Latest / Austin Signal / New podcast explores aftermath of deadly 2025 flooding

Transcript

New podcast explores aftermath of deadly 2025 flooding · Austin Signal

0:08
The city of Austin is being sued by
0:10
a group of Travis County property
0:11
owners after reversing course on
0:13
an agreement that would have
0:14
released nearly 170 properties
0:17
from the city's jurisdiction.
0:19
We'll hear more on that.
0:20
And we're approaching one year since
0:22
the devastating 4th of July floods
0:23
that claimed the lives of more than
0:25
100 Central Texans.
0:27
A new podcast after the flood takes
0:28
a deeper look at the disaster's
0:31
lasting impact.
0:32
The Austin Signal is a production
0:34
of KUT News, hosted by
0:36
Miles Bloxen.
0:37
Looking for your next great read?
0:40
The Fill Guide to Austin's Summer
0:41
Reading Bingo Challenge is happening
0:43
right now and we've got a couple of
0:45
book recommendations to help fill
0:47
your card.
0:48
Plus, tattoo shops across Austin are
0:50
finding it increasingly difficult to
0:52
keep their doors open.
0:53
That's coming up today on
0:55
Austin Signal.
1:07
Hi Austin, it's Tuesday, June
1:09
23rd, 2026.
1:10
I'm Miles Blox and this is
1:13
Austin Signal.
1:14
Thank you so much for being here
1:15
with us.
1:16
The City of Austin is being sued by
1:18
a group of property owners in Travis
1:20
County who say the City wrongfully
1:22
backed out of letting them de-annex
1:24
from Austin's extraterritorial
1:26
jurisdiction.
1:27
The plaintiffs filed the suit in
1:28
federal court earlier this month.
1:30
They say the city promised to
1:31
release the roughly 170 properties
1:34
from the TJ.
1:35
Designation only to come back
1:37
and say the releases were invalid.
1:40
Here to explain is Shawn
1:41
Hemmesmeyer, staff writer at
1:43
Austin Business Journal.
1:45
Shawn, welcome to Austin Signal.
1:47
Thanks for having me on.
1:49
Before we get into this legal saga,
1:50
can you explain what exactly an
1:52
extraterritorial jurisdiction
1:54
is?
1:55
Yeah, an ETJ is
1:57
essentially a territory
2:00
that is outside of the city limits
2:02
of any particular
2:04
city in Texas, and
2:06
they're ideally used for
2:08
expansion territory for cities.
2:11
And while a property might be
2:13
in a city's ETJ,
2:15
it doesn't have to pay city taxes,
2:17
and it doesn t get city services,
2:19
but it does face extra
2:21
regulations from cities because
2:23
The idea is ETJs will
2:25
eventually become part of cities.
2:28
So basically it's an area that
2:30
could eventually become a part of a
2:31
city in Texas.
2:32
Okay and what about like the legal
2:34
saga that's going on right now
2:35
because there's people that are not
2:37
happy.
2:38
Yeah, yeah. So I reported on
2:40
a lawsuit over the city of Austin
2:42
being sued from
2:44
basically the
2:46
plaintiffs in the lawsuit accused
2:48
the city, of doing
2:50
a flip-flop on releasing
2:52
about 170 properties in
2:54
kind of Western Travis County from
2:56
the city's ETJ.
2:58
And the lawsuit basically says
3:00
that the city
3:03
said these 170 properties were
3:05
released from Austin's
3:07
ETj.
3:08
But due to a
3:09
exception in Texas state
3:12
law around military sites that
3:14
those releases were improper.
3:16
And then the city said those past
3:18
releases for those 170 properties
3:20
were void.
3:21
And so now those 170 property are
3:23
back in Austin's ETJ and
3:25
face additional regulations from
3:27
the city of Austin on like what
3:29
can be developed and what can happen
3:30
on those 170 properties.
3:32
All right.
3:33
And at the core of this back and
3:35
forth, there's a little known
3:36
military installation called the
3:38
Bee Caves Armory.
