New documentary explores Austin and San Antonio as an emerging mega-metro, plus more top stories

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Photo by Mitchell Kmetz on Unsplash

Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. From growing populations to chances to wear a bikini, here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. New documentary explores Austin and San Antonio as an emerging mega-metro. The two cities represent a huge — literally and figuratively — economic and cultural opportunity.

2. Austin is the 7th biggest boomtown in America, according to new study. Things in Austin seem to be slowing down, but it's still outpacing almost anywhere else.

3. Cherished Hill Country swimming hole reopens for swimming after temporary closure. Hamilton Pool was closed for a while, as swimmers waited out a bacterial surge.

4. Former Love Island USA contestant shares what it takes to land a spot on the series at Austin pop up. You just have to be hot, funny, a little delusional, etc. Let us know how it goes!

5. Magnetic Texas pulls in ranking as No. 2 state for wealthy new residents. You know, like people who might do well on Love Island.

Photo courtesy of Bob's Dance Shop

New alternative dating app invites Austinites out for 'an unusual night' on the town

Left Feeld

One Austinite’s weird is another’s painfully vanilla, and Feeld is here to suss out the balance. The alternative dating app — favored by the nonmonogamous, kinky, and queer — is hosting its first in-person Austin event on Friday, December 16, gathering Austinites for “An Unusual Night In Austin.”

Feeld users are invited out for a bar crawl to Lolo Wine, Lefty's Brick Bar, and The Liberty, with free pedicabs in between, followed by performances by DJ Cassandra and Bob’s Dance Shop (the fabulous cowboys who backed up Sofi Tukker at Austin City Limits Festival). Attendees will mostly be left to their own social devices, but should have plenty to talk about, given Feeld’s nonconformist reputation.

The app looks like any other that makes matches through swiping, with sections that may be harder to find on other apps: a broad range of sexualities that may prompt many users to break out a progressive dictionary; connected profiles for couples searching together; and tags for desires (dominant or submissive, friendship, texting, etc.).

Most importantly, the app has curated its own microculture among users that mirrors the greater themes at play in kinky or more intimacy-expansive communities. Feeld is a place to discuss wants and needs with more specific language and candor — some users list fantasies, while others state a noncommittal desire for someone “likeminded,” a word Feeld uses often in marketing.

“The reason [the “unusual” event title is] italicized, and the reason where we're sort of claiming this, is not because we think it's unusual to have a diverse range of interests in your sexuality, or to be someone who is curious about different desires and experiences,” says market expansion lead Maceo Keeling. But the rest of the world isn’t always on board. “Feeld is a place for those whose romantic experiences [or] their gender identity — the dating app world at large has decided that they were unusual. So Feeld is the place where the unusual are usual.”

Keeling chooses new markets based on organic interest: Feeld had not done any advertising in Austin, but users were popping up independently. Now, the app is in a stage of getting to know the area, in order to launch it as a “core city,” meaning that users can continue virtually meeting Austinites even if they aren’t physically there.

In addition to the scheduled events, some community partners will be around: FSG will be doing its famous live screen printing, and Peach Fuzz, Austin’s local “old school nudie mag,” endorsed the event.

“There are a lot of people that are interested in Austin, even if they might not be physically located there, and they want to stay in touch with the community in and around it,” says Keeling.

Feeld is one of those interested parties. Its main goal for the event is to “approach with a little bit more intention,” so Austinites should show up as their full selves and simply enjoy the spotlight.

“An Unusual Night In Austin” starts at 7 pm on December 16. More information is available on the Feeld app, and in a designated group chat for the event. RSVP on Eventbrite.

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Here are all 22 Austin acts to add to your 2023 ACL Fest playlist

homegrown sounds

We're almost there. Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Fest) is poised to take over Zilker Park across two weekends – October 6-8 and October 13-15 – and while Austinites surely have a running list of all the bigger touring acts that they want to see, they may not be aware of the many great locals on the lineup.

So, here’s a rundown of the 22 Austin-based artists that will be playing during either weekend. Take a look, make some notes, and go show some support! Don't forget to hydrate and get a snack between sets, too!

