December 2023 brought some news that might have concerned Blackpink fans: The group’s members — Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo — all left Blackpink’s label YG Entertainment for matters related to their solo careers. A key bit of info about the situation, though, is that Blackpink has renewed its group contract. But, if there was any lingering doubt about the band’s future, Lisa just offered a reassuring update.
In a new Elle feature published today (August 12), Lisa said, “Of course we’re continuing, for sure. We’re so proud of Blackpink, and I love Blackpink. It is not just because of our fans, it’s for ourselves.” In Korean, she added, “There was no doubt. This is our life.”
Blackpink’s most recent album is 2022’s Born Pink, a chart-topper in the US and beyond. Since then, Lisa has released a pair of solo singles, both this year: “Rockstar” and “New Woman” with Rosalía.
She also landed an acting role in the upcoming third season of The White Lotus. In the same Elle interview, she said that while the acting experience is “pretty new” to her, she thinks having done a bunch of Blackpink music videos gives her a foundation to build on. She also said of getting the part, “I think I cried. I was with my friends, my mom’s friends, and my mom as well, but I didn’t tell them that I auditioned for it. I’m super excited and nervous, because it’s my first acting project. So I was happy for a second, and then I was like, ‘Oh, wait, wait, how am I going to deliver this?’”
Steven Seagal will forever hold the title for Hardest SNL Host to Work With, but a recent celebrity made the show’s cast members start crying.
Current cast member Bowen Yang appeared on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live, where he played a game of “Truth or Kink” with his Las Culturistas podcast co-host Matt Rogers. The premise is simple: if Yang declined to answer one of host Andy Cohen’s questions, Rogers would get zapped by vibrating underwear (wait, that’s not simple, it’s actually torture). Thankfully for Rodgers, Yang was forthcoming about a nightmare SNL host.
Yang was asked for the “worst SNL host behavior” he’s ever seen. “This man who — this person, this host — made multiple cast members cry on Wednesday before the table read because he hated the ideas,” the Wicked actor replied, adding that he was “terrible.” Yang didn’t name names but I’m sure someone on the SNL subreddit is hard at work going through every male host since he joined the show in 2018. In the unlikely scenario it was Brendan Gleeson, he gets a pass; it was method acting for The Banshees of Inisherin.
You can watch the Watch What Happens Live video (which ends with Yang zapping Rodgers instead of sharing his least favorite Ariana Grande song) above.
We are just over two months away from the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, and now that the Olympics have ended with Team USA’s thrilling run to a gold medal, the attention of the men’s basketball world has shifted its focus to the first day of the new season, October 22.
The NBA’s schedule release is expected to come in the next week or two, but games on key dates are starting to leak out. We already got the Christmas slate, which features the expected big teams and star names, with the biggest surprise being the NBA already putting Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on the Christmas schedule in place of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks, who have been Christmas standbys for years. Aside from Christmas, the two other marquee dates on the schedule are opening night and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
On Monday, Shams Charania brought word of the four teams that will play the opening night doubleheader on TNT, with the Boston Celtics being the only team we knew for sure would be playing on October 22 to get their championship rings. Per Shams, it will be the Knicks traveling to Boston for the opener, while the Minnesota Timberwolves will start their season in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
It’s not a real surprise that the league would put LeBron James and company on the opening night schedule, but to not have either of the opening games be playoff rematches of any kind seems a bit unusual. That said, the Knicks are now expected to be one of the top contenders to Boston in the East after adding Mikal Bridges, and the Wolves have cemented themselves as a top contender in the West with a star in Anthony Edwards the league is happy to put on the marquee alongside LeBron for opening night.
As for when we’ll get our NBA Finals rematches, Charania reports they’ll come in a two-week window before the All-Star break, with the Celtics going to Dallas on January 25 and the Mavs going to Boston on February 6 (which is also the trade deadline).
Donald Glover’s New World Tour officially started this past weekend. The multihyphenate’s final turn under the Childish Gambino moniker is sure to produce a slew of memorable moments for his fans, but he’s not going it alone. He’s joined on his latest tour by an opening artist every bit as multitalented as he is: Willow, who is promoting her sixth studio album, Empathogen, which dropped on May 3 and received an enthusiastic reception from both critics and fans. If you’re planning on catching Willow’s set, you’ll have to arrive by 8:00 pm, according to fans on Reddit, which is when she takes the stage, rocking until 8:45. After that, Glover’s set runs over two hours, beginning at 9:15 and ending after 11.
