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    Scenes from SXSW 2011

    Kanye West, Chamillionaire and 2,000 bands promise an SXSW music frenzy

    Susan Darrow
    Mar 15, 2011 | 12:59 pm
    • Famed Houston rapper Chamillionaire will be a featured conference speaker.
    • There’s always a surfeit of great music in Austin, but this week it will beoozing from every pore of the city.
    • Rumors are swirling about an appearance by Kanye West.
    • Jake Gyllenhaal has been in good spirits most of the time he's been in Austin.

    As the South By Southwest (SXSW) Film and Interactive conferences swung into full gear in Austin last Friday, festivalgoers had already begun packing into standing-room-only panels at the Austin Convention Center. Hotels across town have been booked solid for weeks and flights into Austin were full.

    For the savvy visitor, the weekend offered a good chance to check out the scene in “the Live Music Capital of the World” before the rest of the hordes arrive for SXSW Music Wednesday.

    Celebrity sightings abounded – CultureMap staffer Carey Kirkpatrick spotted Rainn Wilson and Rick Fox, and other notables in the capital city included Conan O’Brien, Danny DeVito, Mike Tyson and Pee Wee Hermann.

    Popular author and blogger Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) was seen on South Congress, tweeting “Don’t just want to move TO Austin, want to move INTO the Hotel San Jose.” And news reports confirmed that Jake Gyllenhaal (apparently otherwise a good sport about posing for pics) scuffled with a fan who snapped his photo at an “inelegant time” in the Paramount Theatre restroom.

    From a music perspective, it almost felt like a regular (busy) Friday night in Austin. There were plenty of folks out enjoying their weekend on South Congress, but the South by San Jose Stage (which will be surrounded by hundreds of people later this week when Black Joe Lewis, the North Mississippi All-Stars, and the Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra perform) was dark, in anticipation of the unofficial free showcases that will begin Wednesday. It was even possible to secure a prime parking space last weekend near the popular Continental Club.

    Over at Threadgill’s World Headquarters, a packed house enjoyed the music of the Joe Ely Band and Shinyribs (featuring Gourds frontman Kevin Russell). A few badges were spotted, and a handful of Scandinavian visitors in town for the conference stopped by the table where the bands were selling CDs. For the most part, however, the outdoor venue seemed filled with a largely Austin-based crowd, blissfully unaffected by the frenzy of South-by.

    That’s all about to change.

    Thousands more festival attendees (some credentialed, many others badge- and wristband-free) are descending on Austin. There’s always a surfeit of great music, but this week it will be oozing from every pore of the city.

    Soon, Cee-Lo Green, Queens of the Stone Age, Duran Duran, the Strokes and keynote speaker Sir Bob Geldof will join some 2,000 other bands at conference events and venues all over Austin. Rumors are swirling about an appearance by Kanye West.

    A typical venue might host six bands in a showcase each night, and at any given hour on a SXSW Music evening, there are probably 80 different bands playing at SXSW venues. And those are just the official showcases. A mind-boggling number of additional parties, unofficial showcases, and other random music occurrences will round out the week.

    Musicians with Houston connections will be well represented at South by Southwest. Famed Houston rapper Chamillionaire will be a featured conference speaker. Local favorites Buxton and Robert Ellis, both recently signed to New West Records, will both have official showcases and will appear at New West’s annual afternoon gathering. Rising star (Woodlands native) Hayes Carll has already begun a jam-packed SXSW schedule that will include at least nine official (and unofficial) appearances.

    Houstonian singer-songwriter Gordy Quist will be appearing with the Band of Heathens for their official showcase at Antone’s on Thursday night in support of their new album “Top Hat Crown and the Clapmaster’s Son," due out later this month.

    “We're excited to be playing the showcase with Emmylou Harris and the Old 97s,” Quist says. “We'll be going through lots of the new songs.”

    L.A. entertainment lawyer, Paste Magazine writer, and Houston expat Jeff Leven will be returning to South-By this year after taking a year off for the birth of his daughter. As usual, his schedule is planned to the minute – he’s especially looking forward to hearing bands like The Silent Comedy (“part big tent revival, part Prohibition-era moonshine orgy, part bluesy kingsnake crawl”) and Maxim Ludwig, whom he says combines “the grizzled wit of Levon Helm, a loose-limbed young Van Morrison, the piercing wit of the punk era Elvis Costello.”