3:39
What is this facility and what does
3:41
it have to do with Austin's move to
3:43
say, actually, you aren't
3:45
released from the ETJ.
3:47
Yeah, the Bee Caves Armory is
3:49
basically used as a site
3:51
for the 71st Troop Command
3:53
in like the Texas National Guard.
3:56
And the exception in
3:58
the state law around ETJ
4:00
releases, it says that
4:02
a property within
4:04
five miles of a military site
4:06
can't be released from
4:08
any city's ETJ.
4:10
So,
4:13
basically, the existence of the
4:14
Bee Cave's armory prevents a lot of
4:16
properties. In western travis county
4:18
from being released from austin's
4:20
etj And the
4:22
b caves armory is a very little
4:23
known military site.
4:24
It doesn't really do much.
4:26
It. Doesn't take up a lot of land
4:29
and the Attorney that I
4:31
spoke to representing the plaintiffs
4:33
of this lawsuit said that most
4:34
people in that area Really didn't
4:36
know about the b.
4:37
Caves armory until you know the past
4:39
year or two
4:40
And is it a distance thing, like how
4:42
close these properties actually are
4:43
to this base or this, you know,
4:45
B caves armory?
4:47
Yeah, a property
4:48
within five miles of
4:50
the Bee Caves Armory, or really any
4:52
other military site,
4:54
are prevented from leaving
4:56
any city's ETJ, or
4:58
in this case, Austin's ETj.
5:00
Okay, so let's rewind back.
5:02
What kicked off this saga?
5:04
You report it may have something to
5:06
do with the billboards?
5:08
Yeah, yeah, so I
5:10
first heard about this issue
5:12
from a group of citizens
5:14
who were concerned about a
5:16
company called Media Choice placing
5:19
billboards up on B Caves Road.
5:22
And under Austin's
5:24
ETGA regulations, these citizens
5:26
said that those billboards
5:28
weren't allowed to go up because B
5:30
Cave Road is a scenic roadway
5:32
and billboards aren't allowed under
5:33
Austin's ETGA regulations.
5:36
And so they tried
5:38
to get the cities of Austin's
5:40
attention and the city of Austin did
5:42
issue a code violation for
5:44
one of the billboards that did get
5:46
put up.
5:47
And basically after that code
5:49
violation came up, the
5:51
company behind these billboards,
5:54
Media Choice, they took steps
5:55
to try and get that property with
5:57
the billboard released
5:59
from Austin's ETJ and then the
6:01
citizens around
6:03
that were concerned about these
6:05
billboards.
6:06
They found out about the Bee Caves
6:07
Armory. They brought up that
6:09
to the city of Austin.
6:11
And then after that was
6:13
brought up to the City, the City
6:15
sent out those letters saying those
6:17
ETSGA releases to the 170
6:19
properties were void.
6:20
Yeah. Speaking of the city
6:22
of Austin, what
6:24
have they had to say about
6:26
this whole thing?
6:27
Like the fact that they invalidated
6:29
these releases.
6:30
Um, yeah, they really haven't
6:32
told me much, uh,
6:34
other than that they will, you
6:36
know, respond to the lawsuit in
6:38
the proper manner.
6:39
And, um, at this point,
6:41
I would say that
6:43
they probably just want
6:45
to kind of keep these properties
6:47
in their ETJ because from
6:49
their interpretation of state
6:51
law that, you know
6:53
these properties aren't able to be
6:55
released from its ETJ.
6:56
So we'll see what happens as
6:58
this case evolves.
7:00
Um, and as you know, the lawsuit
7:02
proceeds through the court system.
7:04
But at this point, the city of
7:05
Austin hasn't said much, but I'd
7:06
imagine that they want to keep these
7:08
170 properties in their ETJ.
7:10
Sean, what do you think comes next?
7:13
Um, you know, we'll really see.
