Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this weekend

Weekend Event Guide

Photo courtesy of Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden

We see festivals, art events, and live music in the near future, and this list is proof. Raise a stein in honor of Oktoberfest at Banger’s, or catch a can’t-miss show by Depeche Mode. Check out the top seven things to do in Austin this weekend. For a complete list of events, please visit our calendar.

Thursday, September 28

Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest presents its final day of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, and action. Attendees will have the opportunity to screen movies from a variety of genres as well as the closing night film, Totally Killer, and more. Badges are available at fantasticfest.com.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden presents Oktoberfest Celebration
Celebrate the autumn season in all German-inspired fashion at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden. Guests can enjoy German food, games, and beer, and several live music performances for three days straight. For more Oktoberfest details visit bangersaustin.com. Admission is free and open to those who are 21 and older. Read CultureMap's Oktoberfest guide for more event recommendations.

ProyectoTeatro presents "Cabarex: Orígenes ¡A Latinx Cabaret!"
The Vortex hosts an original Spanish-language cabaret production by ProyectoTeatro in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The show blends comedy, risqué theatrics, improv, drag, and live singing for a rich retelling of major moments in Latino history. "Cabarex" will be performed in both Spanglish and Spanish and also with English subtitles. Performances are scheduled through October 8. Go to vortexrep.org for more details.

Friday, September 29

Viata Hotel presents an Art Installation Launch Party
Be among the first to experience new installations by artists Ryan Runcie and Matthew Phelan at the contemporary and hip Hotel Viata. This intimate opening event will feature highlights including an exclusive gallery viewing, live music, curated food and drinks, and the opportunity to meet the artists. Admission is free with RSVP at hotelviata.com.

St. Elias Orthodox Church presents the 89th annual St. Elias Mediterranean Festival
The richness and traditions of Mediterranean culture are on full display for members of the public to enjoy at St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church. Festival attendees can expect dance performances, a variety of Mediterranean foods, a bazaar, henna drawing, kid-friendly activities, and more. Get more event information at austinmedfest.com.

Moody Center presents Depeche Mode in concert
Electronic group Depeche Mode will play a live show at Moody Center. The artists behind songs such as “Enjoy the Silence” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” come to Austin in support of their new album, Memento Mori. The nostalgic show may remind viewers that the group was ahead of its time in the 80s. Get more details on Ticketmaster.

$Banger\u2019s Oktoberfest 2023 Celebration$

Photo courtesy of Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden presents an Oktoberfest Celebration on September 28.

Saturday, September 30

Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service in concert
Co-headliners Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service (linked by singer Ben Gibbard) bring their tour to Germania Insurance Amphitheater. Both bands are in Austin in support of new albums. Death Cab for Cutie will perform tracks from their 2022 project, Asphalt Meadows, and The Postal Service will perform their 2003 album, Give Up. Fellow alternative rock band The Beths will join for a special guest performance. Go to Ticketmaster for more details.

From Your Site Articles

Photo courtesy of Fusebox

Austin's offbeat Fusebox Festival announces big changes including year-round programming

Light It Up

One short fuse in Austin just got a whole lot longer. Fusebox Festival, one of Austin's cooler, more underground annual arts happenings, is undergoing a rebrand that will not only change the tone of programming, but also extend the bi-annual festival to a year-round wellspring of live performance.

Fusebox Festival was previously a handful of days long each year, and its free scheduling in venues across Austin gave pretty normal people a chance at seeing something unusual and ephemeral. Although Austinites love live shows, there is still a rift between a rock concert and city workers learning to dance in unconventional places — and we know which most people are putting on their calendars.

The organization, now simply called Fusebox, will still focus on live performance, and programming will shift both toward more and less frequent shows.

As mentioned, there will now be a year-round schedule, made possible in part through a partnership with Texas Performing Arts, the University of Texas organization that puts on pop concerts, comedy shows, and Broadway in Austin. The year will be divided into quarters, mirroring the common "seasonal" programming among other arts organizations.

But in opposition to this expanding, the festival itself will be cutting back in frequency. After the 20-year anniversary in spring 2024, it'll be produced bi-annually (with the next festival in 2026), meaning that each work shown will have a chance at a much longer lifespan.

"This shift will allow for deeper development of new works, longer-term relationships with artists, and planning of larger scale works," clarifies a press release.

