Above: Bottlecap Mountain playing at The Highball
Not sure how many people were registered officially for the first four days of SXSW 2024 (SouthBy ’24), but there were more than 75,000 from 100 countries in 2023. Those are mainly the techies. Add in the film and music festival attendance throughout the week, and the number doubles. There were somewhere in the range of 1,500 acts scheduled, not counting the unofficial ones rippling across music venues throughout the city.
In other words, Austin was hopping.
We are among the fringe attendees who avail themselves of a couple of the many free or low-cost events not requiring badges. Some snapshots from those, several at The Saxon Pub, are found below, along with a snippet of Bottlecap Mountain’s new “I’ve Got Something for You.”
Above Top: Beth // James. Second Row: Reflections of Chris Stangland and Stewart Gersmann of Bottlecap Mountain; Curtis McMurtry; Jeff Plankenhorn; and Jamiee Harris. Third Row: Jamiee Harris; Madam Radar; and Mary Scholz. Fourth Row: Michael O’Connor and Jeff Plankenhorn. Bottom: Admission-free concerts at Auditorium Shores; and The Drakes, Saxon Pub regulars.
Aside from that, we also had our first exposure to Esther’s Follies, a 46-year-old Austin institution plying Vaudeville-type comedic skits. No politician is safe from being speared by the performers’ humor.
But we didn’t go to Sixth Street for the show, wittily emceed by Guy Forsyth. We were attending a benefit for the Austin History Center Association, which helps support the History Center of the Austin Public Library.
And the reason I even mention this is that I have been so impressed with the fundraisers the association stages, including last year’s blues show, Women of Antone’s. Proof that history need not be stuffy and boring. Plus, now I’m itching to head to Esther’s.
Above left: Musician Guy Forsyth, emcee, on right. Middle: Actors from Esther’s Follies. Right: Rhonda Flores of Esther’s Follies.
While I’m on a March round-up jag, we tried a couple of new places of interest. I really have a crush on the robot waitron that roams the dining room at Kura in sort of an R2-D2 fashion to deliver your non-alcoholic beverages (TABC requires living waitrons for the alcoholic ones.). Sushi cruises by on a conveyer belt to tempt you into reaching for more dishes, with your bill calculated automatically by the number of empty plates in your bin at the end of the table. Definitely an entertaining gimmick.
Above: Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
We also tried the Korean-American brunch offered at Oseyo, a sleek-looking restaurant out East Cesar Chavez. Among the varied dishes we sampled were soy-marinated deviled eggs with trout roe; tempura-battered perilla leaf fritters stuffed with tofu, beef, pork and kimchi (devoured before photographed); a raspberry chia pudding parfait; and black sesame swirl pumpkin bread with salted maple butter. All are recommended.
Above: Oseyo brunch
And my new favorite eastside dive bar, funky with tasty enough fare to attract us back – Yellow Jacket Social Club.
Above: Yellow Jacket Social Club
Oh, and I got carded with no ID on me. A SXSW rep turned me away from a venue one night. I assumed he was joking. I mean, I’m 70 and look old for my age at that. But he refused to budge. Or even offer an ironic smile.
Postcards from Barton Springs 