City Cast Austin

TGIF! It’s the Friday News Roundup, and host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about this week’s news. On the agenda: How to celebrate Labor Day weekend, what Austin and Travis County are doing to address the area’s food insecurity and food deserts, and unpacking what really happened when a drag brunch received a bomb threat in June. Plus, it’s University of Texas football season time, and we’ve got some thoughts on where you should watch the first home game. And make sure you stick around after the roundup for our Don’t Go Gently tip for this weekend. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Labor Day is approaching, and even though it feels like a sauna outside, tradition tells us it’s time to grill. Today, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by the Cairo-born and Texas-trained pitmaster extraordinaire at KG BBQ, Kareem El-Ghayesh, to get all the tips to make your holiday meal a success. Plus, El-Ghayesh tells about the first bite of Texas barbecue in an understated Austin establishment in 2012 changed his life forever. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Being a professional musician in Austin is NOT what it used to be — today’s musicians have to juggle multiple gigs, often teach, and have to really work to carve out time to be creative. Today, host Nikki DaVaughn talks to Alex Marrero, a local musician and icon in the Latin fusion music scene, about how he does it all, from performing to teaching to voice artistry and radio show host. Plus, can rising musicians find the same success these days that Marrero has found? And stay tuned for our special weekly segment, A Mile in Their Boots, featuring a bonus interview with Shaun Branigan, a performer at Esther’s Follies. This is the second of five episodes we'll be doing about the music community in Austin, brought to you by our exclusive launch sponsor, Tecovas. Tecovas knows more than handmade boots and fine Western wear — they’ve got an ear for great music, too. From legends of the past to rising stars on the scene, they love supporting musicians and music fans right here in Austin. So if you’re headed for a good time on the stage or in the crowd, go in good boots from Tecovas. You can hear Alex Marrero play live at our Austin in Stereo showcase, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Tecovas store on South Congress.  We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

July in Austin was weird; surprisingly rainy, somewhat cool, even. But the summer slog continues, as our guest, CBS Austin Meteorologist Avery Tomasco, warns. In today’s episode, Tomasco joins host Nikki DaVaughn in recapping our lake-filling but not drought-busting July rainfall and this year’s hurricane season. Plus, Tomasco shares his feelings about the Farmer’s Almanac, “Twisters,” and Austin’s own Glen Powell. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

It’s National Dog Day, and a perfect excuse to talk about everyone’s favorite Austinites: Dogs! It can be a ruff life for canines, but in Central Texas, we sure do love our pooches. To celebrate them, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Luis Sanchez, the spokesman for Austin Pets Alive!, and executive producer and dog-lover Eva Ruth Moravec. We’re sharing our best tips for dog parents, including where to find and request low-cost resources for pets, the many off-leash dog spots in ATX, and how you can foster a pet for a few hours, a few days, or longer. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

It’s the Friday News Roundup! Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and Executive Producer Eva Ruth Moravec to discuss the latest news that caught City Cast Austin’s eye this week. On our agenda: Austin’s inescapable hairdryer-like heat, why Austin City Limits music festival organizers moved Chappell Roan’s set (or so we think), and the eviction of a longtime East Side business and what it meant to the neighborhood. Plus, we talk about a new state policy blocking transgender Texans from changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. And make sure you stick around after the roundup for our Don’t Go Gently tip for this weekend. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Austin City Council has adopted the budget for next fiscal year — and it’s a measly $5.9 billion. To fund it, the average homeowner is expected to see an increase in fees and taxes of $30 a month. And what will it be paying for? There are employee raises, police department increases, and new line items for addressing homelessness, increased money for maintenance at parks, and the Austin Animal Center, and more. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn follows up on an earlier episode previewing the budget debate and is joined again by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of The Austin Common.  We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

It’s a struggle to operate a live music venue in Austin — even despite the city’s tagline as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” In recent years, the local industry has been sucker-punched by rising real estate costs and property taxes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri, not to mention dwindling crowds at hot outdoor summer concerts. But finally, local efforts are underway to keep Austin’s musical havens intact, and freelance reporter Chad Swiatecki joins host Nikki DaVaughn to talk about them all. Stay tuned for our special weekly segment, A Mile in Their Boots, featuring a bonus interview with Erica Nix, a self-described body positive ambassador. This is the first of five episodes we'll be doing about the music community in Austin, brought to you by our exclusive launch sponsor, Tecovas. Tecovas knows more than handmade boots and fine Western wear — they’ve got an ear for great music, too. From legends of the past to rising stars on the scene, they love supporting musicians and music fans right here in Austin. So if you’re headed for a good time on the stage or in the crowd, go in good boots from Tecovas.Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

The newest sports team in Austin, the Austin Gamblers, has it all: Guts, Suspense, Heartbreak, Danger, and Cowboys. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn talks with Michael “Gman” Gaffney, the Gamblers’ coach and a Professional Bull Riders champion. The 3-year-old Gamblers is one of 10 teams who compete in the PBR Team Series, which comes to their home turf, the Moody Center, Aug. 23 to 25. Listen to find out why you should become their next biggest fan. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Austin is an old city — it was founded in 1837, then called “Waterloo” — but the ever-present cranes downtown are there to remind us it’s constantly in a state of change. And in recent years, especially, an influx of new Austinites has highlighted one growing pain: Housing. But must we tear down the old to make way for the new? What does a city lose when its architectural history is demolished? Preservation Austin’s Meghan King joins host Nikki DaVaughn to discuss. And make sure you mark your calendars to participate in their Legacy Business Month festivities in October. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE