Music festival preview: Third Red White and Blue Ball takes place Saturday

The third annual Red, White and Blue Ball (RWBB) is set for this Saturday at the Ball Farm located near the Circuit of Americas racetrack in Dale, Texas. The event features headliner, Shinyribswith Kevin Russell (The Gourds) and more Austin talent in a daylong Fourth of July themed music festival with a huge water slide, free camping and a family friendly atmosphere. If you missed Shinyribs due to their Blues on the Green being postponed last night, this is a chance to see them perform with other Austin bands. Notable acts appearing at RWBB include... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Supergroup Spanish Gold sold-out The Parish Thursday

Last Thursday night one of the hottest new bands of the year,Spanish Gold sold-out their first show of their debut tour. The supergroup featuring Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket, local guitarist and producer, Adrian Quesada (Brownout, Grupo Fantasma) and San Antonio musician Dante Schwebel (City and Color, Hacienda) have been getting buzz since debuting at SXSW last March. It was a sort of homecoming for the band who has been touring with Austin artists... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Weekend music preview: Jeff Tweedy, Spanish Gold, Spirit Animal, KUTX SummerJam

As Texas weather heats up with the official first day of summer this weekend, so do the number of free live music events in Austin. If you are not planning on staying on the couch watching World Cup you can take advantage of gratis performances by Sour Bridges, Dale Watson, Holiday Mountain and Cilantro Boombox among others. Brooklyn by way of Los Angeles indie rockers, Spirit Animal return to Austin Friday.

Fans snapped up tickets to super group... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Interview: Sound Mass - my education and Theta Naught to play rare Austin gig

Readers of this column may be aware of our love of progressive, experimental or post rock music. Genre labels aside, what we like is fantastic, orchestrated music that steps outside the boundaries of traditional musical forms. When it is done right it sounds like the music Austin act, my education and Utah's Theta Naught make together with their Sound Mass project. The group will... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music preview: Neon Indian, Octopus Project headline Scootenanny Saturday

This Saturday is the first Scootenanny at The Historic Scoot Inn in East Austin. Neon Indian (DJ set) and The Octopus Project headline the event which runs from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. Also performing at the show is Night Drive, Ishi, Holiday Mountain, The Black and White Years, Orthy,Corduroi, Wrestlers and AJ Vincent. With a list of great, local bands like that, Scootenanny looks to be an... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Nyjah Huston dominated Men's Skate Street for gold at X Games Austin

Heavy favorite Nyjah Huston set an X Games record scoring a 95.00 on his second run of the Men's Monster Energy Drink Skate Street final at the Circuit of Americas racetrack in Austin on Sunday to win gold. Huston dominated the field of six skaters who made the final from the start, scoring a 89.33 to take the lead after his first run. A packed grandstands (the venue reached capacity) loudly supported every rider who made the final echoing the traditional goodwill between riders in professional skating.

With Huston leading when his third and final run came, the gifted skater who turned in a near-perfect second round missed a... Continue reading at Axs.com

Live music review: The Flaming Lips saved best for last at X Games Austin

After four days of live music along with incredible extreme sports feats at the first X Games held in Austin the Flaming Lips (TFL) closed out the event Sunday in style at the Austin360 Amphitheater. The Tulsa-based psych-rockers played a satisfying 90-minute set complete with confetti cannons, giant mushrooms and acid-induced visuals on a giant screen behind the band. The show was easily the best headlining performance of the weekend. Kanye may have... Continue reading at axs.com

Austin X Games kicked off with Tony Hawk downtown half pipe demo

The inaugural X Games Austin kicked off Thursday with an early evening skateboard and BMX demo by Tony Hawk and friends attended by thousands of fans from Austin and around the world. Hawk is the iconic skateboard king who helped popularize extreme sports in the U.S. The 46-year-old Hawk put on an impressive display on the giant half-pipe positioned a block in front of the state capital building that equalled the efforts of skaters... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Free Press Summer Fest 2014 interview: Tom Nguyen of Houston band The Tontons

One of the better moves Free Press Summer Fest(FPSF) organizers made this year was putting Houston upstarts, The Tontons on the main, Mars Stage Saturday. The quartet has been steadily gaining buzz in the national music press since forming five years ago. The contrast of Vocalist Asli Omar's jazzy vocal delivery against the created by brothers Adam and Justin Martinez (guitar and drums) and Tom Nguyen (bass) gives the act their own lush, soulful sound. 

The Tontons have drawn raves from Spin Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, Pop Press International and Examiner. If you missed our previous posts in which shared our love of the band find them at... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Win VIP tickets to Myspace Holy Ghost! show after X Games downtown kick off June 5

The official kick-off for X Games Austin will take place in the 2nd Street District on Thursday, June 5 where Myspace will be hosting a free Holy Ghost  performance at ACL Live. Myspace is giving away a pair of VIP tickets with guaranteed express entry to the concert which will likely reach capacity. Music fans may RSVP and should arrive early to ensure entry to the... Continue Reading at Examiner.com