A Drive Through Austin - June 1996

[@EmeraldWoodArchives]

My beautiful city towards the end of it's glory days. That was great seeing Liberty Lunch and the old warehouse district.

[@Chattyb2003]

Ahhh tower records! I used to stop by tower, get a come of select magazine & the have lunch at Les amis on Friday... Thanks for sharing Pete!

[@leathergrasshopper]

Salt for Slugs Magazine used to be available in Tower, when there was a Tower.

[@Mr727db]

I was in my 20's in the early 90's living in Austin. Lived right behind Barton Springs, close to mountain bike trails, Zilker park for disc golf, could ride my bike to the bars down on Barton Springs, every Tuesday for Toni Price happy hour at the Continental Club. Austin was an incredible place to live then. Loved South Austin.

[@brin5812]

God thank you for posting this video. I was born and raised here, (still here) and was in high school at the time. This is such a blessing to see it again!

[@leathergrasshopper]

I was from the DFW, and was down in Austin at the time, in my early 20s. Don't miss it, celebrate it. That's probably not coming back, in any way, ever again.. Now it's all training wheels and denial of the best parts of being human. I met Mr. Antone. He bought me a couple of black and tans, when I came to meet up with a buddy of mine who was one of his bar backs... he was just trying to see if he could get us too f'd up... I worked at Thai Soon, I drank a liver worth of weight all over the place... and I don't regret any of it.

[@fslap]

There's so much sky in that skyline.

[@evilldead6824]

Robert Sims this was when building had to be no higher than the capital. So glorious.

[@DamaramuHQ]

I left Austin in '98. In my mind's eye, THIS is how Austin still looks to me. The arcades on the Drag were 2nd homes to my friends and I. Whenever I'm in town, it's just to see my parents and then straight home where I live now.

[@xisotopex]

i left in 92 and it looked like this.... I think before it was tower records it was a movie theater... varsity? I saw some bands play there before it became tower records.... around the corner mad dog and beans.... inner sanctum records.... this was so long ago and I am so old now.... maybe someday I will go back to visit

[@cassianlobo9292]

I moved to Austin in 2016 im from W Texas , and sadly Austin has changed so much and is overcrowded

[@teemoleague907]

@@xisotopex where was the chainsaw massacre 2 radio station??? was it across directly the street from liberty lunch??

[@christiandivine3807]

Mojo's coffee at midnight...

[@allthingshiphop1151]

its not the austin we all grew up to know anymore. its sad,

[@rescue951]

I moved to Austin in 95, this video brought back so many memories, specifically Liberty Lunch. SO so many bands in there. Thank you!!

[@emptywig]

After nearly 10 years, I moved from Austin in 1994, and went back to see Burning Spear in 1997 at Liberty Lunch. I didn't return to Austin for 13 years and when I did I was gobsmacked by the changes. This is how I like to remember Austin, because every time I've been back since I have been more and more disappointed. Thanks for posting the video!

[@SilverCuellar]

I moved there a month after you filmed this. Stayed for 10 years. That drive-thru bank is where I once air guitared for a policeman (as part of a sobriety test), who pulled me over for driving the wrong way down Guadalupe.

[@tombowers6713]

Grew up in Austin, it hasn't been the same since early 2000s. Great trip down memory lane thanks for the upload!

[@rubenmorales5857]

I grew up in West Austin near the drag . This was the Austin I know and miss . Thank you for posting .

[@McKallaster]

You're welcome!

[@Marcus_Hildebrandt]

So cool I have found this. I was a visiting student from Germany from 1993 thru 1994, and this is Austin as I remember it - Hole in Wall, Tower Records, the Drag, ... I even got a glimpse of the Woo, where I stayed. Thanks for sharing this, brings back fond memories.

[@alohatraveler]

Ahhh man Austin. The good times ive had there. Miss that place. Always in my soul.

[@the_purple_mage]

When this was filmed I was 22, living on Speedway near Intramural Fields in a house with a band. It felt like those days would never end. It was the golden years for sure, for me and for Austin....

[@McKallaster]

I lived right at Elmwood and Duval. Another world.