For more information about the tour, you can see below.
Childish Gambino Tour Dates: The New World Tour
08/14/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum *
08/15/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center *
08/17/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena *
08/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena *
08/20/2024 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena *
08/21/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
08/23/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
08/24/2024 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Arena *
08/26/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
08/27/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
08/29/2024 — Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena *
08/30/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena *
09/01/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena *
09/02/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena *
09/04/2024 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena *
09/05/2024 — Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena *
09/07/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center *
09/08/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
09/10/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center *
09/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
09/13/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena *
09/14/2024 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center *
09/16/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center *
09/18/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena *
09/19/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena *
09/21/2024 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center *
09/23/2024 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
09/24/2024 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center *
09/25/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
09/27/2024 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
09/29/2024 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place *
10/02/2024 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *
10/03/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center *
10/31/2024 — Lyon, FR @ LDLC Arena #
11/02/2024 — Milan, IT @ Unipol Forum #
11/04/2024 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena #
11/06/2024 — Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena #
11/08/2024 — Oslo, NO @ Oslo Spektrum #
11/10/2024 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena #
11/12/2024 — Prague, CZ @ O2 arena #
11/13/2024 — Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena #
11/19/2024 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena #
11/21/2024 — Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle #
11/23/2024 — Brussels, BE @ ING Arena #
11/24/2024 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome #
11/26/2024 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena #
11/28/2024 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro #
11/30/2024 — London, UK @ The O2 #
12/01/2024 — London, UK @ The O2 #
12/03/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena #
12/05/2024 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena #
01/28/2025 — Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena #
02/01/2025 — Brisbane, QLD @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre #
02/04/2025 — Sydney, NSW @ Qudos Bank Arena #
02/07/2025 — Melbourne, VIC @ Rod Laver Arena #
02/11/2025 — Perth, WA @ RAC Arena #
Bones, the David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel-starring chemistry cocktail that spanned 12 seasons ending in 2017, thrived within the fine procedural tradition of lead characters hooking up and more. That kind of appeal keeps the biggest Law & Order question relevant and has led to NCIS: Tony & Ziva being in the works from a revival standpoint. So of course, that leaves Bones wide open for more, too.
Star David Boreanaz, who is currently promoting the final SEAL Team season for Paramount+, has been fielding questions on the subject. Would the Buffy and Angel star ever be interested in doing more Bones, in which he portrayed FBI Agent Seeley Booth opposite Deschanel’s virtuoso-level forensic anthropologist, Temperance “Bones” Brennan?
Sure sounds like he’s into it. Boreanaz told PEOPLE how “trippy” it feels to have a younger generation approaching him as fans of the show. He also told TV Insider that Bones “was lightning in a bottle,” and “I just can’t tell you how much love and admiration we get from fans for these two characters. And to see them come back would be great.” He then added, “I mean, it’s an easy one to do because it’s so fun.”
Could this happen? In 2023, series creator Hart Hanson spoke with Variety and declared that “everybody” involved with the original show is interested in a revival. However, he admitted that Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox has made the process more “complicated” yet not out of the question:
“It would take a million agents and lawyers to figure out who owns what and what platform it would show on. But we do keep talking. And every once in a while, we are all nostalgic enough to think, ‘Maybe we should do it again.’ Who knows? Maybe this will bump-start us.”
The timing of a revival, if it happens, might never be better than now with Boreanaz finishing his physically grueling gig of SEAL Team. In fact, throwing on a suit and cracking jokes for more Bones could be just what the doctor ordered. We’ll be watching for updates on the situation.
Bones, which also starred Tamara Taylor, John Francis Daley, TJ Thyne, and Michaela Conlin, can be streamed on Hulu and Disney+.
Upon releasing “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” as singles from Shawn, his newly announced LP due out on October 18, Shawn Mendes recounted his mother’s reaction. “I remember when I played her the song and video, the first thing she said was, ‘Oh, wow, babe, you found yourself,’” Mendes told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe
Most artist can’t take the time needed to truly find themselves. But increasingly, musicians are changing that narrative. This can even come in the form of canceling or postponing tours and taking hiatus from the public eye, citing mental health. Extending grace to human beings chronically subjected to superhuman expectation is a long overdue development in the music industry. Mendes, 26, has been at the forefront. He has always been transparent about anxiety — wishing he could find himself outside of the pop star spin cycle — since he ascended from his Canadian bedroom to international stages as a teenager.
