Eastern Rock

BACK TO SCHOOL 2012

• Au Revoir, Les Enterns

  Go back to school with the 'Chronicle' interns

  BY KATE X MESSER

• University of Texas at Austin

  Laura Walters

  BY TYLER PRATT

• Austin Community College

  Ayeesha Green and Meghan Ruth Speakerman

  BY JORDAN GASS-POORÉ

• Southwestern University – Georgetown

  Tyler Pratt

  BY JORDAN GASS-POORÉ

• Texas State University – San Marcos

  Jordan Gass-Pooré

  BY TYLER PRATT

• Huston-Tillotson University

  Yohannis Job

  BY JORDAN GASS-POORÉ

• St. Edward's University

  Dallas Hudgens

  BY JORDAN GASS-POORÉ

• Out of the Comfort Zone

  For international students and Texans traveling abroad, life is the lesson

  BY LIZ WILLIAMS

• Transportation Station

  Getting around is part of Austin campus life

  BY LIZ WILLIAMS

• The 41: Don't Judge

  Austin's historically affordable student mecca is getting a fresh coat and some new kicks

  BY JORDAN GASS-POORÉ

• For Those About to Rock: Um, Can I See Your ID?

  Celebrating all-ages music venues

  BY ANNE HARRIS

• Eastern Rock

  Beauty Ballroom and Emo's East are changing the game down by Riverside

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• Bad Haircuts and Baby Faces

  The 'Chronicle' staff shows off its old student IDs

To your average student, the Eastside is best known for its tacos, but the rebirth of two former Red River staples has Riverside Drive on the edge of a major overhaul. Emo's East, which opened last September, is a far cry from its original Sixth and Red River location. With towering ceilings and a 1,700- capacity room (a increase of 700 from the old Downtown Emo's), the new space is suited to host rowdy punk bands as readily as house DJs, with space for everyone to breathe. But the reincarnated venue still holds the same swagger as its parent, with familiar bleachers pushed against the back wall, just like in the old digs, and a penchant for making things loud.

Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire plays The Beauty Ballroom during SXSW Music Festival, March 16, 2012.

Photo by Jana Birchum

In late January, just a stone's throw from the Emo's music warehouse, the glitzy Beauty Ballroom opened its doors on a show-by-show basis. This petite, yet ample, midsize club caps out at 750 patrons, making for a more intimate experience than its neighbor and serving as a showcase for up-and-coming local and national acts. Its glitter-encrusted walls preserve the lush kitsch of Red River's bygone Beauty Bar, but expands the space with a roomy balcony. And the expansion doesn't stop there.

"We have a wish list at the office with all the things we want to do, ways to improve everything from sound quality to what is hanging on the walls," says Ross Bennett, who handles marketing for the two clubs. "Slowly but surely, we will start crossing things off."

Photo by Todd V. Wolfson

With this newly bumping block, Riverside is beginning to draw Downtown crowds just a few minutes southeast, a savvy shift in direction for an area known for its abundant student housing. "We have the opportunity to create an Austin district with good vibes and cool things to do," Bennett says. "Music is what we are good at, and this is the foundation." Plus, they still have bomb-ass tacos.