Shows / ATXplained
Episodes
- ATXplained
Why is Lala’s Little Nugget in Austin always decorated for Christmas?
No matter the season, the iconic Austin dive bar off Justin Lane is filled with snow globes, Christmas trees and strings of red and green lights. But the story…
- ATXplained
What’s the oldest music venue in Austin?
It seems like a simple question, with a simple answer. But there’s more to it. Source
- ATXplained
Why does the Texas Legislature meet for only 140 days every two years?
Army veteran Denise Gordon questioned whether it makes any sense for lawmakers from the second-largest state in the country and one of the largest economies in…
- ATXplained
What are the weirdest laws in Texas?
The Texas Legislature’s regular session is nearing an end. While some of the laws passed during these sessions are crucial to keep the state running, other…
- ATXplained
‘Is Austin hiding their elderly?’ What’s the average age of its residents?
In a city with a reputation as being young, we got a question about where all of Austin’s older people are. Source
- ATXplained
Who is ‘Moody,’ and why is everything in Austin named after them?
There’s the Moody College of Communication at UT, the Moody Rooftop at the Contemporary Austin, Moody Hall at St. Edwards University, Moody Bank, the Moody…
- ATXplained
For mouth painter Jared Dunten, the trick is to just keep going
The process can leave him feeling “beat up,” but he still gets the thrill he felt when he painted for the first time after an accident left him paralyzed from…
- ATXplained
What happens to all that stuff you throw in compost bins in Austin?
Every week banana peels, coffee grounds, moldy strawberries and pizza boxes are placed in green bins and rolled out to the street as part of the city’s…
- ATXplained
How much of the stuff we put in the blue bin in Austin actually gets recycled?
Plastic in the U.S. is largely going unrecycled, but the city says that’s not so for the plastic we put in the blue bins. Source
- ATXplained
Why is the two-step danced differently in Austin than in other parts of Texas?
Two-stepping originated from foxtrot and has been danced to country music in dancehalls around Austin for ages. Influenced by other music genres played in the…
- ATXplained
What’s the story behind the abandoned house by Dell Medical School?
One of the oldest homes still standing in Austin was once known as The Chateau. Its residents hosted legendary parties that were often safe spaces for gay…
- ATXplained
What happened to Brian Vargo almost 50 years ago? His niece is still looking for answers.
Brian Vargo was 20 years old when he disappeared in 1976. The UT Austin student seems to have simply vanished. Source
- ATXplained
Is Austin’s Paramount one of only a few century-old theaters still operating in the country?
The landmark theater in downtown Austin has been a source of movie entertainment for more than a century, while many of its contemporaries have closed for…
- ATXplained
Why do sidewalks in Austin suddenly end?
According to the Public Works Department, the city is missing about 1,600 miles of sidewalk — a length of concrete that could stretch from here to Winnipeg…
- ATXplained
What happened to the Zilker Park minitrain?
The Zilker Zephyr stopped running almost four years ago, and there’s still no miniature train in Zilker Park. Source
- ATXplained
How did H-E-B’s Combo Loco get its name?
As an enticement to get tickets to our next ATXplained Live show at the Paramount Theatre on Feb. 22 — here’s a taste of our last live show from back in…
- ATXplained
What was the grandstand on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in East Austin used for?
Decades ago, the public event space was full of life. Now it’s rundown, like an old relic. Source
- ATXplained
Black houses are so hot right now. But are they hotter?
Does it make any sense to live in a dark-colored house in a state like Texas? We ask experts whether these homes are less energy efficient. Source
- ATXplained
Why are lane lines so hard to see on Austin’s roads?
Your grip on the steering wheel tightens as you squint to find the road markings and avoid smashing into another car. Source
- ATXplained
What’s the deal with that out-of-place 10-story building in southwest Austin?
The Pinnacle building in Oak Hill was intended to be an office tower, but then the economy tanked and it was sold to Austin Community College. … Source
- ATXplained
What’s the most valuable thing in a museum in Austin?