7:15
I think it comes down to
7:17
basically how
7:19
important that military site is
7:21
and what, and really how important
7:23
the bee caves armory is.
7:25
I think once, you have the law
7:27
that was created to dictate how
7:29
these ETJ releases was going.
7:31
I don't think they really envisioned
7:32
this happening.
7:33
And I don't think the military site
7:35
exception was really meant for
7:37
the beecaves armory.
7:38
So.
7:40
I guess it really remains to be
7:42
seen on what happens next,
7:43
but I think this was just kind of
7:45
like an unintended consequence of
7:47
how this law was passed, but
7:50
you know, I'd imagine that these 170
7:51
property owners will,
7:54
for the most part, would still want
7:55
to be released from the ETJ because
7:57
then they would have to only
7:59
follow Travis County regulations,
8:01
which allow for kind
8:03
of a lot more to happen,
8:05
looser standards and all that,
8:07
So, yeah, it'll be interesting to
8:08
see how it goes.
8:09
We've been speaking with Sean
8:10
Himmersmeyer.
8:11
He's a staff writer for Austin
8:13
Business Journal.
8:14
Sean, thanks so much for coming in.
8:16
Yeah, no thank you.
8:24
We're approaching one year since the
8:26
devastating 4th of July floods that
8:28
claimed the lives of more than 100
8:30
Central Texans.
8:31
At Camp Mystic alone, 25 young
8:33
girls, two counselors, and the
8:35
camp's owner lost their lives.
8:37
As families continue to seek answers
8:39
and questions about accountability
8:41
remain, the Texas newsroom
8:43
in collaboration with Frontline PBS
8:45
is taking a deeper look at the
8:47
disaster and its aftermath.
8:49
The new podcast, After the Flood,
8:51
premieres tomorrow.
8:53
Joining us is Dominic
8:55
Anthony Walsh, senior reporter
8:57
from Houston Public Media.
8:59
Dominic, thanks so much for
9:00
joining us on Austin Signal.
9:03
Hey, thanks for having me.
9:04
Of course, so this project has
9:06
been a long time in the making,
9:08
right? But who's all working on this
9:10
podcast?
9:12
Well, the entire Texas newsroom,
9:14
which is pretty much all the big NPR
9:15
stations in Texas, Houston
9:17
Public Media, of course, KUT
9:19
in Austin, KERA in North
9:21
Texas, and Texas Public Radio in
9:23
San Antonio.
9:24
So, right after the
9:26
flood, Houston Public media sent
9:28
me over, and
9:30
I know over at KUT,
9:32
Cately Hunt was covering the
9:34
Sandy Creek community over near
9:36
Austin, and TPR
9:38
of course also had folks over, and
9:40
over the next couple of weeks.
9:42
Public radio reporters from across
9:43
the state were headed to the area.
9:45
And in the years since, you know,
9:47
we've kept coming back to
9:50
Kerr County and with
9:52
KUT and Kaylee Hunt to Sandy
9:54
Creek.
9:55
And so, yeah, big team of reporters
9:57
reporting over a
9:59
very long period of time.
10:01
Seems like you have an all-star team
10:03
there for this podcast.
10:04
What did you all set out to do with
10:06
this podcast when you first
10:07
originally started the concept
10:09
and you thought about it and you
10:10
were like, okay, we're putting this
10:11
together.
10:13
I mean, the idea was to really
10:14
follow that year-long arc,
10:17
you know, not just the immediate
10:19
aftermath and, you know people
10:20
grappling with the destruction,
10:22
but also the slow recovery
10:24
process for folks who
10:26
lost loved ones, the grief
10:28
that they're going through.
10:30
And in the case of
10:32
the camp mystic
10:35
parent that we talked to, Matthew
10:37
Childress, the father of a
10:38
counselor, Chloe, who died in the
10:40
flood. Also, this arc
10:42
from grief
10:44
through advocacy and
10:46
pushing for new camp safety laws,
10:48
both here in Texas and beyond.