“My personal wellness journey started a couple years ago when I was going through a really dark time,” Mendes told GQ in the fall of 2021. “I had so much anxiety that I actually couldn’t sing anymore. It was all in my throat, which a lot of men experience. We often experience those emotions as tension in our back, neck, and as pain in our bodies. I couldn’t sing anymore, and I always had a thing about quitting. I didn’t want to quit. And I was in this dark place, and I had to do something. And I was taking it out on other people, like in my relationships. I didn’t want to be that person. So, I started reading. I started meditating and journaling. I worked with a coach, Jay Shetty.”
In July 2022, Mendes hit the breaking point. The multi-platinum-certified musician initially postponed and ultimately canceled his Wonder world tour. “At this time, I have to put my health as my first priority,” he wrote, in part, on social media. “This doesn’t mean I won’t be making new music, and I can’t wait to see you on tour in the future. I know you all have been waiting so long to see these shows, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal.”
What is the most difficult thing to do when you’re on top of the world, possessing the power to do whatever you wish and riding momentum to the moon?
To pause.
And what’s the bravest?
To trust that pausing isn’t quitting. To decide you’d rather temporarily lose it all than permanently lose yourself. You’d rather have inner peace than external validation. You’d rather admit that your health is teetering on the edge, even if your career is right on track, before it’s too late.
It’s quite poignant to rewatch Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, his November 2020 Netflix documentary, after watching Mendes’ 2020-24 unfold.
The Grant Singer-directed film opens with Mendes narrating his racing thoughts during his 2019 global arena Shawn Mendes: The Tour, explaining, “You first get on the stage, and ego comes rushing in, and it goes, ‘Don’t mess up.’ Because you’re the man. Everyone’s saying you’re the man. So, don’t mess up.” Mendes lets loose and lets the music wash over him, remembering he’s “just a guy” who loves music. “Drop the ego,” he says. “Time to surrender.”
Later in the documentary, Mendes struggles to surrender — visibly devastated to cancel a São Paulo, Brazil show due to laryngitis and swollen vocal cord. “If I tell the world that I’m just a normal human, are they going to stop coming to the shows and listening to the music?” Mendes wonders aloud in the doc. “Then you’re like, ‘Wait, maybe I shouldn’t tell them. Maybe I should keep the trick up.’”
If only 2019-20 Shawn Mendes could listen to the 12 songs on the Shawn tracklist — to know that he would fully surrender and be better than ever because of it. Nobody can question Mendes’ honesty in his songwriting throughout his discography, but in the past, Mendes admittedly fixated on saying the right thing. It wasn’t a given that Mendes would be freed to write what he describes as the most honest and natural songs of his life. He could have kept riding the rocket ship, and his talent alone would have produced chart-topping albums and songs. He chose to go find Shawn.
“Why Why Why” signals that he’s no longer interested in keeping the trick up. The acoustic-laden, folk-tinged song resonates like a joyful shrug. He isn’t concerned with blemishing any perceived clean image — divulging he “thought I was about to be a father” and “stepped off the stage with nothin’ left” because “all the lights were f*ckin’ with my head.” He still has unanswered questions, and “Isn’t That Enough” shows he has accepted that: “My hands still shakin’ / My mind’s still racin’ / My heart’s still breakin’ in two / I’m still changin’ / My friends stay patient / My mother still calls for the news / Isn’t that enough?”
“I think the process of working through your sh*t and starting to heal, there’s certainly these moments of feeling like you’re past something, and then there’s moments where it all catches up with you, and you feel like you’re not past a single thing,” Mendes told Zane Lowe. “It’s kind of this cyclical nature. Something I learned in therapy that’s helped me so much is not everything has to have an end-line period solution or end-line period reason. It’s just like, it is. It’s acknowledging it. […] This is also what it’s like to be human.”
Typically, an artist relishes in one self-titled album moment. In May 2018, Mendes released the Grammy-nominated Shawn Mendes. Subtly, dropping his last name for Shawn feels like his strongest statement yet. The album stands to possibly become his fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200. People will likely always project unto Shawn Mendes, whatever version of his persona to which they’ve attached, and that will never be fair to him. But he won’t hesitate to show them the truth. Being Shawn is enough.
According to attendees who shared their experience on Reddit, Glover hits the stage at 9:15 pm and the show runs about two hours, ending just after 11:00 pm. Meanwhile, his opening act, Willow, performs from 8:00 pm to 8:45. For more information about the show, see below.