“Fusebox Festival is still very much alive, well, and growing. We have big plans and dreams for the festival, but we felt like we were hitting the edges of what we could do in our old model,” said Fusebox executive and co-artistic director Ron Berry in the release.

“For thousands of people, Fusebox represents their only chance to experience so many of these artists, and we needed a model that allowed for more connection points beyond the five days of our festival," he continued. "This next chapter of Fusebox reflects our expanded vision, and is accompanied by a completely refreshed brand that speaks to the totality of our work, inclusive of our year-round programming and larger community partnerships.”

Other facets of the programming will include:

Member perks like field trips and discounted tickets
A one-day annual "un-gala" fundraiser (Fusebash)
Special programming around the eclipse on April 8
A social equity-oriented residency program in Arkansas (Live in America)

"This newly aligned strategy and branding is designed to make what’s so unique and irresistible about Fusebox apparent to everyone in our experience-loving city, said Michu Benaim Steiner, CEO of the consulting firm that handled the rebranding project, In-House. The new identity and positioning is a broad invitation to experience moving, indescribable, world-class work that’s proudly presented in Austin."

The next Fusebox Festival is scheduled for April 8-14, 2024. Programming has not been announced yet, but a list of 2023 projects and events is available to browse at fuseboxfestival.com.

Rendering courtesy of Steelblue/Trammell Crow

Google soars to No. 3 in prestigious list of Forbes' best employers in Texas, plus more top stories

Hot Headlines

Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. From employers to non-hierarchical art, here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. Google soars to No. 3 in prestigious list of Forbes' best employers in Texas. Austin continues to hosts the best of the best employers in Texas, as Google and Apple move into coveted spots on Forbes' list.

2. Country icon Willie Nelson returns to traditional 'hillbilly' inspiration in new album. Nelson's new LP, Bluegrass, is his first album-length tribute to the traditional country genre.

3. Austin art collectives bring work made by 1,000 local hands to Burning Man. 500 Austinites helped dye and tie scraps of fabric in a flowing mosaic that became an unmissable part of the Playa.

4. More closed home sales in Austin show growing homebuyer confidence. The latest data showed the first increase in closed home sales year-over-year since February 2022.

5. Famous Austin furniture store Louis Shanks shutters last remaining locations. The furniture retailer first opened in 1945, and had been operated by the Shanks family for four generations.

Photo courtesy of Art Island and Wevolve Labs

Austin art collectives bring work made by 1,000 local hands to Burning Man

Lend a Hand

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this textile was made by a thousand hands. That's gotta be worth something in a place like Burning Man.

In 2023, the pop-up desert city made more headlines than usual; the event was rained out and every dust-covered person, vehicle, artwork, and metaphysical idea was suddenly sunk into mud. As many revelers extended their stays to avoid a grueling trek out, DJ Diplo and comedian Chris Rock — who walked miles and then hitchhiked — were consistently cited as proof that escape was possible.

But the members of Art Island had a 56-foot tapestry to worry about. The Austin-based art troupe, known for its high production value parties with dress codes, fire performers, great DJs, and more, rigged up one of the tallest artworks at a festival already famous for oversized art.

Called "1,000 Hands" in reference to the 500 Austinites who helped dye and tie scraps of fabric in a flowing mosaic, the work became an unmissable part of the landscape. All in one main corridor were The Man (the massive effigy that serves as the visual and ideological focal point of the festival), The Temple (the main shared gathering place), and "1,000 Hands," literally lighting the way to the core of Black Rock City. The work became an orienting feature in a metropolis it's impossible to accurately map.

"Because it was so tall, and so vivid, you could see it from pretty much anywhere if you just looked up," says Art Island founder Maria Gotay, who was also one of the leading co-creators of the artwork. "It was by far the most vivid daytime art piece out there. So it really did stand out against the horizon."

1,000 Hands at Burning Man Photo courtesy of Art Island and Wevolve Labs

"1,000 Hands" was the recipient of a prestigious Burning Man grant that goes to about 75 projects worldwide each year, by Gotay's estimation. Its other main co-creator, Nic DeBruyne of Wevolve Labs, had designed a previous Honorarium grant recipient — a winged kinetic light sculpture — and the two had worked together on a different, self-funded project. Materials lead Morgan Baker and tech lead Janitha Karunaratne rounded out the materials leadership team.

