Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons to attend the SXSW premiere of Love and Death, shot in Austin

Love and Death

Courtesy of HBO Max

Based on the true story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery, the HBO Max series Love and Death was shot right here in Central Texas. Yes, Hulu already made a show about this, but the HBO version stars Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons — and those are just two reasons we are excited to watch the series at its South by Southwest (SXSW) premiere on Saturday, March 11.

Courtesy of HBO Max

Elizabeth Olsen will attend the SXSW premiere of the series.

The series follows the true story of Montgomery, who was accused of brutally murdering her friend in 1980. The SXSW teaser describes it as "Two churchgoing couples, enjoying small town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an axe."

While the show doesn’t start steaming until April 27, some lucky SXSW goers will get a sneak peek at the Saturday screening, taking place at noon at the Paramount Theater. And that’s not all! Olsen, Plemons, and co-stars Lily Rabe and Patrick Fugit will be in attendance.

Love and Death began filming in Central Texas in fall 2021, including multiple spots in Hutto, Seguin, Kyle, the Williamson County Courthouse in Georgetown, and various locales in Austin. One Austin area scene took place in the parking lot at Crestview Shopping Center, while another was filmed near the Trail at Lady Bird Lake next to the former Austin American-Statesman building.

Plemons and wife Kirsten Dunst were spotted all over Austin while filming, which is no surprise since the couple live here part-time. Meanwhile, Olsen was sighted at the Seaholm District while in Austin for filming.

The project will screen at The Paramount Theatre at 12 pm on Saturday, March 11. Everyone else can catch it on HBO Max starting on April 27 when three episodes drop. The remaining episodes will be released weekly through May 25.

For more details on the entertainment scene in Austin, follow @spilltheatx on Instagram or TikTok.

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5 Austin shops to keep you looking cool this summer

RETAIL THERAPY

Who doesn't love a bit of retail therapy? Especially now that it's finally time to break out the breezy tops, the fun sun hats, and a well-fitting pair of sunglasses.

If you need help deciding where to find a summer gift, outfit, or skincare item, we've gathered a few Austin shops that will have you looking too cool to let the summer heat get to you.

Chicago-based convenience store Foxtrot opened its new Austin flagship location at the corner of South 1st and West Annie Streets on June 6. Think of it as a combination between a bodega and your neighborhood café, wine bar, and gift shop. And we can't forget about its spacious indoor-outdoor covered patio. The South 1st location is the second of four planned stores throughout Austin; their Burnet Road store opened in February 2023.

If you need a new pair of glasses or sunnies to go with your summer 'fits, Warby Parker's refreshed Summer 2023 Collection debuted June 6 to bring you new designs and color palettes. Whether you try online or visit one of their three Austin locations, eye-catching frames such as Lottie in green tea crystal or sophisticated Keiko in polished gold are sure to bring on the compliments with any outstanding outfit you put together.

Speaking of summer releases, Austin's favorite vodka Tito's has launched their Tito's X Summer accessory line just in time for your next trip to Town Lake or your favorite pool. Their Floating Cabana Bar in collaboration with luxury pool float makers Funboy is sure to catch the attention of fellow day-drinkers and fun lovers at any function. You can shop online or in person at their storefront on Lavaca.

A local, BIPOC, women-owned "anti-beauty" beauty brand is working to keep your skin healthy in the Austin summer sun.Daybird's 4-in-1 Tinted Skincare combines a sheer foundation with a serum, moisturizer, and mineral SPF 50. It's also vegan, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, and the product container is fully recyclable. The Tinted Skincare, which is currently their only available item from their line, can be found on their website, Urban Outfitters, and Poosh.

Contemporary womenswear boutique Estilo's first Estilo Kids (stylized estilo KIDS) store opened in Tarrytown at the beginning of May. Owner Stephanie Coultress O'Neill has had her clothing boutique for 18 years, and expanded her brand to include menswear in 2020. Now, the new children's boutique will offer gifts and clothing for children aged three through 14. Estilo is located at 2727 Exposition Boulevard in Tarrytown's Casis Village.

Plan a summer play-cation in Frisco for golf, pools, music, and more

The City That Plays

Looking to take a play-cation this summer? Obviously Frisco, The City That Plays, is the perfect fit. It offers so many activities to fit every interest, from sporting events and unique golf activities to kid-friendly attractions and pools.

Summer sports
Watch a Frisco RoughRiders baseball game like never before from the in-stadium lazy river, or tour The Star, the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters, to take in some NFL history and see where the pros call home.

