East End Ink

It’s friday, and that means freedom is ahead of us! With only two days a week to truly play, I try to make sure to plan some fun things! And with all the options, it’s probably more difficult to stay in than to go out (x_x)

TONIGHT: My evening is starting on a lovely dinner date with my fav pal, lobbyist and East Austinite blogger, Selena Xie, at the top pizza shop Homeslice. Let’s face it, there are so many restaurants in Austin, there’s no way that I can keep up with all of them. I haven’t eaten pizza since I went vegan in September  so I am super excited to see what kind of pizza they can come up for me. I am thinking maybe a pesto sauce with roasted tomatos and garlic?

Once we fill our bellies, we will roll on over to Flex Space for the “You Are Your Own” opening featuring a joint exhibition of local artist Matthew Genitempo and sculptor Travis LaMothe. I’m super excited to check out the work & the gallery space since I’ve never been there before. The opening is from 8pm-11pm, and is located at 1109 Shady Lane (directions here). This gallery has a new opening on the first Friday of every month so keep your eyes peeled!

After all the contemplation my brain can handle,  I am going to need to let loose and it just so happens that my pals and space enthusiants Missions will be playing at Mohawk as part of the Free Week Series. No doubt they will send me on a magical journey through the stars. Also playing tonight are The Clouds Are Ghosts, The Calm Blue Sea and a DJ set by the Octopus Project.

TOMORROW: Awww Saturday. The day to sleep in. But with this beautiful weather, I am thinking I will wake up early for a run around Town Lake… probably one of the most therapeutic activities that I can think of.. But with no time to spare, I was thinking I will stop by an AIGA event called Type Truck. It’s pretty much exactly how it sounds.. a mobile print shop ! Owner Kyle Durrie from Portland will be set up in the parking lot of Flatbed Press on East MLK for tomorrow only, from 1-5pm. This event is totally free and anyone is welcome to go check out the mobile shop, watch the printing demos and even get your hands dirty to make a couple prints. Then you have the massive number of Free Week shows to choose from… there is just too many. But I would suggest to check out The Parish’s line up: Fresh Millions, The Frontier Brothers, Marmalakes, Wild Moccasins and Hello Wheels.

SUNDAY: I was really excited when I read this month’s newsletter from HOPE Farmer’s Market because they said that this Sunday, there will be free drinks and food! Which… is obviously…my favorite thing ever…….o_0. The market, which is location on E.5th and Waller st has always been super fun to go to, but this weekend you will find free margaritas and sweet tea vodka lemonade – free snacks from Cazamance & The Gardener’s Feast plus live music by The Shady Rest and there’s even $1/minute massage ! Not to mention, I am part of their Poster series, so you should go check that out ;) Sundays are usually my chill day… so after I hit up the HFM, I will probably spend the rest of my day relaxing and crafting little clay monsters.

+++If you are a fan of delicious food, you should go check out Hai Ky on E. Oltorf ! This is the last month I will be have my art featured on their walls.. shameless self promotion, I know, but at the very least you will have a great meal out of it lol.

I am always looking for new places to check out, so if you ever have any reccomendations, feel free to email me at jillian@eastendink.com -

OK. Now go out there and have an awesome weekend !

How fast did two thousand eleven fly by? – but what an amazing year it was here at the shop! Last year brought us some great additions to the EEI team – Jared Connor in Art, Fred Gomez in Printing, Ninfa Montano in Accounting, and Russ Steele & Bijou Finney in Sales. This means we are starting 2012 with our most solid team ever, one that I am beyond proud to be a part of !  We also got to work on some amazing projects including all the crazy festivals that Austin holds. Now we’re running and we won’t touch ground! Yes, that is a Men At Work reference. Long hair, don’t care -_-

I am so excited for everything that is ahead of me and the rest of the company. We have a lot already happening in the first few days back, including some renovations inside the shop (I am not going to reveal til we are done!)! It has felt a little incomplete so far though… I blame the fact that I am definitely missing Ninfa’s presence right now – who is off exploring the lands of London & India ! We are all anxiously waiting for her arrival back next week & then the team will be whole again!! Until then, Ms. Pearl will have to continue to wait at the top of the stairs for her sister from another mister to come home.

