volume 129 - (my) austin staples

a look at my fav spots from my current home

last week was all about my staples from where i grew up. this week? it’s all about our current home in Austin, TX

Veronica and i realized during freshman year of covid that it was time for a move. covid changed the world and it was a forcing function to reflect on what we have and what was next

Austin was on our mind. i wanted to be closer with my dad and family and needed time away from the hometown bubble. i knew what i had in The Bay. i didn’t know what it was like moving away

it was my first time moving away from home really, i went to school in San Diego but didn’t consider that moving away. (i went back every other month for a haircut 🤪)

just the essentials

the roadtrip over was a mixed bag. i’ll never forget getting caught in the snow in North Texas with Veronica driving 10 MPH to get us to the hotel safely + Toro diarrhea-ing and throwing up in the back seat

why didn’t we check the weather beforehand?? idk

then we made it to our new home 🤠

cowboy business is serious business

in the 2+ years since, we’ve learned a lot about ourselves and our “pack” at large. we realized how hard it is to make friends as adults (and during covid at that!) how to (re)discover go-tos. and even how to find a good doggy daycare for Toro. (also how fucking hot Texas can get lmao)

nowadays? we’ve made some quality friendships, found time for our hobbies, and we’ve been able to spend a lot of time with family

altogether, we’ve been through the mud in Austin but i wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world 🙏

as for today’s Run It Back, the songs will highlight some of the artists i’ve been able to see live out here and broken down by boroughs of Austin i really enjoy. like last week, please note:

this list is incomplete and a small subsection of what makes Austin great! this is one person’s favs! it will not be spots you find on Eater! people will disagree with me!

and with that, let's get to the music for the week ❤️‍🔥

- claudio / claud / @offballscreen

p.s. - Austin is known for many things, like their brewery culture, BBQ, and breakfast tacos to name a few. having lived here for a min, my hot take is that it’s similar to taquerias in SF: most peoples’ favorites are ones that are closest to them 🤠

i’m a native Texan but don’t claim it 🤫

this week’s music ⤵️

1. Kingston
   Faye Webster
   Released: 2019

He said baby, that's what he called me, I love you
Every single word you say makes me feel some type of way
It's the thought of you that slightly scares me
But it takes my breath away, forget what I was gonna say

we ended up settling in South Austin once we got here. big reason why: we were able to rent a house and are only 30 minutes away from my dad’s house. (any longer would feel like a day trip lmao)

it truly feels like home whenever we come back. we have our staples to take friends and visitors to, know our takeout spots and what to order (underrated), and because Austin’s main streets down here are on a grid, we can orient ourselves wherever we go

highlights

• The Soup Peddler (soup and smoothie spot that was our first meal when we touched down! needed some green to balance out all the fast food lmao)

• Tarka (some times you need to just play the hits and DoorDash has our go-to Indian food order on repeat)

• Home Slice Pizza (NY slice spot with some amazing hoagies!!)

• Bouldin Creek Cafe (a little slice of Berkeley, CA: a local woman-owned vegan/vegetarian restaurant with my favorite veggie burger)

• Dolce Neve Gelato (made by an Italian dude, this is easily my favorite gelato i’ve had)

• The Little Darlin' (a cowboy / biker hipster bar down the block from where we live)

• Plaza Colombiana (a necessary spot to get in touch with my Colombian side)

• Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden (a typical Austin experience: outdoor bar with great coffee and even better food trucks)

• Iron Vault Gym (divey barbell gym in the back of a small building)

2. Care For You
   The Marías
   Released: 2020

Baby I care for you
So don't make me go dancing alone
I'll wait by the stairs for you
Wrapped up in smoke
Laughing alone

East Austin is one of of the neighborhoods we’ve seen gentrification affect the most in our time here. for people in a certain tax bracket, it’s cheaper to mow down a house and build a new one instead of remodeling the current house. that’s why you’ll notice hella new builds next to older ones. it’s a jarring experience to say the least

despite the rapid change, there are still places we love when we mosey through. Stubb’s is easily one of my favorites

via Cody Cowan

i’ve seen so many shows at this legendary music venue (which also does BBQ). there’s truly not a bad viewpoint in the venue. nowadays, i’m at that age where i’m wearing ear plugs (tinnitus is real), standing in the back, and going late + leaving early

hella different slices of music come through. some artists i’ve seen here: Kaytranada, Leon Bridges, Action Bronson, and The Marías to name a few

highlights

• Birdie’s (i truly feel their restaurant model is the future with counter service to order and high end food delivered)

• Stubb’s (legendary music venue + BBQ)

• LoLo (our favorite natural wine bar)

• Lou’s (rotisserie spot with my favorite “get right” salad)

• Kinda Tropical (converted gas station into a bar that has a…kinda tropical vibe)

• Central Machine Works (converted air hangar into a brewery [i love converted things 😍])

3. Now I’m In It
   HAIM
   Released: 2020

Walking in a straight line, thinking about last time
This time, I said I would do this right
Said I would never break this promise
But now I'm back to counting on us

two things i love about central Austin: AFS (Austin Film Society) and the LBJ Presidential library. i’ve never actually gone in the library but i absolutely love the architecture. it’s a huge monolith where i notice something new every time. i especially love how the shadows play with one another

i go after particularly tough sessions with my therapist. even if i’m there for only a few minutes, i find peace. something about feeling small against a massive backdrop grounds me

via the Texas Standard

my other form of therapy is going to AFS. founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, it nourishes my cinematic soul. i’m able to get lost for a couple hours in a world i’ve never lived in

i’ve seen countless movies here and make a point to try and go weekly. being able to see a blend of arthouse, indie, new, and international films all in once place is beautiful. AFS’ director will do intros to movies from time-to-time to give context on what the movie’s about. i also love when they do themed screenings highlighting a particular director or theme of the month

highlights

• AFS (v grateful i was able to watch Paris, Texas on a big screen)

• Little Deli & Pizzeria (great sandos and pizza tucked in a neighborhood plaza with everything at your disposal)

• Comedor (high end Mexican + their bone marrow tacos are the most decadent thing i’ve ever tasted)

• LBJ Presidential library (will report back once i finally make it inside lmao)

4. LITE SPOTS
   KAYTRANADA
   Released: 2016

last but not least, a shoutout to my favorite radio station of all-time: KUTX. founded in 2013, the nonprofit radio station truly embodies the “Austin experience” by playing historic and local artists. they’re one of my favorite ways to discover music nowadays!

because they’re non-commercial as well, they get to play a wide variety of sounds. here are some of the shows we love:

1. Friday nights: The Groove Temple showcases (as they put it) “the Black side of Electronic Music/the Electronic side of Black Music and everything in between.” it was only time that they spotlighted more electronic music and i’m grateful they

2. Old School Dance Party (Fridays) / Uptown Saturday Night (Saturdays): this combo b2b days is a match made in heaven. i love old school funk and soul and this nourishes that need

3. Sunday Morning Jazz bright and early to start the day off on the right foot

4. Sunday evenings listening to Global Grooves and Horizontes (Latin American music) to transport through different cultures on Monday eve

besides that, instead of playing top 40 over and over again, they’ll play artists like Steve Lacy, Khurangbin, and Little Simz. and when we (eventually) move, i’ll still be tuning in to remind me of what we had in our time here