Critics' Picks:
Arts &
Entertainment
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- Blue Flamingo
Take those musicians off the pedestal. They're people just like you and
me.
Now, if we could only tell where the band ends and the audience begins.
See, in
a place the size of your closet, where there is no elevated stage, the
Blue
Flamingo defines the phrase "audience participation" since you're
practically
in the band once the punk riot begins in this raucous
just-off-Sixth-Street
club. Seventh & Red River, 469-0014
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- Casino El Camino
With wide open spaces and lounging areas reminiscent of the old
Cannibal Club
but better, Casino el Camino is really too laid back for its Sixth
Street
locale. The bar has more comfortable seats and couches than any we've
ever
frequented, pool tables, a great CD jukebox, and a really cool open-air
back
patio complete with fountain. They also serve food 'til late, and since
the
owners are from Buffalo, they have the right to boast the best buffalo
wings in
town (the real things aren't battered, but smothered in redhot and
served with
blue cheese dressing and celery). Hang with the hip
here. 517 E.
Sixth, 469-9330
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- Ronnie Lane/Ian McLagan
Okay, so we lost face as a city when former Faces keyboardist Ronnie
Lane
boarded a plane and took off for less pollen-filled climes. The ailing
Lane
loved the atmosphere of Austin, but like many others couldn't stand the
weather. We regained face when his former bandmate Ian McLagan moved
here mere
weeks later. Not that we've seen much of the latter, as he's been off
on tour
with yet a third former Face - one Rod Stewart.
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- O. Henry Pun Off
Vowel play rules at this annual battle of wits, a home-groan tribute to
verbal
abuse held on the grounds of the O. Henry Museum. Aficionados bring
picnics;
Mr. Porter would've packed a flask. O. Henry Museum, 472-1903
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- Coffee and a Movie in the Village Shopping
Center
Bolster your before- or aprés-movie visit to the
four-screened
Village Cinema Art with a caffeine and pastry refueling at either
Texpresso or
San Francisco Bakery and Cafe. (If cappuccino's not your thing, other
options
range from Italian food at either Al Capone's or Mangia Pizza to Indian
delights at Star of India to Chinese at Shanghai River and Korean chow
at Korea
House.) 2700 W. Anderson, Texspresso, 467-9898; San Francisco
Bakery and
Cafe Bakery, 302-3420; Village Cinema Art, 451-8352
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- The Big Screen and Booze at the
Paramount
The historic Paramount's revivals of vintage film classics is sweetened
by the
sale of beer, wine, and spirits at the concession counter. 713
Congress,
472-5411
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- Lana Dieterich
In Austin, actors and stage companies are like witches in Oz: They come
and go
so quickly. Which can leave veteran play-goers poring over a program
with no
clue as to what kind of dramatic journey awaits. But one name always
signals a
rich perform-ance ahead: Lana Dieterich. For over a decade, Dieterich
has
graced our stages with sharp, feeling, and often devastatingly funny
portrayals, from ditzy seniors to sultry adulteresses to Dorothy
Parker. As
sure a thing as Austin theatre has. Best All-Around Poet
- Marlys West
There are a number of Austin poets who have the gift of performance,
and some
who have made it into highbrow literary journals, but it's difficult
for one
poet to succeed in both areas. Blue Plate Poet Marlys West, who
delivers
immaculately crafted, wide-ranging poetry with a honey-stung voice, is
the
complete package. During her first year as a Michener Fellow in UT's
Texas
Center for Writers, she's developed from remarkable to phenomenal. The
next
inevitable level would have to be national.
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- Poets Fronting Bands
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Austin poets are starting to front
bands,
but the ways in which the music fuels their poetic fire have been
amazing and
intriguing. They range from Wammo, who plays guitar and rants over a
funky
rhythm section, to Tammy Gomez, who spins words over the dreamy, fluid
sounds
of her proficient band, to John Belushi look-alike John Cutaia, whose
Glossobabel includes a Chapman Stick player.