The vision was to create a visual representation of climate change using the work of many community members, effectively asserting that the global issue needs to be dealt with collaboratively, rather than by acts of individual genius. An image of a sunset fits right in at Burning Man, but there was some symbolism in the way the colors changed from cool purples and blues to a hot red at the top. Visitors to the work could also swing on it to invite engagement. The piece's website explains the following:

"Participants can swing from handles at the base of the tapestry, feeling "the world on their shoulders," while witnessing the ripple effect of their actions displayed on a monumental scale. Only when participants swing in synchronicity will the piece move forward and gain speed and traction."

Similarly, the piece came together not when the image did, but when its makers did. Art Island and Wevolve held weekly work sessions in Lloyd The Warehouse, the main workspace for Burning Flipside, the regional burn held annually in Central Texas. Since it was the smaller festival's off-season, the co-creators were able to leave the giant work set up between sessions.

Community members — many of them frequent collaborators or admirers of Art Island — stopped by to help tie pieces of upcycled and new fabric on, and the team leaders organized community time outside of the warehouse to invite in even more Austinites who may not be in touch with the counterculture at all.

"1,000 Hands" made appearances at community spaces like museums, and everyone from burners to children made contributions. Even partiers who never saw the work supported it via ticket sales for a Burning Man-themed party called "In Dust We Trust," at an eclectic East Austin venue.

1,000 Hands on Burning Man playa Photo by Mark Fromson

"We kind of formed a community while creating the piece with the 500 people that worked on it," says Gotay. "We had these work nights where we saw the same volunteers coming back, and they wanted to get involved in the new direction or the new color we're working with — they were really invested in seeing the piece grow, and we got invested in our friendships with all these folks that we didn't know before."

On The Playa, basically the grounds of Black Rock City, wanderers became part of the collaborative community by interacting with the piece. Sometimes the creative team would stop by to check on the work and find a gathering of strangers. There were weddings and DJ sets, including a performance by Italian DJ Deborah De Luca.

See on Instagram

Since the piece was designed to bear hanging people and leave no trace in the desert, it held up well to the elements. It did not touch the ground, so the rain actually cleaned it and no mud was left on the fabric. It even got packed up on schedule. The team needs to make a few repairs, but overall the piece remains intact. It will travel to some upcoming festivals, especially during the upcoming eclipse in October, and then the team hopes that media attention will find it a permanent home.

Although nearly anyone could relate to the climate change angle (given that their current beliefs allow it, anyway), Gotay sees a distinctly Austin spirit in the work.

"I feel like only in Austin would this ever happen so casually," she says. "We just took over Morgan's backyard ... banging out tie dye pretty much all summer. So that's one element. And ... I've just found that Austin is the most open and welcoming community to people in the arts. And there's so many folks here that want to be a part of something."

1,000 Hands Burning Man (Pictured: Co-creator Nic DeBruyne admiring his work.)Photo courtesy of Art Island and Wevolve Labs

More information about "1,000 Hands" is available at 1000handsart.com. Follow the next steps for the project and see more angles on Instagram.

Photo courtesy of the Historic Pearl

San Antonio's Pearl eats, dances, and paints its way through Hispanic Heritage Month

Never-ending Fiestas

Austinites will have plenty of opportunities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month close to home, but here's a great excuse to visit our twin flame: San Antonio. And one neighborhood offers a ton of local spirit accessible by foot and without requiring much of a plan.

San Antonians and visitors are likely to spend at least some of Hispanic Heritage Month at Pearl, the de facto city center for local culture. While the more traditional fiestas rage on elsewhere in the city, Pearl businesses offer modernity from Mexican street food to Latin clothes and home goods year round.

As a way to invite more people into the parts they haven't explored yet, the multi-use community has strung together a month of programming between mid-September and mid-October making sure to represent food, art, and more. Offerings include a kickoff party, a night market, and a collaborative new mural by MMCreative Studio.

"San Antonio's history and deep connection to Mexico is intricately woven into the fabric of our city’s culture,” said Pearl CEO Mesha Millsap in a release. “We invite everyone to join us at Pearl as we celebrate our rich heritage with the food, music, art, and culture for which our city is known.”