    Can’t make it to Austin? Have a virtual South-By experience via the numerous radio stations that will be providing broadcasts from the festival.

    The popular KGSR morning shows from the Four Seasons hotel will offer live performances from G Love, Ozomatli and Bob Schneider, and the station tweets that they have just confirmed appearances from Emmylou Harris and Ryan Bingham. Austin’s KUT will also do live morning broadcasts from the Hilton, including the Old 97’s and Ron Sexsmith.

    Some out-of-town stations will stage their own concerts to provide exposure to their hometown acts. Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current will feature acts like DeVotchKa and Chapel Club during their showcase from 3-6 p.m. Thursday. Seattle’s KEXP will be broadcasting live from Austin for eight hours a day Wednesday through Friday.

    And, if you want to help South By Southwest give back…the festival’s annual Japan Nite (a SXSW tradition featuring Japanese bands) has been turned into a benefit for the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. You can contribute here or text your donation to 90999.

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    Riverside Reno

    Fresh makeover turns Hill Country hotel into modern riverside refuge

    Brianna Caleri
    Jun 12, 2025 | 2:36 pm
    Hacienda Del Rio Hotel and Bar
    Photo courtesy of Hacienda Del Rio\u200b
    No matter how cosmopolitan the hotel gets, nothing can beat the trees around this pool.

    After a two-year renovation and rebranding, Hacienda Del Rio Hotel and Bar has opened in Gruene, a historic district within New Braunfels. Formerly the Gruene Outpost River Lodge, the property along the Guadalupe River now has 48 renovated rooms, new outdoor sports like pickleball, and updated amenities at the pool.

    The River Lodge's previous aesthetic was DIY and rustic, but the new Hacienda Del Rio has a much more cosmopolitan, contemporary design. The new look is full of midcentury styles, but with other eclectic elements mixed in. A press release declares the space was "designed in the spirit of Spanish colonial architecture," but don't expect anything old-fashioned.

    Hacienda Del Rio\u200b Hotel and Bar interiorThese earthy tones mellow out an otherwise energetic space.Photo courtesy of Hacienda Del Rio

    Texas-based hotel group French Cowboys was behind this major makeover, which started in April 2023. That puts Hacienda Del Rio in a family with Camp Comfort and The Meyer Hotel in the Hill Country town of Comfort; the Claire Hotel near Canyon Lake; the Gruene River Inn and Heidelberg Lodges in New Braunfels, and Webber East in Austin.

    The Hacienda can accommodate up to 178 guests in a variety of room layouts including kings, double queens, and suites. Bathrooms and showers are new, and rooms are outfitted with smart TVs, plus custom steel doors and windows. Photos of guestrooms, although they are colorful, show off a streamlined sensibility.

    A new clubhouse and cocktail bar draws guests who may not be staying overnight. Coffee and breakfast will be available in the morning, followed by daytime snacks, and finally a full bar in the evening. Anyone who stops by can enjoy beer, wine, and signature cocktails, plus shuffleboard, a pool table, and even some workspace. There will also be a new conference room for presentations, retreats, and more.

    Hacienda Del Rio\u200b Hotel and Bar interiorThis lounge is open to hotel guests and the public.Photo courtesy of Hacienda Del Rio

    Departing from the artsy interior to New Braunfels' beautiful surroundings, guests can play pickleball, beach volleyball, and basketball on a half-court, plus fire pits near the river and kayaks, paddleboards, and floats. River adventures will be facilitated by Paddle Texas, which will offer rentals and experiences. Finally, a renovated pool and deck provide more leisure space.

    “‘Del Rio’ reflects the area’s deep connection to the Guadalupe River, where guests can jump in, float, or just hang out by the water, whether it’s at the river or our pool," said French Cowboys co-founder Dylan Petrich in a press release. "And Hacienda captures our vision of creating a vibrant, social place where people can kick back, enjoy the outdoors, and grab a drink, all in one of the Hill Country’s most iconic destinations, without breaking the bank."

    Rates start at $125 per night, and the food and beverage space is open every day. Introductory rates are available for those who book through December 31, 2025.

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