Austin successful and more about forging their own identities.” At this point, SXSW has become less a festival and more a cultural movement built around a mindset—and it all started thanks to Austin’s love of music. AUSTIN MONTHLY

Beat Nature & Outdoors

BY MADELINE HOLLERN

(MARCH -

If you ﬁnd your car covered in greenish-yellow dust around mid-March, it’s not a St. Patrick’s Day prank—oak pollen is the culprit. Virginia live oak and red oak release pollen in the spring, as do trees including American elm, pecan, and ash. Although this is a popular season to enjoy the beautiful temperatures, Dr. Reshamwala says that you might rethink the timing of your alfresco workout: “You want to avoid exercising outdoors in the early morning,” she says. “That’s actually when pollen can be the most elevated.”

N R (J U E - AU G

While it’s fun to listen to live music at Blues on the Green or watch a movie in a park, grass is the top offender in the warmest months. “People who have grass allergies respond very strongly to their allergens,” she says. “They [get] hives on their body and immediately start feeling signiﬁcant symptoms like itchy eyes, congestion, and sneezing.” If you have a grass allergy and need to mow the lawn, Dr. Reshamwala recommends popping an antihistamine beforehand, wearing a mask, and then washing your clothes and showering right after you ﬁnish.

(

P SE

E T E M B R - N OV

Autumn may be a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness (to quote Keats), but it’s also a time when ragweed wreaks havoc in Central Texas. “Ragweed, along with other weeds, is the highest at that time of year,” she says. People who have a ragweed allergy will notice a lot of symptoms of allergic rhinitis (“hay fever”) like runny nose, itchy eyes, and congestion. Although you may be tempted as the temperatures ﬁnally start to drop, the doctor advises against keeping windows open to mitigate the effects of the allergens.

)

ACHOO! Never mind live music—Austin also has a reputation for being the Allergy Capital of the World. While cedar is notorious for terrorizing locals in the winter, the city has a host of plants that can affect Austinites throughout the year, says Dr. Neha Reshamwala of Frontier Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. “The structure of the land here is what actually keeps the allergens in the area,” she says. “We’re not near any big body of water around shoreline or anything that would let the allergens blow away.” We asked the Austin-based doctor to break down which pesky allergies to expect in each season—and how you can combat them.

E MM

ECEM

BER -

UA R

W MARCH / APRIL 2025

)

The most infamous of all the seasonal allergies, cedar pollen comes just in time for the holidays and new year to create misery for locals. What makes these cedar (aka ashe juniper) trees so potent is that they are all over Central Texas and have a very high pollen volume, Dr. Reshamwala says: “You’ll see in the winter here, people will think that something’s on ﬁre. They’ll see smoke, and that will be cedar pollen being released into the air.” While “cedar fever” can mimic a cold or the ﬂu, she says allergies do not cause true fevers.

P H OTO : C O U RT E SY N E H A R E S H A M WA L A , M D ; I L LU ST R AT I O N : I STO C K P H OTO BY V I S UA L G E N E R AT I O N

Can’t stop sneezing? A local expert explains the allergies that plague Central Texans all year long.

Lawn and Order

I PR

Firebird and Theodore chicken sandwiches at Bird Bird Biscuit

P H OTO : M AC K E N Z I E S M I T H ; M O D E LS : TAY LO R A N D C H E LS E A H U G H E S

It’s time ffor or

From retro diners and beloved cafes to cinnamon roll hot spots and pancake houses, here are the best breakfasts across Austin. by Ali Khan, Madeline Hollern, and Bryan C. Parker

M AC K E N Z I E S M I T H

JOSEPHINE HOUSE

MARCH / APRIL 2025

BIRD BIRD BISCUIT

Brian Batch dreamed of making biscuits while working his way from barista to general manager at Thunderbird Coffee. In 2018, he followed his passion and finally let Bird Bird take flight. Crafted with high-fat Plugrà European butter and specialpatent King Arthur flour, his handmade biscuits have garnered a devoted following across town. Add a chicken breast brined for up to seven days that gets dredged in biscuit crumbs and then fried, and you’ll understand why there are often lines at both locations of this counter-service delight. birdbirdbiscuit.com

F R O M TO P : C O U RT E SY B I R D B I R D B I S C U I T; L I O N ’S M A N E Q U I C H E : SA R A G O R D O N ; C O U R T E SY J O S E P H I N E H O U S E

