Sing a song Austin

Today is 15 February and it has been a month since I left my country. So well has treated me the city of Austin during this month that I can’t believe I have to come back to Argentina in just two weeks. Austin is a place full of surprises and I don’t know how many of them I’ll see in the remaining time here. I, for one, will dedicate this post to tell you about something I could appreciate from the culture of the United States. It’s quite different in Argentina, everybody likes it, and begins with the letter “M”. What is it?  You guessed it, MUSIC.

As I mentioned in other of my posts, I want to use this blog to talk about myself, so you will know me a bit more, week after week. Therefore, before writing about Austin and his music, I’ll tell you what the music means to me and the role that has in my life. I’m not passionate about music, I don’t have any favorite band and I don’t play any musical instrument. Even so, I enjoy listening to music and I do it in different moments during the day. For example, when I go running or to the gym I like listening to some music that motivate me to do exercise. In the same way, while I’m studying I usually play relaxing music to be more concentrated. And of course I enjoy music at nights, especially if there is a band live. Regarding the different music genres, I’m not particularly interested in a specific kind of music. On the contrary, I like any music style.

What did I know about the music in the United States before this trip? The truth is that there weren’t many surprises when I arrived at Austin, because being the US a huge culture exporter, much of the music that sounds in the US is also popular in many countries around the world, included Argentina. On the other hand, it is rare to hear foreign music in the US.

Speaking specifically about Austin and Texas, I’ve heard and read that this city and this state were famous for their musical innovation. When I arrived in Austin I expected to hear a lot of country music and Texas blues. However, the only place in which I could listen to some country music was in a traditional restaurant in Austin, called Broken Spoke, where I also tried to learn the “Texas two-step” dance; and with regards to the Texas blues, I’ve barely seen the statue of Stevie Ray Vaughan in Lady Bird Lake.

Considering that Austin’s official slogan is “The Live Music Capital of the World”, I haven’t seen many live shows since I came to Austin. Probably, I haven’t done my best searching for places with live bands. Thus, my personal goal for the next and last two weeks is try to find places in Austin where I can watch local bands playing some Texas music.