ATXplained

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March 24, 2021

Who Is Herman the Singing Plumber?

By: Matt Largey

A plumber. Who sings?

As part of our Hi, Who Are You? spinoff, we get introduced to Herman Bennett.


Episodes

March 30, 2023

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 people in the 1960s and ‘70s. Today, the home is boarded up — but there’s a new effort brewing to ensure it’s preserved.

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March 8, 2023

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.

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February 16, 2023

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 good.

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February 9, 2023

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, Canada.

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January 24, 2023

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.

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January 13, 2023

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 September 2022.

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January 4, 2023

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.

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December 14, 2022

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.

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