Childish Gambino The New World Tour Setlist
01. “H3@RT$ W3RE M3@NT T0 F7¥”
02. “Survive”
03. “I. The Worst Guys”
04. “Talk My Shit”
05. “Got to Be”
06. “In the Night”
07. “Yoshinoya”
08. “To Be Hunted”
09. “Witchy” (Kaytranada cover)
10. “Steps Beach”
11. “I. Crawl”
12. “Cruisin’”
13. “Feels Like Summer”
14. “Human Sacrifice”
15. “A Place Where Love Goes”
16. “No Excuses”
17. “Me And Your Mama”
18. “Do Ya Like”
19. “This Is America”
20. “IV. Sweatpants”
21. “Sober”
22. “L.E.S.”
23. “Heartbeat”
24. “Bonfire”
25. “Freaks And Geeks”
26. “Saturday”
27. “V. 3005”
28. “Redbone”
29. “Lithonia”
Childish Gambino Tour Dates: The New World Tour
08/14/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum *
08/15/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center *
08/17/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena *
08/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena *
08/20/2024 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena *
08/21/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
08/23/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
08/24/2024 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Arena *
08/26/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
08/27/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
08/29/2024 — Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena *
08/30/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena *
09/01/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena *
09/02/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena *
09/04/2024 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena *
09/05/2024 — Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena *
09/07/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center *
09/08/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
09/10/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center *
09/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
09/13/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena *
09/14/2024 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center *
09/16/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center *
09/18/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena *
09/19/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena *
09/21/2024 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center *
09/23/2024 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
09/24/2024 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center *
09/25/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
09/27/2024 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
09/29/2024 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place *
10/02/2024 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *
10/03/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center *
10/31/2024 — Lyon, FR @ LDLC Arena #
11/02/2024 — Milan, IT @ Unipol Forum #
11/04/2024 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena #
11/06/2024 — Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena #
11/08/2024 — Oslo, NO @ Oslo Spektrum #
11/10/2024 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena #
11/12/2024 — Prague, CZ @ O2 arena #
11/13/2024 — Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena #
11/19/2024 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena #
11/21/2024 — Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle #
11/23/2024 — Brussels, BE @ ING Arena #
11/24/2024 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome #
11/26/2024 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena #
11/28/2024 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro #
11/30/2024 — London, UK @ The O2 #
12/01/2024 — London, UK @ The O2 #
12/03/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena #
12/05/2024 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena #
01/28/2025 — Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena #
02/01/2025 — Brisbane, QLD @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre #
02/04/2025 — Sydney, NSW @ Qudos Bank Arena #
02/07/2025 — Melbourne, VIC @ Rod Laver Arena #
02/11/2025 — Perth, WA @ RAC Arena #
Austin, Texas has a long history as an epicenter of live music — even earning the title “Live Music Capital Of The World.” With the city hosting its famed annual SXSW, curated events and parties, Austin City Limits, and rotation of warehouse-style raves, Austin is truly a city that lives up to its reputation as a haven for music lovers. Because of that, people from around the globe flock to Austin to get their dose of great music, great food, and even greater accommodations.
Austin’s newest hotel, citizenM Austin Downtown, provides it all. Deemed “the pioneer of affordable luxury hotels,” citizenM’s goal is to create affordable luxury for the traveling music fans of the world and accommodate what it calls its “mobile citizens” as they conduct business, party, and explore world offerings.
Started in 2008, the Netherlands-based hotel chain has since opened and operated 34 hotels across North America, Europe, and Asia. With 14 within the United States across nine cities, it was only a matter of time before it would set up shop in Austin.
WHY IT’S AWESOME
CITIZENM ADT
The hotel is located deep in the heart of Austin, allowing guests to have direct access to the best of what this city offers. Better yet, they flex to your schedule — you have the option to check yourself in without needing to wait in line at the check-in counter. You can stroll straight into the second-floor lobby at 2 am to get drinks and snacks at its signature canteenM, and personalize your room to your own aesthetic. This hotel isn’t for relaxing, it’s for socializing and it is buzzing with creative, trendy travelers who operate at their best at night.
Did we say that you can personalize your room? Just making sure you didn’t miss that bit.
While many hotels offer a slew of hotel rooms to choose from – sometimes leading to decision paralysis – all of citizenM Austin Downtown’s rooms are identical and designed for two adults to share its XL king-sized bed. While I’m not usually one to geek out on ultra-tech aspects, the included iMac allows you to easily personalize the “mood” in your room with colored lights, blinds, and even mood-enhancing music. Activating the deep red lights for solo sexy time or the cool blue for a light and airy atmosphere with a friend can certainly impact the space.
