The CMT Awards kick up the country in Austin

If this is Austin ...

Photo courtesy CMT

For the first time ever, the CMT Awards kicked the dust off of Nashville and headed to the Lone Star State! CMT hosted free star-studded events throughout the week in Austin, all leading up to the big show at the Moody Center on Sunday, April 2. Here's everything that went down during the 2023 CMT Music Awards in Austin.

First, pre-show tapings happened all week long. Tyler Hubbard, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, and Katelyn Brown all recorded performances in front of the Capitol building on Congress Avenue. But it was CMT Crossroads that really rocked: Airing on CMT in May, the special features Darius Rucker and The Black Crows singing their most famous hits, including one from Hootie and the Blowfish.

Fans who couldn't make it to the main event could also attend a block party. The two-day, family-friendly event featured free live music, artist meet-and-greets, swag, games, and more. Guests could also take advantage of multiple chances to win tickets to the awards. CBS Austin's Trevor Scott hosted the parties, and both days featured DJ sets from Austinite DJ Cassandra. Performers included Hannah Ellis, Matt Koziol, Danielle Bradbery, and more.

As for the big show, the aqua carpet (red carpets are so last year) was packed with up-and-comers, musicians you've known and loved for years, and so many media outlets. The University of Texas band and cheerleaders even performed. On the outside portion of the carpet, fans could see entrances from big stars like Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, host Kelsea Ballerini and her beau, Outer Banks star Chase Stokes.

Getting things started on the live show, Shelton kicked things off by saying, "If this is Austin, I still love you!" He then performed his newest hit "No Body" against a neon backdrop that highlighted guitars, cowboy hats, and the Austin sign that once stood above the Real World Austin house. It was awesome to see how the Moody Center was transformed for the event with not a bad seat in the house.

Austin's own Gary Clark Jr. paid tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan while Jackie Venson played guitar for Female Video of the Year winner Lainey Wilson. Texans Cody Johnson and Billy Gibbons honored Lynyrd Skynyrd alongside Slash, Paul Rogers, Chuck Leavell, Warren Hayes, Wynonna Judd, and LeAnn Rimes. Other collaborations included Gwen Stefani performing "Just a Girl" with Carly Pearce and Alanis Morissette rocking "You Oughta Know" alongside a group of CMT's Next Women of Country.

The big winner of the night was Jelly Roll, snagging three CMT Awards for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year, CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year and Male Video of the Year. All three awards were for his song "Son of A Sinner" which he performed to a roaring crowd at the event. Upon winning Male Video, the rapper turned country singer got choked up saying, "I'm a little emotional. I started drinking. I didn't think I'd win again."

All in all, the entire week was filled with high energy and good vibes. Here's hoping it keeps going country strong here in Austin in 2024 and beyond!

If you missed the live show, CMT will air CMT MUSIC AWARDS EXTENDED CUT with an added 30 minutes of new performances and extra bonus content on Thursday, April 6, at 7 pm on CMT.

Photo courtesy CMT

Carrie Underwood graced Austin with her presence last week.

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Magnolia's big fall festival, last-ditch winery trips, ghost tours, and more Texas travel tidbits in October

where to travel right now

Fall is finally here, and with the (hopefully) cooler temps will come the chance to get outside and enjoy autumn activities all around Texas. Can't decide where to take a quick vacation, road trip, or staycation? Here are 11 events, special celebrations, and hotel happenings to help plan a getaway in October.

Throughout Texas

If searching for beautiful leaves around Texas is at the top of the priority list, cabin rental agency Smoky Mountains' fall foliage prediction map is the perfect guide to help estimate when the leaves will begin changing throughout the state and the U.S. The map predicts most of Texas will have minimal-to-patchy changing leaves by the end of October, and most of the state's trees will be at their color-changing peak in November.

Dallas-based luxury bus operator Vonlane added 60 new weekly departures to meet anticipated high demand for the fall travel season. There are now more than 430 trips per week departing Vonlane hubs in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Travelers can book their trips online for both one-way or round-trips, with fares beginning at $119.

