“Vanishing Postcards” podcast tells the stories of Texas

Evan Sterns drove 1,500 miles around Texas recording stories and creating 15 episodes of the “Vanishing Texas” podcast. Photo courtesy Evan Stern

Here in Texas, we love a good story, especially when it’s told in the scratchy voice or thick accent of someone who loves this larger-than-life state as much as we do.

The bartender at Dry Creek Café that overlooks Lake Austin, for example. An old-time conjunto musician in South Texas. Or the clerk behind the counter of one of those old country stores, where you can buy a can of Lone Star or a pickled egg from a glass jar.

“If there’s one thing I know it’s that Texas people love to talk and they’re good storytellers,” says Evan Stern, 39who grew up in Austin, pursued a career in acting and now lives in New York. His new podcast, “Vanishing Postcards,” debuts on April 8.

Evan Stern’s “Vanishing Postcards” podcasts launches on April 8. Photo courtesy Evan Stern

Stern describes the program as a travelogue in which listeners join him on a road trip to explore hidden dives and historic places.

“The idea of the show is I’m going around to places that don’t often make the pages of glossy magazines or brochures but are reflective of broader cultural histories,” Stern says.

He covered 1,500 miles in his car, visiting places like the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame in San Benito, peach orchards in Fredericksburg, and dance halls, BBQ joints and country stores as he crafted 15 episodes, each about 25 minutes long. Dial one up and you’ll hear old-timers and local characters who describe the kind of Texas places that are slowly disappearing from our landscape.

“As horrible as the pandemic has been, it opened up the door for me to dedicate energy to this endeavor,” Stern says. “New Yorkers are great story tellers and they love to talk, but they’re incredibly pressed for time. It’s much easier to approach and talk to people here than it is there.”

Watch a trailer for the podcast here.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vanishing-postcards/id1544610020

To subscribe to “Vanishing Postcards,” go to:

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vanishing-postcards/id1544610020

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1Clt64mFbYfmYAauWWTgtm?si=CwovImKQRIKRigPIcgP6aQ

Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80MmZiNDc4NC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==