Another thing that directly stood out to me was the incredible array of art. Scratch that – this whole hotel is a work of art. As soon as you walk in, you shimmy your way up a chrome red wide spiral staircase that leads to two open floor separate living spaces that are adorned with European-styled art, eccentric furniture, and color palettes. I can’t ever recall a time when I actually wanted to spend a lot of time in the lobby area of a hotel, except here. In fact, I opted to eat my 2 am dessert from the canteenM in one of the living room areas instead of my room just because it felt so inviting and almost natural to bask on the red couch, prop up my feet, and listen to a record that I put on.
FOOD & DRINKS
MIKALA LUGEN
The hotel hosts its signature canteenM in the heart of its second-floor lobby. You can find warm “light bites” until 11 pm each night while cold food, snacks and drinks are available 24/7, allowing you to satisfy any late-night cravings. Draught beer, sweet treats, wine, coffee, spirits, and aperitifs are aplenty here.
MIKALA LUGEN
This is where you also pay for your breakfast in the morning, if that’s your thing. With breakfast offered until 11 am, you have plenty of time to sleep in and then start your day with an anti-American breakfast. Why anti-America? While it’s still self-serve, you’ll find a fresh assortment of eggs, bacon, sausage, and potatoes in red Le Creuset cast-iron pots. There’s also lox and cream cheese, capers, cheese, European and French breads and pastries, and actual fresh berries and fruit to choose from. According to my tastebuds, everything about the breakfast solidifies citizenM’s Netherlands-based influence over almost everything in the hotel, which is a good thing.
A few highlights of canteenM:
Crispy Chicken Dumplings: Comes with five decently-sized dumplings, making this a full-blown dish. The ponzu sauce was a great complement.
Crispy Tempura Shrimp: Again, this could be considered a full meal if you wanted it to be. It comes on a bed of crisp arugula so it’s almost like a shrimp salad!
Crab Cakes: Ordering crab cakes in Austin could be considered out-of-the-box, but I just had to. The two crab cakes themselves were huge and moist, but the broccoli kale mix they were placed on wasn’t doing it any favors.
Jeni’s Ice Cream: Coming across a whole mini freezer dedicated to Jeni’s ice cream is a rarity. But Austin loves Jeni’s ice cream. I loved the wide selection of single-serve cups or full pints to have throughout your stay at the hotel. I’ll be dreaming of the gooey butter cake ice cream forever.
citizenM Austin Downtown also features a rooftop bar (cloudM) to accompany its rooftop pool. Offering the same snacks and drinks as canteenM, it’s a basic little setup with poolside drinks and a small selection of snacks.
AMENITIES
MIKALA LUGEN
XL king-sized beds
24-hour canteenM bar
24-hour gym
Rooftop pool
Rooftop bar
European and Netherlands-inspired art
Free Wi-Fi
Colored mood lighting
Widescreen TV
Power shower
Books & records to browse (and try!)
Stylish living rooms
In-room iMacs
In-room fridge and freezer
ROOM TYPES
MIKALA LUGEN
citizenM Austin Downtown features 344 rooms, all of which are the same. The cool thing about this is that it prevents choice overload or price gauging. Everyone in the hotel is staying in the exact same room as you. The choice is yours on what color mood lighting you want to come back to.
THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 15-MINUTE WALK
MIKALA LUGEN
You’re in Austin, what isn’t there to do within a 15-minute walk? Depending on when you stay here, you’re about a half mile from the Austin Convention Center where most of the main programming for SXSW takes place. Heading to Austin for Austin City Limits in October? You’re literally just a couple of blocks away. Want to head out on a nature meets city trail? Lady Bird Lake is also just five blocks away.
A direct two-minute walk from the hotel is Sixth Street. Sometimes fondly known as Dirty 6th, you’ll be steps away from Austin’s lively and eccentric nightlife, boasting famous live music venues, bars, and restaurants. A part of the entertainment district in downtown Austin, you can easily walk to see a show at Antone’s or the Moody Amphitheater, eat some authentic barbecue and watch a live performance at Stubb’s BBQ, and more.
MIKALA LUGEN
While I’m not big on politics, it’s worth walking and taking a self-guided tour of the Texas State Capitol. It is an iconic landmark after all, surpassing the size of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens make it worth the walk. Should you decide to take a self-guided tour, there are plenty of photo opportunities within the grand marble hallways and ornate staircases.
