Dancing About Architecture
The outdoor shows continue …
By Ken Lieck, Fri., April 19, 2002
Weakened by the Weekend
It was another party weekend, and the spring/summer keeps on rock and rolling. The Lance Armstrong Foundation's Ride/Run/Rock for the Roses was of course a monstrous success, with some 8,900 people attending the concert and similar numbers at the athletic-related events, not to mention an estimated $100,000 having been raised for the Foundation. The organizers of the Kustom Kar show also report fantastic success, both at the Continental Club (or is that now the Kontinental Klub?), and out at the House Park Stadium. Enthusiastic e-mails have poured in since the event, they say, and it's a sure thing that the tradition will continue next year and into the future. Speaking of continuing, the sun is still out, which is good given this weekend's outdoor events. Among them, the Austin Bob Marley festival runs noon-10pm Saturday and Sunday at Auditorium Shores, with musical guests including Inner Visions, Chachi Tadesse, Jethro Jeremiah Band, Gizzae, Elisha Israel, AZ-ONE, Watusi, D.R.U.M., Carlton Pride & Zion, and Malcolm Wellbourne & Texodus. Since on-site parking is limited, the promoters suggest using the free shuttle from the Austin Music Hall parking lot at Fourth & San Antonio. Admission is $5 plus a donation of two canned or packaged nonperishable food items for the Capital Area Food Bank, which the event benefits. Also this weekend is the Old Settler's Music Festival out at the Salt Lick Pavilion (next to the barbecue joint, yes) and Camp Ben McCulloch. (See "Day Trips" for parking/walking tips -- you'll need 'em!) That's Friday through Sunday, with things kicking off Friday at 4pm and featuring the return of Michelle Shocked, the Del McCoury Band, Special Consensus, the Waybacks, Blueground Undergrass, Smokin' Grass, Karen Abrahams & Reckless Abandon, Railroad Earth, and Tony Furtado. Saturday look for this week's cover boy Darden Smith, Monte Montgomery, Terri Hendrix, South Austin Jug Band, Siekers, Flounders w/o Eyes, Larry, Ryan Holladay, Missy Raines & Jim Hurst, Peter Rowan, John Cowan & Vassar Clements, and Bruce Hornsby. Tie it up Sunday with a 9am-1pm gospel show featuring the Two High String Band, Caroline Herring, Ruthie Foster, and the South Austin Gospel Choir. For a chat with ol' Del McCoury hisself, see this week's Music Listings, and for more information on camping and whatnot, see the fest Web site at www.oldsettlersmusicfest.org. To mark the occasion (and the release of the Band's The Last Waltz box set), we dug up a picture of Vassar Clements and Rick Danko from the 1998 Old Settler's Festival. Oh, and if this is a bad weekend for you, cheer up -- next Sunday there's the 8th Annual Louisiana Swamp Romp & Crawfish Festival at Waterloo Park, 11:30am-10pm, with music by Dr. Zog, Ponty Bone, the Gulf Coast Playboys, Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias with the Mardi Gras Indians. Eat an alligator-on-a-stick for me, won't you?
Our Ears Are Burning, Love
Once in a while, The National Enquirer will phone me about some local celebrity sighting, but this is the first time I've ever "inspired" a story in the tabloid! A feature in the current issue, "Courtney Love Flies Out of Control," notes that "Courtney was in Texas to give a speech at [SXSW] and was put up at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel. But despite the celebrity treatment, things got off to a bad start and then got worse. When Courtney arrived in town there was an inflammatory story about her in the local press and it totally enraged her." Hey, all I did was recount my meeting with her at Emo's after a Lollapalooza show! The tab goes on to attribute my comments with setting the ball rolling that led to her spending 20 minutes locked in the men's room at the Hole in the Wall. It credits that night's excesses with her resultant fuzzy speech at her SXSW interview, as well as the prize moment when upon leaving Austin, she "passed out during a flight to Dallas, Texas, and was so out of it when her jet landed, she needed a wheelchair to get off the plane!" Coincidentally (or was it?), just this week Newsweek magazine named Austin as having the second-best airport in the U.S. "for just hanging around." We can only assume Ms. Love agrees, as she certainly was relaxed when she left there! The report is featured in the piece "Waiting for Takeoff" by Katherine Stroup, who writes that what sets the airport apart is the live music, "plus the best bathrooms anywhere" (just in case anyone locks themselves in one for 20 minutes at a time). The airport's live music no doubt had something to do with the good press, as the article included a photo of Troy Campbell performing there. Guess the Enquirer had an exclusive on those pictures of Courtney.
There Oughta Be a Law!
Looks like "Texas Friendly" is going the way of "Live Music Capital" what with all the axe attacks in Austin's alleys this annum. Rodney Hayden had his truck broken into and guitar stolen when he opened for Merle Haggard last Sunday at Stubb's, then there's the theft of Litter Meet's equipment. After a gig at the Back Room, the Litter went back inside for a beer, while someone smashed the windows on the band's vehicles and stole two guitars. The band regrets having passed on the club's "offer to store our stuff in their equipment room." Any info about the Meet's stolen guitars (blue Fender Strat with a white pick guard, song lyrics written on the pick guard in black magic marker, nut broken near high E string; Epiphone Les Paul copy, painted bright pink, original color is cherrywood sunburst) should be referred to the Austin Police referencing case #024142825, or you can call Shannon Wade at 707-9649.
Also in the news of late are new laws restricting Internet radio (more on that in a future issue) and criminal prosecution for ravers. (Remember, kids, bottled water and pacifiers are considered "drug paraphernalia" in the New Amerikkka.) People aren't necessarily taking the removal of their rights sitting down, though; since last week when I mentioned the meeting about the city planning a new noise ordinance, my inbox has been flooded by e-mails with evocative titles like "Another Nail in the Coffin" and "Babylon is Back." The public meeting on the matter was yesterday, but if you're an entrepreneur, you still have a chance to put your two cents in. A press release says "business representatives will be given an opportunity to discuss this draft" next Wednesday, April 24, 7pm, at 635 E. 10th, room 105 in the Waller Creek building. Give 'em hell.
