Sounds of Summer

KGSR's Unplugged at the Grove continues its 19th season of live music in theshade

Photo courtesy of KGSR

Since 1994, KGSR’s Unplugged at the Grove has been bringing local acts to Shady Grove for an intimate, outdoor series that's become part of Austin's music fiber.

Started by music mastermind Marsha Milan, Unplugged at the Grove is now celebrating its 19th season with live music performances each Thursday at Shady Grove through September. "[Unplugged at the Grove] was such a critically-acclaimed and fun and respected series that I did with KGSR,” Milam says of the series that became the working model for other projects across Texas.

"I took the KGSR Unplugged at the Grove model and I did that in Fort Worth, Belton, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso. So we have series going on in five different markets that run April through September."

The critically-acclaimed series continued its fun by opening the 19th season in April with Austin’s first couple of country, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, followed by appearances from respected music stalwarts like Carolyn Wonderland, Slaid Cleaves and Dale Watson.

The second half of the Unplugged season includes just as much talent as the first. Through July, August and September, the series will showcase a host of great performers, starting with Uncle Lucius on July 5 and closing with Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights on September 20.

Unplugged at the Grove is another free series presented by KGSR, so you'll want to show up early to grab a shaded seat, or consider packing a blanket or folding chairs. (We all know how congested Barton Springs Road can get, so allow extra time for parking or walking.) If you drive a Subaru, you're in luck: VIP parking is available for the first ten Subarus that arrive.

Here's the summer lineup for the 19th season of Unplugged at the Grove:

July 5: Uncle Lucius
July 12: Quiet Company
July 19: Charlie Mars
July 26: The Derailers
Aug 2: Cari Hutson
Aug 9: The Trishas
Aug 16: Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug 23: Nakia
Aug 30: Hot Club of Cowtown
Sept 6: Cody and Willy Braun (Reckless Kelley)
Sept 13: Whiskey Shivers
Sept 20: Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights

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For more information, visit the KGSR website.

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Reexamining Don Draper

Jon Hamm, Henry Winkler, and more headed to Austin for TV festival

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Jon Hamm is coming to Austin to talk about Don Draper.

From May 29 to June 1, 2025, the ATX TV Festival will take over downtown Austin, and this year Jon Hamm will be joining the festival for the first time.

Hamm will be here for an event called A Mad Men Retrospective, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show's finale. In this panel (the moderator of which is not yet announced), Hamm will reflect on his Emmy-winning performance as Mad Men's Don Draper, the uniqueness of the character in the TV canon, and the show's influence 10 years after it ended.

Jon Hamm may be best known as Draper, but he's also given celebrated performances in several movies and other shows like Fargo, Black Mirror, and — fun fact! — Gilmore Girls.

Celebrating TV is what the ATX TV Festival is all about. This annual summer event is put on by ATX TV and consists of screenings, Q&As, and panel conversations; plus all sorts of parties, live music, happy hours, and other events. It's known for reunions of classic series and cult hits, and according to the website, it's like "TV camp for grownups."

Jon Hamm isn't the only heavy-hitter in this year's lineup.

Programming also includes an acting class and Q&A with Henry Winkler himself, a live script reading of classic episodes from The Golden Girls and Designing Women (guest actors to be announced), a reunion of the creatives and cast of the HBO hit series The Leftovers, a live recording of the podcast Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast with Suits stars and co-hosts Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams, and much more.

Additionally, the festival's annual Pitch Competition is still accepting open pitch submissions through January 17. This gives creatives in Austin a chance to pitch their show idea in front of some of the industry's biggest showrunners and executives. Those in the top 10 will receive a year of support to make the next steps in their TV careers.

Festival badges and passes ($150-535) are on sale now.

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