Austin, TX

Austin’s Café con Ron, a daytime Latin music celebration, expands to other Texas cities

Published

10 months ago

March 18, 2025

Austin’s Café con Ron, a daytime Latin music celebration, expands to other Texas cities

The morning sun, a mere whisper of the neon lights to come, painted long shadows across the patio at Cosmic Saltillo. This is the unlikely birthplace of Café con Ron, a daytime party blending Latin music with a relaxed, social atmosphere.

“It’s a random story, really,” DJ Sussie Ramirez says, “I was talking to a friend, missing my dog while I was out playing gigs, and he said, ‘Why not do something in the morning instead?’” Canine longing, a thirst for daylight revelry, and perhaps, a sly excuse for day drinking drove the idea.

‘The intention is to include everyone’

‘Darties,’ short for day parties, have become the rage. A good alternative for those seeking to avoid late nights and hangovers. A simple concept, yet for a generation that loves nightlife, a bold defiance of the usual rhythm.

Café con Ron isn’t just a darty; it is a reclamation of daylight. And in a city like Austin, where the lines between day and night often blur, this daytime celebration offers a refreshing change of pace. The city’s youthful party scene proves a fertile ground for the event. Guests can expect music that compels movement, even a subtle head bob.

“Anything to dance to, anything to sing along with,” Ramirez says, “Reggaeton, dembow, regional Mexicano, bachata, merengue — everything.” A sonic tapestry, transcending borders. Despite its Spanish name, the event aims to unite all partiers.

“It’s a Latin party, yes,” Ramirez says, “but the intention is to include everyone, to unite all the different Latinx groups in Texas. We want to erase borders, have a good time. There’s too much happening in the world to be divided.”

Is this related to Bad Bunny’s ‘Café con Ron’?

The name, a nod to Bad Bunny’s hit, was both an homage and a declaration. Café con Ron, like the song, represents a return to roots, a rediscovery of self. This theme resonated with the diverse crowd at Cosmic Saltillo in its March event, a mix of friends and strangers drawn by the promise of dance and café drinks.

Among them were familiar faces, a testament to Ramirez’s growing influence on Austin’s nightlife. Attendees who frequented her raucous Perreo Club nights or her Saturday night takeovers at the Hotel Vegas patio would recognize the same inclusive spirit that defines her other ventures. It’s a community built on rhythm and connection, now bathed in the glow of daylight.

“Anyone who likes to have a good time,” Ramirez declared, “No haters. Even my ex is welcome.”

Side note: Bad Bunny reposted a TikTok video showing the sold-out event at Pershing last month. So we could say Benito approves.

From Austin’s cafes to a Texas takeover

The response, Ramirez says, has been overwhelming. From a packed first event at Pershing to sold-out subsequent parties at Cosmic Saltillo, the demand was clear. “Everything’s sold out,” she says.

Austin, however, is just the beginning. Ramirez is bringing Café con Ron to cities across Texas — Houston, Dallas, McAllen, and beyond. And save the date: the next event in Austin is on March 30 at Pershing Hall (2415B E 5th St. Unit B). You can RSVP here. Follow @perreo.club on Instagram to stay up to date on their events.

The daylight rebellion, it seems, is just getting started.

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Austin, TX

Democrats go statewide in Texas House races

Published

1 hour ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Democrats go statewide in Texas House races

AUSTIN — For the first time in modern Texas politics, Democrats will field candidates in every one of the state’s 150 House districts.

It’s a milestone party leaders hope will boost turnout, money and organization up and down the ballot, even as Gov. Greg Abbott enters the cycle with a well-tested ground game of his own.

Democratic leaders say the move is less about flipping deeply red districts and more about expanding the electorate and forcing Republicans to defend territory they have long taken for granted.

Houston Rep. Christina Morales, the new chief of the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee, said a full slate of candidates creates infrastructure that can benefit statewide races, regardless of the odds in individual districts.

Campaigns that once existed only on paper now bring door-knocking, phone banking and voter registration efforts, she said.

Morales also is coordinating with national Democrats, trying to harness energy from Texas’ high-profile Senate race, marked by a bitter GOP feud.

