Best of Austin 2011, Readers Poll

Arts & Entertainment

photo by Bret Brookshire

Well, sure, she's got the high profile now – playing beloved journalist Molly Ivins in Zach's popular Red Hot Patriot – but Barbara Chisholm (wife of Chronicle Arts Editor Robert Faires) has been a much-admired acting force of nature on stages all over this town for years, whether solo or as part of a fine ensemble, even when not brightening the boards for her own Red Then Productions. This second Babs "BOA" proves it: Our readers adore her almost as much as we do.

There’s no denying that Arthouse is pushing boundaries for art and artists alike. It takes but one trek through the recent renovation to know that future-forward design aesthetic is crafted into every detail of the gallery – from the exterior lighting and the dapple of brilliant blue peekaboo glass boxes to the rooftop lounge that feels like the inside of a midcentury Scandinavian davenport. And then there's the art itself: On every visit, patrons are welcomed to new and bold sweeps of artistic insights curated by the inspired eye of its Curator of Public Programs, Rachel Adams.

Paris-trained Gail Chovan knows her history of fashion, and she understands the rules so completely that she breaks them magnificently. Her clothes have a startling contrast of extravagance against utter Belgian simplicity. She is a rare breed: a dark angel swathed in distressed Victorian and 1920s couture treasures combined with Yojhi Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester … all in black, of course, which is how her iconic, multiple "Best of Austin"-award-winning store got the name Blackmail. Having dispensed with merchandise from other vendors, Blackmail has transformed itself into Chovan's personal showroom featuring only her designs, and she is the queen of all she surveys.

photo by John Leach

Thank the Glitoris and crew for building Tuesday into a night worthy of its own weekend. Twenty- and thirtysomethings come here to grind, sweat, and be gay-curious in one form or another. The music can be mysteriously touch and go, but the dancing is free-love furious nonetheless. With ample space on the dance floor and several bars at the new Barbarella, there is no excuse not to "dance dance like it's the last last night of your life life."

photo by Bret Brookshire

John Erler and Joe Parsons may mock the movie Highlander, but they are themselves locked in an age-old battle – against Hollywood's most craptacular wastes of celluloid – and, with wits edged like the keenest blades, they decapitate, eviscerate, and emasculate these cinematic turkeys. Their weekly displays of bad-movie lampoonery at the Alamo Drafthouse – with live heckling, sketches, and drinking games – are also, like the movie's warriors, the stuff of legend. True, Master Pancake is, unlike those squabbling swordsmen, imaginative, sharp, and intentionally hilarious, but that's all the more reason to hope that Erler and Parsons are immortal, too. There can be only one … Master Pancake!

We're sorry, which Graham Reynolds were you asking about? The one who headlined the Golden Arm Trio and wrote new scores for silent film classics at the Alamo Drafthouse? Or the one who scores contemporary films such as Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly and Bernie? The one who worked with Ballet Austin on The Bach Project and The Mozart Project and with Forklift Danceworks on The Trash Project? The symphony-writing co-mastermind of the Golden Hornet Project with Peter Stopschinski? The bandleader who did the kickass remixes of Duke Ellington tunes? Or the composer-in-residence for the Rude Mechs and the Dionysium? What? They're all the same guy? Then the question of why Austin holds this prolific and prodigiously talented musical artist so close to its heart (and ear) is already answered.

Boldly mixing a contemporary vision with a deep respect for tradition, Ballet Austin continues to captivate Austin audiences. Artistic Director Stephen Mills is known for his innovative ballets and collaborations, including the recent Mozart Project, an ambitious reimagination by DJ Spooky, pianist Michelle Schumann, and composer Graham Reynolds. And for our future prima ballerinas, the Ballet Austin Academy is one of the largest ballet schools in the U.S.

photo by Jana Birchum

It's no surprise that Austin, with its land spreading out so far and wide and its charming penthouse views, would produce such a thoroughly modern Millie as Rebecca Havemeyer. Our resident Zsa Zsa in cha-chas charmed her way into our hearts with her glam-bang personality and her ongoing Celluloid Handbag film series at the Alamo Drafthouse. One can only imagine what she has yet to pull out of her infinite Poppins-style handbag. The man behind the ma'am is artist Paul Soileau. Soileau's various personalities have taken to globetrotting, but Rebecca Havemeyer and gutter-slut alter ego Christeene are ours, and we are theirs. The Clark Kent to Christeene's Supertran and Rebecca's Wonder Woman, as well as the prancing prince in step at the annual QueerBomb fest, Paul Soileau and his Austin reign of art terror show no signs of letting up. And we are all the dandier for it.

You love him. You really love him. This three-time winner's profile has risen to new heights since last year’s "Best Of,“ thanks to his having been chosen as one of Out magazine's Out 100, the buzz created by advance screenings of the upcoming Fourplay, and his "Rantings" contribution to Slacker 2011. Raval is quickly outgrowing our "emergent" category, and he'd pretty much have to work with Spielberg to become any more of a big deal.

There’s no other jukebox in town more legendary, more talked about, or more revered than the jukebox of wonder at Casino el Camino. Readers Poll pick for "Best Jukebox" since 1996, it’s now alive on the Web so you can shuffle through the awesome from anywhere in the world. Our last click-fest yielded Bowie's "Panic in Detroit," the Flamin' Groovies' "Teenage Head," the Ramones' "She's the One," and (OMG) Sweet's "Hell Raiser." (Badass burger and beer not included.)

