Canopy. Light. Earth. Lines. Side Arms. Oh, and queso. Don’t forget the queso. This is the Saturday Six Vol. XXX
VISIT: ICOSA ART GALLERY AT CANOPY
Oh man, if there’s anything Austin needs to protect, support and have more of, it’s art spaces like this one. ICOSA is an artist-run non-profit cooperative gallery that showcases a diverse range of contemporary art and programming. ICOSA is located at Canopy, East Austin’s blossoming gallery and studio hub at 916 Springdale Road. The gallery is prime with high ceilings and 1500 square feet of exhibition space. Connecting Austin with global art communities takes a heck of a lot of passion and is a heck of a lot of work, and the team at ICOSA get their hands dirty every day. Go see the current show “Are You Doing Your Part / In Your Life?” You’ll be impressed, if not inspired.
READ: ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
On very rare occasions a book comes along that leaves a deep enough mark on you that you never forget it. A book you know you will re-read before you even finish it. One of those stories that literally takes you where you never knew you wanted to go and you never want to leave the world in those pages. All The Light We Cannot See is one of those books. The acclaimed author, Anthony Doerr, has written in a manner that seems beyond human capability and is understandably deserving of the Pulitzer Prize it won. The story of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II is like no other, but that’s only the beginning. Deeply moving, the physical and emotional descriptions are so magnificent. Ten years of study and writing went into this story, but somehow it seems like one hundred.
EXPERIENCE: THE 6TH ANNUAL QUESOFF AT THE MOHAWK
More cheese please! Wait, it’s not just cheese - it’s QUESO! The 6th annual “Quesoff” is a celebration of all things melted cheese and returns to the Mohawk this August. 30. Vendors, restaurants, top chefs, home-cooks, neighbors, brothers and sisters will go head to head in four categories - Meaty, Spicy, Veggie and Wild Card. Buy your bag of chips at the venue for $5 and come taste the best queso Austin has to offer. Consuming, cheering and voting for the best queso in Austin (or in the country for that matter) is a hilarious and adventuresome experience that you don’t want to miss. Side note - trust us from our prior attendance on this one, take it easy on the beer and the chips. There’s so much queso to taste that your belly will get really full, really fast.
WATCH: LOOK & SEE: A PORTRAIT OF WENDELL BERRY
Produced by Robert Redford and Nick Offerman, we’re shocked if you can watch this preview and not want to see the film immediately. Hearing the true author’s aging voice (and others’ whose lives have been heavily influenced by him) reading his nature driven, near holy poetry and essays over the scenes of this movie is beautiful, captivating and even causes a deep sense of fear and bewilderment. Wendell Berry is literally like no other writer, activist, poet, scholar or farmer who has ever graced the planet - and the planet’s livelihood is a large part of what he stands for. Nature is his heartbeat. His works will live on much longer than us, so thank you, Wendell Berry, for reminding us what really matters.
STAY: THE LINE HOTEL
Austin has some of the most amazing locally owned boutique hotels in the country, but this one is new on the scene and it’s pretty dang cool. With a location in LA, the LINE has brought some of the West Coast vibe to the ATX. At the crossroads where Town Lake meets downtown, it draws influence from Austin’s natural beauty and the creative energy that fuels the city. They’ve done such an amazing job with the landscaping, the pool, the outdoor area, the restaurant and cafe’, that you’ll want to give it all a look-see. Oh, and the rooms are kitchy and fun and affordable, so maybe you should give it a stay as well.
LISTEN: WALKER LUKENS
This Austin-based, Houston-bred singer and multi-instrumentalist has been called a ‘non-sexually intimidating version of Prince’, and a ‘veteran balladeer with sudden indie rock ambitions’. We’ve listened and those statements are both true. His music has received a ton of legitimate praise as Lukens and his backing band, The Side Arms, have been constantly touring all over the US (be sure to look at the “SHOWS” sections on his website, and go see him when he’s near you - they play a great live show!) It also doesn’t hurt that Spoon drummer Jim Eno recorded Walker & The Side Arms’ new music at his studio, Public Hi-Fi. His videos are super creative and extremely entertaining as well. Watch and listen!