In that primary, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston.

The Democratic Senate contest, featuring state Rep. James Talarico of Austin and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, has drawn wide voter interest and donor support.

But attention and money only go so far.

Abbott enters the cycle with a major advantage: a mature, statewide voter-mobilization network built over decades of Republican control.

“Abbott has made it his own,” said longtime GOP strategist Thomas Graham, citing sustained relationship-building at the precinct level and focus on local concerns. “Democrats are still rebuilding a statewide party. The ground game heavily favors the governor.”

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Austin, TX

Environmental experts say Texas data centers come with uncertainty

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Environmental experts say Texas data centers come with uncertainty

article

The main switchyard at a Midlothian power plant. The federal government is sending Texas more than $60 million to strengthen the state’s power grid. Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Texas is home to approximately 400 data centers — some currently operational, others still under construction and a number that are still in the planning stages. Experts say the boom comes with a lot of uncertainty.

Texas data center power demand

What they’re saying:

“Data centers are a relatively large power demand in a small area, something like, you know, 100 or 200 megawatts of power. That’s more than a small city or a small town would be consuming itself,” said Carey King, a research scientist with the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

Over the past year, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has received more than 200 gigawatts worth of large load interconnection requests, approximately 73% of which are from data centers. That has led to questions about whether the state’s grid is up to the task of supplying power to the facilities.

“Many of us who suffered through winter storm Uri still have PTSD over, you know, fears that the grid won’t be able to meet demand,” said Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, a local nonprofit working to safeguard the state’s natural environment.

Question of infrastructure

That’s not the only question. King points out that there is also a question of whether all the proposed data centers will actually be built. He says if they don’t end up materializing, it could spell trouble for anyone making investment decisions based on the projections. And if infrastructure is built to accommodate the needs of projects that never come to fruition, those costs could be passed off to consumers in the form of higher rates.

Experts say these speculative data center projects have led to uncertainty around how much power will actually be needed to meet the demands of the state’s data centers.

Senate Bill 6, which was signed into law last June, outlined new requirements for data center projects, including stipulating that data centers put up more capital up front for things like transmission studies and interconnection fees. The bill is, in part, intended to reduce some of that uncertainty around speculative power loads.

Potential environmental impact

But concerns still remain around the potential environmental impact of the state’s data centers.

“There are an estimated 130 new gas-powered power plants that have been proposed for Texas, in part to meet this demand for data centers, and if they’re all built, that’s going to have as much climate pollution as 27 million cars,” said Metzger.

Above all, Metzger says the biggest uncertainty is water, as there is no central entity in the state that collects and compiles information on those needs.

On average, a single data center consumes millions of gallons of water annually, according to researchers with the University of Michigan. Metzger says that’s of particular concern here in Texas, where water supply is already being pushed to its limits.

“Texas is a very drought-prone state, and already, you know, you know, according to the Water Development Board, you know, we don’t have enough supply to meet demand,” said Metzger. “There is no way to make more water. And so, I think ultimately, you know that that could be the greatest concern for the state.”

Over the past year, residents across Central Texas have spoken out about data centers in places like Round Rock and Taylor, citing additional concerns including falling property values, noise, and health impacts.

What’s next:

Moving forward, experts recommend that local leaders undergo long-range planning to determine whether they’re able to allocate limited resources to data centers in the long run prior to approving these projects.

The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 7 interviews with experts.

TexasTechnologyEnvironment

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Austin, TX

Silver Alert issued for missing 73-year-old man in Austin

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Silver Alert issued for missing 73-year-old man in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety has issued a Silver Alert for an elderly man who has been missing since Friday afternoon in Austin.

The Austin Police Department is looking for Charles Evans, a 73-year-old man diagnosed with a cognitive impairment. Evans was last seen at 5:37 p.m. on Jan. 9 in Austin.

Silver Alert issued for missing 73-year-old man in Austin

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Police describe him as a 6’3″ tall white male, weighing 225 pounds, has gray hair, hazel eyes, and who uses a walker.

Law enforcement officials believe his disappearance poses a credible threat to his health and safety.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-5000.

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