"I miss Austin...even though I live here" (Dallas: school, restaurant)

[scm53]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Ya got a link for that? The wikipedia article is vague, says the City subsidized it in the early years, later the City was the Festival's biggest creditor. No indication that that it was set up as a non-profit or benefited anyone. Seems like profitability was a constant issue.

I only knew Aqua Fest in its later incarnations, 1990-98.

Don't need a link, because I know the history. Was mainly founded by two giants of men, the late Vic Mathias and Hub Bechtol, as a community event, initially sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce (which Vic was director of). Totally run by a volunteer board. One guy who chaired it in the 80's, I'm pretty sure THL knew - Terry Sasser.

[capcat]

^"Community event" captures it and is the difference. For several years in the late 70s, we volunteered in a booth sponsored by my workplace (a part of the UT system). Aqua Fest declined in the later years, but when they kept it small, it was good. When bigger name acts came in, it wasn't the same. That changed the feel from a community event/celebration of cultures where music was a backdrop to something more commercial, where music was supposed to be the major draw. Or at least that's the way I remember it.

[ScoPro]

Well, we enjoyed the Fiesta at Laguna Gloria in the '70s. Was a lot of fun to putt-putt up to the dock in a Glastron, walk all the art booths, then hang out at the beer garden.

[zakas80]

Yawn...everything was better before, everything is ruined now thanks to hipsters, California transplants, and big business..wah wah wah. Your city has grown up, it's not a little baby anymore! Sick of these nostalgic sentimental threads.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by zakas80

Yawn...everything was better before, everything is ruined now thanks to hipsters, California transplants, and big business..wah wah wah. Your city has grown up, it's not a little baby anymore! Sick of these nostalgic sentimental threads.

Ah, hyperbole. The refuge of the intellectually lazy. No one ever said that.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Well, we enjoyed the Fiesta at Laguna Gloria in the '70s. Was a lot of fun to putt-putt up to the dock in a Glastron, walk all the art booths, then hang out at the beer garden.

Started to mention that. It was probably my favorite event of the year. Only thing wrong with Fiesta was it needed to be at a time when we wouldn't have torrential rain the same weekend. It seemed guaranteed.

[Spacepup]

I just gave up on ACL today actually. Been givin it a chance last year and this year but not anymore.

Too crowded, hot, hard to get near enough stages to actually see the band because of massive chair encampments, every stage is cranked way too loud to reach those chair people so you get massive bleed-over, expensive both for the wristband and for everything at the festival, and just not very fun.

And this is just me but I just can't deal with the smell of weed. It turns my stomach something awful when I've been in the sun for that long and eaten whatever re-warmed over-priced food I chose to go with.

I suppose this is what getting old is. I need a lawn to yell at people to get off of.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Spacepup

I just gave up on ACL today actually. Been givin it a chance last year and this year but not anymore.

Too crowded, hot, hard to get near enough stages to actually see the band because of massive chair encampments, every stage is cranked way too loud to reach those chair people so you get massive bleed-over, expensive both for the wristband and for everything at the festival, and just not very fun.

And this is just me but I just can't deal with the smell of weed. It turns my stomach something awful when I've been in the sun for that long and eaten whatever re-warmed over-priced food I chose to go with.

I suppose this is what getting old is. I need a lawn to yell at people to get off of.

You have one! It's called Zilker Park.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by zakas80

Yawn...everything was better before, everything is ruined now thanks to hipsters, California transplants, and big business..wah wah wah. Your city has grown up, it's not a little baby anymore! Sick of these nostalgic sentimental threads.

You know, just because we don't think that emulating NYC or LA is the best thing since sliced bread and "all grown up" doesn't make it all nostalgia. There have been good changes, but a LOT of the changes have been "let's see if we can be just like Anywhere, USA", which doesn't sound All Grown Up to me, it sounds pretty adolescent, really - "See me, I'm a rebel, and I act and dress just like the eighty-leven other rebels of my generation that I want to be just like, aren't I grown up and independent?" (Been there, done that, have the tie-dyed t-shirt to prove it.)

Thoughtful change is one thing and can be very positive. Change just because money is thrown at you and you're overly impressed with the Big City is something else again, and can be very bad.

And change for the sake of change is, by definition, bad, because it's way too easy for it to go oh, so wrong.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by zakas80

Yawn...everything was better before, everything is ruined now thanks to hipsters, California transplants, and big business..wah wah wah. Your city has grown up, it's not a little baby anymore! Sick of these nostalgic sentimental threads.

"grown up" ??

We're still the same second tier city that we were 20-25 years ago. (i like second tier cities, btw).

We've just gone from a lean, fresh faced 13 y/o to a bloated, lazy 15 y/o......but now we do have gadgets & health memberships & stuff....but Austin is a LONG way from being grown up.

Lots of things are better. (the airport, cell phone service, SH 45 & I 130, a lot of the schools, influx of asians, some of the restaurants, Dell Diamond, 2nd street, 4th street, the golfing venues, tennis venues, illegals coming to stay & opening up taquerias, Gtown, Pville...lots of others).

& Lots of things are worse. (Mopac, I 35, 183, UT football, the SoCo area, Manor, home values, our public servants, radio stations, influx of Californians - unless they started a company that employed people or opened a food truck, influx of faux indy musicians, influx of overpriced chain stores.)

Still waiting for: Some new arrival to open up some Santa Maria BBQ or East Coast Italian, an outer western loop toll (Connecting Georgetown & western DS), a decent local politician, a decent local sportscaster, a decent UT football coach, Sbahn (what happened to that?). Not holding my breath for any of them though.

Don't want to spend a nickel on: New roads, new bridges, new museums, statues for vagrants, subsidized housing (for anyone), new choo choo trains, ANY pro sports teams, any new city bonds of any kind. I do like that idea for Gondolas across town lake though.

1/3 of us have been here for 20+ years....it's natural to discuss what's better & what's worse about our little slice of heaven. Besides it's an internet site.....we're allowed to b*tch & you're allowed to state that you're "sick" of us b*tching.




Edit - Hee. Me & Horselady were posting similar stuff.