Pearl visitors should keep an eye out for the following activations:

September 12-13 — The Culinary Institute of America’s Latin American Cuisine Summit: Foodservice, culinary, and beverage professionals gather for demonstrations and discussions. These will focus on how food and culture intersect with local sourcing and traditional techniques.
September 16 — Viva Dieciséis at Pearl: The community celebrates Mexico's Independence Day with live music, a grito contest, and kids' activities like Lotería and guitar painting. Musical performances include ballet folklórico and mariachi.
Wednesdays starting September 20 — Mercadito Cultural: Pearl retailers show their wares while chefs, artisans, and artists bring it all to life with live demos and performances. These include weekly performances by Mariachi Las Alteñas.
September 23 and 30 — The Culinary Institute of America’s Wine Exploration Classes: The famous culinary school leads wine-lovers through Mexican and South American vintages in their respective classes.
Sundays, September 24 to October 8 — Vamos a Bailar with Esta Noche Dance Company: The dance company offers bachata and salsa classes for all levels, whether guests have a parter or are dancing solo. Even guests who don't want to dance are invited to sit in and listen.
Various dates — Calavera and Alebrije Collection: The neighborhood hosts two alebrijes and four calaveras — all large-scale— from the private collection of Chef Johnny Hernandez and La Gloria. The calaveras were created in partnership with local artists.

Food and drink specials will also pop up at various restaurants and bars throughout the neighborhood. Special menus, prices, and performances are on offer at Cured (chiles en nogada dinner), Carriqui (margarita deals and spirit tastings), Boiler House (tastings and a tequila dinner), Botika (spicy pineapple frozen margaritas and tequenhos), Hotel Emma (six-course dinner), and Local Coffee (horchata deals).

There's much to keep track of, but every day at Pearl is an adventure. Keep track of its many offerings via atpearl.com or on social media.

Photo courtesy of Crit Group Reunion, Veronica Ceci, WPIV

Bid an artistic adieu to summer with these 9 exhibitions this September

State of the Arts

This September, Austin's arts and culture scene teems with invigorating exhibitions inviting you to engage and reflect. Ariel Wood's "Raze" at Greyduck interrogates our physical spaces, and "The Inky Photographers" at the Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking celebrates tactile beauty. Meanwhile, Veronica Ceci's "The White Paintings" at Link & Pin and the vibrant "ATX Urban Art Exhibition" at the Bee Cave Arts Foundation probe gender dynamics and the pulsating energy of the street art scene.

As you navigate these exhibitions, consider the fluidity, power dynamics, and rich tapestry of sounds and visuals that shape our identities and perceptions, ultimately seeing yourself mirrored within these creations.

ICOSA

Sky Avakian: “Prime" — through September 12
Los Angeles-based vocalist, songwriter, and producer Sky Avakian presents her new composition "Prime" as part of the Soundscape Project at Austin's Canopy Complex this March. The Soundscape Project consists of monthly sound works played on a loop via an outdoor stereo system in the Canopy breezeway from sundown to sunset. Curated by ICOSA from local and national submissions, each month features a new artist dedicated to the act of listening. Avakian's "Prime" is an immersive "audial portal" to our instinctual inner realm through its womb-like atmosphere, evoking light shining through deep water. Inspired by whale songs' primal sounds, the piece allows listeners to relax and drift downwards through space and time.

The Amazing Hancock Brothers: “Window Dressing XXX” — September 18-25
In the 1990s Texas artists John and Charles "Uncle Chuck" Hancock were showing at dingy Tulsa spaces, but now they're the art-hungry, feral, and booze-fueled Amazing Hancock Bros. Strongly influenced by German Expressionists, comics, horror films, and cosmic cowpunk, their edgy printmaking, painting, and performance art disregards convention. As they state, "Better to print in the wind 'n' rain on your hands and knees than not at all." Born to a southern white father and northern Japanese mother in Waxahachie, these self-proclaimed "Texanese brothers" smoke sacred roots and channel Nolde, Coltrane, and McCullers in their gritty, improvisational creative vision. The show promises to continue their lawless ethos, as if "possessed by an evil art genie."

Bee Cave Arts Foundation

J Muzacz: "ATX Urban Art Exhibition" — through September 22
Muralist and author J Muzacz assembles a who's who of Austin street artists for the highly anticipated ATX Urban Art Exhibition. Featuring over 150 artworks from 34 artists, the exhibition draws from Muzacz's expansive new book chronicling the history and evolution of urban art in Austin. Muzacz hand-selected an eclectic mix of pieces highlighting top talents like ANGRY CLOUD, Riktor, B~kay, and more. Mediums range from murals and canvases, to sculpture and installation works. The artworks pulse with the creative energy and DIY spirit of Austin's streets.