There’s expensive stuff, and then there are those things that just have value. Source
- ATXplained
What’s the story behind the Camino Real in Hays County?
El Camino Real de los Tejas is a National Historic Trail that traces back to before the start of Texas. The 2,600 miles stretch all the way from the Texas…
- ATXplained
Get tickets now for the next edition of ATXplained Live on Sept. 28!
We’re bringing our show back to the stage next month at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin. Tickets available now at austintheatre. Source
- ATXplained
Is there really a buried treasure in Walnut Creek Park?
Who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt? But is any of it real? KUT’s Skye Seipp tries to find the X. Source
- ATXplained
Saying goodbye to Austin’s Godfather of Clubbing
We first met Yorkie Louie in 2020. Now, he’s leaving the dance floor — at least in Austin. Source
- ATXplained
Is Treaty Oak still alive?
The bizarre tale of completely made up stories about one of Austin’s oldest trees — and an even more bizarre tale that’s completely true. Source
- ATXplained
Who maintains and decorates the teeny-tiny traffic median on Enfield Road?
A traffic median can be anything you imagine. A field of green grass. A pedestal for a classic statue. Or a vegetable garden. Source
- ATXplained
Why is there no speed limit on the new 183 tollway in East Austin?
You’ll find no signs for now — but that doesn’t mean you can drive as fast as you want. Source
- ATXplained
Where have Austin’s Indigenous people gone?
We spend a lot of time in Austin talking about how many new people move here. But most of us don’t talk much about the people who came before us — way before…
- ATXplained
Was there ever a tug-of-war over Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge?
No. But there is more to it than that. Source
- ATXplained
Why don’t more Austin restaurants make their own tortillas?
Austin thinks it has great food going for it. But does it? We look into the mystery of why more restaurants don’t make this staple from scratch. Source
- ATXplained
What’s the story behind this weird sculpture next to MoPac?
We’re back with a story about a weird sculpture near MoPac and Enfield. But there’s more to it than that. Source
- ATXplained
Why Is It Legal To Be Topless In Public In Austin?
One ATXplained listener wanted to know how women going topless at public pools came to be popular in Austin. Source
- ATXplained
Why Are There So Many Caterpillars Hanging From The Trees This Spring?
Remember the movie Die Hard? It’s kinda like that. Source
- ATXplained
Who Is Herman the Singing Plumber?
A plumber. Who sings? As part of our Hi, Who Are You? spinoff, we get introduced to Herman Bennett. Source
- ATXplained
Who Is Buried In This Cemetery On 51st Street In Austin?
Who will remember you when you die? Family? Friends? We got a question about a cemetery in Central Austin for ATXplained. It got KUT’s Matt Largey thinking…
- ATXplained
Why Do Some People Not Develop Cedar Allergies For Years?
It’s January, so that means cedar fever is at its peak. Amid a global pandemic, this is the last thing we need. But here we are. KUT’s Nadia Hamdan answers…
- ATXplained
Who Has The Ninja Style And Kung Fu Grip To Spray-Paint Austin’s Most Visible Graffiti?
The words would appear on the bridge overnight. The artist would come and go like a ninja. But who is it? And why did they do it? Source
- ATXplained
What’s Story Behind The ‘Will You Marry Me?’ Mural That Was On South Lamar?
If you’ve ever been near Lamar and Oltorf, you probably saw it. But what’s the story behind the now-gone mural there? Source
- ATXplained
What Is The History Behind Polling Locations In Grocery Stores In Austin?
Voting should be easy, right? Well, can it get any easier than going to your local supermarket? KUT’s Jimmy Maas has the history behind what’s become an…
- ATXplained
Austin’s Club Scene Has A Godfather. Here’s His Story.
Yorkie Louie is known as the Godfather of Clubbing in Austin. But his story is more complicated than that. Someone asked about him for our ATXplained spin-off…
- ATXplained
Who Writes The ‘Funny Little Messages’ On Signs Along Austin Roads?