The gay mafia is going to have a field day with this one. In what can only be called an upset victory, Cheer Up Charlie's, that scraggly, charming upstart, has dethroned queen of the gay bars, Rain on 4th (with which it tied in 2010) as your favorite LGBTQ haunt. We chalk it up to the resurgence of gay radicalism, Cheer Up's queer-as-fuck vibe, and its expanded backyard. For Chronicle readers, it's raining men on East Sixth Street.

Mondays at Nasty's are a potpourri of people with a need to shake that ass. Rugby jocks, dykes, and hip-hop kids all choose to get down on that tiny dance floor each week, as they have since 1997. Yep. Same mix of freaks, same man behind the mix. It's the decidedly nonhouse that DJ Mel built, a continuous old-school-meets-new-beats throwdown, the longest running hip-hop night in Austin, if not Texas.

Take a left down the yellow brick road past the incredibly bored guy whining about the recession, a right down the red carpet, click your heels three times at the Blue Velvet rope, and you've arrived at Austin's favorite film sanctuary. The folks at the Drafthouse have a love of the fringe and the niche that guarantees to hold the attention of even the most avid film buff. With an endless bevy of crazy new ideas for recontextualizing cinema and the moviegoing experience, the Alamo Drafthouse spearheads the movement to make going to the movies an event again. Bravo.

Any time you need a quick trip around the world – say, just for a day – the University of Texas' art museum is there for you. The Blanton's ample collections (totaling more than 17,000 works) allow visitors to jet off to Latin America and Europe, as well as across the U.S., daily, and special exhibits, such as the current "El Anatsui: When Last I Wrote to You About Africa," offer additional ports of call. Unlike other vacays, you aren't limited to this century. Here, you can jump back to the time of Mad Men, cowboys, or old masters. Just set your watch to get back to the future for the museum's monthly party, B Scene! Bon voyage!

photo by Sandy Carson

Done up in white on antique white, Swan Dive is Austin's new venue for all things piquant. Home to this issue's cover model, the monthly Jazz Age ode Vintage Vivant, Swan Dive specializes in the eccentric, atmospheric, and anachronistic. Created by the owners of the East Side Show Room with the same attention to detail, this bar is intentionally booked with music that marches to a different off-beat.

Launched with the best of the music, film, and tech industries at heart, SXSW has exploded into a mid-March block party for the people. Austin's signature party has so much to do in so little time, it can drive you to the bottle, but that's what all the free drinks are about. If you just relax, take a moment to scour and mark your own personal schedule, and try not to let that overwhelming feeling that you're missing something awesome (and you probably are) win, you will have the time of your life. So schmooze, booze, and don't worry, be happy, because there's always next year.

Musicals (Young Frankenstein), menfolk in tutus (Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo), Carol Burnett and Quentin Tarantino (now that's a mash-up we'd love to see!), plus the inimitable Intergalactic Nemesis series? It's just too much to comprehend that all have a place in that white-ringed green box. They've been blowing up our cellular for days, and once our paycheck comes in, we're going for the season, baby.

There are very few spots in town as consistently bangin' as Barbs. This no-frills hot spot always has room on its dance floor for your head and your heart. And if your drunken ass forgets them there, you can always come back next week. With its dedication to dance fever above all else, Barbarella once again reigns supreme as the leader of Austin's dance dance revolution.

Aptly named, this behind-the-scenes studio tour takes you through the sometimes hidden but always intriguing Eastside studios and galleries of Austin’s burgeoning art scene. Crowds on a sea of bikes and feet follow the EAST map to discovery on every corner. From modest to refined, each artist's studio is a telling context in which to view work often not available for purchase in any gallery. The yearly catalogs have practically become coffee table institutions in and of themselves. So grab a beer with an art friend, sip that Chardonnay like it's Welch's, and break out your checkbook (do we even use those anymore?) to feed an artist.

It's no surprise that Austin, with its land spreading out so far and wide and its charming penthouse views, would produce such a thoroughly modern Millie as Rebecca Havemeyer. Our resident Zsa Zsa in cha-chas charmed her way into our hearts with her glam-bang personality and her ongoing Celluloid Handbag film series. One can only imagine what she has yet to pull out of her infinite Poppins-style handbag. The man behind the ma'am is artist Paul Soileau. Soileau's various personalities have taken to globetrotting, but Rebecca Havemeyer and gutter-slut alter ego Christeene are ours, and we are theirs. The Clark Kent to Christeene's Supertran and Rebecca's Wonder Woman, as well as the prancing prince in step at the annual QueerBomb fest, Paul Soileau and his Austin reign of art terror show no signs of letting up. And we are all the dandier for it.

Dave Steakley must have his own Steakley Hall of Fame to house all the awards, commendations, and accolades he receives. His deft handling of so many kinds of theatre makes him one of the finest directors in Texas, but it's his bold approach to musicals that has delighted ZACH audiences for tow decades. His 2011 version of Hairspray was an over-the-top, riotous, and thoroughly successful production that enjoyed a very extended run. In addition, Steakley's August: Osage County and Metamorphoses left indelible impressions on hundreds of theatregoers … and hence, yet another "Best of Austin" for this true Austin treasure.

Megadeveloper BioWare's Austin offices have been an anchor for the local gaming scene since it set up camp in our fair city. It doesn't take a Jedi mind trick to imagine that our readers voted for this studio in anticipation of the long-ballyhooed release of Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is set to live up to its classification as a massive, multiplayer, online role-playing game upon its release in December. Massive indeed.

Whether it's Jones with his relentless graphite-and-ink renderings of the animal-riddled wilderness displayed in his Monofonus Press book Everglades and his one-man "Animal Again" show at Champion Gallery or Doyle with his Nakatomi Inc powerhouse releasing his own comics-influenced posters of pop-culture beauty to the world, our readers know what they like, and they like it graphic.