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Browse Old Austin Grouch posts about corporate takeover, Austin nostalgia, and the city habits locals still argue about.
Use this topic hub to explore satire, memories, and cultural commentary about corporate takeover in Austin, Texas.
A 2006 wristband got you into the Cedar Street Courtyard for $2.50 Lone Stars and whatever Denton band was murdering it that night with zero questions about your burn rate; the 2026 version demands $2,800 for the 'Founder Tier,' an app that maps your 'synergy opportunities,' and at least four people who'll pitch you before the first chorus.
6 min read
The festival coordinator at the 6th and Red River activation zone scanned my ancient media badge, frowned at the lack of blockchain verification, then offered a $22 "heritage sampler" of local IPAs; what began in 1987 as $50 worth of Xeroxed schedules, backyard kegs behind the Black Cat, and actual music at the Ritz has metastasized into a $1,650 platinum tier that tracks your steps, curates your conversations, and prices working musicians out of the very week built to celebrate them.
6 min read
The bouncer needed three separate scans before he'd let me into the club where I once saw Alejandro Escovedo play for free on a Tuesday; this year the same corner charged $65 at the door, handed out sponsor-branded koozies, and piped in a playlist that sounded like it was generated by a committee in Cupertino.
6 min read
The volunteer at the entrance to what remains of the Red River corridor asked me to 'pair' my 2009 laminate with the new festival app before he'd let me see a band; that same corner once let you slide in for a $5 suggested donation, a warm Lone Star, and the chance to stand three feet from a future legend while the PA rattled the walls.
6 min read