Oscar Ornelas

In Music We Trust Words by Sommer Brugal Photos by Eric Morales From the now-closed El Leon and Longbranch Inn to staples like Sahara Lounge and Skylark Lounge, Oscar Ornelas’ effortless blend of blues and jazz pay homage to the beloved sounds of east Austin’s past. Ornelas moved to Austin in 2014 with his saxophone and his truck....

Art + Entertainment Music

Miranda Dodson

Beautiful Truths Words by Sommer Brugal Photos by Eric Morales Miranda Dodson arrived in Austin in 2007 after spending a year in Oxford, England. Dodson and her husband knew going back to their college town of Dallas wasn’t an option. It didn’t, at the time, have the creative energy they craved. Luckily, east Austin did. Dodson’s love and...

Art + Entertainment Music

Cilantro Boombox

Cultural Harmony At Work Words by Sommer Brugal Photos by Eric Morales Self-described as music junkies and hippies, Cilantro Boombox has two rules when it comes to performing and listening to their upbeat music: both band members and attendees must smile, and they must dance. Cilantro Boombox perfectly combines soothing rhythms, soulful jazz, and dance...

Art + Entertainment Music

From Broadcasts to Books…

…with NPR Austin’s John Aielli Words by Jess Hagemann Photos by Eric Morales Despite working in public radio for 54 years now, KUTX personality John Aielli never intended for radio to become a lifelong career. He first wanted to be a pianist, and later, a vocal artist. In 1963, Aielli received a scholarship to study piano...

2020 Reason to Love the EASTside Local + Native Knowledge

Beneath the Mask {Jennifer Balkan}

Getting Naked with Jennifer Balkan Words by Jess Hagemann Photos by Ashley Haguewood Neuroscience, mental illness, oil painting, and the carnivalesque: which one doesn’t belong? Actually, viewers will find all these themes and more in Jennifer Balkan’s impressionistic artwork, which colors the walls of her Cherrywood studio and hangs in galleries as far away as...

2020 Reason to Love the EASTside Art Art + Entertainment Local + Native Knowledge

Ephraim Owens

Austin trumpeter and member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band Words by Jess Hagemann Photos by Eric Morales Ephraim Owens is a jazz trumpeter in his mid-40s. He has been a professional musician since 1991, and variously plays with a trio, a quartet, a quintet, or a band depending on the showcase. After moving to Austin in...

Art + Entertainment Black History Month Music

Care-Oriented Approach {Clark-Brown Family Care Clinic}

Time is the Essence of the Practice. Words by Jessica Devenyns Photos by Leah Muse As she sits neatly folded onto her chair, hair perfectly quaffed into place, Dr. Clark-Brown’s voice suddenly breaks with passion, shattering the veneer of a medical practitioner and revealing the face of a caretaker. “I’m not going to see patients every...

Health + Wellness Local + Native Knowledge

The Call of the Wild

Austin Corner Vet’s Humanistic Approach to Veterinary Medicine Words by Jessica Devenyns Photos by Eric Morales They say that people are like their animals. However, when you walk into Austin Corner Vet and Dr. Vaughn tells you that his favorite animal is a polar bear, you will quickly be obliged to reconsider your initial assumptions...

Local + Native Knowledge Pets

Mind & Body {Bikram Yoga East Austin}

Going Out of Their Way to Bend Over Backward Words by Jess Hagemann Photos by Ashley Haguewood Gabriel Tavera was 24 years old when he took his first yoga class. An ambitious young man with a successful career in advertising, Gabriel thought he was in “really good” shape. “I ran, and went to the gym,...

Health + Wellness Local + Native Knowledge

Rations With Passion {Nutritional Wisdom}

Why We Eat vs. What to Eat Words by Xander Peters Photos by Ashley Haguewood Rather, by recognizing how no two individuals diet in the exact same fashion, is what Lauren and Carly do is treat the traditional food pyramid as if it’s a piece of Play-Doh, molding it to fit the day-to-day needs of...

Health + Wellness Local + Native Knowledge