TCB

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ACL

As two of Austin's most recognizable musical brands, SXSW and Austin City Limits have until now worked separate sides of the fence. That fence came down yesterday when the festival co-sponsored the Spoon taping, the first of the long-running PBS series' 31st season. "We've long wanted to have a creative relationship with Austin City Limits," SXSW co-director and Chronicle Editor Louis Black said, adding that he looked forward to future such collaborations before introducing the band. The crowd was a little wan owing to the illness-related cancellation of Ray LaMontagne, but ACL producer Terry Lickona gamely called for the young-skewing crowd to move up front, making the show feel a little like one of the band's early Electric Lounge gigs. Spoon confidently strode through a clenched "My Mathematical Mind," looser "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine," and rootsy "Sister Jack" before frontman Britt Daniel called Merge labelmate M. Ward onstage for a fourth straight track from May's Gimme Fiction, "The Beast and Dragon, Adored." By the way, the next ticket rollout for the show's namesake music festival in September will be "soon," smiled Capital Sports & Entertainment's Stacy Rodrigues.

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Smoked Out

Last year it was "Free the Ozo 3." This year's must-have SXSW souvenir T is "It's a Bar, Stupid!" as modeled here by Beerland owner and KeepAustinFree.com blogger Randall Stockton. Stockton and many of his barkeeping brethren got something of a setback Tuesday afternoon, when federal Judge Sam Sparks conditionally dismissed the injunction against May's ballot initiative that will decide the fate of smoking in local bars and live music venues. Sparks said he'd reconsider once he saw whether the ban actually would cause economic harm to these places, but Elysium owner and City Council Place 4 candidate John Wickham thinks that may be too late. "What would happen if 20 venues that are SXSW now aren't there next year?" he says. Stockton, a nonsmoker, estimates Beerland and its neighbors' clientele to be around 80% smokers, and adds that venue owners haven't taken a dime from big tobacco. "I don't think it's about tobacco," he says. "It's about freedom. It's about people going where they want to go and participate in a legal activity among friends. Smoking is still legal."

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Star Struck

Memo to any label people thinking about signing the Small Stars after their showcase tonight at Cedar Street: Don't bother. "We do not under any circumstances want a record deal," says the Austin lounge-rockers' frontman Guy Fantasy, last under contract as Fastball singer/guitarist Miles Zuniga. "I've had three deals in my life, and they're all the same." Fantasy would rather just put his band's albums out himself, so their just-completed debut is now available via CDBaby.com and their Web site. Fantasy says he's heard overtures from theatre people at SXSW, fitting since Small Stars began as a quasi-autobiographical musical about the Reno refugees, which Fantasy has shelved until he comes up with an ending. With manager and featured vocalist Vic Odin schmoozing up a storm during the Festival, Fantasy takes the Stars' preceding Vanilla Ice tonight in stride. "Nothing against Vanilla, but I'm not sure we share the same musical tastes," he says. "Well, we both like Queen."

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Enjoy Some Saké on Sixth

You know deadlines: Everything happens after they've come and gone. Or in this case, didn't happen, as the Sixth Street SXSW venue, Saké on Sixth, avoided last-minute cancellation of its participation in the Music Festival and showcased its acts with no problems last night. Tonight's Drive-Thru Records showcase awaits you.more of them than there's ceiling space in Emo's.

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One-liners

Friday spottings included actress, filmmaker, and Toto inspiration Rosanna Arquette at the Convention Center and former 120 Minutes host Matt Pinfield walking up Red River… Recording Academy president Neil Portnow presented Robert Plant with Led Zeppelin's lifetime achievement award before Plant's keynote interview, an award Texas Chapter executive director Wendy Morgan said was "heavy as shit" as she lugged it back to the chapter's Penn Field offices… Iranian band 127 had to cancel after getting stuck in Dubai when the embassy containing their passports was closed, but London rapstress M.I.A. averted her own passport trouble in time to make her Elysium showcase… Meeting of the minds: Rodney Crowell dined with Plant, Elvis Costello, and Robyn Hitchcock Wednesday… Big, albeit unconfirmed, rumors Thursday included the New York Dolls at Flamingo Cantina and a secret Flaming Lips show at tiny Progress Coffee… Austin American-Statesman music writer Joe Gross found a good way to get out of work this week: seeing to his wife after she bore the couple's first child Wednesday, so congrats… Grizzly Austin twangers Lil' Cap'n Travis played a 30-minute set live on L.A. NPR powerhouse KCRW… The Mercy Lords, a new band featuring Ricky Broussard, Tony Scalzo, and Kevin Brown, play noon on Saturday at the Hole in the Wall, joining scads of others listed at www.holeinthewallaustin.com… Former Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin's new band played Cream Vintage's day party; ex-guitarist James Iha DJs Jane magazine's private pool party at the Elks Lodge today… Fashion trend of the day: cowboy boots with skirts, followed closely by hearing-aid-like wireless earpieces… Three people dressed as bananas crashed Club de Ville's New West party as Ray Wylie Hubbard, Trish Murphy, Patricia Vonne, and Joe Ely milled about… Someone enlivened the Jason Mraz boat party on Town Lake by taking a pratfall into a tub of beer as dozens of music-biz execs looked on from the Four Seasons balcony.