Triple Z Threadz Style: Best store on SoCo

If there’s any other holiday tradition to keep up with, other than disappointing your family, wear the most offensive Triple Z shirt you can get your grimy hands on.

It’s that wonderful time of year again, folks. Every hotel in the city will be booked just about solid, and many locals are even subject to making a few bucks off of luxury couch placement during this annual festival. Given just about two weeks of comedy, film, music and information, you’ll find it hard to keep up on just where to go. No need to sweat though, we here at Triple Z Threadz always have a few sweet recommendations up our sleeves.

There is never a shortage of quality comedians and filmmakers in town for the event, taking up a majority of the first week of SXSW nightlife. But it’s the following week, the music portion, that dominates the city from dusk til dawn. We suggest grabbing the nearest bad ass, embroidered pearl snap in your closet and heading to a few of these showcases we’ll be attending.

The Continental Club, just down the street from our iconic South Congress location,  will be hosting bands from noon until just about 2am from the 16-18th of March to promote local artists, an excellent place to spot one of our infamous ‘Bowie’ or ‘Snake Lady’ designs. Heading more downtown, though, you’ll be immersed in live music on just about every corner.

Many folks have gotten to know us here at Triple Z Threadz over the 13+ years that we’ve been around, from our start in the artist markets of South Congress all the way up until we first opened our flagship store in March of 2016. There are always plenty of questions that people ask us, since we are a bit off the cuff from your standard shopping experience. One of the most important of these, however, lies in our bread and butter, the embroidery itself. It’s an important piece of the process to us here at the shop, and it’s the final step to bringing our visions to life before we tag them and put them up for display in the shop (like the beauties they are).

Our embroidery designs all start out as something rather simple, an idea. From there it’s sketched into existence, and then the magic begins to occur. We hand off our end of this deal to our Master Embroiderer Lucas at his shop in South Austin, so that they may soon come to life. All of our threads for our embroideries are eco-friendly, that way you don’t have to choose between that badass pearl snap and that fancy kale salad you’ve been eyeing. From there, he uploads the design into the machines computer, where it begins to take physical shape. After all the kinks have been worked out, it’s time for a test run. We put a shirt into the embroidery machine, tie her down, cross our fingers and hope for the best.

If there is one thing that is not lacking in this great city of Austin, it would have to be the abundance of musical talent that pours into town on a weekly basis. Musicians from near and far all hope to venture to the “Live Music Capitol of the World” to showcase their art and make a name for themselves. I always enjoy a great live set, and if it is teamed up with discovering some new artist who makes my booty shake, even better.

Thankfully for me, working at Triple Z Threadz leaves me in a rather prime location for whenever I’m able to catch a live set or two after closing time. South Congress has a number of historic venues and clubs that embody the whole reason why people love coming to this funky town of ours. So i wandered on up to C-Boys, a bit south of our shop located at 2008 South Congress Ave. After grabbing myself a double shot of whiskey, I make my way into the back to soak up the sprawling patio area they have here.

I’m greeted by a gentleman who’s very soft spoken, very put together and at the same time, appears nervous. His name is Dylan Bishop, and he’s performing next. Based out of the Dallas-Ft.Worth area, Dylan makes his round all over this great state, none more prevalent than his stints around Austin. His style of play could easily be compared to that of the legends Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mercy Baby, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and Frankie Lee Sims. Him and his simple band setup produce such an abundance of sound and soul, it’s easy to get lost in his sets. Being a young man as well, it’s no doubt in my mind that this old soul is going to make it quite far in this business.

For a rather large city, Austin can sometimes feel quite small depending on your day to day routine. By the time you get yourself out of work, it can be a chore to simply find something to eat before you crash into bed awaiting the next day. But it is normally these types of emotions that drive me to step out of my usual comfort zone and try something new. You never know who or what you might find (FOMO is forever a real thing).

One evening after i leave our fine shop down on South Congress, I decide to go and catch a show at a venue I’ve yet to visit for myself since moving into town. I make my way downtown at an hour where just about everyone is headed in a similar direction. Mind you, it’s Halloween night so I’m greeted by many interesting get ups along the way. Silver Surfer glides by me across the Congress bridge. I’m coerced into a number of pictures with folks who are in egg costumes since I am sporting my usual Bacon ensemble.

The venue is The Belmont, located just West on 6st downtown. Since reopening in 2012, it has become a staple in the area for great local and world renowned acts. On this particular night, I’ve come to see HeartByrne, a Talking Heads tribute band. While making flippy floppy across the dance floor to catch myself a much needed beer, I notice something familiar. A couple visiting from Vancouver, BC, who I had met earlier that day at ZZZ Threadz. Both of them sporting one of our staple embroideries, Sasquatch with a Wristwatch for him and our voluptuous Snake Lady for her. We catch eyes as if we’ve known each other for years and from that point on, the good times kept on rolling. You never know where you might make a new friend, find a new favorite band or even a new favorite beer. On this particular Halloween though, I couldn’t help thinking, “This must be the place”.

There is never a shortage of things to do in this great city, so it can be hard to ever hone in on just one. Sometimes, however, an event will come up that will take all types of precedent in your life. Commitments will be broken, feelings may get hurt, but you’ll be damned to ever miss it. This happens quite regularly for me, so I’m used to the backlash from just about everyone in my circle.

If you’ve never heard of The Reverend Horton Heat,  then I’m not quite sure what to tell you at this point. Since the late 80’s, Jim Heath and his Dallas, Tx based group have been bringing a special blend of rockabilly beach rock fused with just enough country. When I read that the historic Continental Club would be hosting a 6-night event and converting into the Continental Church of The Reverend, I pounced. I was able to attend two nights of sermons, about 4 less than I would have liked (these bills don’t pay themselves).

