Bill Leissner: I Shot the Eighties
Event to fund photographer's book showing the decade in Austin
By Robert Faires, 2:45PM, Fri. Dec. 7, 2018
With so much recycling of the Eighties going on – Stranger Things, Ready Player One, the Go-Gos musical on Broadway, Murphy Brown, She-Ra, I Want My All ATX, to scrape just the tip of the iceberg – we sure could use a look at the real deal. Well, one's coming in a book of images by Austin photographer Bill Leissner.
But he did, and Austin Icons of the Eighties is headed our way in the spring of 2019, courtesy of Waterloo Press, the imprint of the Austin History Center Association. The thing is, he needs some scratch to finance the book. So to that end, he's holding a fundraiser on Dec. 10 to underwrite production costs, and you might say he's pulling the Eighties back together for one night to help out.
Emceeing the evening will be none other than the grande dame of Esther's Follies, Shannon Sedwick. Providing musical flashbacks will be Jesse Sublett of the Violators and the Skunks, Gretchen Phillips of Meat Joy and Two Nice Girls, Larry Seaman and Randy Franklin of the Standing Waves, Monte Warden of the Wagoneers, Eric Hisaw, and Ben Livingston. There will be a touch of drama from Big State Productions company members Janelle Buchanan, Joy Cunningham, Gene Fowler, Amparo Garcia-Crow, and Tim Mateer, who will perform selections from the hit monologue show In the West. And Isabella Russell-Ides will read from her new novel, White Monkey Chronicles.
A silent auction will include a selection of Leissner photographs as well as art and memorabilia, recorded music, and signed books from the Armadillo Art Squad, Liberty Lunch, Ed Ward, Jesse Sublett, Joe Ely, neon artist Ben Livingston, dining coupons for Patsy’s Cafe and the Tavern, and more.
The event will take place Mon., Dec. 10, 7-10pm, at Esther’s Follies, 525 E. Sixth. Doors open at 7pm, and the entertainment starts at 8pm. A cash bar and food will be on hand. To learn more, visit the History Center website.
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Austin photography, Bill Leissner, Esther's Follies, Shannon Sedwick, Jesse Sublett, Gretchen Phillips, Larry Seaman, Randy Franklin, Monte Warden, Big State Productions, In the West, Janelle Buchanan, Tim Mateer, Gene Fowler, Isabella Russell-Ides