Greyduck

Ariel Wood: “Raze” — through October 1
In their solo exhibition "Raze," Texas-based artist and UT Austin alumnus Ariel Wood creates sculptures mimicking plumbing and infrastructure. Wood handcrafts objects resembling pipes, drains, and fixtures, which are subtly asymmetrical and imperfectly fitted. This fabrications embody the concept of "passing" in the fraught performance of gender, race, and class politics. Wood's forms initially read as familiar, before revealing their particularity on closer inspection. By razing — tearing down and rebuilding — Wood manipulates the sociopolitical pressures embedded in spaces like bathrooms. Their imperfect mimicry of plumbing highlights relationships of fluidity, intimacy, and the body.

Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking

“The Inky Photographers” — September 2 through October 14
Matthew Magruder has taught photogravure workshops at Flatbed for years, attracting diverse photographers to explore this alternative process that etches photographic images onto printing plates. For this show, Magruder has selected works that showcase the beauty of polymer photogravure combined with experimental intaglio (engraved and inked) techniques. In Magruder's words, "It’s an honor to showcase the wonderful work so many have created through our workshops. I fell in love with this process long ago and am grateful to continue sharing it." The exhibition brings together talented artists and photographers who have honed their skills in Flatbed's classes, including Leslie Warren, Elena Lipkowski, Christos Pathiakis, and 18 others.

Link & Pin

Veronica Ceci: “The White Paintings” — September 7-30
Intermedia artist Veronica Ceci's ongoing "White Paintings" series is an ironic response to the male-dominated history of abstract art. Ceci sources textural materials like towels, sheets, and mops directly from her labor as a professional cleaner. Once new, the dingy fabrics accumulate grime from their use until they are unfit for commercial settings. Ceci then repurposes them into paintings, juxtaposing the potential of cleanness with its inevitable failure over time. Expanding the series, Ceci now incorporates some works as cleaning tools themselves. Her work advocates for marginalized identities and brings attention to overlooked American histories.

Blanton Museum of Art

"If the Sky Were Orange: Art in the Time of Climate Change" — September 9 through February 11, 2024
Journalist and award-winning climate author Jeff Goodell guest curated this timely exhibition exploring the history and urgency of climate and energy issues through contemporary artworks. Goodell invited distinguished climate and energy scientists and writers, including UT Austin's Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources Webber, to respond to the artworks within their expertise. Outside the galleries, visitors can explore climate-related resources like a historical timeline and Webber's presentation on Texas' complex energy history. The exhibition continues in the Blanton's Paper Vault galleries, where Goodell selected historical and contemporary works reflecting humanity's relationship with nature, technology, energy, and power. Through interpretive texts, Goodell reveals what the diverse artworks convey about the unfolding story of climate change.

Photo courtesy of Crit Group Reunion, Veronica Ceci, WPIV

Artist Veronica Ceci performing in front of WPIV at The Contemporary Austin.

Christie's

Residency at the Loren Hotel — September 12-14
Christie’s auction house is set to continue its regional residency program with a special exhibition in Austin featuring great artists like Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Gego, and more. Christie's will showcase a curated selection of post-war, contemporary, and Latin American art auction highlights at The Loren Hotel, so that anyone can see them before they are auctioned off later this year. The exhibition will only be open for a very limited time: Tuesday, September 12, from 10 am to 5 pm; Wednesday and Thursday, September 13-14, from 10 am to 5 pm, but closed from noon to 2 pm.

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10 restaurant and bar openings — including a pop-up — top Austin's tastiest food news

News You Can Eat

Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

ICYMI: Buckle in for tons of openings this week. During our busy week we covered the opening date for Radio/East, which is the highly anticipated expansion of Radio Coffee & Beer; the arrival of Tarbox & Brown, a San Marcos restaurant with lots of cultural influences, led by a chef with South African and Chinese roots; and the debut of Bacalar, a Mexican restaurant that marks the return of a former Top Chef winner to the Austin food scene. We also heard about a secretive new speakeasy, Trona, from an entrepreneur with a very cool track record. But there's more we haven't told you about yet.

