Thousands of Austin fun-lovers headed next door to Zilker Park July 14 to catch part of the 20th annual free outdoor Blues on the Green summer music series.

Westbankers looking for a little relaxation without all the heat and crowds took the opportunity to catch a free show by Troy Campbell and House of Songs at nearby Flipnotics Coffeehouse. More and more, local Westbank residents seem to be heading east down Barton Springs Road after work to catch free live music, kick back and let the stress of the day fade away.

Bee Cave Woods resident James Nash has become a recognizable face at Flipnotics. He found a comfortable place last week on a sofa next to the stage to catch Campbell and visiting Danish singer/songwriter Turid Norlund Christensen. Nash sometimes records live music at the coffeehouse and archives the fleeting performances for a collection set up in his name at the Brisco Center for American History.

Nash can often be found at the creative hangout, listing to some of his favorite local artists.

“It’s intimate; the people there are either there to hear music or check their email, not drink and talk loudly,” Nash said. “It’s close to home.”

Thursday nights have become a standard night for Campbell, who sometimes features musicians that come all the way from Denmark to collaborate with Texas songwriters and try out their new songs at venues like Flipnotics.

Christensen is one of those Danish musicians. No musical lightweight, she has European albums under her belt, and she’s an elected member of the DJBFA, the Danish society for jazz, rock and folk composers. She is also a member of the Danish Rock Council, ROSA, and a lecturer of the Royal Danish Academy of Music. She has been spending the last 10 days in a bungalow in Travis Heights called the House of Songs. It’s a collaborative effort between the DJBFA and Campbell to throw Danish and Texas songwriters together and watch what blossoms. There she has found songwriting soul mates in Austin guitar heavy-hitters like Scrappy Judd Newcomb and John Sanchez.

“People here have been completely honest, completely relaxed,” Christensen said. “It’s like being kids again and having fun. It’s not very often you meet that kind of people and have the chance to calm down and ignite your imagination. It is very rare.”

Christensen, with help from House of Song, has been in a whirlwind of songwriting sessions since she arrived here last week.

“My advice to people in Austin is to treasure the rare thing you have here – being able to step out any night of the week and head a little down the road to see amazing original live music – art in the making,” Christensen said. “This is special and shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

That’s good advice that music lovers like Nash take to heart. He’s a Campbell fan and a fan of the House of Songs.

“Troy is a great songwriter who works with other great songwriters and great musicians,” Nash said. “I’ve discovered several Austin musicians I didn’t know about through listening to House of Songs showcases. Of course, I always enjoy hearing the old (Campbell) favorites like ‘Killing Time in Texas.’ What’s not to like about a song like that?”

Westbankers catch the musical magic of the House of Songs and other local artists just the other side of Zilker Park at the funky little coffee shop at 1601 Barton Springs Road. Check the calendar at Flipnotics.com. Most of the live music shows there are free.

Campbell will perform tonight at Flipnotics at 6 p.m. The House of Songs will present a showcase at Momo’s Tuesday from 5-7:30 p.m. Tickets for Momo’s are $5.

“It’s real Austin music,” Nash said.

Photo by Dane Anderson

BELOW: Danish visitor Turid Norlund Christensen shared the stage and some new music last week with Troy Campbell at nearby Flipnotics Coffee near Zilker Park.