Texas Chic

Texas Chic was the dress theme Saturday night at the Long Center. Will Wynn, Austin's mayor and his friend were boot scooting when FFP stopped them to take the picture.

After all The Hoopla...We Declare it Open!

To make it feel like we had celebrated sufficiently to declare the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts, The Michael and Susan Dell Hall, The Debra and Kevin Rollins Studio Theater and the City Terrace outside the center open for business the party continued last night.

There was barbecue. There were libations. (Thanks, Twin Liquors for amazing choices befitting all the occasions of the last few weeks! Real champagne to toast the Notable Women plaque Thursday! Shiner Black last night! And on and on.)

Then the unruly crowd filed into Dell Hall. Michael and Susan were in their hall Friday night, but I didn't see them last night. But most of the movers and shakers were there along with people who had ponied up just to see the show (and have some of the aforementioned libations). Ray Benson (and Asleep at the Wheel) played some great stuff and supervised the stage and brought on Lyle Lovett, Willie (needs no last name to be introduced), Ricky Trevino and Flaco Jimenez — and all-Texan line-up to send the center off on its venture with opera, ballet, symphony, musical theater, plays, Rock, Jazz, Country and anything the eclectic denizens of the Capital City desire. At the end, with everyone on the stage singing "On the Road Again" we were muttering "this is a band you will never see all together again!"

We managed to get outside in time to stand on the City Terrace and see the magnificent fireworks display. (The Men's Room line was longer than the Ladies! YES!) I tried the fireworks setting on my old point and shoot digital. This won't win any awards, but take the time to blow it up with a click and look in the bottom right corner. That is our building, our home in a few months, dutifully reflecting the fireworks...it looked like colored lights were racing up and down its spine. And the 'ring' of the City Terrace illuminated Long Center purple here, saved from the old Palmer Auditorium, will surely become an icon to Austin. It's great how they can project light on it.

Did I mention there was boot scooting music in the tent with the barbecue before the concert? After the concert there were Frito Pies, libations (thanks again Twin Liquors!) and more two stepping and such. (We didn't have boots, but we scooted.)

If this entry seems a little like a booster piece for Austin, the Long Center, Austin Arts, downtown development etc. well, so be it. I'm a booster I guess. It will be possible, one day, for me to walk to this lovely venue! [It would be a shorter trip if I had a boat to go across Lady Bird Lake.]

A Long-Awaited Opening

Inside and out the Long Center was full of people in finery and performances. There was eating and drinking. I think this girl in a bubble on the rain-soaked City Terrace with the search lights and light show on the ring is a beautiful picture from my puny camera. Nothing could really capture this event. Tonight there is a redo, Texas-style! Everything is bigger and better in Texas, you know. Or so they say. Reviews of the hotel opening scene in "Giant" recommended to make this seem tame.

Architect for Our New Performing Arts Center

There have been scores of events leading up to the official opening of the Long Center for the Performing Arts, a privately-funded venue for performing arts in Austin. At one of them Gloria Evans, left, and Eva Womack, right, were among dozens honored as major donors. Here they are embraced by Stan Haas, the architect who managed to shepherd the project to completion. The building is lovely. I have no idea how Stan brought all the competing voices together to complete such an inspired design.

Candy from the Big Top

No, the circus wasn't in town. There is a relatively new shop (less than a year old?) on South Congress that has an old-fashioned soda fountain and tons of old-fashioned candy. (Although the Gummi phenomena reached the US after I was a grown person!) They have lots of bars and packages of candy and bins of bulk candy, too. So if you're in SoCo and need a Bit 'o Honey or candy corn fix, there you go. When we visited last Saturday, there was a long line at the soda fountain.

Old, New and soon Newest

Walking south on Congress downtown, my friend and I were struck by the echo of the shape of the historic Joe Koppel building (Fourth and Congress) in the 100 Congress building. The crane is there to help bring up the 56-story Austonian Residences to fruition. (The smallest units planned in the Austonian are the size of our 360 condo. I'll bet that some of the 8000 square foot plus penthouses are still available if you have a few spare millions of dollars. Around 7.5 according to some sources.)

By the way, while trying to find a little info on the Koppel building, I found the assertion that the fellow who built it in the 19th Century did so with the proceeds from medical quackery. It was a grand building for 1888, I'll bet.

New Reflections

When the Frost Bank Tower (at Congress and 4th) was finished and its top lighted four years ago, it was a symbol that things were not just going to stop after 9/11. (Ground was broken for this building only a couple of months after September 11.) A friend of mine drives through downtown each day on her way to her job south of downtown. She is moving to the same downtown high rise we are. (The 360 Condominiums.) She told me that at one point on West Fifth Street the 360 could be seen reflected in the Frost. We sat out on foot one day to capture this. I have a feeling the shot was even better in the middle of the street but this one was taken from the sidewalk.