AUSTIN — When Michelle Obama's book 'Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama' came out on Nov. 13, it made headlines and she went on tour after the book quickly became a #1 New York Times bestseller. After a successful 12-event arena tour across 10 cities in 2018, she will now be heading to more cities, including Austin.
Michelle Obama was in Austin Thursday and spoke at the Frank Erwin Center.
"I couldn't be more excited to visit even more cities across the country and around the world," Mrs. Obama said. "I've been so humbled by the response to the tour thus far and the overwhelming interest we’ve received from so many communities we weren’t able to visit this year. That’s why I’m thrilled that we’re able to expand our conversations to these new settings and wider audiences. I can’t wait to continue the discussions that have been so meaningful for me and, I hope, for so many others.”
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Tickets started at $30 in the nosebleed section, all the way up to $3,000 for a VIP ticket that included a meet-and-greet with Mrs. Obama.
Long lines started forming around 6:30 p.m., an hour and a half before the event began.
Rachel Ray, who is in Austin for SXSW, moderated the event. She started by asking about music, saying it was only appropriate, being in Austin and all.
Mrs. Obama spends a lot of time at the beginning of 'Becoming' talking about the importance of music and her experience growing up in Southside Chicago.
"My house was my house. My family was my family. I didn't know we were poor. Like a lot of work and class folks do. You live in a home with love and kindness and music and laughter, you feel rich. And my family, we felt rich. But then you get up in the world, and you start seeing just how far behind you are. How you're expected to play songs on imperfect pianos, not even knowing that perfect pianos exist," Mrs. Obama said Thursday night. "It's a metaphor for how a lot of kids are expected to live. You go to schools that are teaching you with equipment that's not up to date while there are some kids who are playing and learning with all this wealth and all these resources. And you're asked to compete with them at the same level."
Education was a big platform for the former first lady while President Obama was in office for eight years.
If you were unable to make it to the book tour's stop in Austin, Mrs. Obama will also be heading to Houston, TX to the Toyota Center on Saturday, March 2.