If you’re a live music fan, I think you can agree that it’s been the longest 18 months EVER! Here at Baller ATX, we are SO READY to get back out there and enjoy what we love most… live music in Austin, TX! That’s right, y’all… we’re heading out to ACL Fest Weekend 2 to hear some amazing bands, eat some incredible food, and experience all the other fun stuff we have come to know and love from our favorite little hometown music festival!

Yes, there is way more than just live music and food at ACL. So many of their sponsors have some pretty sweet activations going on inside Zilker Park. Some to keep you cool, some to give away that coveted swag, and all of them help you make new friends along the way!

Let’s start with Tito’s “Party in the Shack” (Located just to the right of the Tito’s stage)

Show some love!
Festival goers can write a thank you postcard to a festival crewmember & hang it on the “Love, Tito’s” wall. For every card that is signed, Tito’s donates $5 to Crew Nation (up to $10,000) to support production crew who were out of work during the pandemic. (Tito’s has always been a generous company, and this is amazing!)

Play to win!
Stock up on Tito’s swag playing Plinko (Sunglasses! Bandanas! Koozies!) or test your hand-eye coordination at the infamous Tito’s claw machine (where you can win a pair of wristbands granting access to the exclusive, private Stillhouse Lounge backstage at the Tito’s tent!)

Get a souvenir for your dog you left at home!
Create a personalized dog tag at the Tito’s custom dog tag machine

Relax and recharge!
People can enjoy a taste of free WIFI and find a spot to relax in the chairs outside the “shack”, which is actually a tiny version of Mockingbird Distillery, where Tito’s was created! There is also a phone charging station and lawn games to play with friends.

Don’t forget to stick around and enjoy the shady Tito’s tent where you can catch some amazing artists like one of my new faves, Claud, who is playing at 1:45pm on Friday!

It’s Miller Time!

Head over and enjoy Miller Lite’s new Miller Time Social space near the ACL Fest Photo Frame! This is THE spot to connect with your friends, enjoy a Miller Lite (21+ only please), cool off with their fan walls, and recharge yourself and your phone!

And don’t forget about the incredible artists playing the Miller Lite stage over by the Lady Bird Lake entrance to the festival. Check out the incomparable Erykah Badu at 7pm on Friday, or local faves Nane at noon on Sunday.

Party with T-Mobile at “Club Magenta”

Chill out and charge up at the ultimate FREE backstage experience located behind the T-Mobile Stage (entrance is to the right of the stage). Gain instant access if you’re a current T-Mobile customer, or snap and share a selfie to score entry. When you get inside, you’ll find charging stations, upgraded (A/C!) restrooms, a private (cash) bar, and a chance to score epic prizes thanks to T-Mobile. You’ll also find a water refill station, a giant misting fan, and seats in a shady space where you can watch the bands appearing on the T-Mobile and Lady Bird Lake stages on a huge screen. That private bar will certainly come in handy when the bar lines around the park are 50 people deep!

…and more!

Be sure to check out the Bumble Hive to charge your phone and snag some swag, or the Honda Trading Post (across from the Honda stage) to recharge with friends and get a free tattoo! So many of the activations this year are not only giving away free stuff, but are providing phone charging, a space to relax a bit in the shade, and lots of “meetup” spots to gather with those friends who tend to get lost in the crowd. Hey, you paid a lot for those wristbands, so take advantage of everything ACL (and its sponsors) have to offer! Happy fest-ing everyone!

Fans will be Transported into the Worlds of the Amazon Original Series The Boys, The Expanse and Carnival Row through an Immersive Activation Designed to Captivate Customers with Live Performances and Experiences Inspired by the Shows

The Amazon Prime Video Experience will also Host Exclusive Parties and The Official Fan Premiere of The Boys
Amazon Prime Video’s Panel Line-up Includes Cast & Creators from New and Returning Series, Including Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne from Carnival Row, Karl Urban and Jack Quaid from The Boys, the stars of The expanse, Undone, The Man in The High Castle and More.