[@xisotopex]

back then I played bass for a band called donkey show posse and another band called Gut. played at cavity club a lot, and a few other places. it was the golden years for sure. I left around this time, never looked back. as deep as this city is in my soul, if I could go back in time, I think I would have left even earlier... what bands did you play in?

[@antonchigurh3794]

I lived in the country off of Slaughter lane. Lol. This was when I was playing with Gals Panic. I never thought those days would end either. Had to leave in 2012. Couldn't bear to watch what was happening there anymore.

[@Doobie1975]

Aww I miss the 90's, the cars you saw back then are far more interesting than the cars you see today.

[@ameliaedwards5817]

Elsewhere in town, I'm meeting my future husband that afternoon. :D

[@tommyr95]

Thanks for sharing! June '96 was my 1 year anniversary here in Austin. Wow, I really miss how it used to be....

[@louie8141]

Wow thanks for this video. This is how I remember Austin. Down the drag. Just like this with the music loud. Smoking a joint. He just missed the sound exchange.

[@mohammedrahman3447]

I lived there from 1994 to 2004. Walked down the drag countless times as I worked at the Jack in the Box on Gaudalupe from Dean Keaton to MLK. Went back for a visit in 2016...like everything else it has changed but this video brought back so many great memories.

[@skateordie3433]

Was there from 96 to 2000 when Austin was still gritty and raw. I used to play the skateboard game at the arcade on the drag in between classes. Best time of my life.

[@catherinecurra7412]

I enjoyed watching this very much, at that time I was expecting my youngest daughter who was born in Sept '96, so I'm going to show this to her to let her see Austin the summer before she was born. I have Scottish blood and have been over there back when I was a kid. Thanks for posting.

[@peterreid192]

You're welcome. The video made the news too! www.kvue.com/news/local/20-years-of-change-timetraveling-down-austins-drag/245350479

[@yetidontcare4815]

Was there 1995-1999. I remember listening to 101X and hearing about the bands playing at Liberty Lunch and what was going on at Waterloo Records. Saw some great shows at Maggie Maes and Southpark Meadows before it was turned into a shopping center. All the little strange and cool things that were going on in this sleepy college town was a really fun thing to experience and I was glad to have gotten to experience all the awesomeness of old school Austin before the surge. Wonderful time in my life and I'll always treasure it.

[@McKallaster]

I remember seeing Radiohead opening REM at Southpark Meadows. Then we bumped into Michael Stipe at Hole in the Wall!

[@quintonmillett5149]

Back When Austin was for everyone population 550,000 in city, the city seems smaller here in 1996.

[@TomMcRand]

somebody should find all of RLinklater's raw footage of Austin and post that. you know there's a lot

[@evilldead6824]

what an awesome time travel video for me this is how i remember Austin. I was a sophomore at UT in 96. That was a fun year. The drag then had so much character now its so sad. thanks for the memories

[@kcsteeler]

Moved to Austin in 1978. Spend 11 wonderful years there until I moved away in 1989. Sometimes toy with the idea of moving back, but things have changed so much...don't know if it would break my heart struggling to find the Austin I remember.

[@ms.corrimava5504]

It would have. It's a completely different place. Basically the exact opposite of this is what the city is now

[@brianwalters8641]

It would.

[@dtemple11]

Man, what a great flashback! My wife and I met, probably the same weekend as this video, at Waterloo Brewery, which you pointed out while driving down Guadalupe. Liberty lunch was my second home from high school until I moved away (for a while.) Now my kids are hanging out downtown among the skyscrapers. Great memories.

[@spider_hoss]

I lived in Austin in 1997. This is what I remember. Great video.

[@b.runettepet4904]

I miss this town.

[@Neightlive]

Yeah I live here and I miss this town.

[@b.runettepet4904]

Yeah, I live here, too.

[@andrewrodriguez8010]

B. Runettepet I miss the fact that back then there was no traffic or heavy traffic at least

[@jackdaniels1446]

I miss the mr gattis on mlk good times when I was kid going there I cried when they closed it.

[@jackiedaytona7681]

Lemonheads on 101X driving on MLK and the Drag. Yep. This is the Austin I remember. 1994-2006. It was nice seeing Tower Records one last time.