Besides just things at EEI, it’s a great first week in Austin ! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I am finally back on my bike without my face turning bright red from the frozen air, and I don’t have to wear a blanket in my office anymore lol. I am feelin good, friends… my Celtics are back in the game, the windows are all open and to top it off, FREE WEEK is happening right now! So many shows and bands that are worth checking out, and all you have to do is show up. I’ve even done half the work for you – here’s the entire line up for the whole week (click to enlarge):

I know it looks overwhelming… so I will go even further as to recommend where I would go tonight.. which is Red 7 to watch East Cameron Folkcore ! And since Beauty Bar is right next door… I would stop in to check out whoever is playing since their whole line up is great tonight. Oooooo and then I would hop over to the Mohawk for My Education (they are giving away free milkshakes at midnight from local trailer Handshakes…and if i wasn’t vegan living you know I’d be all up on those). Dang… and that’s just tonight!?! So get out there and hear some local music because that’s what this city is all about. Thanks Transmission….for making life just that much more awesome.

November brings lots of good things… the cool fall weather, delicious foods made out of pumpkins, sweaters & cardigans… but most importantly – it brings us one of the best independent music festivals in the country: FunFunFun fest !

When I first moved here in 2007, I remember wandering around Waterloo Park between the FFF stages thinking how many amazing bands were performing that I never dreamed of seeing. Four years later, the festival has grown into a much bigger production while keeping the same low-key feeling they are loved for. This year is one of the most special years for two reasons. One, the festival has moved locations to Auditorium Shores (let’s face it, the view is going to be so epic) and two, fans were given the opportunity to recommend artists that they wanted to see perform…. a CUSTOM BOOKED FESTIVAL, WHA!? I am proud of everyone who got involved in this aspect of the festival because the line up is s-t-a-c-k-e-d.

This is where problems start to arise… there are just too many bands you want to see that perform at the same time ! It’s okay though, I don’t really think you can lose – no matter what stage you decide to attend. But just in case you are debating who to see, I will tell you some of my favorite acts participating in this year’s FFF (besides the obvious headlining acts).

M83 (Saturday)- a dreamy French indie pop act that will rocket your mind into space and your body into a uncontrollable sway.

Russian Circles (Friday) – a three piece instrumental rock band whose live performances have left my neck sore from headbanging too furiously (x_x) !

Active Child (Saturday) – a solo artist who layers his unearthly vocals with the haunting waves of analogue synths and the echo of his harp – pure magic.

Austra (Sunday) – named after the goddess of light in Latvian mythology, this Canadian new wave band’s music, fronted by classically trained Katie Stelmain, reflects their name perfectly .

Honestly, I could keep adding to this list all day long… and well- I just might do that after I publish this entry (so check back!). For all you poor souls you can’t be in Austin during this epic weekend, Transmission Entertainment and Pitchfork have teamed up to do a live broadcast <—holy crap ! This will make it easier to brag to my friends back home in Boston 8) just kidding!!!  But it WILL give a much larger audience the opportunity to check in on this amazing festival. more info can be found here.

Now lastly – I couldn’t post about Fun Fest without including all the awesome projects we got to work on- Read after the cut to get a little taste of this year’s FFF merch !

Read more…

Our favorite Austin weirdos, Ghostland Observatory (Aaron Behrens and Thomas Ross Turner) have a crazy weekend lined up ! Starting tonight, the boys will be playing a double header  at The Ballroom at Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas – a 1920’s era warehouse turned one-of a kind venue. You can expect these shows to get pretty wild and sweaty, so you might want to pick up this shirt to change into on your way out ! Tickets are still on sale for both nights, here & here.

Giving themselves a day break only to travel half way across the US to  North Carolina, the duo will then start setting up to play at the elusive moogfest ! Moogfest is a three day festival, held in different venues across Asheville, celebrating & honoring Robert Moog – a pioneer in musical inventions. G.O will be playing on Sunday October 30th, at the Asheville Civic Center Arena at 10:30pm. The rest of the line up includes amazing acts like The Flaming Lips, M83 (Heck ya!), Moby, Passion Pit, TV on the Radio, Chromeo, Battles, The Antlers – i am basically having a seizure as i read the rest of the list, it’s that good – Check out the full line up here !

