Happy Heat was borne out of Arts+Labor at the tail end of the pandemic, with the central idea being to explore what makes us “weird”, why it’s important, and where we find that today. It was a response to the angst I felt over Austin’s rapid change, the city being remade after 50 years of cosmic cultural relevance. Truth be told, it also cut close to home. For nearly four decades now, I’ve watched as shops like ours cycle in and out of the zeitgeist. Elephant Productions, Taylor Forman, Granite House, Action Figure….all had a moment where they were pushing creative boundaries, and all are now gone. That’s the fear, that what we’ve worked to build over 20 years will age out of relevance. Our anecdote? Shake things up, embrace change, and attempt to articulate what makes our fair city special. Happy Heat flows from Austin’s evolving and interconnected cultural universe, and here’s where we’re headed in 2025. We’re going monthly. The shift will allow us to better curate our content and create the aesthetic around the way it’s presented. We’re adding voices. And better yet, Arts+Labor has earmarked a modest budget for commissions. We’re curious what’s being created in our community, and are excited about showcasing emerging writers and artists alongside veteran tastemakers. We’re publishing an art book. The Happy Heat Guide to Alternative Austin . Through the zines and weekly substack columns, we’ve accumulated enough content to begin building a portrait of our city, or at least the parts that we love. Editor Vicky Andres is leading the design team, and her palette is diverse. It’ll be cool. We’re moving to our own platform. We’ve wanted to build out the interactive experience around Happy Heat for much of the last year, but there simply hasn’t been the bandwidth. So, here again, Arts+Labor’s going to invest to make this happen. The drop will be on the first Thursday of every month, and we’ll kick off February with a look at how we monetize our culture. Arts+Labor’s Laura Gonima’s already started playing with visuals. Thank you so much for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing a new way to experience the tried and true and the shiny and new. Happy Heat indeed. Alan Berg, Publisher. How are we doing? We want to hear from you. Take this quick survey and help us make Happy Heat better. Go see something, tell us about it, we’ll share more stories next week. Let’s build something together. We’d be forever grateful for your help, and an easy way to do so is by subscribing to the Happy Heat Substack. What comes in goes right back out in artist commissions and live shows. To which you’ll get to come! For the first 100 subscribers, we are offering 20% off forever. Get 20% off forever