#flipnotics

Change: It Ain’t What It Used to Be

“Change. It ain’t what it used to be.”

My ex said that to me once, apropos of almost nothing, and it made me laugh so hard I had to grab a pen and write it down. I had to grab a lot of pens with him around; he was pretty witty, and his word bombs were usually worth remembering.

Especially when they were so dead on. People, places, and things change all the time, and you can’t do a damned thing…

Austin Nightlife is sick of all these Austin landmarks leaving us. First there's Toy Joy, then Enchanted Gardens and now Flipnotics. While patrons at the iconic Barton Springs bar/cafe/live Austin music venue were told not to ask the folks behind the counter why Flipnotics is soon to be no more, we're sure it had to do with the typical, lame money causes. This past Thursday, the 21st, was Flipnotics' final Open Mic Thursday. The local troubadours and singers came out in force for the moment - the usual three-song set time had to be cut down to a single song performance to get everyone in.

  Longtime Open Mic Thursday host Lisa was at her usual, adorable self manning the stage. While she made it clear that this was the final time we'd all be gathered in this room to hear Austin's up-and-comers, she wasn't dooming and glooming. She was as chipper and excited about the music performances as ever. She also brought some much-needed good news. This would not be the last open mic ever, because the program will be moving in April to singer-songwriter Jack Wilson's new club on Lamar and Manchaca. After that, Lisa will open her own live music venue sometime in Summer 2014. You better believe Austin Nightlife got on the mailing list for that new venue. We'll be visiting as soon as possible.

This Open Mic Thursday was regimented slightly differently than how this writer has experienced it before. Because there were so many performers, the acts actually began at 6 p.m., nearly two hours before the usual start time of 7:45. About 10 acts got on stage for a song before a brief break, a second sign-up sheet and the next round of open mic nighters. It was obvious a lot of these artists had been to Flips many times before. They all seemed to be in a good mood despite the bittersweet tone to the entire night.

It was also worth noting that, with performance times cut down to seven-minute intervals, these musicians were putting as much intensity as possible into their limited window on stage. This was because they had less time to make an impression, yes, but also because, if this was going to be the final time up there, they wanted to make the best of it. Austin's musician society, and how it cares and groups around one another, was on full display during the whole night. There were warm applause, appreciative audiences and rich performances.

It wasn't just people with acoustic guitars singing, either (though there were a lot, as one would expect). One performer brought twin keyboards for an instrumental, synth-driven sojourn. The house piano was also tickled a few times. However, the single standout of the night might've been Lisa herself. Starting off the second run of performers, she brought down her ukelele and led a sing-along with a song that everyone in the audience seemed to know except us. Help Austin Nightlife out: "I am a fire/you are a fire/I need your flame."

It was a beautiful note to close Lisa's last Flips night on. The music continued until late hours as the majority of the 42 sign-ups were able to hit the stage. Flipnotics is holding a party for its final night on Monday, March 24. Head out  to pay your respects. It's a great venue and it will be sad to see it go. Austin Nightlife will be there tonight!

Lisa Kettyle, host of Flipnotics Open Mic (among other awesomeness) Thanks to Facebook, I found out yesterday that Flipnotics in Austin is closing in a month. It was open mic #3 of my 157, and it was also #100.  It was a place I saw a good number of good shows. I’d always kind of hoped to get back to Austin and have my own show there, or at least be part of an in-the-round or something, but barring some sort of “swoop in and save it” gesture by some mysterious person, that’s not gonna happen now.

That’s just my own personal bummer. I’m feeling for the folks who still have a daily/weekly/monthly connection to the place. It’s been running since 1992! It’s right on Barton Springs Road one of the cool and funky little neighborhoods by the actual Barton Springs, so you’d always see folks in flip-flops & swim suits coming to hang out on the big deck after a dip. In reading the articles about it closing I’m learning that there have been some really long-standing music residencies and jams that called Flips home. It was one of the more popular open mics I went to, you had to be there early and you had to be aggressive to get on the list, but after those first couple minutes of pens and arms flying it was a mighty kind and respectful room. It was a small room, so few people actually used the mic, and it was separate from the bar, so it was quiet, not to mention Lisa, the spitfire hostess, was so great at creating and maintaining that respectful listening environment.

I did even apply to work there at one point and didn’t hear back. I tell myself that the reason I never got a job at any of the local coffee shops where I applied in Austin was my lack of tattoos, though it was probably my lack of follow up and timing.