On How Damn Loud the Stadium Is

You’re sitting in your seat at McKalla Place, waiting for the game to start. You watch the teams warming up on the field below, and you sip your exorbitantly expensive beer. You make a comment to the person next to you, and you know what they probably reply? hearing protection ear muffs

“WHAT?”

That’s because the speakers in the roof above you are turned up to eleven, and the music being played by “DJ Chorizo Funk” – a man with a funny stage name … Read the rest “On How Damn Loud the Stadium Is”

Getting to McKalla via the 803

Part four in an ongoing series exploring options for getting to McKalla Place for games. Previously: Getting to McKalla via the Pavemint Shuttle, Getting to McKalla via the 383 and Getting to McKalla via the Red Line.

CapMetro’s high-frequency route #803 is another excellent option for getting to McKalla Place. The northbound origins of the line begin in South Austin at the Westgate Transit Center. From there the route courses through South Lamar to Guadalupe, eventually making its … Read the rest “Getting to McKalla via the 803”

On the Wave

At the US vs. Nigeria game on Wednesday night, we were part of a full, enthusiastic crowd at McKalla Place, the first in history. The mood was high, the night was warm, and the excitement was electric. Some of our most beloved American stars were on the field, working hard to break down a tough and disciplined Nigerian defense.

And then someone started the wave.

Doing the wave at a game is like breaking out Pictionary or Cards Against Humanity … Read the rest “On the Wave”

Getting to McKalla via the Pavemint Shuttle

Part three in an ongoing series exploring options for getting to McKalla Place for games. Previously: Getting to McKalla via the 383 and Getting to McKalla via the Red Line

Inside the Pavemint shuttle school-busAustin FC has partnered with a parking company called Pavemint to manage not only prepaid parking in McKalla Place’s own (small) lots, but also third-party parking areas in the vicinity. Perhaps we’ll see some of the many businesses around the stadium open up their parking lots through Pavemint – looking … Read the rest “Getting to McKalla via the Pavemint Shuttle”

Getting to McKalla via the Red Line

Part two in an ongoing series exploring the options for getting to McKalla Place for games. Previously: Getting to McKalla via the 383

Kramer Station MetroRail stop The next option to look at is CapMetro’s commuter rail service, namely the Red Line. This route stretches from Downtown to Leander, and happens to go right by the stadium. Someday there will be a station right at the stadium, but they don’t expect to break ground on that until the end of 2021. In … Read the rest “Getting to McKalla via the Red Line”

On the McKalla Beer Selections

Thanks to Twitter user “Beerwords” (@anavenueblog), we know the starting lineup of beers on tap at McKalla Place for the first home game. First the snapshot of the Scrabble-style signboard, and below, the transcribed list.

The list … Read the rest “On the McKalla Beer Selections”

Getting to McKalla via the 383

We know there’s no big parking garage at McKalla Place. There are plenty of them around the Domain, but until we hear they’re offering gameday parking, it looks like we’ll need to be more imaginative about getting to the game than simply driving there in our cars. This post is part of an ongoing series exploring some of the options. See also: Getting to McKalla via the Red Line

CapMetro’s bus route #383 is the first route we’ll look at. … Read the rest “Getting to McKalla via the 383”

On the Verde Store

The grand opening of the “Verde Store”, the merch store in the stadium at McKalla Place, is tomorrow, Saturday, May 1. Season ticket holders were able to get a preview today, so here are a few pics and, below, our thoughts.

To be quite honest, a gift shop full of stuff we’ve mostly been able to order online for a while now wouldn’t normally excite us all that much. But this gift shop is inside that glorious new stadium, and … Read the rest “On the Verde Store”

News & Notes after Game 1

Firsts

Last Saturday was one of the moments that Austin soccer supporters have been dreaming of for years. There will be many more firsts this season, but watching Austin compete in Major League Soccer on FOX was a beauty to behold. A small but vocal group made it to LA for Austin FC’s first ever match, while most of us viewed from homes and watch parties here in Austin. The national TV ratings placed the match as the top-rated soccer … Read the rest “News & Notes after Game 1”

On the Miracle of Austin FC’s Existence

The very existence of this MLS expansion club, in this city, at this time, is practically a miracle. There have been so many things that, if they had gone just a little differently, might have kept this from happening.

To be sure, there were plenty of hurdles that were cleared to get here. Failed attempts at getting downtown land for the stadium, a sitting member of Austin City Council traveling to Columbus on behalf of her constituents there, even a … Read the rest “On the Miracle of Austin FC’s Existence”