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Austinnnnnnnnn beer lovers ! Of all ages over 21!!

The second annual Austin Beer Week has begun, seven days of Oktoberfest celebrations and countless chances to fulfill your desires for all the amazing local brews this city has to offer. These events will happen all around town at breweries, brewpubs, restaurants, and bars – you’ll be tasting! and pairing ! and celebrating the fine craft of the local beer artisans !

The ABW website has organized a calender that makes it super easy to navigate between everything you could want to do ! My recommendation? I visited the Austin Beerworks Brewery a few months ago, and it was pretty damn rad. Keep your eyes out for them because these dudes know what they are doing !

ALSO – East End Ink has a reason to celebrate this week… Congratulations to Adrian & his family on their new baby boy  !!! We all can’t wait to meet the little inkerton :D Wishing you guys all the happiness and health in the world. <3

Usually Mondays can be quite a drag… but this particular Monday everyone should be excited for because Mohawk is presenting quite a show. For only $12, you will get transported to a dreamland where you have to do nothing…but ride the chillwave. Opening up the show is the local band, Sleep ? Over, with their hazy lo-fi dreampop sound that is perfect for a cool October Austin night. You won’t want to miss these ladies, especially before they head off on their European tour.

Headlining tonight is the elusive Washed Out -  a solo artist by the name of Ernest Greene hailing from Perry, Georgia. Greene has attracted many fans through his ability to transcend the listener to a place and time unknown -for me, it’s that time when it’s not quite day..not quite night.. and it seems anything is possible.

but you should listen and see where the chillwave takes you. enjoy !

“If there is one person that represents honkytonk music in Texas and Oklahoma, it is Jason Boland. He is the living, breathing, musical being of everything honkytonk.” – Do512.com

Some of our favorite boys, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, will be performing TONIGHT at Antone’s ! Show starts at 8pm, so head on downtown and enjoy your favorite whiskey while watching some good ole fashion live tunes.

I could never even imagine up a city in my mind that cared more about music than the city of Austin. It’s programs like the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) that only further my suspicious that this is one of the greatest cities in the country to live in, especially if you are a musician ! This program allows for many of our local, self employed musicians to get the basic health care that, let’s face it, we all really need.

Tomorrow marks HAAM Benefit Day. Presented by Whole Foods Market, HAAM Benefit Day is a uniquely Austin event where businesses donate 5% of the day’s proceeds to HAAM to support musicians’ health. Musicians, most of whom are HAAM members, perform throughout the day at retail stores, outside stages, and more. The event runs from 7am to well past midnight and community members are invited to shop, eat, and listen to all the talent that we have flowing through our city.

You can check out the whole list of shows right here

And for the entire list of participating businesses, follow this link !

This weekend, the tech-savvy Texas Tribune will debut its first ever Texas Tribune Festival. The Texas Tribune, a new and innovative non-profit news source covering Texas politics (rated #9 most innovative media companies after the Huffington Post and Twitter!), was a go-to source for news on the Texas Legislature these past two sessions. This Festival features panels, lectures, and keynote addresses from giants in hot topics of Texas politics including education, energy, environment, immigration, and health and human services. Some of those big participants include Texas Senator John Cornyn, former US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and more Texas legislators than hot days this summer.

Oh and it is Austin after all so don’t miss all the food truck vendors that will be on site to serve attendees! Check out the schedule here and register here.

One of the great things about East Austin is the vibrant and diverse community… Esquina Tango is no exception ! This non-profit organization located just down the street from us on Perdernales St brings awareness to Argentine and Latin American traditions that aims at personal wellness and appreciation through performing arts and health. On Saturday, September 24th – Esquina Tango will be hosting Austin’s first All-Nighter Milonga with guest DJ Mercy – starting at 8:30pm and ending at 6am ! There will be prizes for the last three couples standing, so get your dancin’ shoes on and show them what you’re made of.