Asleep At The Wheel (W1)
Kick off weekend one of ACL with a fest tradition: a set from country legends Asleep At TheWheel, who have performed at just about every ACL since the festival’s inception in 2002. They’ll play on Friday, October 6, at 12:55 pm on the Honda Stage.

Die Spitz (W1)
With a raucous live show and their well-received 2023 EP, Teeth, Die Spitz have been one of the most buzzed-about bands out of Austin this year. You can catch the upstart rockers on Saturday, October 7, at 11:45 am on the Tito’s Stage.

Arya (W1)
Pop and R&B fans will find a lot to like when it comes to Arya, an up-and-coming songstress who now calls Austin home after having grown up in Serbia. Her set will take place on Saturday, October 7, at 11:45 am on the T-Mobile Stage.

Shooks (W1)
Fronted by Marlon Sexton (the son of guitarist Charlie Sexton), Shooks will be taking the stage at ACL for the second time since 2021. The band’s versatile indie rock sound can be experienced on Saturday, October 7, at 12:45 pm on the Tito’s Stage.

Calder Allen (W1&2)
Since last year’s release of his debut album, The Game, singer-songwriter Calder Allen has been on a steady ascent through the ranks of local acts. You can see him at both weekends of the fest – for each one he’ll play on Saturday (October 7 & 14) at 2:45 pm on the Tito’s Stage.

Ben Kweller (W1&2)
Celebrated indie rocker Ben Kweller has spent a good bit of the summer on the road with Ed Sheeran, and that will roll into appearances at both weekends of ACL. Look for him on each Saturday (October 7 & 14) at 3 pm on the Miller Lite Stage.

Ellis Bullard (W1)
Get a “true-blue honky tonk” experience via Ellis Bullard, who will be making his ACL debut justas he’s gearing up to release a new album, Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution!. You can see himon Sunday, October 8, at noon on the Barton Springs Stage.

Wesley Bray And The Disciples of Christ (W1)
Take a break from the noise of ACL and enjoy a spiritual moment with Stubb’s Gospel Brunch regulars Wesley Bray And The Disciples of Christ. They can be experienced on – of course – Sunday, October 8, at noon on the Tito’s stage.

Jane Leo (W1)
Centered around Jane Ellen Bryant and Daniel Leopold (of Leopold And His Fiction), Jane Leo are responsible for some of the catchiest alt-pop tunes you’ll find in Austin these days. Their ACL set is on Sunday, October 8, at 1 pm, on the Tito’s Stage.

Grace Sorensen (W1)
R&B/neo-soul artist Grace Sorenson has previously been a part of ACL as support for other acts, but she’ll make her full debut at the festival during Weekend One. Her performance will happen on Sunday, October 8, at 1:30 pm on the BMI Stage.

Jimmie Vaughan (W2)
Weekend two of ACL will get underway with a performance from guitar afficionado Jimmie Vaughn. Don’t miss his blues-filled performance on Friday, October 13, at 12:55 pm on the Honda Stage.

Font (W2)
Just after wrapping a supporting run with the popular Japanese band CHAI, Font will play their first ever ACL Fest. The post-punk act puts on a dynamic show and shouldn’t be missed on Friday, October 13, at 12:55 pm on the American Express Stage.

Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective (W2)
If the Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective isn’t on your radar, they should be, as they will be putting out some of the smoothest sounds you’ll find at the fest this year. Catch the urban contemporary jazz ensemble’s set on Friday, October 13, at 1:15 pm on the Tito’s Stage.

We Don’t Ride Llamas (W2)
From a love of the game Rock Band as kids to playing ACL, it’s been a heck of a ride so far for the four siblings behind We Don’t Ride Llamas. If you like bands that offer a little bit of everything sound-wise, then don’t miss their set on Friday, October 13, at 1:40 pm on the Miller Lite Stage.

Nemegata (W2)
Nemegata will be heading into ACL hot on the heels of their sophomore album, Voces, which the band describes as a “transcendent Afro-Indigenous Colombian odyssey.” You can see them on Saturday, October 14, at noon on the Barton Springs Stage.