At the hotel itself, walk yourself to the elevator and head to the 17th-floor rooftop pool. I will say there were less than 10 chairs up here when I went so they are scarce, but if you can secure one, it provides a refreshing “work from home” view.
THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A $20 TAXI RIDE
MIKALA LUGEN
Because the hotel is in the middle of downtown and doesn’t offer any parking, taking an Uber or Lyft to get around outside a one-mile walk is definitely encouraged.
Boasting over 350 acres of land, Zilker Park is beautiful to spend a day at! You’ll find an abundance of green space to walk, bike, or picnic in. The city’s natural spring swimming pool Barton Springs Pool is also located here. I loved renting a kayak for two hours and going out through Barton Springs into Lady Bird Lake for amazing views of the city.
MIKALA LUGEN
Zilker Botanical Garden is a great way to wander through some really beautiful flora and fauna. Austin is already a green and lush city but there’s something about peaceful garden trails and Japanese gardens that just hit different.
If you’re looking for something a little less chilled out, Congress Avenue Bat Bridge is seriously so cool. The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony. Between March and November, approximately 750,000 Mexican free-tailed bats roost beneath the bridge and emerge in a mass exodus flying out into the city at dusk.
Pro tip: If you don’t have AllTrails downloaded yet, you’re missing out. While Austin isn’t a mountainous city, there are some pretty great hiking trails at McKinney Falls State Park. Located just 10 miles from citizenM Austin Downtown, you can explore 700 acres full of waterfalls, limestone bluffs, and regional plant and animal life.
BED GAME
MIKALA LUGEN
Each room is outfitted with an XL king-size bed pushed up horizontally against the back wall. I loved that it was right up against the the wall-to-wall window, allowing you to lay down and look out to the city skyline (unless you like to sleep like a vampire with the blackout curtains shut tight).
The fluffiest pillows and European down cotton sheets certainly made it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Because it is flush up against the wall, you do only have one bedside table, so unless you’re traveling solo, this could pose a problem for a lot of people. It also raises the question of just how this bed was made by the housecleaning staff.
If you are sleeping with someone and they are trying to get past you in the middle of the night… well… you’re going to face challenges.
Rating: 6/10
SEXINESS RATING
MIKALA LUGEN
The personalized mood lighting in each room was very sexy. As a solo female traveler, I very much enjoyed having the room to myself and settling into my own sensuality with the deep crimson red lighting and the calming energy of the lush green. The sexiness rating could’ve been higher if they made the shower see-through into the rest of the room, but I suppose if you’re traveling with a friend that would be less than ideal. (Depends how fun your friends are, obvi.)
Rating: 7/10
THE VIEWS AND PHOTO SPOTS
MIKALA LUGEN
The 17th-floor rooftop pool, accented mood lighting with a full body mirror, and European-styled living rooms and furniture lent plenty of space for Instagram-worthy photo spots and city views.
Rating: 8/10
BEST SEASON TO VISIT
MIKALA LUGEN
This depends on what you’re looking for. March if you want to be a part SXSW, the world’s biggest music, tech, and business conference. October if you want a full-fledged Austin music experience at Austin City Limits. It’s probably best to avoid Austin (and all of Texas) in the dead of summer due to three-digit temperatures.
IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING
I’ve had this complaint in other hotels and it still remains: stop making showers over complicated. I consider myself a pretty smart and savvy person, but the shower was overly complicated to figure out how to get hot water. I literally took a cold shower the first night because I thought the hot water just didn’t work.
Thanks to fans on Reddit, we can see that vinyl for Awaken, My Love! is $30, while Because The Internet is $40. Meanwhile, tees and hoodies range from $45 to $100, and Bando Stone trucker hats are $35. You can get a decent look here.
Childish Gambino The New World Tour Setlist
01. “H3@RT$ W3RE M3@NT T0 F7¥”
02. “Survive”
03. “I. The Worst Guys”
04. “Talk My Shit”
05. “Got to Be”
06. “In the Night”
07. “Yoshinoya”
08. “To Be Hunted”
09. “Witchy” (Kaytranada cover)
10. “Steps Beach”
11. “I. Crawl”
12. “Cruisin’”
13. “Feels Like Summer”
14. “Human Sacrifice”
15. “A Place Where Love Goes”
16. “No Excuses”
17. “Me And Your Mama”
18. “Do Ya Like”
19. “This Is America”
20. “IV. Sweatpants”
21. “Sober”
22. “L.E.S.”