ÉPICERIE

Bon appétit! A charming bistro and boulangerie in the Rosedale neighborhood, Épicerie beckons diners bright and early with its stellar croissants crafted by chef Sarah McIntosh. The ham and cheese is a fan favorite, featuring 22-month cured ham sourced from a small mountain town in Tennessee and Comté cheese aged 18 months from Eastern France. But feel free to go absolutely classic with the plain croissant, which includes 27 layers of dough laminated by hand. epicerieaustin.com

Lion’s mane quiche

JOSEPHINE HOUSE

Brunch can be a spectacle, and long waits for Instagram-worthy flapjacks is part of the game. That’s what makes Josephine House’s decadent lemon ricotta pancakes all the sweeter: You can get them daily, including ultrachill weekday mornings. Details make the cozy Clarksville restaurant shine, like the impressive rendition of Texas gulf shrimp and Barton Springs Mill grits or citrus-cured lox on hashbrowns. It’s these little touches— from ripe persimmons and bee pollen in a yogurt bowl to absurdly fresh dill dancing on a plate—that remind you why MML Hospitality has the Midas touch on splurge-worthy restaurants in Austin. josephineofaustin.com

AUSTIN MONTHLY

ELDORADO CAFE

While Eldorado Cafe has been around for less than a decade, the restaurant has the soul of a tried-and-true Austin establishment. Chef and owner Joel Fried honed his skills years ago at Tacodeli, and his menu goes back further with nods to local breakfast legends like the old Tamale House, which was theinspirationforhismigaswitheggscookedtoorder.Lookingforsomething vegetarian? Build your own breakfast taco with distinctive ingredients like green chile and onion rajas, nopales, and even vegan house-made chorizo. eldoradocafeatx.com

Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich

Crunch cinnamon roll

How

It Is

Don’t let her company’s name fool you —Sianni Dean is neither grumpy nor a grandmother. The enterprising 26-yearold conceptualized her cinnamon roll concept, Cranky Granny’s Sweet Rolls, while taking an entrepreneurship class in high school. The New Jersey native grew up going to Cinnabon at the mall, and after working a job at Rita’s Italian Ice, an idea took form. “They used to have a variety of different water ice flavors. So, I thought it would be super dope if there was a variety of different cinnamon roll flavors,” Dean says. “I realized people don’t know what they want sometimes until you present it to ’em.” Named in honor of her grandma, Cranky Granny’s has garnered millions of views on social media with its decadent, over-the-top rotating flavors, from stuffed sweet potato pie and fried chicken to banana pudding. Unlike typical cinnamon rolls that focus on water, yeast, and flour, the founder says her brioche-style rolls are higher in fats like butter and eggs, making them especially delicious. Look for flavors like carrot cake and crème brûlée at the Pflugerville shop this spring. —M. Hollern

MARCH / APRIL 2025

EGGMAN

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich

Rich Tavetian, aka The Eggman, grew up on NYC bodega breakfast sandwiches, and he knew that’s exactly what Austin needed. You can’t go wrong with the food truck’s classic BEC, especially when the B stands for center-cut applewood smoked bacon. Slapped on a Kaiser roll (as is customary in the city that never sleeps), this breakfast sammie will add some pep in your step along with the strongly brewed java made with New York coffee grounds. Don’t be surprised if you catch yourself yelling “I Am the Walrus!” eggmanatx.com

F R O M L E F T: C O U RT E SY C R A N K Y G R A N N Y ’S ; C O U RT E SY EG G M A N AT X

Pﬂugerville cinnamon roll bakeshop Cranky Granny’s has become a viral sensation.

COURTNEY PIERCE

ELDORADO CAFE

AUSTIN MONTHLY

P H OTO C A D WA C RDESWO DIT RTH

ROCKMAN BAKERY

MARCH / APRIL 2025

ROCKMAN BAKERY

An East Side concept inspired by New York bakeshops and Parisian boulangeries, Amanda Rockman’s eponymous bakery has bagels and croissants that would impress anyone owning a MetroCard or Mbappé jersey. The chef-owner of Rockman Bakery utilized her 20 years working in pastry at Michelin-starred restaurants to pull off a duet of carb magic that melds both concepts: the Everything Bagel Croissant, which pairs cream cheese, green onion, and Herbs de Provence. “It’s a one-stop shop for flaky gooeyness,” she says. rockmanatx.com

F R O M TO P : C H A D WA D SWO RT H ; G R A N O L A B OW L : K R I ST E N K I L PAT R I C K ; PA N CA K E : L I K E N E S S ST U D I O

