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Tribeza Recognizes Austin’s Prominent Artists in March Entertainment Issue

Get to know the city’s newest hotshot comedian, local bands on the rise, iconic film locations and more

There’s a new kid in town, and he’s one of the hottest comedians in the country. Gracing the cover of our March Entertainment issue, Matt Rife is putting down roots right here in Austin, where he filmed his most recent stand-up special “Matthew Steven Rife.” Don’t let his boyish good looks fool you — this guy is hysterical!

He is, admittedly, charming in a way that makes even offensive jokes feel innocent. In our feature, Matt talks about how he fell in love with comedy at an early age in Columbus, Ohio, where he frequently watched comedians on “Comedy Central Presents” and even attended a live Dane Cook show with his mom. At just 15, he convinced the owner of The Funny Bone to let him perform. With his recent success, Matt hopes to use this momentum to step into bigger opportunities in comedy, acting and production. Now in Austin, he’s definitely one to watch, and with his love of horses, you might just find him on a ranch near you.

woman in front of building
Editor Carrie Crowe in front of downtown music venue Mohawk. Photo by Phil Kline.

Switching gears from stand-up to film, our “Iconic Austin” roundup includes nine locations in and around town where famous movies and TV shows were filmed. Illustrated by Bryan Spear, the piece is a walk down memory lane highlighting everything from easily recognizable to lesser known local landmarks. You’ll discover Austin has a rich production history and is constantly evolving — both on and off screen.

MORE: 13 SXSW Film and TV Screenings We Can’t Wait to See

Also featured in our Entertainment issue is well-known photographer David Brendan Hall. In “Local Exposure,” David explains how he combined his two lifelong passions — photojournalism and music — to create the career of his dreams. David has photographed some of the most famous in the business including Radiohead at Frank Erwin Center, MUSE at ACL, Taylor Swift at COTA, Lizzo at Stubb’s and more.

From The Rolling Stones to Taylor Swift, photographer David Brendan Hall captures Austin’s biggest music moments. Photo © David Brendan Hall.

“One of the most fulfilling things about my music photography career in Austin is the way in which it’s formed connections with people in the Austin music industry,” David says. “By photographing artists multiple times over the years, my relationships with them have transformed from purely professional to some of my strongest friendships.”

Finally, the nine local bands featured in this month’s Music Makers series are frequent headliners at popular Austin music venues. Representing various genres, these emerging artists are just some of the many talented performers that are paving the way for the city’s future music scene. Trust us, you’ll want to put each of these artist’s on your radar.

Keep Austin Entertained!