23. “Heartbeat”
24. “Bonfire”
25. “Freaks And Geeks”
26. “Saturday”
27. “V. 3005”
28. “Redbone”
29. “Lithonia”
Childish Gambino Tour Dates: The New World Tour
08/14/2024 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum *
08/15/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center *
08/17/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena *
08/18/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena *
08/20/2024 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena *
08/21/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
08/23/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
08/24/2024 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Arena *
08/26/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
08/27/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
08/29/2024 — Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena *
08/30/2024 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena *
09/01/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena *
09/02/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena *
09/04/2024 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena *
09/05/2024 — Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena *
09/07/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center *
09/08/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
09/10/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center *
09/11/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
09/13/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena *
09/14/2024 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center *
09/16/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center *
09/18/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena *
09/19/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena *
09/21/2024 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center *
09/23/2024 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
09/24/2024 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center *
09/25/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
09/27/2024 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
09/29/2024 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place *
10/02/2024 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *
10/03/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center *
10/31/2024 — Lyon, FR @ LDLC Arena #
11/02/2024 — Milan, IT @ Unipol Forum #
11/04/2024 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena #
11/06/2024 — Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena #
11/08/2024 — Oslo, NO @ Oslo Spektrum #
11/10/2024 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena #
11/12/2024 — Prague, CZ @ O2 arena #
11/13/2024 — Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena #
11/19/2024 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena #
11/21/2024 — Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle #
11/23/2024 — Brussels, BE @ ING Arena #
11/24/2024 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome #
11/26/2024 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena #
11/28/2024 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro #
11/30/2024 — London, UK @ The O2 #
12/01/2024 — London, UK @ The O2 #
12/03/2024 — Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena #
12/05/2024 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena #
01/28/2025 — Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena #
02/01/2025 — Brisbane, QLD @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre #
02/04/2025 — Sydney, NSW @ Qudos Bank Arena #
02/07/2025 — Melbourne, VIC @ Rod Laver Arena #
02/11/2025 — Perth, WA @ RAC Arena #
Moonlight/Heater Allen/The Lost Abbey/Pilsner Urquell/istock/Uproxx
If you didn’t know it already, pilsners weren’t created by some craft brewer in the US in the 1980s or even at one of the massive Macro-brewers in St. Louis or Milwaukee. No, the style was created back in 1842 in what’s now commonly referred to as Czechia or the Czech Republic in the Bohemian city of Plzeň (or Pilsen in English). We’re talking about the iconic, timeless Pilsner Urquell.
This pale lager is a golden-hued, bottom-fermented beer that’s known for its malt sweetness, floral hop flavor, aroma, light hop bitterness, and crisp, refreshing finish. There’s a reason some of the most sessionable, crushable beers are pilsners. It’s a classic, easy-drinking style.
It’s also a great style to enjoy in the dog days of summer. Especially if you’re opting for classic Czech-style pilsners. But you don’t have to find them yourself. We did the work for you. Below, you’ll find eight of the best Czech-style pilsners to drink this month. We also ranked them on their overall crisp, refreshing flavor. Keep scrolling to see them all.
This award-winning Czech-style pilsner is brewed with Bohemian Pils and Munich malts as well as Saaz hops. It’s known for its crisp, clean, no-frills flavor profile featuring a nice malt backbone, and floral Noble hops. It was created to pay tribute to the classic Czech pilsners that came before it.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of sweet malts, cereal grains, honey, and floral, earthy hops. Drinking it reveals notes of biscuit-like malts, cereal grains, honey, light citrus peels, and floral, herbal, spicy Noble hops. The finish is crisp, dry, and effortlessly refreshing.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic, crisp pilsner with a nice malt backbone and floral, spicy, lightly bitter hops. What’s not to love?
7. Kane Speciál 13°
Kane
ABV: 5.4%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
To say that this beer is as authentically Czech-style as American beers get is an understatement. It was brewed using floor-malted Moravian Pilsner malt and Czech Saaz hops. It’s cold fermented and lagered in stainless steel tanks for six weeks. The result is a classic, bready, floral, crisp pilsner.
Tasting Notes:
Before your first sip, you’ll be greeted by a nose of cracker malt, light cracked black pepper, freshly baked bread, citrus, and floral, herbal hops. The palate continues this trend with cracker malts, pepper, citrus peels, honey, cereal grains, and floral, spicy, lightly bitter hops. The finish is crisp, clean, and highly memorable.