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- Restaurant Galleries
For exposure for young artists in Austin, the best bet is still going
nose to
noodles with a pasta salad at Texas French Bread on 29th Street or
Granite Cafe
just up the way. Hyde Park Bar & Grill and Chez Zee are equally
delicious
places to be discovered, and Jeffrey's is a fine exhibition space, too.
Texas French Bread, 2900 Rio Grande, 499-0544; Granite Cafe, 2905 San
Gabriel,
472-6483; Hyde Park Bar & Grill, 4206 Duval, 458-3168; Chez Zee,
5406
Balcones, 454-2666; Jeffrey's, 1204 West Lynn, 477-5584
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- Austin, Texas
This year, three local dancemakers received one of the nation's highest
arts
honors, the National Endowment for the Arts Choreographers'
Fellowships:
José Luis Bustamante of Sharir Dance Company, Llory Wilson of
Tallulah,
and Dianne McPherson (aka Dunya). At three, Austin ties Seattle
in the
number of dance fellows, and only New York boasts more. But alas, these
fellowships and other artist grants will go by the wayside under the
restructuring or destruction of the NEA.
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- Austin Lyric Opera
With an attendance of 27,000, Austin Lyric Opera must be doing
something right.
Actually, ALO does a lot of things right. This professional arts
company headed
by director Joe McClain maintains a crack staff, stages traditional
operas with
incredible production values, and sells them with style. (Their "Brady
Bunch"
season campaign and "One Mad Clown" ads for Rigoletto were award
winners.) And they do it all while staying debt-free. Next year will be
their
hottest yet: The number-one arts event in Central Texas will be ALO's
high-tech
Tannhauser. 1111 W. Sixth, 472-5927
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- The Ancho's Singers
We salute this group of mega-talented vocalists who must ply their
trade in the
worst acoustical situation in the city - Ancho's Restaurant in the
lobby of the
Omni hotel. Imagine singing opera from the bottom of the Grand Canyon
four
shows a week and you've just about got it. 800 San Jacinto,
320-5858
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- Jason Amato
A shoe string, a piece of wire, a tin can, a flashlight - Jason Amato
can make
very cool light effects with most anything. A versatile designer who's
lit
everything from the Zilker Musical to the avant garde BodyMind,
Amato
excels when working for alternative artists with tiny budgets. We were
especially taken with his recent job illuminating Sally Jacques and
Tina
Marsh's multimedia piece at Laguna Gloria. It isn't easy to light an
orchestra,
dancers swinging from trees, and boats in the lagoon, but he did it.
And
beautifully.
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- Rise Records
The old logo for Rise was a lengthwise rectangle showing Charles
Manson's eerie
eyes. Upon famous artist guy Frank Kozik's departure from Rise Records,
the
label - in a blast of insane genius - redesigned the Kozik logo. Like
some of
Salvador Dali's more popular works, if you squint you can see something
that's
not there: No longer is the harrowing gaze of Manson leering back at
you -
although that's what it appears to be - now it's just a car being towed
by a
towtruck. Wonder what they see when they look at the clouds....
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- Lyman Hardy, Lindsey Kuhn, Jason Austin, and
Lee Bolton
The fab four are to Austin poster art in the Nineties what Michael
Priest, Guy
Juke, Danny Garrett, and Jim Franklin were to the Seventies. Picking up
from
where Frank Kozik skewed local posters in the Eighties, these artists
take off
in their own retro-alternative and positively sonic senses of color and
design.
Most of their works can be seen in Emo's and Electric Lounge posters,
though
Kuhn does numerous national tour posters for bands like Seven Year
Bitch, and
Bolton's recent experimentation with cheesy, Seventies-style flocking
has been
seen in posters for Ed Hall and White Zombie.
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- Jacob Schulze
That's Billboard as in greatest hits, and no matter how many
times Jacob
Schulze talks about the marriage of Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie
Presley, his
ex-girlfriend taking a nail file to his tires, or bleeding on
newscaster Neal
Spelce's lettuce while fixing his sandwich at Thundercloud, it's
impossible to
grow tired of him. Schulze's manic energy and rapid-fire delivery make
him a
treat to watch, and with Salvage Vanguard Theater, he's shown as much
aplomb on
the theatre stage as he has on the poetry stage.