The first night was everything I had hoped it would be, but better. I was even lucky enough to meet stand up bassist Jimbo Wallace right before they brought ‘the heat’ into the club and clumsily asked him to stop by our shop if he at all had the time (sporting a kick ass Gorilla vs. Shark pearl snap certainly helped my case). Listening to Jimbo talk to me about getting to tour with groups like The Cramps and Motorhead simply made my mind melt. I even ran into a few loyal ZZZ Threadz patrons inside during their set, each of us locking eyes and performing the ever popular ‘I see you, you see me’ head nod.

As for Jimbo, he came into the shop over that weekend and made his presence felt. I knew his birthday was in just a few days, so I decided to let him pick out any of our bad ass embroidered pearl snaps to make his own. After careful choosing and much deliberation, a decision was made. So if you happen to catch the Reverend Horton Heat at any of their shows across the globe, keep your eyes peeled. You might just catch bassist JIMBO sporting one the finest, most ass-kickingest Posado embroidered pearl snaps you ever did see.

Austin is home to just about anything and everything locally made and sourced. Like many cities across the nation, people here appreciate hard work that is done by folks they know and products they trust. On any given week, there is a plethora of markets where local artists can set up a tent and make a name for themselves. One of the longest standing, and most popular is the Artist Market on South Congress. Every first Thursday of the month, as well as every Saturday (year round), you can walk up and down the strip and fall in love with all types of work whether it be brand spanking new, or up-cycled from its original purpose into something totally different.

Tucked away in the Vespaio parking lot, alongside South Congress books (and some badass embroidery loving neighbors) you’ll find all types of beautifully crafted jewelry, art and other nick-nacks to make your day. The market has been managed by the dynamic duo of Gretchen Grimm and Warren Sawyer, who also operate their own booth in the market under their brand Black and Bluebird Studios for a number of years now and I don’t think you could find two lovelier folks to man the operation. Take a break from the air conditioned storefronts to truly appreciate what it is these merchants from near and far have brought to impress us all.

It’s that magical time of year once again, folks. When thousands of festival lovers flock to our city to soak up as much as they possibly can from the annual Austin City Limits. For many, it is an annual tradition that acts as their getaway from the real world into a euphoric blend of world-class barbeque and live music. For countless others, though, it will be their first taste of this vibrant city we call home. Travelling anywhere can be a very daunting, especially if you don’t know the ins and outs of what a city has to offer.

From music outside of the Zilker Park festival grounds, to all the great sights and food Austin has to offer, it can be overwhelming to decide on what’s best. Well have no fear! Triple Z Threadz has comprised a list of some of the best of the best to do while in town for the event.

Now a great place to start might be on the festival grounds themselves. Zilker Park has long been known to be one of the city's most beloved green spaces. When it isn’t hosting various events into the tens of thousands, it’s where many folks go to unwind from their busy weeks, whether it be with a Frisbee, volleyball, or just laid up under a tree with a good book. Every inch of the 350-acre plot will be utilized to ensure that all available space will be accounted for, whether it be food truck, music stage, or porto-potty. If you happen to arrive in town a day or two early, take advantage of the scenery before it's overrun with people and cars. Not to mention the neighboring Barton Springs (weather permitting of course) and Lady Bird Lake parks. There is far too much green space around this beautiful city to not take advantage of a day-hike whenever possible.

Once you settle in, a great place to explore would have to be the South Congress, or SoCo District, as its known. A plethora of shops, food and sights make it one of the most desirable areas in the city. Enjoy a signature ‘Laura Palmer’ from Jo’s Coffee while you snap a picture in front of the infamous ‘I Love You So Much’ mural. Grab a large pie from Home Slice, since it’s the best slice of pizza you will find outside of New York City. If you’re feeling more beefy, get on line at HopDoddy and drool for the duration of your stay while being lost in their mesmerizing burgers. Walk into one of the many shops that offer unique takes on local hand crafted art and clothing. That of course, is where we come in.

Located in the heart of SoCo, you’ll find a happy little space called Triple Z Threadz. Our focus is always on our badass embroidered vintage shirts, but we offer so much more. The artists we consign with are almost entirely comprised of local merchants who we simply cannot live without. Did you mention needing a new desk plate that exclaims, “MAKE TODAY YOUR BITCH”? Good, we got that. Have some bad vibes in that new apartment? No need to fret,  a Dolly Parton themed Illuminidol candle will ward off any and ALL bad spirits. My personal favorites would also include the wall of beautifully tiny succulents from Potigy, as well the hilarious, hand-crafted magnets from our favorite R-Rated artist, Kill Taupe.  Whether we’re listening to some good ole Willie, or bumping to some funky Rick James, its hard not to feel welcome. If you don’t end up spending your whole day with us (we know you want to), there is still plenty to see and do. Venture into Big Top Candy for some olde time soda, or Monkey See Monkey Do for your fill of retro robots and all things funny. It’s a trip down memory lane that very few could turn down. By the time you finish your trip down South Congress, it should be very hard to walk between the shopping bags, and the grease running down your forearms from all that damn good food.

My most important piece of DON’T advice would have to be this simple message, don’t lose sight of where you are. Don’t lose your sense of patience and understanding when it comes to things like traffic and long waits at any destination around Austin. Don’t take our beautiful city for granted, help keep it clean and make your impact on it a minimal one. Don’t be the rude asshole you are every other day of the year, I swear you won’t regret it. Everyone came to have the same great time, so working at it together will always have a lasting impact on the memories made. Walk softly, listen closely and visually soak up as much as your brain will allow. If you can’t manage these things, you’ll always have your friends down at Triple Z to remind you of just how easy it can be.