THE OMELETTRY

Take a time machine back to the golden era of Austin, when slackers ruled the city and social media hadn’t yet overtaken our lives. At this Airport Boulevard institution (est. 1978), the titular dish is the star, withmorethan11omeletsincluding the spinach-and-bacon-stuffed Popeye’s Favorite. Opt for a short stack of gingerbread pancakes as your free side and enjoy endless pours of coffee before you pay at the counter. Sometimes, simplicity is bliss. theomelettry.com

an Gr

PAPERBOY

JOE’S BAKERY

One of the best places to experience a taste of Old Austin, this James Beard Award–winning Tex-Mex diner has been a community staple since 1962. Whether it’s the humble weekday customer who’s been coming for decades or the new loft dwellerswhojustlandedtheirdream tech job downtown, the inviting spot will make a regular out of anyonewhowalksthroughthedoor. While you can’t go wrong with the affordable breakfast tacos, carne guisada is a go-to choice for those in the know. joesbakery.com

Originally a buzzworthy trailer, Paperboy has grown into a beloved East Side brick-andmortar (with an anticipated second location coming soon). Chef Patrick Jackson’s menu teems with heavyweight brekkie options like biscuits and gravy with fried chicken and a sunny egg, or the popular Texas Hash, a decadent sweet potato hash topped with braised pork shoulder, a poached egg, and a pecan mole. Want something a little lighter? Order the Paperboy pancake, a perfectly sized stack of one. paperboyaustin.com

AUSTIN MONTHLY

OVENBIRD

With a Lithuanian meets Lone Star State influence, chef Sarah Koslosky’s “Tex-Baltic” menu is unlike anything in the capital city. Savor the most important meal of the day with the hoppel poppel, a hash made with smoked 44 Farms sirloin, or get adventurous with a morning-approved salad featuring massaged kale and roasted apple yogurt. Even breakfast tacos like the shakshuka, tvorog, and cilantro allow you to try something new. Want to learn the scratch-made techniques at home? Koslosky hosts regular cooking classes at the South Austin eatery. ovenbirdatx.com

p a r W BBattle a Why the breakfast taco reigns supreme over burritos in Austin. Try ordering a breakfast burrito in Austin, and people will look at you like you’re talking smack about Willie Nelson. As ubiquitous to Texas as the bagel is to New York, the breakfast taco is sacred here.

“The breakfast taco is more localized to Texas,” explains Jeffrey Pilcher, food historian and author of Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food. “By the time people started finding out about it, the burrito had already filled the Mexico breakfast category for most people in the U.S.” That dominance likely stems from its flour tortilla, which is more readily refrigerated and distributed than its corn counterpart. While Austin didn’t invent breakfast tacos, we have some knockout versions. Don’t trust us? Just ask Michelin. They recently awarded a Bib Gourmand to four local spots: La Santa Barbacha, Nixta Taqueria, Cuantos Tacos, and Veracruz Fonda & Bar. —Rose McMackin

MARCH / APRIL 2025

DAN’S HAMBURGERS

The true test of a real-deal local: Have you been to Dan’s Hamburgers… for breakfast? The old-school burger spot with a loyal following works magic on breakfast sandwiches, tacos, omelets, and even biscuits and gravy. Just make sure you set an alarm: Breakfast is cut off at 10:30 a.m. daily except Sunday (a glorious extra hour until 11:30 a.m.) And yes, if you come back for lunch the same day, you’ll have reached peak Austinite status. dans-hamburgers.com

TOASTY BADGER

Evoking the spirit of a ’70s diner, Toasty Badger burst onto the South Congress scene last year as a groovy spot to enjoy breakfast well into the afternoon hours. Chow down on comfort food like oversized griddle cakes or biscuits with smoky guajillo sausage gravy and tomato jam. Kids and the young at heart will love the French toast sticks plus freshsqueezed orange or pineapple juice. For an optimal experience, snag a seat at the counter and sip coffee out of a retro mug. Come on, get happy! loboshospitality.com/ venues/toastybadgeratx

F R O M TO P : I L LU ST R AT I O N : I STO C K P H OTO/A D I P R A ; C O U RT E SY DA N ’S H A M B U R G E R S ; C O U R T E SY TOAST Y BA D G E R

Smaller and simpler than burritos, breakfast tacos are typically made with just two or three ingredients: egg, cheese, and potato, or a meat like chorizo or bacon. Burritos are prone to additions like veggies, beans, or rice. Tacos took hold as a breakfast food over a hundred years ago in Northern Mexico. But the version Austinites know and love—made with ﬂuffy scrambled eggs and melted cheese—is pure Tex-Mex: a blend of Mexican and Anglo-German ingredients that really caught on in Corpus Christi in the 1950s. Despite its perfection, the cuisine hasn’t taken off outside the Lone Star State.

