George Ezra

Jackie shot this picture of George Ezra, a talented singer-songwriter at a December ACL Live show. I love the composition and the smile he has as if he is responding to the audience and their response to him.

Ode to Stevie Ray

I saw this poem to Stevie Ray Vaughan under his statue-- placed there on the day of his death.

Starry, starry guitar

This guitar sculpture is one of my favorites downtown. Vincent Van Gogh would have been proud. Well, maybe he would. Amazed, I guess.

Graffiti Guitars

Checked in at the Baylor Street graffiti not long ago and found this arrangement of graffiti guitars hanging from a tree.

More Planet K Decor

This is also on the Planet K on Guadalupe.

Amp it Up

FFP poses at the giant amp in front of South Austin Music...below their giant guitar.

Inked Guitar Player

Dave Biller of the Jazz Pharaohs makes the guitar work. He's sporting some tattoos. Shot at Elephant Room.

Giant Guitars Again...This Time at the AIrport

There are still a few around on the streets, but a bunch of the giant decorative guitars are now decorating a baggage carousel at the airport. My friend Jackie shot a couple of pictures the other day. I showed this one first because Janis Joplin is front and center. One of my favs. Hard to believe she's been dead forty years.

Edible Symbols

In April they had the traffic-stopping (literally) Art City Austin event downtown. A lower key part of it was a display of art in unoccupied retail space. For some reason one artist wanted to have a bake sale in Republic Park as a kind of performance art. They also had a dedication of the renovations around the Treaty Oaks in that park, I think, but I just got there when it was just a bake sale. These guitars were on offer. This is the kind of low-key thing I prefer to snarling traffic for three days and bringing in a bunch of artists from other places and making you pay $8 to walk places you usually walk (or worse, just have to go around at night).

Burrito Van

I didn't see it myself but I heard that during SXSW this van was driving around passing out some free TexMex. It was parked on Tuesday in front of the south location of Freebird's World Burrito just across the river on Congress. It is a small chain, but they fit nicely into Austin-style with this sort of promotion.

Music Capital?

I've shown you the center on South Lamar where Alamo Draft House and a bunch of local businesses abide. This is a collage of the signs for the three mostly guitar shops there.

Guitars are Back

After last year's display and sell-off of giant artist-decorated guitars, giant guitars have started appearing again. This one is on the east side of Congress. I showed you another of the new breed the other day. I was considering showing you yet another reflection on the skyline (and yes maybe Frost Bank) from the strange dusk light and clouds of Friday. But I ended up putting those on my other blog.

Guitars Again

Just when I thought giant guitar art was gone from the city it seems to be cropping up again. I don't know if they are temporary and part of a new fundraiser. This one is on Congress but seems to have a photo representation of Sixth Street and is called "Sixth String" and attributed to someone named Randy Rudman. I have also spied one further down Congress in front of the One Congress building but haven't gotten a picture.

Sculpture for the Pickers

The big party was very crowded at the 360. They'd invited all the residents, most of whom had not had a chance to get inside. And it seems they'd invited every vendor imaginable and friends of the developer, etc. I think we had the most fun at the plaza on 3rd (which is not a through street currently but dead ends into a foot bridge. The guy who did this sculpture in the little plaza was onhand. He said his name was La Paso and the sculpture had a plaque that said 'Killer Riffs' by La Paso www.lapaso.com. In any case, the guitars in the wind looked smart with our building and the AMLI building. A few close friends were also hanging out here, avoiding overcrowded elevators, long food lines and a brisk wind that didn't cool off this late May day on the pool deck.

Soon we will be residents here and I figure they will never have or allow this large a party again. Must have been a thousand people??

Music Capital?

Austin has some slogan or idea that it is the "Live Music Capital of the World." I'm way too naive a traveler on the planet to dispute it, but we do find a bit more jazz and cabaret in New York. (Not to take away from the Elephant Room or Austin Cabaret Theater.) On East Sixth Street between Congress (where east begins) and IH-35 are many clubs where college-age people drink. There is also this store: Wild About Music. It mostly sells music-themed geegaws and clothing, I think. Not many actual instruments. They used to be on Congress next to the State but moved out to make way for condos that haven't actually gotten built for some reason.

One Last Guitar

Now that the guitars are lost to us (unless one of you buys one and displays it where we can go take pictures) I'll run this last shot before it's lost in the crush of the archives. This one was on Second Street by the AMLI. We are going downtown tonight so I hope you can expect something interesting and fresh tomorrow.

Another Guitar!

This picture was taken in August. The guitar depicts a cartoon music note in a hilly landscape with a blue sky. This example was in front of the Children's Museum. I'm using the past tense because I believe the guitars made an appearance at ACL and may be on their way to a gala charity auction. We walked by Antone's on Thursday night and that guitar was gone. In case, you were wanting a ten foot guitar art thing here are the details. Really must get some new pictures today!

Birthday Bash

A friend of ours threw a party for his partner's 30th birthday Saturday night. He heads up Austin Cabaret Theatre, so as you might expect, it was quite a "do." Catered food served up in many courses, full bar, a lighted tent in their huge yard and the Kris Kimura Quartet playing jazz standards for our dancing pleasure. Linda took this shot with the flash off, so it showed the dramatic lighting effects to best advantage. We saw a lot of people we know and had a great time chatting and socializing. Linda and I are lucky to have so many friends who like to party and have fun.

Another SoCo Guitar

It's been a few days since I showed you one of these guitars. This is one of the ones on South Congress, near the Austin Motel and El Sol y La Luna.

On the Flip Side

The other day I asked you to guess what might be on the other side of the 'guitar art' piece in front of Austin City Hall. Well, no one even tried to guess, but here is the answer anyway. Some other musical icons are there. What do you see?