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- Auntie Mame's
In a town full of what, in polite company, are referred to as "meat
markets,"
the gay community has too few lazy, casual hangouts. Just last June
(1994), our
town lost one of the best: Chances. Right next door to the old Chances
location
is an often-overlooked but cozy little bar. As gracious as the hostess
for
which it is named, Auntie Mame's is a great place to meet up with
friends and
just hang out. 912 Red River, 478-4511
Biggest Piano Bar
- Donn's Depot
When the bartender told us that we were sitting in the biggest piano
bar in
Austin, we asked, "How do you know it's the biggest?" "Because Donn
called up
all the other piano bars and asked them how big their piano was," he
replied.
"And ours is the biggest." The staff here is fun, the live lounge music
sprightly, and they'll sell you their Bass Pale Ale draft glasses for
$1.50
each. And for the gals, there's the added bonus of getting to spend a
little
time in the ladies room amid its red-flocked wall paper and deep, red
shag
carpeting. 1600 W. Fifth, 478-0336
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- Jovita's Restaurant
Tuesdays, from 8-10pm, out on their back patio, under the shady oak
trees and
army netting, Jovita's offers the best in Austin music. The yodeling
Pavarotti
of the Plains, Don Walser and the Pure Texas Band are just that - pure
Texas.
Be sure to tip your waitresses - if you can catch them. And it's
hoppin'; so
come early. 1619 S. First, 447-7825
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- Sylviana y Estampa Española
One of the best-kept secrets in town, this young troupe offers Spanish
dance
with flair. Based on South Congress but doing much of its work on the
road -
via the Texas Commission on the Arts' touring program - Sylviana has
quietly
made a name around the state for its excellence in performance. During
José Greco's recent visit, the eminent dancer tapped the
troupe's Tony
Cusimano for his company. Tony didn't go (though another Austinite,
Ricardo
Garcia, did), but it's proof that this company has talent to
burn. 1109 S.
Congress, 445-5252
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- Calle Ocho
The salsa at Calle Ocho is hot, spicy, and goes great with a margarita
- the
dancing, that is. On Wednesday evenings from 6-7pm, Alvaro Gomez gives
semi-private lessons for $3 an hour, and on Thursdays and Fridays there
are
group lessons from 5-8pm with happy-hour specials on drinks. Dance to
the fiery
rhythms of house band La Clave on Friday nights; single girls will find
no
shortage of willing partners. A real Latin experience without heading
south of
the border. 706 Congress, 474-6605
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- Lady Longhorn Games
You're into sports; she's into sports. These events are true magnets
for hearty
mamas - thousands of them. So, forget the bar scene, grab your big
orange foam
finger, brush up on your verses to "Texas Fight" and you, too, will be
a
lodestone of love. The Erwin Center, UT Women's Basketball
Season,
471-7693
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- The Hollywood
If you can lick 'em, join 'em. 113 San Jacinto, 480-9627
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- Miller's Hillside Bar
After seven years as a private club, new ownership has opened this
tucked-away
watering hole to the public. The beer is cold, the shuffleboard fast,
and the
sunset view over nearby Austin Zoo is spectacular. On a recent visit,
we had
the dart board, shuffleboard, domino table, and patio all to ourselves.
The
crowds haven't discovered it yet, but they will. Down a dirt road
off
Thomas Springs Road which runs between Hwy 71 and Circle Drive,
288-2445
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- Cedar Street
This snazzy martini bar serves up more than the traditional
gin/vermouth mix,
including a purple Chambord martini and the Zilker, a Midori-green
concoction
garnished with a slice of Granny Smith apple. You'll feel kind of
retro,
carrying those big geometric glasses around while the appropriately
selected
musical accompaniment - big-band jazz, the Sinatra-like crooning of
Lucky
Strikes, or the French cabaret sounds of 81/2 Souvenirs -
plays in
the background. 208 W. Fourth, 708-8811
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- Cartoons at Love Joy's
Kick back on the comfy velveteen couch, sip that grande moccachino - or
even a
beer - and get ready for a full frontal cartoon assault hosted by the
Chronicle's own Ken Lieck. Will it be the existential,
anarchic
musings of Duckman? Vintage WWII propaganda cartoons? The
Critic?