IZZY CUNHA

OVENBIRD

AUSTIN MONTHLY

Waking Life

Start your day right with this dreamy tea perfect for breakfast. Kinship English Breakfast Milk Tea ($5.99) at Tiny Grocer

Stock your kitchen with these tasty finds from Austin brands.

These pasture-raised eggs are everything they’re cracked up to be. Vital Farms Grade A Pasture Raised Large Eggs (price varies) at H-E-B

Skip corn or traditional flour in favor of these wraps. Siete Foods Grain-Free Almond Flour Tortillas ($7.96) at Central Market

Top your toast with this tasty mix of strawberry, cherry, and rhubarb. Austin Jam Company That’s My Jam ($11.99) at Central Market

Add a little protein to your breakfast with this savory sausage. Hudson Meat Market Maple Blueberry Breakfast Links ($6.50) at hudsonsmeatmarket.com

Get your caffeine fix with this bold espresso blend. Cuvée Coffee Karmadillo Whole Bean Coffee ($15) at cuveecoffee.com

Channel nostalgia from your childhood—or college years! —with Kerbey’s classic mix. Kerbey Lane Cafe Buttermilk Pancake Mix ($4.97) at H-E-B

MARCH / APRIL 2025

Make your own bloody mary with Stiles Switch co-owner Catherine Stiles’ signature mix. Barbecue Wife Bloody Mary Mix ($15) at Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew

This famed salsa made with jalapeños, garlic, and oil put Tacodeli on the map. Tacodeli Creamy Jalapeño (Doña Sauce) ($6.99) at Whole Foods Market

DAV E C R E A N E Y

No dairy? No problem! Try this pecan-based alternative in your morning brew. Pecana Praline PecanMilk ($7.99) at pecanamilk.com

VERACRUZ ALL NATURAL

F R O M TO P : C O U RT E SY V E R AC RU Z A L L N AT U R A L ; C O U R T E SY P H O E B E ’S D I N E R ; C O U R T E SY H A BA N E R O CA F E

More than 15 years after launching a taco trailer on East Cesar Chavez Street, sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez have grown Veracruz All Natural into an Austin classic with seven locations. In a city replete with takes on migas tacos, no version tops Veracruz’s migas poblanas. “Roasting the poblana and giving it that smoky flavor is what sets the taco apart,” Reyna says. Complete with crispy homemade chips and a freshly made corn tortilla, it’s one of the capital city’s most essential breakfast items. veracruzallnatural.com

Furioso taco and migas taco

HABANERO CAFE

Bananas foster French toast and Cheeky Monkey

The East Side isn’t the only neighborhood with legacy Tex-Mex for breakfast. The Ibarra family has been slinging machacado and eggs in South Austin since 1998. The most important meal of the day is served all day, and it’s a bargain too: Breakfast tacos for $2.50? Feels like it’s still the ’90s. Regulars, who run the gamut from oldschool musicians hooked on the chips and salsa to the City Hall suits, often opt for the migas, menudo, or the Patron plate, which pairs huevos rancheros with fajitas grilled over mesquite. habanerocafe.com

PHOEBE’S DINER

Back in 2017, while awaiting the arrival of his daughter, chef Camden Stuerzenberger yearned for a way to spend more time with family and less time running dinner shifts six or more nights a week. So, he hatched the concept of Phoebe’s Diner, giving the restaurant the name of his firstborn. The expansive menu ranges from the crispy crab cake benedict to a smoked brisket burrito, along with dishes inspired by the chef’s loved ones—baked eggs with tomato and parmesan thanks to his wife’s affinity for shakshuka, decadent bananas foster French toast nodding to his son’s favorite fruit, and fluffy pancakes adored by Phoebe herself. phoebesdiner.com AUSTIN MONTHLY

Morning

SWEDISH HILL

3 iconic dishes you’ve got to try in Central Texas.