First-year Texas Longhorn player Deandre Moore just got a check for his "name, image, and likeness," and used that money to open the Jive Turkeyfood truck (1637 E. Riverside Dr.). And even cooler — he hired his mom. Taleea Moore is cooking up lots of turkey dishes, inspired by the family's athletic at-home eating that has long subbed out poultry for beef. There are only three regular menu items so far: a turkey burger (of course), a Thanksgiving-inspired cornbread comfort bowl, and a deep-fried turkey taco. The rest are seasonal treats.

Austin could always use more cool cocktail spots — they book up fast on the weekend — so people are excited to welcome Daydreamer, a "cocktail and champagne bar." (That's not to be confused with Daydreamer Coffee, which opened last year.) There's lots to dream about, but most appealing is that this venture comes from the minds of a whole bunch of industry vets from very cool spots all around Austin. Follow your dreams to 1708 E. 6th St.

Longtime Austin establishmentJuliet Italian Kitchen, also known for dreamy vibes thanks to pretty interior design and a great location in the Zilker area, is expanding into Georgetown. The stylish vibes will continue at 701 S. Main St., in Georgetown's Old Masonic Lodge Building, which was built in 1900. This will be the restaurant's third location, and will include an upstairs bar and dining area, plus a patio, seating 188 guests in total.

The team behind Drinks Lounge just launched Drinks Backyard, bringing even more casual vibes to South Austin — where they'll really be appreciated. Located at a former liquor store (6328 S. Hwy. 183), this bar takes advantage of the two acres around it with a stage, covered lounge seating, and a 14-foot TV for sports and movies. The bar and patio are open now, but the backyard is still getting ready. Eventually, it will welcome guests under 21 and pets. Smokin' Brew-B-Q is the first food truck onsite, with more coming soon.

We focused on other things last week, but two casual chains shared news we don't want to gloss over. Graze Craze, a charcuterie shop, has opened its first location in the Austin area, in Lakeway (2127 Lohman’s Crossing Rd., Ste. 304). The company takes its meat-cheese-and-other-snacks curating very seriously, and these gargantuan charcuteries are sure to impress large parties.

Similarly, Seattle-based Eastern European pie-maker Piroshky Piroshky is making its Texas debut — but in this case, they're not sticking around. Catch the pop-up in Austin on October 6 to see why this bakery is popular enough to pull off a national tour. The team is posting locations as they go on Instagram.

Radio Coffee brings the brews to new East Austin shop and music venue in October

going live in the fall

When it comes to expanding the influence of coffee connoisseurs in Austin, there's room for everyone on the East Side.

One East Austin coffee shop just changed hands for a fancy rebrand, and another recently expanded out of the area into Buda. Cosmic Coffee, a South Austin staple, blew everyone out of the water with a gorgeous, sprawling industrial complex on East 4th Street, and now another neighboring coffee and beer combo is following suit.

Radio/East, a second location spun off from the original music-loving Radio Coffee & Beer, will open its doors at 3504 Montopolis Dr. in East Austin on Wednesday, October 18.

The new family- and dog-friendly space sprawls across two acres, which is divvied up among a 1,200-square-foot indoor coffee shop, indoor and outdoor live music stages, and a food truck park. Guests will be able to order their favorite drinks from the indoor counter, or they can choose to order from either of the two outdoor windows that open to the grand shaded backyard. And we can't forget one of the more rare features: plenty of parking for customers.

Radio's founding father-son duo Jack and Greg Wilson brought on two new partners — Trey Hudson and Nine Mile Records owner Rick Pierik — in the hopes of developing and maintaining this new spot as a community-focused space, much like the beloved original.

“With the new space, we’ve been able to create a through line to the existing concept of Radio,” said Hudson in a release. “With Radio/East we tried to listen to what the Montopolis community needed and we hope that we can be as central to this neighborhood as we have been to the area around Menchaca.”

Pierik will be the driving force behind Radio/East's musical events. Local musicians and touring bands will all get their chance to take the stage with four nights of performances planned indoors and outdoors beginning on Thursdays.

With Austin's wide-ranging music taste, Pierik will seek to reflect the city's musical diversity with every show.

"Jack Wilson and I are looking to bring together diverse programing from every corner of the music industry, booking up-and-coming national and international acts alongside all of the amazing Austin talent we've known and admired for years," said Pierik. "We're especially committed to helping local artists develop their fanbases through quality concert experiences and eclectic bills."