[@kariethornton7756]

This was right before I got to Austin. I was there for 5 years. When I go back today it has changed so much and too many people now.

[@u.s.6909]

@5:11 that grass is now a 66 story building. Family and I moved to Round Rock in 1986 when I was 5. Now live downtown at Gables Republic Square. Austin was a sleepy town and I still love it as a big city today. Those signs to the airport were pointed to Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. I miss seeing planes land over IH 35/US 290. I've never really left Austin area to live yet even after seeing all 50 states and 26 countries, Austin is still my favorite city.

[@LegacyBridge]

Throwback. I'll be back in a few weeks. I miss Tower Records. Still hit Waterloo every time that I go. #TowerRecords #TheDrag #legacy

[@ricknessmonster]

MY HEART JUST STOPPED AFTER SEEING 'LE FUN"!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@alideees]

I miss this austin so much!! Thanks for posting!!

[@McKallaster]

Thank you!

[@Aaronhouston33]

4:40 Nations Bank that 2 years later in 1998 would go defunct and be replaced with Bank of America.

[@Wheatstraw9647]

Spent many a night at Liberty Lunch. Perfect place to spend your 20’s. I lived right behind Barton Springs. It was glorious.

[@curtfinch]

we need a side by side with the current version of atx

[@peterreid192]

The local news had the same idea! www.kvue.com/news/local/20-years-of-change-timetraveling-down-austins-drag/245350479

[@cbozz7063]

I think about the 90s austin everyday when i drive around this city now. I miss is so damn much.

[@AgentBeans]

Seen so many bands at the liberty lunch. We used to drive down form Ft. Hood and hit a ton of shows! NOFX, Hagfish, Snuff, MXPX, Suicide Machines, The Hippos, Descendents, Shades Apart, Guttermouth. Great times man!

[@SamaanAshrawi]

just love the beastie boys record playing in the background 😭

[@rcortez911]

I lived there in 96! Remember going to tower records several times. Cliché, it was a different time back then, just a tick of the clock but almost 30 years. I drove down Riverside Jan 2023 to my old apartments Overlook now named Paradise Oak APT. The area is unrecognizable until I hit the area where HEB and Taco Cabana still stand. 6th street cubs were awesome! Saw Prince outside one of the bars.....it's so ghetto now. I do miss Austin Texas, at least what I remember.

[@Skizank1]

rip liberty lunch

[@acacia70]

Rockin' to the Lemonheads

[@HausOfLuevano]

Omg I was there! I was an undergrad at UT and used to live on West Campus and then moved to Oltorf in 96’. It’s just as I remember it!

[@ricksorrells5683]

The Drag was my life from 94(14yrs old) to 1999. Every whimsical weirdness about Guadalupe was the cornerstone of this ONCE grand city. RIP Le Fun, Tower Records, Insomnia, Dobie Mall, Players, Einstein's Arcade, Conan's Pizza, Amy's Ice Cream, Grab a -go-go's, Veggie Heaven and the Hole In The Wall!!!! Yeah, i was THERE!! Peace to the Emo's that used to draw pics of random people to get some change to eat or whatever!!!

[@xisotopex]

I worked at conans pizza till late at night around this time or a little before, every night go home with leftover great pizza!

[@brianwalters8641]

25 yr anniversary. I was 11 and this is the Austin I remember. It's changed so much. Some would say too much.

[@chrisj3318]

wowww , such good memories

[@jeromes5183]

OMG look at the traffic... tears of nostalgic longing.

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

In fairness it was a Saturday at 6PM.

[@jeromes5183]

@@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844 yeah but dude have you been in Austin at 6pm on a Saturday lately? Or 530am on a Sunday, for that matter?

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

@@jeromes5183 yeah. traffic isn't that bad on Guadalupe at 6PM on Saturdays. Very rare to encounter any gridlock on MOPAC at those times as well. Traffic has always sucked in Austin, it's just a lot worse now. Maybe one day they'll finish the rail project, but I ain't holdin' my breath.

[@jeromes5183]

@@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844 I was in Austin in the 80's and let me tell you, traffic most definitely didn't suck. It was terrific. I used to ride my bike down S Congress in the middle of the afternoon on weekdays and there would only be a few cars.