The Simpsons? Or something that even the most hard-core cartoon
fan
hasn't laid eyes on yet? Whatever you see, you can count on an
organized,
developed theme, and solid entertainment that even the most burned-out,
party-all-night, is-it-really-tomorrow-afternoon forebrain can
comprehend and
enjoy. 604 Neches, 477-1268
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- Waterloo Brewery
Other brewpubs in town are steaming over the fact that Waterloo is the
only
brewery in town that can legally have live outdoor music, drinking on
the
patio, and beer to go. The reason? The 'loo is the only one that
doesn't serve
hard liquor, leaving them without the legal hassle other houses of the
homebrew
have. Actually, the Draught Horse doesn't have a liquor license either,
but it
has yet to take advantage of that situation. 401 Guadalupe,
477-1836
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- Native American Heritage Festival and
Powwow
This annual event sponsored by the Native American Parent's Committee
expected
a modest 200 attendees in its first year; they got 2,000. Last year's
event,
staged at the Berger Center, drew 15,000 attendees, and 20,000 are
expected
this November. Call for info: 459-7244
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- Steamboat
Steamboat's doorman David Cotton might be the nicest in the business,
but even
when he has a replacement working the door, you know you're dealing
with a
kind, courteous pro. Sure, they hawk their low cover and beer specials
like all
the other obstreperous shillers on Sixth Street, but the inviting
demeanor of
these doordudes is a change of pace that smiles, "Welcome!" 403
E. Sixth,
478-2912
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- Monday Nights at
Cafe Solaire
A year ago, Cafe Solaire wasn't even on the Austin poetry map, but
thanks to
Thom the World Poet's energetic PR and the Congress Avenue cafe's own
cozy
charm, Monday nights at Solaire have grown from sparsely attended
events to the
place where you're most likely to find representatives from all
factions within
the local scene. 717 Congress, 482-8178
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- Planet Theatre
As oxymoronic as that sounds, Garland Thompson's monthly Shootout at
the Planet
Theatre is more of a community gathering than a flat-out competition.
Judging
is done by hidden ballot, and Thompson's gregarious, generous emcee
style gives
the event an undeniable and heartening positivity. When poet/actor Zell
Miller
edged Wammo in a recent slam, Wammo was the first to run up to Miller
and give
him a big bear hug. That doesn't happen at just any slam. 2307
Manor,
478-LAVA
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- Sally Jacques
Sally Jacques' performances, tailor-made for such local sites as the
Capitol,
Laguna Gloria, and Town Lake, qualify her as a pioneer in the area of
site-specific work here. A deeply committed political artist who thinks
globally and acts locally, Jacques goes to great lengths to stage
projects in
which Austin's natural locales and buildings figure as set pieces and
characters. This often entails hauling about equipment usually housed
in a
theatre, battling Mother Nature, and, as Jacques puts it, "feeding all
of God's
creatures." To those who have seen or taken part in her outdoor shows,
she is
hailed as the Queen of Mosquito Swatting.
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- Zilker Garden Gate In
1995, the collaborative ironwork gate to the Zilker Garden Center
proposed and
constructed by Lars Stanley and Louis Herrera wins, hands-down, as the
finest
functional site-specific contribution to the Austin landscape.
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- Pro-Jex It's
not easy to sell photography as art. The world is full of Kodak moments
and
people who can't distinguish between Ansel Adams and their summer
vacation
slides from Yosemite. Pro-Jex perseveres where lesser spirits have
faltered,
continuing to promote both established and emerging photographers in
their
tiny, cluttered, but nonetheless effective space. 109 E.