Traffic sucks. But every so often a sign in the distance might give you a chuckle. Or a groan. So who writes those electronic road signs with (sometimes) funny…
- ATXplained
What Happened To The Last Man On Rainey Street?
A year ago, we answered a question from an ATXplained listener: Where did all the families that used to live on Rainey Street go? One man was still there. But…
- ATXplained
We’re Doing A Live Show! Last Chance To Get Tickets.
Tickets are running out for our Jan. 23 ATXplained Live show at the Hogg Auditorium. Details and tickets here. Source
- ATXplained
Who Started Austin’s 37th Street Christmas Light Tradition?
Austin’s 37th St. lights aren’t the only holiday light display in town, but it did draw this question about its origins. Source
- ATXplained
Who Is The One Chatty Guy Who Works At The Post Office In East Austin?
Christine Hannon wanted to meet this postal worker who seems to know everyone who come into his East Austin post office. Source
- ATXplained
What’s The Best Way To Get Into The Chilly Waters Of Barton Springs?
There are many ways. But what’s the best way? Can medical science tell us? Source
- ATXplained
How Did Lake Travis’ Sometimes Islands Get Their Name?
They usually only appear when there’s and drought and lake levels are low. But who named them? Source
- ATXplained
Have Ride-Hailing Services Like Uber And Lyft Reduced Drunk Driving In Austin?
Uber and Lyft said their services would give other transportation options for people who’ve been drinking in Austin. So — did they? Source
- ATXplained
Who Is This Texas ‘Ambassador’ Who Works At The Capitol Visitors Center?
No matter how jet-lagged, or sweaty, Austin tourists may find themselves when they reach the Texas Capitol Visitors Center, they’ll find a breath of fresh air…
- ATXplained
Why Do Lifeguards At Austin’s City Pools Blow Their Whistles At Break Time Like That?
Madeline Fening heard the break whistle at Austin city pools and just had to know why it was so dramatic. Source
- ATXplained
Who Is This Woman Who Helps Older Austinites Stay Socially Connected?
The aging population is growing fast in Austin. So Becky Rhodes said we should meet a couple trying to keep seniors active in the community. Source
- ATXplained
Who Cleans Up The Bat Guano Under The Congress Avenue Bridge?
Catherine Samuel was curious about where the guano goes and who cleans it up, so she asked about it for our ATXplained project. Source
- ATXplained
Why Are There No Billboards On MoPac?
Billboards are all over I-35 — but not MoPac and a few other freeways in Austin. Why not? Source
- ATXplained
Why Does The Top Of Austin’s Tallest Building Look ‘Unfinished’?
Everyone’s an architecture critic. But why does the crown on “The Independent” look the way it does? Source
- ATXplained
Who Is That Guy With The ‘Giant Bird’ In South Austin?
In our latest, “Hi, Who Are You?” story, we hear the story of a man and his bird — and the family that wanted to meet them. Source
- ATXplained
Answering the Unanswerable With KUTX’s John Aielli — Episode 1
We get a lot of questions for ATXplained that don’t really have answers. So KUT’s Andrew Weber put some of those to longtime KUT/X host John Aielli. Source
- ATXplained
Who Is The Man In Southwest Austin Who Fostered Over 100 Babies With His Wife?
For the next episode in our Hi, Who Are You? series, KUT’s Nadia Hamdan introduces us to Burrell W. Lankford. Source
- ATXplained
Why Is Austin’s ‘Official’ Pride Festival In August — And Not June, Like Most Everyone Else’s?
June is when many places celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month. So why doesn’t Austin? Source
- ATXplained
Who Is The Motorcycle Rider Who Does Wheelies Around Town In Pool Floaties?
The second in our Hi, Who Are You? series. A low-speed chase. Revving engines. Inflatable flamingoes. Source