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.
.jpg?w=400&resize=400,240&ssl=1 "On Virginia’s Crooked Road, the Hills Are Alive—With Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Jams")
.jpg?w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "On Virginia’s Crooked Road, the Hills Are Alive—With Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Jams")
The Texas Longhorns are less than two months away from starting their regular season slate of the 2026 schedule.
Just like last season, the Longhorns have been given unrealistic expectations by some, but will look to avoid the slow start that had everyone counting them out in September. On paper, the Longhorns should be a lot better than they were last season.
A national championship run should be on the table for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. One of the reasons that is a possibility is due to the Longhorns have something in common with previous national championship winners.
Legacy Year
Last season, the college football world was enamored by the Indiana Hoosiers. A program that no one saw ever winning the national championship, was hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers had a talented roster from top to bottom. But the play of starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the leading factor in this team reaching the mountaintop.
Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has the chance to make that same impression this season. After his first full season as the starting quarterback in Austin last year, there is a growing confidence that Manning is going to be on another level in 2026.
Last season, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdown passes. If you were to compare those numbers to Mendoza’s last season, the Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and an impressive 41 touchdown passes.
Those numbers make it clear that Manning will have to elevate his performance this season. With a revamped offensive line, the Longhorns quarterback may have the time to rival the numbers of Mendoza from this past season.
But another key piece to the Longhorns’ 2026 roster is a massive wide receiver addition.
It’s going to take the whole village, and Coach Sarkisian went out and got one of the most talented wide receivers in the transfer portal with Cam Coleman.
Coleman had two solid years with the Auburn Tigers and now will look to be the deep field threat for Manning and the Longhorns. The junior receiver’s addition to the roster could take this offensive unit to being one of the top units in the country.
All championship teams have a quarterback who could lead them to victory. Manning could very well be the next elite quarterback to hold a national championship trophy.
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Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A report released by the think tank Texas 2036 claims that ten state laws implemented between 2019 and 2025 led to “one of the nation’s most comprehensive strategies for connecting education to careers.”
The report is titled “The Next Generation of the Texas Miracle.” It can be read below.
Mary Lynn Pruneda, Texas 2036’s director of education and workforce policy, said in an announcement accompanying the report that the reforms have been steps in the right direction.
“Texas has a bright economic future ahead of it, but we have to make sure that Texas students are equipped to share in this prosperity,” she said. “Texas needs to double down on improving and investing in high-quality career pathways so that all Texas students can take part in the Texas Miracle. Thankfully, due to the Legislature’s great work over the past four sessions, we are on our way to that critical goal.”
The report gives several data points, such as a 532% increase in high schoolers earning “post-secondary credentials” since 2018, or that community colleges awarded 140,000 “credentials of value” in 2024.
It paints a rosy picture of the future Texas economy, but doesn’t source its data or explain how it reached these conclusions. It’s apparent that the think tank wants further laws related to Texas’ workforce and education.
“Texas 2036 is actively engaged in that process, pushing for data modernization and interoperability reforms that would allow the state to track whether credentials are meeting real employer needs in communities across the state,” said the think tank in its announcement.
Grace Atkins, policy advisor of postsecondary education for Texas 2036, called the think tank’s report “encouraging.”
“The early results are encouraging: more students are earning credentials that can help them move into good jobs, and that is real progress,” she said. “For students and families, these pathways can be the difference between getting by and getting ahead. The next step is making sure more Texans can earn credentials that lead to strong wages, real career options and greater economic mobility.”
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