10:50
So, you know, there are all these
10:52
arcs that different people kind of
10:53
followed right after the flood.
10:55
And what we wanted to do is really,
10:57
you know, see where they
10:59
landed and where they are about a
11:00
year later.
11:01
And, of course, you know, we also
11:03
asked some accountability questions.
11:05
Is Kerr County actually more
11:07
prepared for another flood?
11:09
With the camp safety laws?
11:12
Are camps actually complying
11:14
and does this actually make
11:16
meaningful change for camp safety?
11:18
And so both the
11:20
arc of people, but also these
11:22
accountability questions, those are
11:24
kind of the main prongs that we're
11:25
really pushing for with this
11:27
podcast.
11:28
Nice. And I know there's a lot of
11:30
hard work going into this.
11:31
What were some of the challenging
11:33
aspects of putting this together?
11:36
Well, I would say one of the big
11:37
challenges we've had is no one
11:39
in the Kerr County government will
11:41
actually talk to us.
11:43
So, you know, we've been able to
11:45
chat with a local official in
11:47
one of the towns, Ingram,
11:49
and he is a
11:52
central voice to our final episode,
11:54
talking about one of the few local
11:56
changes that were made to try to
11:59
prepare for a flood in the future
12:01
at the local municipal ordinance
12:03
level.
12:05
You know, in terms of getting folks
12:06
from Kerr County or even
12:08
the city of Kerrville on the record,
12:10
we haven't had much much luck
12:12
beyond, you know statements
12:14
from the city of Kerrrville.
12:15
And then when it comes to Kerr
12:16
county, really nobody is talking,
12:19
even responding to multiple
12:20
messages and requests for
12:23
answers to a list of questions
12:25
that we have.
12:26
So that's been one of the
12:28
big challenges, I would say is
12:30
kind of the inability to
12:32
really get an in with Kerr
12:34
County.
12:35
Why do you think that is?
12:38
Well, you know, it's
12:40
hard to say.
12:41
I don't know exactly what's
12:43
going on behind the scenes
12:45
in terms of why they're not engaging
12:47
with news media.
12:49
In the immediate aftermath of the
12:51
flood, Kerr
12:53
County Sheriff Larry Letha was
12:55
available at news conferences,
12:57
but Kerr county judge Rob Kelly
12:59
was notably absent.
13:01
And so the first time that we
13:03
really heard meaningful answers to
13:05
accountability questions, were
13:07
in state legislative
13:09
hearings in the months
13:11
after the flood.
13:12
And since then, we've
13:14
tried to get in touch.
13:16
We've sent multiple inquiries and
13:18
they've gone largely unanswered.
13:20
So from a reporting
13:22
perspective, it is tough, but of
13:24
course we still do the story
13:26
even if those in power aren't
13:29
participating.
13:30
Absolutely.
13:31
Tell us about this first episode
13:33
that drops tomorrow.
13:35
Yeah, so with the first
13:37
episode, we're really focused
13:39
on the day of the flood.
13:42
So this is where we meet Matthew
13:43
Childress, the father of Chloe,
13:45
that Camp Mystic counselor,
13:47
and kind of just follow his first
13:49
day of realizing
13:52
that his daughter is unaccounted for
13:54
and making the long drive from
13:56
Houston with his wife Wendy over
13:58
to Kerr County.
14:00
And then of course we also meet
14:01
locals and visitors to
14:03
Kerr County who recount,
14:05
you know, they were actually on the
14:06
ground as the flood was happening.
14:09
They recount that early morning
14:10
chaos and some
14:12
of the tragedy that they saw with
14:14
their own eyes.
14:15
So that's really what episode one is
14:17
all about.
14:18
It's called The Day of.
14:20
And this tragedy was all
14:22
over the news.
14:23
What do you hope people get out of
14:25
listening to the podcast versus
14:28
just hearing about it on the news?