Bottom Line:
Kane takes this beer really seriously. It’s made with Czech-grown malt and gets added flavor from being lagered for six weeks.
Like many American-made Czech-style pilsners, Heater Allen set out to make a beer similar to Pilsner Urquell. This award-winning pilsner was brewed with Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner malt, and Czech-grown Saaz hops. It’s unfiltered, lagered for eight full weeks, and known for its balance of sweet malts and floral hops.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are hints of cereal grains, sweet honey, corn, and floral hops. The palate is filled with freshly baked bread, cereal grains, honey, lemon zest, cracked black pepper, and floral, lightly bitter hops. The finish is classic, crisp, and very clean.
Bottom Line:
This pilsner is all about balance. Sweet malts, floral hops, and gentle bitterness. It’s all there.
This beer might be only 3.9% ABV. But that just means you can drink more cans of this award-winning brew. Made with Czech-grown Moravian floor-malted Pilsner malt and Czech-grown Saaz hops, it tastes like the crisp, thirst-quenching European beers that came before it.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of cereal grains, freshly baked bread, fresh-cut grass, lemon peels, and floral, piney hops. Sipping it reveals notes of bready malts, sweet corn, lemongrass, hay, and floral, piney hops. The ending is crisp, and dry, and leaves you wanting more.
Bottom Line:
There are a lot of aromas and flavors to unpack with this pilsner. There are so many that you’d require a few samplings to uncover them all.
When New Hampshire’s Schilling gets an idea, they really go for it. Palmovka 12˚ is a Czech-style pilsner made with sourced Czech ingredients. On top of that, it’s made with a traditional Czech mash and decoction schedule. This creates a traditional pilsner with a base of malts, light bitterness, and a ton of floral hops.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of freshly baked bread, cereal grains, honey, hay, lemon peels, cracked black pepper, and floral, herbal, earthy hops are present before your first sip. The palate is loaded with cereal grains, caramel malts, lemon, hay, fresh-cut grass, honey, corn, and floral, herbal, lightly piney hops. The finish is crisp, hoppy, and gently spicy.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of classic, European pilsners, you’ll love what Schilling created with Palmovka 12. It’s crisp, refreshing, and crushable.
No Czech-style pilsner list is complete without the original pilsner. As we mentioned above, Pilsner Urquell created the style when it was first launched in 1842. It’s still brewed the same way with Moravian Czech barley malt, Plzen water, Saaz hops, and the brewery’s proprietary H-Strain yeast.
Tasting Notes:
There are a ton of aromas freshly baked bread, sweet corn, cereal grains, honey, fresh hay, grass, citrus peels, and floral hops. The palate is a mix of yeasty bread, caramel malts, honey, lemongrass, hay, and floral, spicy hops. It’s classic, crisp, and very refreshing.
Bottom Line:
Pilsner Urquell is the OG pilsner and it’s still just as flavorful today as ever. Before you try any of the other beers on this list, you should try the original first.
Moonlight Brewing understands that the Bohemian style of Czech pilsners reigns supreme. They based their “West Coast” version on that style. That being said, you’ll obviously still find classic flavors like bready malts, floral hops, and a crisp, clean, highly refreshing finish.
Tasting Notes:
Freshly baked bread, lemon zest, honey, freshly cut grass, and classic floral hops on the nose start your experience on a great foot. There’s more of the same on the palate in the best way possible with bready malts, cereal grains, caramel, lemongrass, hay, honey, and floral, spicy hops making appearances. The finish is crisp, dry, and gently bitter.
Bottom Line:
When you talk about well-rounded, balanced Czech-style pilsners, you should absolutely think of this epic beer.
This traditional Czech-style pilsner is brewed with soft water, and floor-malted Pilsner malt, and gets its hop aroma and flavor from the liberal use of Sterling hops. It’s made using the double decoction method and is open-fermented, and lagered for a long time. The result is a perfect balance of malt, citrus, and floral.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of cracker malt, cereal grains, sweet corn, lemon, orange peel, cracked pepper, and floral, herbal hops make for a great start. Drinking it reveals notes of cracker malt, cornbread, cereal grains, honey, lemon, fresh-cut grass, straw, and more floral, piney hops. The finish is sweet, dry, and pleasantly crisp.
Bottom Line:
If you only try one beer on this list, make it this one. Drink this one side by side with Pilsner Urquell and compare the flavors. You might have a new favorite.
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