THE TEXAS SIZED DONUT AT ROUND ROCK DONUTS Everything’s bigger in the Lone Star State, including this delightfully over-the-top confection. Drive to Round Rock’s 99-year-old doughnut shop to try the 13-inch pastry, which ﬁlls up an entire box where a normal dozen would go. Get it glazed or chocolate covered— and consider bringing a friend to polish off the breakfast behemoth. roundrockdonuts.com

PANCAKES AT KERBEY LANE CAFE

If you went to UT, you likely scarfed down these famed flapjacks after studying for finals at 2 a.m. But college students and families alike adore the fluffy stacks at Kerbey Lane (est. 1980), which range in flavors from classic buttermilk and chocolate chip to specials like carrot cake and s’mores. kerbeylanecafe.com

THE DON JUAN AT JUAN IN A MILLION At this East Side mainstay, there is only one correct order: the Don Juan El Grande Taco, a delicious concoction of potato, bacon, egg, and cheese served in a hot tortilla. The giant breakfast taco has become the stuff of legends—and a go-to hangover cure for patrons since the restaurant opened 45 years ago. juaninamillion.com

MARCH / APRIL 2025

CASPER FERMENTABLES

Kombucha and bagels might sound like an unlikely pairing, but the combination works at this Sunset Valley spot. Depart from the ordinary with an order of the sourdough cinnamon roll and yaupon kombucha, or shake up your morning routine with a Montrealinspired bagel topped with whitefish. Word to the wise: Go on weekdays, as this South Austin gem tends to have a wait on weekends. (One bite, and you’ll understand why.) casperfermentables.com Smoked Salmon Lox

F R O M TO P : I L LU ST R AT I O N S : I STO C K P H OTO/ K A D I R K A BA ; J U ST I N C O O K ; C O U RT E SY CAS P E R F E R M E N TA B L E S

With everything from a Nutella morningbuntoaham-and-gruyere croissant, the pastries are always a drawatthishotspot,whichrecently openedinWestlakeandwillexpand to South Austin this spring. But here, there’s one morning dish you simply must order: the breakfast sandw ich. St uf fed w ith f luf f y scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, herb salad, and salsa verde, the sandwich is best enjoyed on Swedish’s stellar sourdough. Noticeably less tangy than the famous San Francisco version, this bread has the perfect kick of salt. swedishhillaustin.com

J U ST I N C O O K

SWEDISH HILL

AUSTIN MONTHLY

T I D E R C OTO H P

PH R EB DO I TU L D I N C R E E K CA F E C O OTO U R T ECSY

SAWYER & CO.

MARCH / APRIL 2025

BOULDIN CREEK CAFE

Nestled in one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods, this funky South Austin spot has been serving up all-vegetarian breakfast staples since 2000. Choose from a sprawling menu of tacos, omelets, and breakfast plates, or go super healthy with a local cold-pressed juice and a bowl of house-made crunchy granola with yogurt. From its cozy dining room to the breezy patio, few places evoke the feel-good free-spiritedness of Old Austin like here. bouldincreekcafe.com

F R O M TO P : C O U R T E SY B O U L D I N C R E E K CA F E ; C O U RT E SY CA F E N O S E

CAFÉ NO SÉ

Avocado toast

SAWYER & CO.

Who says you can’t brunch during the workweek? This East Side “finer diner” features biscuits and gravy, chilaquiles, and four kinds of benedicts served daily until 3 p.m. Owner Stephen Shallcross bet wisely that Austin needed Cajun Creole just as much as Tex-Mex for breakfast, which is why you’ll find New Orleans–style French toast and shrimp and grits with mushroom Creole sauce. We love the Googie diner architecture almost as much as the smoked barbacoa benedict. sawyerand.co

Although the name playfully translates to “I don’t know,” this South Austin delight is more than sure of itself. The property designed by Michael Hsu dazzles with cozy blue-and-whiteinteriors, a bakery boasting apple almond muffins and kouignamann pastries, and a cafe with an elevated daily breakfast menu. Here, you can nosh on avocado toast with crème fraiche or kimchi hash with sunny-side-up eggs and pork belly before you kick off your workday. Dropping by on a Saturday? Grab a spot on the patio along bustling South Congress and order the weekendonly seasonal French toast. cafenoseaustin.com

BREAKFAST HOUSE

It’s no secret that North Austin has been a hub for a dynamic Asian food scene, but this newcomer slips into a novel category: weekday Chinese breakfast fix. This isn’t just Dim Sum, either. In lieu of soup dumplings, you’ll find other classics like turnip cake and steamed rice noodle stuffed with beef or pork. The giant bowl of congee is a no brainer, but bring a friend because it can easily feed two—and you don’t want to skip the Chinese donut. (It’s literally the size of a small baguette.) 13450 Research Blvd., Ste. 118 AUSTIN MONTHLY

60TH CELEBRATION

WEIRD SIDE One of the last vestiges of Austin’s trademark oddity, Eeyore’s Birthday hosts its 60th festival this year. By Bryan C. Parker

