Austin, TX
Was Matthew McConaughey Really Bleeding at Zach Bryan’s Austin Gig?
The perfect American bar needs pool tables, sticky counters, moody lighting, and loud locals. Country artist Zach Bryan knows this well, often posting images of scenes from such joints on his Instagram stories—and earlier this week, he came to Austin in search of more of the same.
Bryan is from Oklahoma, but it’s no secret he has a thing for Austin. He even wrote a song for the city, “From Austin,” on his third studio album. Tuesday, after Bryan posted a quick tweet-and-delete announcement about an impromptu show at local dive bar Sagebrush that night and offering free entry to the first hundred people to show up, Austin fans did not disappoint. The line, which one attendee told me was about 1,500 people long, began at the bar’s door on South Congress and ran all the way down Red Bird Lane.
Sagebrush, beloved for hosting events such as the Honky Tonk Cat Walk, Dolly Parton’s birthday celebration, and two-step dance lessons, could not have been a better fit for Bryan’s show. Budweiser lamps festooned with stickers hang over pool tables, and string lights scattered throughout the bar give Sagebrush the ambience of everyone’s favorite hometown haunt. What you won’t find walking through the doors of most hometown haunts, though, is Matthew McConaughey, or his Mud costar Tye Sheridan.
Instagram posts show both Texan actors having a grand ol’ time, laughing and drinking alongside Bryan, who recently collaborated with another Texan, Kacey Musgraves, on the duet “I Remember Everything,” from his latest album. One image that Bryan shared, however, has inspired concern among fans: Is that blood trickling down McConaughey’s gorgeous face? Did someone break a bottle over his head? Did he take a drunken tumble? Your guess is as good as ours.
We can tell you, however, that in addition to performing at Sagebrush, Bryan was filming a music video at the bar, and McConaughey and Sheridan made cameos. (Perhaps the video has McConaughey getting into a bar fight?) Lauren Wilkins, executive producer of the video, said they had hoped to cast McConaughey, the “unofficial mayor of Austin,” so Bryan took matters into his own hands after previous talent dropped out. The singer-songwriter pulled a Hail Mary and simply messaged the actor on Instagram. As for the last-minute show, the film crew had only a three-hour heads-up before showtime. “I think [Bryan] just was really caught up in the mood and he loved everything,” Wilkins, who works with the Austin production company Side Label, said. “He was just like, ‘You know what, f— it. I’m gonna play a show. What’s it going to take?’ ”
Darci Carlson, who tends bar at Sagebrush when she’s not touring to perform her own music, arrived right when Bryan tweeted the announcement. She said she hadn’t been a fan prior to Bryan’s show but was completely changed after seeing his generosity (he covered everyone’s drinks) and talent on full display. “[Music venues] are so oversaturated these days, and a place with so much heart like Sagebrush really does truly need to be showcased,” she said. “And I’m glad it was showcased by someone like Zach Bryan.”
“Thank you for being so kind and open-hearted these [past] few days @officiallymcconaughey,” Bryan wrote in an Instagram caption, “for all the advice and believing in something I cared enough to write about, you’ll always have a friend in me and for once it was an honor to meet a hero.” (He revealed nothing of the crimson streak running down McConaughey’s face.) Bryan also took time to thank the Sagebrush staff, noting that the live sound was “electric.”
At the end of the roughly fifty-minute set, Bryan took to X (formerly Twitter): “Gotta go to Austin, Texas more huh.” Zach, anyone who can cover a “not stingy” bar tab is alright, alright, alright (sorry, we had to do it) to come back.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
-
Technology8 minutes agoBarret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five months
-
World13 minutes agoIran hardliner behind US deal warns Tehran won’t honor agreement if Trump fails to deliver
-
Politics20 minutes agoTop GOP lawmaker rallies around conservative school board member facing calls to resign
-
Sports28 minutes ago2026 World Cup Odds: How Far Can Mexico Go After Winning Group A?
-
Technology35 minutes ago6 in 10 identity crimes now begin with a new account
-
Business38 minutes agoJanuary 2025 wildfire victims seek tougher penalties against State Farm over claims handling
-
Entertainment43 minutes agoReview: ‘Sugar,’ with Colin Farrell as an alien private eye, gets a new and improved second season
-
Politics53 minutes agoPolitical watchdog fines Newsom for failing to report $5.5M in solicited donations on time