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

@@jeromes5183Obviously the city has grown a lot since both of us first got there, but "traffic" isn't what I was going for. Congestion is the better word. It's even easier to ride your bike downtown and by campus now with all the bike lanes put in over the last 10 years I was there from 1991 to 2022 and witnessed the changes first-hand. Go out on any Saturday evening and you can still drive without congestion. Same for any summer weekday when most of the students are gone and especially when the temperature gets over 100. Virtually zero congestion except I-35, stretches of MOPAC and of course 360 past the bridge. But if you compare Austin over the last 30 years to any other city that has grown, it's about the same, and better than almost any California city. That said, yes, there were days when traffic and congestion REALLY sucked in the 90s. But in terms of the number of people you're likely to encounter, especially at events like Kite Fest and such, it's a helluva lot more crowded across the board. but you said even at 5:30 AM which is not true, even now.

[@kennek1976]

I moved to Austin in 97 It breaks my heart with what it is now

[@clb8645]

I got there a year later in the summer of 97. I lived at Taos, and I worked a block down at Blockbuster. Met Ron Livingston there and even rented him a VHS copy of Kung Fu, which was shown in a montage scene in Office Space (he was in town for the movie at the time). Tower Records gave me my first lessons in indie music. Never once let the damned Scientologists trick me into an e-reading (I, for one, engage in body positivity, and I love my thetans, thank you very much). Saw so many great movies at the Dobie Mall. Got a haircut at the Goodall Wooten once or twice. Organized Austin's second flash mob at the little open air market on the drag in August 2003. Good times!

[@GOOSEMON2007]

If you think it was strange then your in for a surprise now. It’s so different and full people not from Texas. Thanks for the video brought back so many good memories. I swear I caught a ride with you two…the two of you were baked from what o remember. Oh well whatever, Nevermind…..

[@TheStrangerous]

Waterloo!

[@johnnyscarecrow71]

Sure do miss Waterloo BC and the Austin of the early to mid-1990s.

[@kelleymcbride4633]

This was the last of the good years in the ATX, the city in this video is gone forever now it's something entirely different

[@frankerck]

Thanks

[@jerrycoughlin-iq7lb]

I miss Dan Del Santo at Waterloo.It’s such a different world now.And it all started to go south in 1980…..

[@uuhhhhhhhh189]

where's all the traffic??

[@Burnt_Alive]

there was no traffic back then

[@wadegarrett1892]

The soundtrack is nice to this!

[@McKallaster]

My friend's mixtape!

[@valantheflame0193]

I grew up in Dallas area in 90s. I miss that time so much it was awesome. I feel yalls pain. Except Houston, that place has always sucked.

[@jordanmiller254]

Players was my spot back in the day. Rest in peace.

[@saltypatriot4181]

I saw Blur and Garbage at Liberty Lunch😆

[@McKallaster]

Me too!

[@antonchigurh3794]

Lived there for 26 years. This was near the end of the innocence. I don't even recognize it now. In fact , nowadays it would take you over an hour to make that exact same drive. lol

[@MB-vb1bg]

I lived on 22nd st, on San Gabriel in what was called the big blue house and then on Rio Grande. All old houses that had been remodeled for groups of students who wanted to live together and share the rent. Fun times.

[@thejamesasher]

bring this back! bring this baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

[@migol1984]

What song is playing around the 5min mark?

[@dennizpolk9580]

This is awesome

[@mariomario7379]

Back when Austin was in Texas and not California.

[@joeyjonson8637]

Yes, how sweet it was

[@bigman1225]

@Touched by an angel He's whining and bitching about Californians moving here like the rest of the natives.

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

You mean I can conceal, open or otherwise carry any gun I want in California without any background check or training? Shit, watt'm I doin in Texas???

[@HD4ME33]

Look how light traffic is wow

[@niklocks5176]

These were the streets I remember from 1995-2000. The Miami Subs (2:00) became a Schlotszky's. Art Bell ruled the airwaves. $5 a month got you unlimited rides on Austin Metro. Leslie the the homeless cross-dresser ran for mayor and got 8% of the votes. That Austin is gone forever.