C R A I G B U S C H ; I L LU ST R AT I O N S : I STO C K P H OTO/ PA N DAG O L I K

A L W K A ON THE

CRAIG BUSCH

THE SIREN CALL OF A DRUM circle beckons curious explorers deeper into the tree groves of Pease Park. A dizzying array of color flutters among the vibrant springtime grass. There’s a woman with fairy wings and glittery makeup clad in only denim shorts and pasties, someone in a giant fluffy panda head, and revelers adorned with every shade of body paint. Jugglers and hula hoopers perform merrily as dancers circle a maypole. It’s not a fever dream or some avant-garde circus: This is Eeyore’s Birthday Party, a capital city tradition for over six decades. Always celebrated on the final Saturday of April (with a tentative rainout day one week later), the iconic local event has technically been around for 61 years, but since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of two iterations, the 2025 gathering marks its 60th celebration. A remnant of Old Austin oddity, the festivalembracesacosmicconnectedness and invites free spirits of all kinds to let loose. The word bacchanalia comes to mind, but it’s not quite that sordid. Admission is free, and guests range from the very old to the very young—there’s even children’s games and face painting. Although, it helps if you’re the kind of parent who’s more concerned about your kid seeing violence on the news than the human form in all its glory.

MARCH / APRIL 2025

way: “If you’ve got a problem with beer, skin, or funny-smelling cigarettes, this may not be the event you should go to.” Sympathy for the Donkey If you want to understand what this capital city institution has to do with a mopey donkey from a children’s story, you have to go all the way back to 1964, when a University of Texas student named Lloyd Birdwell decided he needed a way to relax before final exams. He and his classmates had been studying A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, and in one chapter, Eeyore is sad because none of his friends have remembered his birthday. Birdwell decided it was a good enough excuse for festivities and decided to host a party in Eeyore’s honor. Along with a few buddies, the undergrad used a typewriter to whip up a rudimentary invitation, which read: “There will be suitable free beverage, such as beer, for those who think young. Also EEYORE’S Birthday Cake, music, special entertainment, and a Maypole!” And on Friday, May 8, 1964, the group headed down to Eastwoods Park, which sits just off campus, north of Dean Keeton. That inaugural iteration featured a giant trashcan full of spiked lemonade and a live donkey draped in flowers. AfLady Bird Johnson and daughter Lynda attend ter all, the free love Eeyore’s Birthday Party ideology and flower in the 1970s. power culture of the

C O U RT E SY F R I E N D S O F T H E FO R E ST

Think of it as Burning Man for families in the middle of a public park. Or a mashup of a renaissance fair and Mardi Gras. However you describe Eeyore’s, this quintessential local experience was keeping Austin weird long before the concept became a bit of snazzy branding. Scott Sexton, a longtime board trustee and former president for the nonprofit that sponsors the event, puts it this

DA N C E R : SAU R A B H T H A KU R C R E AT I V E C O M M O N S C C BY- N C - N D 2 .0 ; T WO WO M E N : C R A I G B U S C H

Recipients of funds from last year’s event included Emancipet, the Austin Bat Refuge, and Hospice Austin, but there are dozens of nonprofits that have been given financial support from the Friends of the Forest Foundation over the years. Since its humble inception, Eeyore’s has grown to attract thousands of attendees each year, and one of the most important tasks for organizers is motivating revelers to exit the park when the event ends at dusk. The all-volunteer staff has a long evening of cleaning after festivities wrap. Drum circles can be among the trickiest to break up, Carnes explains, but those enthusiastic participants are the lifeblood of the festival, and organizers aren’t keen to alienate them. At the end of one event some years ago, a board member at the time, Doug Simmer, devised a perfect solution: He picked up his drum and began marching from one circle to another, amassing followers as he went. “He led this giant drumline out of the park,” Carnes remembers. “It was like the Pied Piper, and he just cleared the park in one fell swoop.”

hippie movement were beginning to percolate in the American zeitgeist. By the second year, a young English professor named James Ayres got involved with helping to stage the party. (Ayres went on to found another classic Central Texas event, Shakespeare at Winedale, a UT acting program that also still exists today.) Over the course of the next decade, under the stewardship of the professor, Eeyore’s Birthday developed into a fixture for university students and the greater Austin community. Even Lady Bird Johnson and her daughter Lynda visited the festival one year. By 1974, it had outgrown the small confines of Eastwoods Park and made a move to the sprawling acreage of Pease Park. It was around that time that the event morphed from simply a community gathering to an official fundraiser. The university’s YMCA chapter adopted the event and is still its parent organization today. However, the organization operates under the name the Friends of the Forest Foundation. Each year, the nonprofit’s board votes on which local organizations will be its beneficiaries. “We just ask that they are a positive nonprofit that is doing something for people in the Austin community and that the amount of money that we give them is going to benefit them,” says Les Carnes, a board trustee who has been involved with Eeyore’s for over 45 years. Whilepeopleassociatethecapitalcity’sidentitywithitsfunky vibes, it’s worth noting that the spirit of communal betterment central to Eeyore’s is just as representative of Austin’s ethos.