THE AMAZON PRIME VIDEO EXPERIENCE
The Amazon Prime Video Experience will celebrate the new Amazon Original series The Boys and Carnival
Row, as well as the upcoming fourth season of The Expanse, with an immersive 60,000 square-foot activation
located across from the San Diego Convention Center. The Amazon Prime Video Experience will be open from
Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21, with a special preview day open, to press on Wednesday, July 17.
Located on the corner of MLK and 1st, fanboys and fangirls will be drawn into the Amazon Prime Video
An experience by the sight of a 40-foot tower adorned with giant LED screens that will be playing scenes from The
Boys, Carnival Row, and The Expanse. Comic-Con attendees will also be treated to live, show-specific
performances taking place atop the multi-level tower.

Once inside, attendees will receive collectible gold and silver coins which they can use to further explore the activation. Fans can begin their day covering up the crime scene of a superhero kidnapping at the Audio Visual shop where Hughie works on The Boys. On the opposite end of the space, a Rocinante spaceship is positioned that will take adventure-seekers on a United Nations peacekeeping mission to a newly colonized planet seen in The Expanse. Guests can also discover the Carnival Row universe in which humans and exotic creatures coexist before entering The Forbidden Lounge, a neo-Victorian decorated hideaway venue, to enjoy a special performance. Amazon Prime Video collaborated with LG within the series activations to provide a premiere viewing experience for attendees.

After exploring the shows, guests can escape the summer heat and relax under a tented awning with refreshing beverages and a selection of mouthwatering bites, including Carl’s Jr., which will provide burgers on-site for press and fans as part of The Boys campaign. Cosplayers can even find a Cosplay Photography
Corner within the walls of the Amazon Prime Video Experience, where a lifestyle photographer will be onsite to take professional portraits as digital takeaways.

images provided by Prime Video

   

FB: /AmazonPrimeVideo
IG: AmazonPrimeVideo
TW: @PrimeVideo

Come see Originator Studios and celebrate the opening of Austin’s first VR Arcade!
Get your virtual swords ready…for this free one night only event, they want you to take a slice at FRUIT NINJA VR!

All ages are welcome to join, and they will have a free Austin East Cider for the adults.
They will be tracking high scores throughout the night. Who knows, you may even take home a prize!

Tomorrow at 6 PM – 10 PM

If you would like information on booking a session at the VR Arcade, please visit http://www.originatorstudios.com/vr-arcade or email them at innfo@originatorstudios.com

Originator VR Arcade
718 Northwestern Ave
Austin, TX 78702

A Baller’s Birthday

Posted by terry flemings | Ballin' With Terry

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Today is my birthday and the best way to celebrate it, of course, is with free food! So how did I manage to accomplish that? Simple, the much overlooked restaurant “birthday club”. Some places now call it loyalty programs or some cute combo of their name with club. It’s honestly just a way for them to email you all the time about deals you don’t care about but I’ve signed up for many and narrowed it down to the top 5 most Ballin’.

  1. Red Robin royalty– By far the best one. I like this one because there is not a big rush to claim it. You have your entire birthday month to claim it. And what is it you ask? A free full size burger with fries, no other purchase necessary, and for dessert, a free mini sundae. But be careful they will sing happy birthday to you.
  2. Panera Bread My Panera Club– If that mini sundae wasn’t enough dessert for you then head over to Panera bread and redeem your free pastry. If you want to wait a while then good news, the reward they give you for your bday doesn’t expire until two months after. No purchase necessary to use.
  3. Wingstop Email club– If you’re like me and you love Wingstop’s fries, that’s exactly what you get on your bday each year. You’ll get a coupon in your email that will let you redeem a large order of fries. No purchase necessary. You’ll get the coupon about 7 days before your bday and it will expire in about 7 days after your bday.
  4. TGI Fridays Rewards– I signed up for this a week before my bday and didn’t get anything but just for signing up you get a reward. With just your email you’ll earn a free app or dessert up to $8 in value. No purchase necessary. Also you’ll receive a skip-the-line pass if your local Fridays is the place to be haha.
  5. Alamo Victory rewards– Ok so this one isn’t food but I love this place, and especially the owner Mr. T (Tim League) himself, with all my heart. The Victory rewards program lets you earn things like free popcorn and free shakes based on the number of movies you visit throughout the year. However, on your special day you get a free movie ticket to treat yourself. The ticket has a 30 day expiration after your special day so no rush.