14:31
Yeah, so I think when it comes
14:33
to it being on the news,
14:35
you know, of course it was a
14:36
national news story, but
14:38
a lot of the national outlets leave
14:40
after a couple of weeks, and now
14:42
we're coming up on the one-year
14:43
anniversary, so there will probably
14:44
be one- year anniversary
14:46
stories from some of the National
14:48
outlets.
14:49
But I think one of the things that's
14:51
unique about the way the Texas
14:52
newsroom is approaching this is
14:54
we've actually been there throughout
14:56
the course of the year, talking to
14:58
folks, visiting.
14:59
And so I think kind of that
15:02
hyper local reporting
15:03
that then zooms out to kind of the
15:05
system level, looking at what's
15:07
going on with the state government
15:09
and the response, I think
15:10
it's a unique and
15:12
very personal and intimate way
15:14
to tell this story.
15:16
Well, thanks for telling this story.
15:18
We've been speaking with Dominic
15:19
Anthony Wash, senior reporter
15:21
at Houston Public Media.
15:23
Dominic, thanks so much for talking
15:24
with us.
15:26
Thanks for having me.
15:27
And now for a check-in with some
15:29
headlines.
15:30
State lawmakers are meeting at the
15:32
Capitol today to hear concerns about
15:34
data centers.
15:35
The Texas House of Representatives
15:36
Committee on Natural Resources is
15:38
currently taking public comment on
15:40
data centers and their water and
15:42
electricity usage.
15:44
We'll have an update for you on that
15:45
hearing once it wraps up over at
15:47
kut.org.
15:49
And one of the suspects allegedly
15:51
involved in a shooting spree last
15:53
month across Austin is now facing
15:54
a terrorism charge.
15:56
17-Year-old Christian Mondragon
15:59
faces 20 separate charges
16:01
and cannot post bail,
16:02
according to public records.
16:04
Two other juveniles were arrested in
16:06
connection with the spree.
16:07
They have not been named and it's
16:09
unclear whether they also
16:11
face terrorism charges.
16:13
Barton Springs is open once again
16:15
after being closed for more than a
16:17
week. The pool reopened early this
16:19
morning after shutting down last
16:20
week when heavy rains cause the
16:22
facility to flood.
16:23
Washing trash and debris into
16:25
the pool.
16:26
Meanwhile, Deep Eddy Pool is closed
16:28
all week for repairs.
16:30
You're listening to Austin Signal.
16:32
We'll be right back.
16:37
You're listening to Austin Signal.
16:39
My name is Lee Walden, and I'm the
16:40
Hayes County reporter here at KUT.
16:45
The Field Guide to Austin Summer
16:47
Reading Bingo Challenge is underway.
16:49
And if you need a few book
16:50
recommendations to get you started,
16:52
here are two of my favorite reads
16:54
from the last year.
16:57
Calling Gets Promoted and Dooms the
16:59
World is a fun and hilarious book
17:01
by author Mark Waddell.
17:03
It will have even the most cynical
17:04
nihilist rooting for mankind.
17:06
It's easy for me to worry about
17:08
being a little evil these days,
17:10
but reading this book was a bomb
17:11
against that feeling for so many
17:13
reasons.
17:14
It is a great distraction, but the
17:16
main character is actually doing
17:18
evil but funny things,
17:20
and it still makes a brilliant for
17:22
human empathy.
17:23
If you've been looking for a
17:24
queer... Dark-humored, easy
17:26
summer read, this is it.
17:32
The next book on my list is
17:34
Gulp, Adventures on the Alimentary
17:36
Canal by Mary Roach.
17:38
As someone who fundamentally
17:39
believes that the human body is a
17:41
horror, it's telling that I loved a
17:42
book all about the digestive tract
17:44
so much to have read it twice.
17:46
Roach is one of the funniest
17:48
non-fiction writers I've read.
17:51
Gulp is the book for you if you find
17:53
yourself wondering about things
17:54
like, are there different kinds of
17:56
saliva? And could human beings
17:58
survive on kibble?