A list of events following Radio/East's grand opening is as follows:

October 19 – Sunrosa with Guma and Feeling Small
October 20 – Redbud with Mockjaw, Tearjerk, and Creekbed Carter Hogan
October 21 – Peachfuzz 10th Anniversary Party featuring The Texas Gentleman, Brown Burlesque, Lady Dan, and a to-be-announced special guest
October 28 – First Annual Radio/East Chili Cook Off and the Austin Flea, featuring Mother Neff, The Push & Shove, and Sour Bridges
October 31 – A Rocky Horror Halloween featuring A Giant Dog with Trouble in the Streets
November 11 – A Free Lunch Benefit featuring Caroline Rose and BRUCE
November 17 – Money Chicha with The Tiarras

Tickets for the upcoming shows can be purchased online beginning Friday, September 29.

In addition to keeping Radio/East music-focused, visitors can expect to see some classic beverages on the menu, with a few new twists to keep customers coming back. The new location will have two tap towers with eight craft beer taps, four rotating specialty draft cocktails, and plenty of wine to go around.

Radio/East Get a local favorite beer on draft, or try a new specialty draft cocktail.Photo by Renee Dominguez

Bar Manager Jacob Biggie has been hard at work to develop new creative cocktails for the new location, including Phantom Mood (Still Austin Gin, hibiscus, lime, and cucumber with soda) and Sensitive Artist (Senza Maeso hybrid spirit, Aperol, St. Germain, lime juice). Guests can also try the new seasonal non-alcoholic highball, dubbed the Chai-ball.

The lineup of food vendors at the new East Austin digs include Veracruz All Natural with its binge-worthy tacos; organic pizza slices from Side Eye Slice (a sister concept to Side Eye Pie); and Radio's own food truck – Shortwave Diner – offering classic American diner fare and comfort food such as smash burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken and waffles, and more.

Following the grand opening at 7 am on October 18, Radio/East's operating hours will be 7 am to 1 am Monday through Saturday, and 7 am to 10 pm on Sundays.

Austin is No. 12 in the U.S. with the highest number of 'unretirees'

Office News

Many Austin seniors are still punching the clock well past retirement age. According to "Cities with the Most Working Seniors," a new employment study by business website ChamberofCommerce.org, more than a quarter of Austin seniors aged 65 and up are still employed, making it the No. 12 city in the U.S. with the most working seniors.

More than 25,400 Austin seniors aged 65 and up are employed out of a total 93,861, or 27.1 percent of the city's senior population.

The No. 1 city in the U.S. with hard-working oldsters is Alexandria, Virginia, located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where 36.8 percent of its seniors still employed. Coming in second was Tallahassee, Florida, with 30.9 percent. In third place was Dallas, with 30.3 percent of the senior population clocking in for work around the city.

To determine their ranking, the site examined the percentage of seniors aged 65 and over who were actively employed within the last 12 months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Their analysis included data from 170 of the nation’s most populous cities.

The report says the median household income of a senior citizen in Austin is $58,546, and hints at the rising cost of living coupled with personal extenuating circumstances leading to a new trend of "unretiring" seniors within the local workforce.

"Deciding when to retire is one of the most important financial and personal decisions that workers can make," the report's author said. "Before making the leap, make sure you have factored in your savings, social security benefits, spending habits, economic volatility, and how your social life will change after retirement."

Also in Central Texas, San Antonio ranked No. 82 overall with 22.1 percent of the senior population currently in the workforce. Although that seems like a smaller number of people, it's actually much larger than Austin, with 41,918 seniors toiling away out of a total 189,544.

San Antonio's relatively high percentage of working seniors might come as a surprise, considering the city was named one of the best cities for retirees earlier in 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities with the most working seniors are:

No. 1 – Alexandria, Virginia
No. 2 – Tallahassee, Florida
No. 3 – Dallas, Texas
No. 4 – Irvine, California
No. 5 – Washington, D.C.
No. 6 – Plano, Texas
No. 7 – Anchorage, Alaska
No. 8 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
No. 9 – Overland Park, Kansas
No. 10 – Madison, Wisconsin

ChamberofCommerce.org is a digital site for small business owners and entrepreneurs. The full report and its methodology can be found on chamberofcommerce.org.

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