Birthday Suits One of the most vital unspoken tenets of Eeyore’s Birthday is the event’s avoidance of any one main attraction. “People don’t come to Eeyore’s expecting to be entertained,” Sexton says. “They are the entertainment.” Like theblurredsmearsofcoloron a hippie’s tie-dyed shirt, the visual stimuli run together. There arepeopleblowingenormousbubbles, and guests in a vast array of attire—from fairy tale creature cosplay to accessories like sparkling gems and flowery crowns. And of course, wearing next to nothing at all has been a popular choice for many attendees. Friends of the Forest evenmakesandsellsanassortmentofpasties,from flowers and hearts to dinosaurs and starfish. Despite the feeling that anyone could get lost within the deluge of sights and sounds, some of the festival’s returning patrons have reached the status of minor celebrities among regulars. Silver Man, a mysterious fellow painted head to toe in his eponymous color, was a mainstay for years. So was the late Leslie Cochran, the unhoused, crossdressing man who became famous for recurrent mayoral bids in the capital city. Even on Sixth Street, Leslie’s recognizable high heels and leopard print thong seemed like a bit of a spectacle, but Eeyore’s is the one place that his wardrobe felt par for the course.

AUSTIN MONTHLY

“Austin has changed drastically, but Eeyore’s hasn’t.” 64

MARCH / APRIL 2025

P OT N OTC H A N D M A N W I I T H H E A D D R E S S : C R A I G B U S C H

Attendees get a chance to show off their elaborate looks at the annual costume contest. And one man has become a repeat champion thanks to his beloved get-ups that parody iconic local establishments. Don Clinchy starts working on his ensemble months in advance of the party. “I just kind of drive around town looking for something that I can use as a basis for a costume, a restaurant or a bar or whatever,” he says. “Then just put my thinking cap on for what kind of puns I can do.” His first attempt at this costume style came in 2015, when he dressed as “Pot Notch Hashburgers,” a play on Top Notch, with a marquee that read: “Get Fried Like Our Chicken” and below that, “Alright, Alright, Alright.” All of Clinchy’s parodies have some sort of reference to weed. Clinchy has spoofed Mrs. Johnson’s Bakery (Mrs. Jointson’s Bakedery), Quality Seafood (Quality Seaweed), Matt’s El Rancho (Matt’s El Roacho), and the I Love You So Much mural (I Smoke You So Much). He says the latter was his favorite, because people were so keen to pose with him for photos, since that’s what everyone does with the actual mural. But perhaps his most genius rendition was his take on Broken Spoke—a sign featuring the recognizable wagon wheel with a marijuana leaf at the center of it and the words “Toke ‘N’ Smoke.”

D RU M C I R C L E A N D W I N G E D WO M E N : B R I A N ST R A N G E ; D O G : C R A I G B U S C H

Clinchy moved to Austin in 1991 and started attending Eeyore’s the very next year. Before that, he lived in Dallas for several years, a move he calls “the worst decision of [his] life.” In the capital city, he finally found a place where he felt right at home. “I’m pretty countercultural—kind of a hippie at heart,” he explains. For him, Eeyore’s Birthday represents everything that made him fall in love with Austin over 30 years ago, and it’s the reason the festival has become so iconic. “People like it because it embodies what Austin used to be: a town for creatives and countercultural people, musicians, all sorts of people in the arts, and people wish it was still that,” Clinchy says. “Austin has changed drastically, but Eeyore’s hasn’t.” Many Happy Returns In 2007, the Eastwoods Neighborhood Association installed a statue of the festival’s namesake donkey in the park where it all began. It was a fitting gesture for an institution that has stayed remarkably true to its roots: “Just a bunch of people going out to the park to have a good time,” as Sexton puts it. The festival’s founder moved away from Austin long before he passed away in 2014, but Birdwell made several returns to the gathering he dreamed up. During one of those visits, he

