Austin Travel Guide

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Austin City Limits Tickets Go on Sale Today

May 17, 2011 at 3:54 PM | by | Comment (1)

It seems like only yesterday that South by Southwest took over Austin, but already it's time to start prepping for Austin City Limits. The 10th anniversary music festival is set to hit Zilker Park September 16 to 18, but single-day tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. CST.

All of the three-day passes have sold out, so this is your only opportunity to snag tickets to see such acts Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, Kanye West—is there an event that this guy doesn't perform?—Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Cee Lo, Fleet Foxes, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Nas and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Bright Eyes, Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, Santigold and Social Distortion.

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'Attack The Block' Director Joe Cornish Shares His Best Travel Tip

March 25, 2011 at 4:08 PM | by | Comments (0)

Attack The Block, a movie about a London gang who were thought of as hoodlums but become heroes when they defend their neighborhood against alien creatures, was one of SXSW's most buzzed about movies. We had a chance to sit down with the movie's brilliant writer/director Joe Cornish during the fest in Austin last week and he shared, among other things, one of his favorite travel tips:

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The New Movie 'Apart' Returns Home to Austin, Texas

March 25, 2011 at 3:02 PM | by | Comments (0)

The premiere of Apart at SXSW wasn't just an honor for the film's creators, it was also a sort of homecoming. The movie has a unique premise, which in this age of remakes and sequels is a testament to the tenacity of its writers, Josh Danziger and Aaron Rottinghaus, who committed to their idea.

Apart centers on Noah Greene, who awakens from a two-year coma with hazy memories of his own life. As he begins to dig into his past, he is forced to confront two tragedies that bind him to, and threaten to drive him away from, the woman he loves. The first tragedy, a childhood bus accident leaves him forever connected to schoolmate Emily, who suffers from disturbing and precognitive visions after the accident, visions which Noah also experiences, but only in proximity of Emily, the result of a rare—but real—disorder called folie à deux.

The filmmakers not only chose to explore tough issues in the film, but they also chose to shoot the movie in an unlikely location, Rosenburg and Richmond, Texas.

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Learn From Our Mistakes: Our Top Five Tips for SXSW 2012

March 23, 2011 at 3:35 PM | by | Comments (0)

As SXSW newbies, saying that we learned a lot last week is an understatement. Mostly, we learned how to do things differently next year when we return. So, sharing this fresh knowledge, here are our top 5 tips for surviving your first trip to SXSW:

1. Book Early.
The most important thing we learned this year is to book everything early. We booked our hotel room in mid-February, more than a month in advance, and it was still too late. We had few hotel choices at that point, and even less that were on the SXSW shuttle route. We ended up at the La Quinta South (Ben White) which was on the shuttle route, and the staff was friendly, but it had little else going for it.

The location is literally on the wrong side of the tracks with nothing but an IHOP and a Burger King within walking distance. The room was dingy, the linens were thin, the free breakfast was meh and the WiFi was less than fast.

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Reliving SXSW 2011 in Photos (Because You Know You Want to Go Next Year)

March 21, 2011 at 5:03 PM | by | Comment (1)

If you're having trouble getting back to reality after a whirlwind week at SXSW like we are, here's a look back at the week in pictures we snapped throughout the film, tech and music portions of the ginormous fest in Austin, Texas.

There's nothing like watching Austin go from geek to rock 'n roll chic in a matter of hours, or simply city blocks! Or how about taking time out to "network" at all-night parties on 6th St; staying out in the mix as late as possible to score those early hours special Foursquare badges.

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The Best, Can't-Miss Shows at SXSW Tonight, Plus Kanye's 'Secret' Performance

March 18, 2011 at 1:41 PM | by | Comments (0)

With only two days left of SXSW, you'll want to make the most out of these final hours! Here's a look at some of the best live music in Austin tonight:

· Snoop Dogg’s Funk n Soul Extravaganza with Mayer Hawthorne and the County & DAM-FUNK kicks off the closing party at the Pepsi MAX Lot (Whitley Warehouse, 301 Brazos Street, Austin TX) at 7 pm. Pepsi MAX will be livestreaming the concert on www.PepsiMAX.com/SXSW for the fans who can't make it there too.

