Never heard this from any of my friends before:

Until now.

Makes me more curious than ever to get down there.

Places you live are usually what you make of them.

wow, poor guy.

Sounds like he should go back to colorado, except, why did he leave there in the first place?

Job.

computer monkey?

He's actually a freelance creative, but his wife (who is also in advertising) got an agency job down there.

Truth.

Agreed.
Thing is, he's a damn good musician, who's been out of it for a couple of years. I've been encouraging him to get back to it, but he hasn't.

One of the most down-to-earth people I ever met lived in Austin for a couple years, and he said that it was probably an awesome city at one point, but now it's just turning into a bunch of suburban-consumer (etc.) bullshit. He said most of the residents who have lived there their whole lives sit around bitching about what it used to be. I still want to visit eventually, but for now I'll take his word for it.

David Berman (Silver Jews) from stage on Sunday night: "Well, Austin is one of the most corporatized sell-out cities I've ever seen". This was immediately after singing "Dallas". He then went on to talk about how much he loves Nashville, so Bloor, I guess your city is what you make of it.

I know a director that spent a couple months in Austin doing a documentary. She hates the place with a passion. Of course, she's a socialist pinko fag-friendly academic west coast Canadian, so it stands to reason there'd be some culture shock.

I agree that Nashville is a better city. Austin has more natural stuff with the lakes and what not, but I'd be hard pressed to find a city I've like more than Nashville.

I've heard some say Nashville is now what Austin was 10 years ago. The downside - people coming in and developing yuppie condos/lofts.

We just have more conservatives in town and more people in the music industry (including creative songwriters) than does Austin's "Live Music Capital of the World".

Nashville does win on the "beauty" prize. It's nicer to look at than Austin's dry-climate flora.

Nashville also has less of a "going out" scene than Austin. Downtown Austin is a drinker's paradise while Nashville is a DUI cop's best friend. Our best bars are music venues. Our bars are mostly "ok".

Too late for this to not be a "REP YO CITY!" thread, but I'll take the people, climate, prosperity, hospitable attitude and embrace of the arts here in Austin eight fucking days out of seven.

I'll accept that there are other places that fit different people better, but for fuck's sake it's not like people who don't like Austin have been sentenced here. Try living in a desperate, circling-the-drain town like my former home. Perspective, people.

i enjoyed austin when i was there. could never actually live there due to the heat, but it was a cool place to visit.

First off, I have never been to Austin.

Besides the ridiculousness of calling a town a "sell out," I think it should considered who has money to build and develop these days. Mid-sized cities are growing fast, and corporations/chains are the ones who can afford to build new. Independent shops are great, but they don't just spring up along the main roads in shiny new buildings. I don't really have a solution, but this is something I've noticed in a lot of smaller cities lately.

I should say, I've liked Austin the 5 times I've been there.

I've only been to Austin during sxsw...I'd like to go back on a regular weekend...but anyplace that has decent venues/record stores/and barbecue I'm sure to love... I've only been to Nashville once, for a night, and I had a great time there too.

let us not forget...spoon is from Austin.

I agree with Bloor that your city is what you make of it, I couldn't stand Atlanta until I moved back and made friends with people who weren't burnouts living in their parent's basement

I think he's been impressive so far but am not sure how he'll do with Brad at the helm.

Also because there are other cities before Austin that are just a better fit for me.

I have never been able to visit Austin. In the 4/5/whatever years I've been around Obner/CMJ I've never made it to a SXSW Obnerite/CMJer get-together. So, I will wait to pass judgement until that time that I can be properly introduced to the city.... I hear it's cool.

Then again, lots of people want to talk to me about how awesome they hear Athens is, and I'm at a bit of a loss in that description... I see it could be the same thing in play there.

For a small town, it's really awesome.

Yeah, it can be. I do like it here and as of now have no immediate plans to leave. I just mean that people who have never been here tend to overblow it a bit.

30 or 40 bars in a downtown that small is a bit overwhelming when you first see it. It's like Mecca for black-out drunks.