While you are visiting The Star, you’ll find shopping and dining, with everything from sushi at Sushi Marquee to sweets at Cow Tipping Creamery.

Pro tip: if you love America’s team, plan your trip in August to get a pre-season glimpse of the Dallas Cowboys at training camp, open to the public at Ford Center.

PGA Frisco awaits with its two championship courses, a short course and putting green that’s lit at night, an entertainment district full of shops and dining options for the whole family, and the newly opened Omni PGA Frisco Resort, where it’s easy to cool off in one of the four pools.

Frisco offers golfers a range of play options, including The Fazio Course at The Westin Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa, Frisco Lakes Golf Club, Plantation Golf Club, The Trails of Frisco, and the unique indoor option of the Swing Suite Lounge by Topgolf.

Cool tunes
Now that Frisco is officially designated a Music Friendly Texas Community, there’s plenty of live music to enjoy over the summer.

Friday nights in June are for listening to live music at Frisco Square during the free outdoor Summer Concert Series on the lawn in front of City Hall.

Visitors can get into the groove anytime at one of Frisco’s many venues that host live music and entertainment throughout the summer.

Happy 4th
Frisco celebrates the Fourth of July big, too. Mark your calendar for two major events with food, music, games, and fireworks: Frisco Freedom Fest and The Independence Day Celebration at Omni PGA Frisco Resort.

Kiddo time
Escape the Texas heat with a visit to Frisco’s unbelievable new library. The bright, open design has spaces to inspire, create, innovate, and collaborate, plus you can say hi to Rexy, the 20-foot-tall T-Rex dinosaur skeleton.

Check out the high-tech Makerspace and active learning spaces like Tiny Town, for kids up to age 5, and Kid’s Club, for kinder through 5th graders.

Take a dip
Cool down poolside in Frisco. With rooftop views, cabanas, adults-only, splash pools, and the Frisco Water Park, families, couples, and friends can all find the right place to cool down during your visit.

Whatever your summer style is, rest your head at one of Frisco’s 26 hotels while experiencing a weekend play-cation with things to do for visitors of all ages.

Soak up all Frisco has to offer this summer — visit the website for more vacation ideas.

Photo courtesy of Visit Frisco

See a baseball game from the water at Riders Field.

Austin pedals into the 5th-best ranking for naked biking among U.S. cities

Skin in the game

Austinites just will not do things clothed, apparently. We slid in our ranking for naked gardening in 2023, but No. 2 ain't bad. Naked biking sounds a lot less appealing, but Austin is a great place to do it, coming in at No. 5 overall.

According to LawnStarter, who compiled the research out of the 200 largest cities in the U.S., Austin beat every other Texas locale, with Houston coming in at No. 13, San Antonio at No. 45, Dallas at 58, and everyone else doing pretty abysmally.

Austinites interested in trying this fringe sport can look into the World Naked Bike Ride, with the slogan, "Less Gas, More Ass." The next ride is scheduled this month, which is what inspired LawnStarter to do this important work. Austinites will have to travel to Houston to participate officially on September 9.

Not that having a black plastic bike seat between your cheeks in the blazing sun isn't a good idea in Texas — it just doesn't sound like a great one. Still, naked biking is surprisingly popular among Ausitnites, earning the city the 12th ranking in that category, tied with Madison, Wisconsin, and Boston, Massachusetts. If you're racking your brain for the last time you saw a naked biker cruising by in Austin, you're not alone. It may be more popular than it is in most other states, but it's certainly not the norm.

Austin's top category ranking was in friendliness to nudists (No. 2), which definitely fits our image as a city, and often comes back to our legally-protected toplessness, even in public places without nudist designations — a rarity in the United States. We were beat by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in that category and overall; The City of Brotherly Love also loves biking with their bits out.

Austin's worst ranking was in safety (No. 182), which was dragged down by our prevalence of sex offenders. Apparently, almost any U.S. city is better to live in if you don't want to live near a sex offender.

One would think Austin's climate would be anything but conducive to biking with nothing but sunscreen between your vulnerable human form and the punishing summer rays, but the city achieved No. 81 in the category, which is basically average.

The worst city for naked biking is one called Surprise, Arizona, which is a pretty sad surprise. Naked biking is decidedly unpopular, and the city's worst rank is in biker friendliness. If you're going to be out on the street like a modern-day Lady Godiva on gears, it does seem important that your city like bikers. The worst Texas city is Pasadena, for similar reasons.

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