[@impostor51]

Cool this was filmed a few days after I was born heh

[@cantseeme383]

Everything about this video makes me happy ... including the Dragrats .. There was nothing better than being a Teenager in Austin TX in the 90's Skipping school hangin at Dobie ... Goin to the arcades then hitting the Union Underground for some bowling and hitting on the college chicks before taking cap metro back home on a firday night.. we didnt know it at the time ... but life was heaven

[@GS-vb3zn]

Outtake from Slacker 2.

[@lancecain9655]

Made this drive many times.

[@teecee3866]

What song is playing around 4:00 ?

[@cHAYwALKER]

The Lemonheads, "Into Your Arms."

[@leadsled213]

Virtually no traffic...

[@mojoschmee9320]

...not even the shaky camera work could undo the nostalgia...

[@paulcantu2]

Rip players

[@bitbeak]

Gas for 1.26

[@chaswr]

That gas price at Exxon-$1.26!

[@czdaniel1]

One year later it was $00.74 after the South-east Asia real estate crash jolted financial markets in Asia & South America laving a glut in world oil supply. For a time, a gallon of gas cost less than a bottle of Coke ($.75) or a bottle of water (perversely priced at $2 at the time)

[@leadsled213]

Someone should do this drive in June, 2022....

[@McKallaster]

We did it on KVUE News in 2016. It's changed a lot since then. www.kvue.com/article/news/local/20-years-of-change-time-traveling-down-austins-drag/269-245350479

[@leadsled213]

@@McKallaster that's cool.... These past 6 years have eclipse the previous 20...

[@chrisj3318]

that's the year i moved to austin

[@REPhotos]

Same streets. No traffic.

[@RobertWardDavidson]

A lot nicer place before it was overrun. Been here since 2002.

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

Then you're one of the 'overrunners." Sorry, just the truth.

[@pattiesalon]

A video from 1974 would be vastly superior.

[@allthingshiphop1151]

$1.26 gal lol wow. now its $4.60

[@McKallaster]

$1 pint night on Mondays at Waterloo Brewery too

[@tinmanheating4742]

glad I got to live there in 86 87 88 been back but last year was the first time in over 15 years it was great but everyone is complaining about the cali invasion and it's changing for sure not for the better

[@Jaqen-HGhar]

The "Cali Invasion" has been happening for more than a decade, people moving to Austin from California is not what is causing Austin to change. Especially the vibe of Austin since Austin is and has always been a liberal city and people moving from Cali are mostly from liberal places. No the people causing Austin to change are the ones moving here from other states trying to move here cause it's a cool city but they want all the benefits of Texas cause they are big business conservatives. Those are the people that are trying to bring more and more corporations here and undo regulations and basically turn Austin into any other city in the country.

[@troll-5.046]

@Jaqen H'Ghar no way. There are way too many similarities between Austin and L.A. , San Francisco....the liberal move to Austin brought a dumbed down mentality at the polls. Hence our homeless issues, traffic issues, crime issues......etc

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

It's not a cali invasion. It's like 98% coming from OTHER TEXAS CITIES. FFS

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

@@troll-5.046 You're an idiot. How old are you? The liberals have ALWAYS controlled Austin dude. LOL. Texas was electing Democrat governors in the 90s. Anne Richards RIP. The only similarities between Austin and San Fran are the tech bros most of whom vote libertarian, conservative or not at all. Homeless will go wherever it's warm w/ no sub zero blizzards (LOL< happened in Austin anyway). The only similarity with LA is that Ho Rogaine and a bunch of celebs recently moved there. Stupidest, least informed bullshit Trumpbot comment I've ever seen about Austin. LMFAO

[@random65992]

This town hasn't changed a bit!

[@arsenalroo]

"used to be". Complete travesty now. It hurts.

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

N how long you been here? Since like 2009? Oh wait maybe you's a LONG time Austinite....2002!! LMFAO

[@dystopia-disrepectooor]

Look how they massacred my boy...

[@thethings2794]

TIL potatoes were already technologically capable of recording video in 1996. i thought that was an early 00's thing...who knew?