Two unmistakable cutesy pink trucks are going on tour throughout Texas this month, with stops in several major cities. That's right – the cult craze Hello Kitty Cafe Truck and Barbie Truck are bringing a horde of new branded clothing and accessories to adoring fans in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Austinites can visit The Domain to catch the Barbie Truck on October 7, and return the following weekend to say hi to Hello Kitty on the 14th.

In Waco

The annual Magnolia Silobration at The Silos will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Chip and Joanna Gaines' Waco-based home design and lifestyle empire from October 19-21. Fixer Upper fans can visit the Silos to enjoy a three-day adventure of local artisan and food vendors, live music performances, shopping, and more. The festival is free, but note that certain ticketed experiences like the 20th anniversary tour, weekend rooftop passes, and Evenings with Chip and Jo are sold out.

Along the Gulf Coast

What better way to celebrate the arrival of spooky season than by seeking out haunted ghost experiences in Corpus Christi? The Heritage Park Museum will showcase four reportedly haunted houses, and phantom chasers will delight in visiting the U.S.S. Lexington during the "Haunting on the Blue Ghost" event, October 6-31, to glimpse any ghostly crew members lurking about the vessel. The abandoned Nueces County Courthouse also has some ghouls of its own, with reports of voices, noises, and screams being heard following a hurricane that devastated the area more than a century ago.

Summer might be over, but a trip to the beach is always in the cards on South Padre Island. The annual Sandcastle Days falls on October 5-8, drawing the attention of sandcastle-building experts, food and craft vendors, and free family-friendly entertainment. Then, from October 19-21, classic cars and motorcycles rev up the brand new Chrome in the Sand Festival. The weekend will consist of live performances, car shows, a poker tournament, and more. Tickets for the Chrome in the Sand Festival begin at $20 for general admission, $55 for VIP, and $500 for VIP tables.

In the Hill Country

It's never too late for a day by the pool, and the luxurious Lantana Spa at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa has opened reservations for its renovated pool cabanas with a special VIP poolside service and deluxe amenities. The private, two-person Canyons, Preserve, and Oaks Spa Cabanas each include unlimited mimosa service, shaded seating and chaise lounges, a dedicated server from 11 am to 5 pm, and more. Cabana reservations can be made by resort guests or in addition to a spa service, and rates begin at $400.

Nonprofit trade association Texas Hill Country Wineries is bringing back its Texas Wine Month passport this month for a self-guided journey through 45 local wineries with special discounts scattered along the way. With participating estates scattered throughout popular weekend destinations like Fredericksburg, Johnson City, and New Braunfels, it’s a chance to explore the Hill Country and soak in those autumn vibes. Wine passport-holders can visit up to four wineries daily to get the most out of a weekend getaway. Individual passes are $85, and couples' passes are $120.

Speaking of wineries, one Marble Falls-based winery is hosting regular events throughout October, which is perfect for those holding a Texas Wine Month passport. Every Saturday and Sunday, folks can venture out to Flat Creek Estates & Vineyard for their effervescent Bubbles and Brunch from 11 am to 3 pm. And if the trip transforms from a brunch outing into an all-day affair, guests catch live music from local Texas bands during the winery's weekend music series from 2-6 pm. Ernie Vasquez and Evan Grubbs are scheduled the weekend of October 7-8, and Stephen Daly and Andrew Lopez will play on the weekend of October 14-15.

Around Austin

It's finally festival season in our great city, beginning with the iconic Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park for two consecutive weekends from October 6-8 and 13-15. Luckily for travelers, CultureMap's got the scoop on all things ACL – from can't-miss acts, to new eats, and more. One-day general admission tickets begin at $170. Weekend One tickets are waitlisted, but there are still one-day general admission tickets available for Weekend Two. Weekend passes for both weekends are waitlisted.

Following ACL, Austin will race to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas from October 20-22. Red Bull Racing has already won the 2023 Constructors' Championship after its longstanding driver Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix, and Verstappen is well in the lead to win his third-consecutive World Drivers' Championship title. Three-day general admission wristbands are $475, two-day GA is $425, and three-day parking passes are $275.

