Greetings from Austin

I'm here is the Live Music Capital of the World - Austin.  I grew up in big D(Dallas) and the family never headed down to Austin. Although everyone says it's just a car trip away, the capital seems so FAR from Dallas.  The little kid in me just can't wrap my brain around it any other way!

This will be my third visit to Austin, the first being an extended stay due to not visiting the grandmother because of an ice storm that knocked out power north of Dallas and beyond for 2 weeks.
One of the best memories of that trip was when my brother and I took my mom out and took her into her first head shop.  We also had a day where my parents handed my brother a travel book and told him to pick a few things-he did-stating that they were all over the place and he didn't know if we'd hit 'em all.  That day was magic, we not only hit all the resale shops, music shops and eateries, it was a very pleasant day for the four of us.

The trip should be interesting, I'm investigating starting a new life here.
That being said, it is quite apparent that Los Angeles IS a movie town.  Great places to see the industry but harder to find the live venue stuff (music and theatre).  They are there it's just a challenge.
Today was an eye opener of how much music matters here in Austin.  Radio is amazing.  Not only does KUT program great music, but it has shows like Texas Music Matters.  The city also hosts a little festival called South by Southwest that  has hordes of hipsters and public radio programs from all over the country camp out for the festival and report back on what are the up and coming music makers.

As I started my rental car, Radiohead's latest blasted through the speakers and it was when I last visited in November that Mumford and Sons and the like were on the airwaves, months before Los Angeles radio acknowledged them-just one example-my decade in Los Angeles and drive time radio has killed me.  I never get new bands from the airwaves anymore and that was always exciting when I was growing up!
That being said, I hope to find Charlie Terrel and the Murdered Johns this week or a surprise live performance of something extraordinary, eat well, have some migas and drink plenty. _______________________ _________________________________