Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2011 > November > 06 > Entry
Betting on a Bullish Austin
If Austin were a market, it would be trending upward.
On a sunny, windy Saturday, the Longhorns redeemed themselves with a monster win over what was supposed to be an evenly matched Red Raiders team. Waves of exuberance emanated from Royal Memorial Stadium, fanning out through the city’s proliferating sports bars to family dens and living rooms all over Central Texas. When the Horns are doing well, the mood of the city soars (as does consumer confidence and spending, I’m told).
Barbara Chandler and Sharon Wilson
Meanwhile, the aptly named Fun Fun Fun Fest kicked up dust on Auditorium Shores. Thousands of youngsters — and it is a distinctly youthful tribe compared to other music festivals — convened at Austin’s most scenic concert venue. Luckily, many walked or biked, leaving the surrounding streets pretty clear. All day and well into the night, a heavy bass beat thumped in all directions, lending an extra shot of energy to the Occupy Austin loyalists across the river at City Hall.
Janice Wilson and Jo Elwood
Nearby at the Long Center, a slightly grayer gang in tuxes and gowns gathered to salute the 25th anniversary of Austin Lyric Opera in the Kodosky Donor Lounge. Twenty five years is no small landmark for any arts group, especially one that has hit so many bumps along the way. The scariest blow came last spring, when some backers wondered whether Austin could sustain an opera company, then swamped by debt, at all. Yikes.
Eve Michaels, Zana Bru and Wendi Kushner
From the speeches and the chatter around the Kodosky dinner tables, this outsider felt a distinct optimism for the opera, albeit one that will probably never return to the nervy, irrational exuberance of the past. The mood was confirmed onstage, where a stripped-down and comical production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” was so light and airy, it almost floated into the packed house. The audience, about a third of them late ticket purchasers according to Long Center management, was clearly charmed.
Patricia Vojack and Mike Yates
I prefer Austin when it trends upward. There is much to be learned from adversity, such as the stubborn recession, enervating drought, devastating wildfires and yet another nasty political season. But Austin on the upswing makes everything sunny about this city shine a bit brighter.
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