Office sexual politics rear their ugly head in Netflix's Fair Play

Movie Review

The career of Alden Ehrenreich has – so far – been one without much progress. He was the star of Beautiful Creatures 10 years ago, a film that made little impact. Since then, he’s been in a Woody Allen movie, a Coen Brothers movie, and played a young Han Solo, none of which made him a star. After a few years away from movies, he’s back with a bang in 2023, with roles in Cocaine Bear, Oppenheimer, and now Netflix’s Fair Play.

Ehrenreich plays Luke, who’s in a relationship with Emily (Phoebe Dynevor), which they must keep secret because of a no-fraternization policy at the hedge fund where they both work. Working in finance, both are naturally ambitious, although Luke is a bit more naked in his desires. When Emily gets promoted ahead of Luke, he is at first is supportive, but is soon unable to hide his jealousy.

Written and directed by Chloe Domont in her feature film debut, the film tracks the devolution of Luke and Emily’s relationship, going from hot and heavy to heavily antagonistic. The sexual politics at play in the story are front and center, with Emily being the lone visible woman working in an otherwise all-male office. Luke initially bristles at whispers that Emily was promoted for reasons other than her financial skills, but working as her underling starts to bring out the worst in him.

Because Luke and Emily start the film as equals, the power dynamics take on an unusual form. Emily arguably does much more for Luke after her promotion than he would for her if the roles were reversed, sometimes to her own detriment. His blindness to her helpfulness, which eventually turns to suspicion, speaks volumes about the fragile ego of many men.

Another type of reversal is the sexuality depicted in the film. Most films of this type build up to the big sex sequences, using them as a culmination of a particular relationship. But Domont starts the film with them, and uses the absence of them later on as a way to denote how much Luke and Emily have drifted from each other.

It’s understandable why Domont set the film in a hedge fund, given the disparity between men and women in the field. But the scenes in which the employees, led by boss Campbell (Eddie Marsan), talk about the intricacies of their work just don’t pop, mostly because the dense terminology feels like the characters are speaking a foreign language.

Ehrenreich and Dynevor (best known for Bridgerton) each start off great, but as the film goes along and they’re required to get increasingly histrionic, they both become less believable. Domont saves most of the drama for the film’s final act; if the film was more balanced in its ups and downs, the two leads might have been able to even out their performances as well.

Still, the film has a propulsion to it that keeps it interesting, and the intensity of the final sequence is sufficient to forgive any earlier missteps. And, unfortunately yet again for Ehrenreich, it’s Dynevor who leaves the bigger impression, making a case that she should get many more lead roles in the future.

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Fair Play is now playing in select theaters; it debuts on Netflix on October 6.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor in Fair Play.

Famous Barton Springs tree will be removed after all, memorial rescheduled

The flo of life

It's official: "Flo" will be removed from Barton Springs Pool later this week.

In late August, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) announced that a beloved, decades-old pecan tree located at the pool – affectionately known as "Flo" – had been diagnosed with a wood decay fungus called Kretzschmaria deusta, or brittle cinder fungus. The PARD said this disease weakens roots and wood at the base of a tree and has been known to cause whole tree failures in trees that otherwise look healthy.

Following the diagnosis, the PARD contacted three independent certified arborists to do a follow-up inspection and provide independent professional opinions to help guide decision-making. Once those assessments were complete, the PARD announced on Sept. 8 that after evaluating all the options and the public safety risk, it had decided to remove Flo.

But then department walked that announcement back. On Sept. 11, the PARD said it had decided to delay the removal of the tree while it reviewed "additional considerations."

Then, on Sept. 19, the department spoke to the Austin City Council, saying the tree is fragile and could fall over at any time. It said "Flo" needs to be removed because the damage is beyond repair.

On Oct. 2, the PARD announced that Flo will be removed on Thursday, Oct. 5, when Barton Springs Pool is closed.

Prior to the tree's removal, the community can honor Flo at a "Celebration of Life" ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony will include a water blessing, speakers detailing Flo's history and music. The PARD said attendees should plan to park on the south side of the pool and walk around due to limited space in the main lot.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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