Rattlesnake Milk (W2)
Country, punk, rock — Rattlesnake Milk is every bit of that and very much worthy of a slot on your “bands to see” list. Their set will go down on Saturday, October 14, at 1:15 pm on the BMI Stage.

Blakchyl (W2)
Just a week before she takes the stage at ACL, hip hop vet Blakchyl will release an anticipated album titled Better Than I Imagined. Hear tracks from it and more on Saturday, October 14, at11:45 am on the Tito’s Stage.

The Moriah Sisters (W2)
If you miss out on Wesley Bray And The Disciples of Christ during weekend one of ACL, you can still get your gospel fix in the next go-round with The Moriah Sisters. Their performance will take place on Sunday, October 15, at noon on the Tito’s Stage.

Kathryn Legendre (W2)
With “Cigarettes,” her brand new single in tow, “singer-songwriter, honky-tonker, and Hill Country gem” Kathryn Legendre will make her ACL debut. You can see her sure-to-be-charming set on Sunday, October 15, at noon on the Baron Springs Stage.

Sisi(W2)
After years in Torino Black, Sisi has begun rolling out solo tunes, including a recent one titled “Lyin’ Cheat.” You can check out the singer-songwriter on Sunday, October 15, at 1 pm on the Tito’s Stage.

Quin NFN(W2)
The oft-buzzed-about rapper Quin NFN will swing into ACL Fest more than ready to show why he’s racked up of millions of streams and a dedicated following. Be sure to catch the spectacle on Sunday, October 15, at 2 pm on the Tito’s Stage.

Caramelo Haze (W2)
Beto Martínez & John Speice (Grupo Fantasma), Alex Chavez (Dos Santos), and Victor "El Guámbito" Cruz (Nemegata) are the minds behind the “electro neo-sōl odyssey” known as Carmelo Haze. They’ll be playing on Sunday, October 15, at 2 pm on the Tito’s Stage.

Austin 'Top Chef' winner emerges after controversy to open upscale Mexican restaurant

New Restaurants

Austin and the village of Bacalar in Southeastern Mexico share a similar ethos — that life revolves around the lake. Overlooking Town Lake, the new upscale Mexican restaurant Bacalar brings the tastes of one famous lake to another, with chef Gabe Erales at the helm.

The restaurant has opened at 44 East Ave. #100, after years of preparation and following controversy surrounding the chef's departure from his last role, at Comedor. A walk-up taco window called Tómalo Taquería is planned for the fall.

Food & Drink
Bacalar is all about duality, from the two lakes that inspired and accompany the food to an especially close collaboration between the chef and real estate and design firm Urbanspace on the interiors.

The menu features globally influenced dishes from the Yucatan region, including Castacan Tacos with pork belly; Squash & Chaya Tamal; and a chef's daily steak cut.

The menu balances on the concept of "comida milpera," or food system interdependence between farmers, suppliers, and chefs, according to the restaurant.

Erales explains, "'La milpa' is a twofold, parallel concept — the 'milpa' being essentially a pre-Hispanic farming system, where you planted complementary vegetables and fruit next to each other, and the byproduct of one is the input of another. [It] allowed people throughout Mexico to have a very flourished farming system with not a lot of water or rich soil. But in parallel to that, it was also thought of as a socio-cultural relationship system."

The restaurant hopes to embody that spirit on the menu, which places special emphasis on food and drink pairings. (Surely executive pastry chef Natalie Gazaui also has something up her sleeve, although the desserts were not explained in detail.)

Bar manager Dragan Milivojevic says he designed the cocktail menu to "follow the kitchen," and Erales points out that some hard-to-find flavors from the Yucatán Peninsula go great in drinks — for instance, cooking pastes called "recados." One of Milivojevic's special flavors comes in the form of a house-made Orgeat syrup derived from mamey sapote, a tropical fruit that many say tastes like sweet potato or pumpkin.

One specific restaurant-bar pairing complements fried octopus aguachile with a corn-infused agave spirit martini. In this pairing, the martini stands in for the more common choice of a corn chip. This also creates another outlet for corn use, as Bacalar purchases surplus grains not grown commercially, in order to support the communities keeping those heirloom varieties alive.