surveyed the grounds with awe and turned to Sexton and asked, “How do you do it, Scott? The world is a different place. Nothing is the same, but Eeyore’s Birthday Party still has the same feel that it had when we started it.” Sexton told him to take another glance around and take note of the lack of sponsors. “We’ve shunned all the big money corporations, and we’ve stuck with the local,” he says. “Every other event in town is solely focused on making money, but we kept Eeyore’s one hundred percent nonprofit.” From local beer and food vendors on-site to local beneficiaries for the funds raised, it’s completely committed to the Austin community. For Sexton, that intentionality is rooted in his worldview. “This is what I want society to be like, so being involved helps keep the vibe that I moved to Austin for,” he says. In past interviews, Birdwell had been clear about the fact that there’s no deeper meaning or symbolism behind the event’s name. Truly, doing something just for the sake of doing it explains a great deal of what gets labeled “weird” in Austin. But there is a section of that original A. A. Milne story that serves as an apt meditation on the ethos of Eeyore’s. When Pooh discovers it’s the donkey’s birthday, he tells him, “Many happy returns of the day, Eeyore.” The phrase is a bygone expression to wish someone a happy birthday. (It may have an astrological connotation, marking the day on which a planet returns to the same position.) In response, his equine friend shares the same sentiment: “And many happy returns to you.” The famed bear reminds him that it’s not his birthday, but Eeyore points out that there’s no reason his birthday shouldn’t be a happy occasion for Pooh as well. For visitors of this classic Austin celebration, sharing joy is what it’s all about.

AUSTIN MONTHLY

Weird History Chip Shot

Nacho Average Party Remembering when Doritos built a 60-foot vending machine at SXSW and put Snoop Dogg inside it. BY BRYAN C. PARKER

Volume 33/Number 2, March/April 2025, Austin Monthly (Publication No. 001-163), is published bimonthly, six times a year, by Hearst Newspapers. Subscriptions are $14.95 per year for six issues. For customer service inquiries or to change your address, contact: Austin Monthly, PO Box 2127, San Antonio, TX 78297-2127, 512-387-6234, or subscriptions@austinmonthly.com. Periodicals postage paid at Denver, CO, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2025 by Hearst Newspapers, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Austin Monthly, PO Box 2127, San Antonio, TX 78297-2127

MARCH / APRIL 2025

AARON ROGOSIN

SINCE EMERGING AS A MECCA for brand activations, SXSW has been no stranger to spectacle, but one particular larger-than-life pop-up concert was truly all that and a bag of chips. As a marketing ploy, Doritos constructed a roughly 60-foottall stage in the shape of a gigantic vending machine aimed at dispensing cool rather than Cool Ranch. Occupying a parking lot at Fifth Street and Red River, just north of the Hilton, the makeshift venue hosted an all-star lineup—including Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Ice Cube—during its threeyear tenure from 2012 to 2014. The stage’s first iteration coincided with the release of a brand-new product: “Doritos Jacked is everything fans love about Doritos tortilla chips, only jacked up for a bigger experience,” said a press release ahead of the event. The chips are 40% larger and thicker than the regular variety, hence their swole moniker. In 2013, the company touted the installation as “the most interactive stage at SXSW” and lived up to that promise. Attendees could tweet to activate pyrotechnics, smoke, and lights onstage, and an animation of a bag of chips falling out of the machine would play with each choice. Fans even had the power to select which song LL Cool J would play during an encore (“Whaddup” won out). Perhaps too glorious for this world, the stage’s run came to an end thanks to tightening crowd control restrictions by the city of Austin. In 2014, Lady Gaga was scheduled to headline the event but was forced to move the performance to Stubb’s after Doritos was unable to secure a permit for the megastar. The chip brand may have been on “The Edge of Glory” with this epic PR stunt, but it was evidently time to end their “Bad Romance” with Austin’s favorite festival.

Single Singles

Yoga

City

Break a sweat with Austin’s most eligible singles. APRIL 12 - 11 AM to 1 PM Republic Square Park

SHOP, DINE AND EXPERIENCE NORTHSIDE ANINE BING BLUE NILE BOSS BREITLING BRILLIANT EARTH CHANEL DIPTYQUE DR. MARTENS DRYBAR FAHERTY FLOWER CHILD FREE PEOPLE GORJANA JO MALONE KIEHL’S LITTLE WORDS PROJECT LORO ASIAN STEAKHOUSE MEJURI MIZZEN + MAIN NINA BERENATO NIKE BY DOMAIN NORTHSIDE NORDSTROM PAIGE RAILS REFORMATION RH THE GALLERY ROOM & BOARD SEPHORA SWEETGREEN TECOVAS VUORI WARBY PARKER YETI

OVER 130 STORES AND RESTAURANTS, WITH MANY EXCLUSIVE TO AUSTIN.

@DomainNORTHSIDE

DOMAINNORTHSIDE.COM