Music on Main

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Hey, City of Round Rock!  I had a good idea involving the use of your downtown plaza.  Since the weather has been so beautiful, why not use the outdoor stage for a band like the Urban Achievers Brass Band?  You could invite everyone out for a party, get some food trucks, maybe a snow cone making booth, face painting for the kids, and advertise it a bit to insure a good turnout.  What?  You already thought of that?  It’s called Music on Main and it’s going to be a weekly free event for a while with a different band each week?  Awesome!  Keep up the good work!

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Chinese New Year Celebration

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The Chinese New Year Celebration in Chinatown Center was fun.  My favorite performance was Draiku Aerial.  They were mesmerizing.  I also took the opportunity to walk around and stop in at two of my favorite places – Pho Saigon for steamed rice with charbroiled sliced pork, and Short and Sweet for Thai iced tea with pearls.

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ANY

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ANY = Austin’s New Year.  The city threw a pretty cool party this evening at Auditorium Shores.  There were bands (including two of my favorite Austin bands – Vallejo and the Flying Balalaika Brothers), art, decorated bicycles, food trucks, and nice views of downtown.  Thanks for the party Austin.  We will see you next year. 🙂

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Elephant Room II

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My favorite jazz bar was open for Christmas Night, so I stepped into the basement bar and enjoyed some great music.  The best part of the evening was when they had a tap dancer on stage to tap away during one of the jazz tunes.  The main performer, Alex Coke, was in town from Amsterdam and he played the flute, bass flute, and soprano sax.  A very fun night!

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Elfvis II

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Yes, I had to return to this most awesome Christmas display again this year.  There was Elfvis, the Grinch (doing the Nae Nae), the Kringles, Olaf (leading a “Let it Go” sing-along), a house full of synchronized lights, and the Snow Zone that blasted out fake snow for all the kids.  If you are in the Austin area, go check it out.  If not, then you can experience the YouTube channel as the next best thing to being there.

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Austin Aquarium II

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The Austin Aquarium is always a fun place to visit.  My favorites today were the Clownfish and the Rainbow Lorikeets.  I could watch the Clownfish play around the Sea Anemone for hours as they swim in and out of the tentacles.  The Lorikeets are also very playful, but in a much different way.  They will fly over to greet you, perch on your hand for a while, and pose for a photo or two.  When it becomes feeding time, they gather around the bowl and all partake of dinner in a mostly orderly fashion.  These creatures and the others at the Aquarium make for a great day.

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