17:59
Though, I would not recommend
18:01
reading this book while you eat.
18:06
You can find more about the KUT
18:08
field guide to Austin, summer
18:09
reading bingo challenge, like how to
18:11
get your own bingo card in today's
18:13
podcast notes and at KUT.org.
18:18
I'm Lee Walden and this is Austin
18:20
Signal.
18:28
Tattoo artists in the Austin area
18:30
say a lack of affordability,
18:32
rapid development, and the economic
18:33
fallout from the pandemic are
18:35
hitting them hard.
18:36
For KUT's art beat, Joe Ament
18:39
spoke with local tattooers
18:40
who are struggling to stay open.
18:45
Rise and shine!
18:45
Shine tattoos sits off a
18:47
quiet back road in Kyle, not
18:49
far from the bluffs of the Blanco
18:51
River.
18:52
The shock is in a mostly undeveloped
18:54
area of Hays County.
18:56
The building is surrounded by
18:57
prairies, ranchland, and gravel
18:58
paths lined with native Texas
19:00
wildflowers and plants.
19:04
Inside Rise and Shine, it's calm
19:06
and cozy.
19:07
Drawings and paintings done by the
19:09
owners, Brandon Smith and Becca
19:11
Bosma Smith, cover the walls.
19:13
It doesn't feel like a tattoo shop,
19:15
maybe more like an art studio.
19:18
That is, until you hear the
19:20
sound of the tattoo machine.
19:22
Brandon is finishing up a large arm
19:24
piece on a regular client.
19:26
He specializes in American
19:28
traditional and Japanese style
19:30
tattooing, but his work is
19:32
also inspired by the states flora
19:33
and fauna.
19:34
A lot of the work I do out here is
19:37
based on my experience as
19:39
a trail builder and a Hays County
19:40
master naturalist.
19:42
You know, I've applied those skills,
19:44
you know, just to the grounds around
19:46
us. You know a lot of that to me
19:48
is slow art and is
19:50
the same as tattooing.
19:51
You know it just takes time to see
19:53
these, you know lay these lines down
19:55
and watch things kind of grow in
19:56
around it and watch it fill in.
19:58
Brandon and Becca are married.
20:00
They were tattooing together at a
20:02
shop in downtown San Marcos for more
20:03
than a decade before opening their
20:05
own studio.
20:06
I just wanted something
20:09
closer to nature and
20:11
something calmer and a place
20:12
where people could feel relaxed
20:15
while they're getting tattooed
20:17
and I
20:20
think we found that.
20:21
I hope that we can keep it.
20:26
Rise and Shine is in a small part
20:28
of southwest Kyle currently
20:30
untouched by development, but that
20:32
will be changing soon.
20:33
Sprawling residential communities
20:35
and commercial developments nearby
20:37
are growing fast.
20:39
Soon, Hays County will be expanding
20:41
the roads in the area to accommodate
20:43
increased traffic.
20:45
A new road will be built right in
20:46
front of the four acres of land Rise
20:48
and shine it's on.
20:50
And so it's going to go through this
20:51
beautiful farmland
20:54
and rip up stuff and
20:57
put a bunch of concrete where
20:58
concrete doesn't need to be with the
21:00
river right there.
21:01
Becca says their landlord is
21:03
considering selling the spot to
21:05
escape the construction.
21:06
She says they're worried about what
21:08
could change with new management.
21:11
Highway construction in the Austin
21:12
area has displaced other tattoo
21:14
artists too.
21:16
In 2024, True Blue Tattoo
21:18
on Airport Boulevard closed due
21:20
to the I-35 expansion project.
21:23
In recent months, other well-known
21:24
shops like Moon Tattoo in Northeast
21:26
Austin and Rock of Ages
21:28
on South Lamar announced their
21:30
closures.
21:31
Moon Studio just celebrated its
21:33
10-year anniversary, but then its
21:35
rent went up.
21:36
Amanda Ray was a tattoo artist
21:37
there.