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Aziz Ansari Brings the Funny to SXSW

March 17, 2011 at 11:43 AM | by | Comments (0)

On Tuesday night we caught the hilarious Aziz Ansari as he headlined the Comedy Night with IFC and Comedy Death-Ray at the IFC Crossroads House at SXSW, located at E. 7th and Brazos. Dave Foley, Thomas Lennon, Eugene Mirman, and Michael Ian Black also performed at the event, which was live-streamed on IFC's website, but Aziz stole the show.

If you missed him last night, Aziz will be performing again Friday, 3/18 at 8PM with Benson Interruption at Esthers Follies, 525 E 6th St. Like the IFC event, admission is limited and only Music and Platnum SXSW badge holders will get in after also obtaining a wristband, but trust us—it's totally worth it!

See more of our SXSW 2011 coverage here.

[Photo: John Matthews]

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Micheal Stipe Debuts His New Film Project Tonight at SXSW

March 16, 2011 at 4:21 PM | by | Comments (0)

A shift has occurred on the streets of Austin. Tuesday SXSW's Interactive conference ended and the Film fest started winding down, just as the Music festival began. Where geeks lined the streets with their iPads and MacBooks Monday, rock bands are now pushing their equipment to their next gig.

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe is hosting an event Wednesday that will bridge these two worlds. The band is currently working on the Collapse Into Now Film Project, a selection of films accompanying each song on their new album directed by artists personally selected by Stipe.

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Where to Check-in for the Best Free Tees at SXSW

March 16, 2011 at 1:43 PM | by | Comments (0)

SXSW is ripe with freebies: pens, stickers, pins...and especially beer. But some vendors are asking SXSW participants to work for their swag. Checking into Gowalla and Foursquare has become the hottest marketing tool at the fest, not to mention the best way to get free tees.

Gowalla has an airstream parked at 5th and Trinity where you can pick up a free t-shirt and a Gowalla passport. If you find five of Gowalla's other check-in locations, you will get a sticker for each (and a better t-shirt). The airstream will be there through the end of the fest on Saturday, from around 9:30am to 6:00pm.

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Enter the Matrix with Some 360-Degree Camera Action at SXSW's Trade Show

March 16, 2011 at 11:08 AM | by | Comments (0)

A lot of SXSW attendees skip the trade show in the Austin Convention Center, choosing drinks on 6th Street instead, but this year there is a booth worth getting off your bar stool for.

Chevy has set up a 360° photo booth straight off the E! Red Carpet. After signing a brief form—ah hem, it's FREE—you can get into the ring of cameras (in front of one of Chevy's new Sonics of course) and jump, kick, or do your best Karate move while cameras capture you in midair from all angles.

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Hungry at SXSW? Be on the Lookout for These Food Trucks

March 15, 2011 at 11:17 AM | by | Comments (0)

With so many panels, parties and live shows happening all at the same time, Foodspotting.com realized there's little time for a square meal during SXSW, so they brought together Austin's best food trucks to create a sort of makeshift food court on Sunday afternoon. But, just because their event is over doesn't mean the trucks are gone. Here are the best food trucks to look for around town this week:

· Old School BBQ and Grill serves some serious brisket and steak burgers out of the back of an old school bus. You can find their daily location via Twitter.

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American Airlines Testing Out Do-It-Yourself Bag Tags at Austin's Airport

March 15, 2011 at 8:50 AM | by | Comment (1)

We knew airlines wanted you to start tagging your own checked baggage, and it now looks like testing will finally begin in the Lone Star State. If you’re flying out of Austin anytime soon—say to head back from SXSW—American Airlines is asking you to be their self-tagging guinea pig.

Tagging your own bags is nothing new overseas, but here at home, it’s always been up to airline employees. For whatever reason it’s like the law or something for airline agents to do all the tagging, but apparently American Airlines got the go-ahead to let us crazy passengers do things ourselves.

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