Bacalar also plans to offer weekly pairings of different mezcals with dishes from the kitchen. Milivojevic hopes that the bar will one day have the biggest mezcal program in Texas, and will introduce new people to the spirit.

Design
Bacalar's interior design also aims for a careful balance that is neither too rustic nor too modern.

The team at Urbansapce — which manages famous buildings like The Independent, Seaholm Residences, and Brazos Lofts — points out the importance of the ground-floor location for the restaurant, and aligns itself with a longterm push to make downtown a residential destination as well as a business hub.

Urbanspace principal and interior designer for Bacalar, Merrill Alley, who introduced CEO Kevin Burns to Erales for the collaboration, says the team hopes the restaurant will be an amenity for people living in the residential spaces above at 44 East Ave (both the building's name and address).

Context
Bacalar has been a long time coming for the chef-owner. Erales, who won Top Chef in July 2021, saw his celebration cut short by a very public break with Comedor. His official statement from July of 2021 summarized the situation as follows:

"I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Top Chef; however, I must continue to acknowledge my mistakes including the termination from my former job. To clarify, unbeknownst to my wife, I had a consensual relationship with a co-worker and later reduced her work hours, which in combination was a poor judgment call and led to my termination after I filmed Top Chef. ... My personal growth will be a perpetual apology in seeking forgiveness."

A statement by chef Philip Speer, who still helms Comdedor, echoes the story with the addition that the termination came from “repeated violations of our policies and for behavior in conflict with our values.”

Erales had announced his plans for Bacalar after departing Comedor, but before his Top Chef win, which brought major attention to past events.

He declined to comment further for CultureMap.

Bacalar is now open 5-10 pm Sunday-Wednesday, 5-11 pm Thursday-Saturday, and weekend brunch is coming soon, according to the website.

Nebraska Furniture Mart to bring massive new store and 700 jobs to Austin suburb

Moving in

Nebraska Furniture Mart is moving into Cedar Park. The Austin suburb will be the site of NFM's fifth U.S. store, the retailer has revealed.

According to a release, Nebraska-based NFM will anchor a development that will include a 250-room hotel and 30,000-square-foot convention center, at 750 E. New Hope Dr., near U.S. Highway 183A. It's a $400 million+ complex that's being called a "once-in-a-generation" project by local officials.

The project will break ground "as early as 2024," NFM says, and be completed in late 2026.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based company says the Cedar Park store — including retail and warehouse spaces — will encompass 1.2 million square feet and will employ 700 workers. Positions will include managers, sales professionals, customer service specialists, interior designers, and warehouse personnel.

(For scale, the average Ikea is about 300,000 square feet, according to How Stuff Works.)

It will be NFM's second store in Texas behind one in The Colony, north of Dallas, which opened in 2015. (The only other NFMs around the country are in Omaha, Des Moines, and Kansas City, Kansas.)

“The city of Cedar Park and its surrounding communities have a great quality of life, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” says Tony Boldt, NFM president and CEO, in the release.

NFM is a family-run, fifth-generation company that touts itself as "a one-stop shop for the home," offering furniture, flooring, appliances, and electronics, as well as interior design services, delivery, and installation. Nationwide, NFM employs 4,800 people.

"NFM places a priority on giving back to the community and staff are provided with 40 hours of paid volunteer time off each year," says the release. "In their 86-year history, NFM hasn’t had a single layoff, and they were named a Best Place to Work by Furniture Today in 2021 and 2022."

Cedar Park major Jim Penniman-Morin says NFM carefully researched communities across the nation before landing on the city 19 miles northwest of downtown Austin.

"I was very impressed by the thoughtful way that their existing development in north Texas blends the truly local and the truly global into a seamless retail experience," he says, "and I really look forward to seeing how NFM is able to build something just as vibrant and unique here in Cedar Park.”

It's been a big week for Austin-area furniture store news. The NFM announcement comes on the heels of the sad news that famous Austin furniture brand Louis Shanks is going out of business and closing its remaining stores after 80 years in business. A liquidation sale started Thursday, September 21.

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