Fifth,
472-7707
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- Holy 8 Ball Their
recently featured photos in Detour notwithstanding, Holy 8 Ball
is a
perfect example of the local art scene we could be creating in
our town.
Photographers Bruce Dye and Minh Carrico, graphic artist Lee Bolton,
and
multimedia genius-boy and former Chronicle art director Ben
Davis set up
shop in East Austin, blazing a trail for the hordes of creative genii
to come.
Staging exhibits and the occasional dada-danse events in the cavernous
warehouse gets the public involved (and inspired?). Take a drive-by to
see some
of our vital art scene in action. 2206 E. Seventh,
474-2570
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- UT Huntington Art Gallery
The award - this year - goes to the University of Texas Huntington Art
Gallery,
which has begun to clear the necessary hurdles to begin planning a
facility
worthy of its current collections and those it could subsequently
attract.
Lagging behind in the turtle race has been the Austin Museum of Art,
which,
after presenting the city with payment for the new site last December,
has not
gotten so much as an RFQ issued by the city in return. 23rd &
San
Jacinto (closed through Oct. 13) and 21st & Guadalupe, 471-7324
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- Tabletops From La Zona Rosa
The music is gone for good at La Zona Rosa; the memories remain. But
what
happened to the art? Whatever became of those tabletops by local
art-stars,
wall art by the likes of Peter Saul and Ken Hale, Guy Juke, Jim
Franklin, not
to mention the inimitable and abundant aesthetic contributions of
Gordon
Fowler? Just curious....
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- The Margo Lee Show
From the glitz of Vegas she rode, no doubt on a fuchsia Vespa, her
voluminous
'do abso-friggin'-lutely stiff in the wind, the motor's sputter lost in
her
lusty version of "It's Not Unusual." She's Margo Lee, and her arrival
last year
with a kooky cabaret sending up Sixties schmaltz, from Anthony Newley
hits to
Sinatra schmooze, gave us a big lift. Margo's alter ego, Meta Rosen, is
a new
mom, so the next appearance of the Chartreuse Chanteuse isn't set, but
we pray
to the lounge gods that it's soon. 335-5622
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- Salvage Vanguard Theater
This young theatre group which emerged last year with a series of
on-the-edge,
original works has given local musicians a chance to work on a
different stage.
Swangkee Lowtel's Jack Conover and Chad Nichols, singer Molly Rice
(ex-Seizureville), Lowbrow's Jacob Schulze, and the Gay Sportcasters'
Nashville
Bill have appeared in SVT shows, and they've been consistent and, in
some
instances, quite good. 479-6410
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- Earthpig & Fire
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- The Administration
Their own births postdated the Great Society beagle abuser's fall from
power,
but the members of the Administration possessed a fixation on Lyndon
Baines
Johnson and his cadre that rivaled Robert Caro's in intensity, if not
longevity. Like the subject of their tuneage, they burned out early and
declined a second term, leaving behind one theme, three shows, seven
songs, and
six T-shirts. Fleeting, histrionic, historic. The Administration's
tape
Hooray LBJ may or may not be released August 27, their raison d'etre's
birthday.
-
- Texas Videos
Yeah, we know: Beavis and Butt-head get off to Gwar, but we
detect an
inordinate number of Austin- and Texas-related bands in their video
segments
and would like to say so. Witness the Butthole Surfers, Skate Nigs,
Pantera,
Jesus Lizard, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Reverend Horton Heat, MC 900 Foot
Jesus,
and so on. Okay, so we're being chauvinistic, so sue us - we love it
that show
creator Mike Judge lives and works here in Austin.
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- Victory Grill
Johnny Holmes' Victory Grill was once Austin's premier venue for the
biggest
names in R&B and soul in the Fifties and Sixties, from Bobby Blue
Bland and
Ike & Tina Turner to locals T.D. Bell and Erbie Bowser. Though
Holmes has
long since retired, the newly reopened Grill has expanded its cultural
vision
to include poetry readings and dance. Talk about a long time coming...
1104
E. 11th, 477-6770
Copyright © 1995 Austin Chronicle
Corp. All rights reserved.