21:38
I think in order for tattooists
21:40
to survive, like everyone kind of
21:41
needs to increase their rates so
21:43
that it becomes like an accepted.
21:46
Ray says tattooers across
21:48
the country are still struggling
21:49
with the economic fallout of
21:51
COVID-19.
21:52
She says the cost of certain
21:53
supplies like gloves increased
21:55
significantly during the pandemic
21:57
and haven't gone down a whole lot.
21:59
Inflation has also increased the
22:01
cost for tattoo machines and ink.
22:03
The pandemic forced at least one
22:05
tattoo shop in Austin to close.
22:07
Scott Ellis started tattooing in
22:09
Austin in the mid 90s.
22:11
In 2006, he opened his own
22:13
shop on the east side called Triple
22:14
Crown.
22:15
There's almost nothing about
22:17
tattooing that I don't love except
22:20
maybe like mopping the floor or
22:21
something like that
22:22
Trained in the 90s by a carny
22:24
biker he calls Notorious Ed,
22:27
Ellis has become a who's who in
22:28
American traditional and Japanese
22:30
style tattooing.
22:31
He's particularly well known in the
22:33
Austin scene for his elaborate back
22:35
pieces.
22:36
Ellis says things were going well
22:38
for Triple Crown up until around
22:40
the pandemic.
22:41
Yeah, I mean, I never really fancied
22:43
myself much of a businessman.
22:44
I mean I'm an artist and
22:46
I focus
22:49
more on that, but in
22:52
my opinion, the shop was greatly
22:54
successful for a long time.
22:55
Not long before the 2020 lockdowns,
22:58
Ellis and his family moved to
22:59
Prague, where his wife is from.
23:01
They wanted to continue to run the
23:02
shop in Austin while living abroad.
23:05
They also wanted to open a studio
23:06
there.
23:07
It got like it got harder and
23:09
harder especially through COVID to
23:10
come back often enough to really
23:12
take care of the place properly.
23:14
The year after COVID tattooing
23:16
got really hard for a lot
23:18
of people especially in the U.S.
23:20
The Austin location stayed open
23:22
until 2024, but ultimately
23:24
Ellis couldn't weather the economic
23:26
impact of the pandemic.
23:27
It kind of came down to,
23:29
there wasn't really a choice,
23:30
essentially. You know, it was kind
23:32
of like, we have to, we have to go
23:33
ahead and do this.
23:35
Ellis and his family stayed in
23:36
Prague and opened a Triple Crown
23:38
there. He says it's much more
23:40
affordable to run a business and to
23:41
live in the Czech Republic.
23:43
Tattooing in Austin, Ellis says,
23:45
is really popular, but the city has
23:47
become oversaturated with tattoo
23:49
shops that can make it harder for
23:51
businesses to stand out and for
23:53
clients to decide where to go.
23:55
I remember, even in the
23:57
90s, the thing
23:59
that a lot of musicians said was,
24:01
you know, Austin's a great town
24:03
for music if you're a
24:05
music fan.
24:07
If you're musician, it's
24:09
super f***ing hard because there's
24:12
a thousand bands in
24:14
every neighborhood and yeah,
24:16
there's lot of clubs, there are a
24:17
lot opportunities, but you're
24:19
a little fish in a small pond
24:20
always, you now, and in some ways,
24:22
tattooing is I don't like that as
24:23
well.
24:25
Back at Rise and Shine and Kyle,
24:27
Becca and Brandon announced last
24:29
month they have to leave their
24:30
current location.
24:31
For now, they'll be guest tattooing
24:33
at their old shop Classic Tattoo
24:35
in downtown San Marcos.
24:37
They hope they can lease a small
24:38
apartment space for their shop in
24:40
that city.
24:41
For KUT's Artbeat, I'm Jill Aiment
24:43
in Austin.
24:46
And that's it for us today on Austin
24:48
Signal. Thanks for joining us and
24:50
we'll talk to you tomorrow.
24:52
Thank you.