WORDS OF THE WEEK: New York Daily News gossip columnist
Ben Widdicombe, upon being told that
Donald Trump's new bride would not be carrying flowers down the aisle since they might interfere with her dress, queried, "What will she throw? Money?"
URBANE RENEWAL Looks like the waterfront along Town Lake east of Lamar is about to explode. Apparently the historic power plant and the area around it will be developed for retail and residential projects. I definitely understand the attraction of living downtown, but where
exactly are all these new retailers who are clamoring to be there? Expectations are great for the newly designed
Second Avenue District, and whatever happens there should indicate how the projects west of it will fare, but the project is still in its infancy. Imagine the traffic nightmare that will develop on Cesar Chavez, not to mention the crippling street closures. Given the ugly fact that this kind of redevelopment is inevitable, the best we can hope for is that the new projects will retain some of the character of the area. I'm no student of city planning of course (I'm a male actress and social commentator), but I completely understand the point of view of longtime residents who want to preserve Austin exactly like it is. Unfortunately, I don't really believe that is realistic. All this development
is going to happen whether we like it or not, and if we have to suffer through the noise, reroutings, and other inconveniences, at least make these new projects visually interesting like the new
City Hall and
not like the hideous boxlike structure that is going up east of the
Frost Tower and will eventually be our tallest building.
'TIS THE SEASON Come enjoy lovely libations on Friday, Feb. 11, as
Shiki celebrates
Valentine's Day with a trunk show of the
Marnie Bugs handbag collection. The
Valentinis will flow all day, and to sweeten the invite, there will be plenty of discounts on merchandise. See
www.shikistyle.com for details
Our good friend
Patty Hoffpauir, proprietress of the ultra-stylish
Garden Room, tells us that one of her favorite jewelry designers,
Bonnie Basham from Dallas (her jewelry has appeared in
Lucky,
Town & Country,
In Style, and
D), will be at the Garden Room, Friday-Saturday, Feb. 11-12, for their
Valentine Party. Basham, who uses a great deal of horn in her pieces, will be on hand to discuss her work and to work with customers. Sounds like a good time to me. (They're serving chocolates and Flirtinis!) Also on Saturday, Feb. 12, the most wonderful, amazing, stylish, and bizarre event of the year comes around: the
Art Erotica auction and dance party benefiting the
Austin AIDS Emergency Fund for
AIDS Services of Austin from 9pm-1am. It is produced by
Gary Cooper,
Richard Hartgrove, and the
Octopus Club, whose recent
Octo Tea Dance at the Oasis raised $46,155 for the fund. Be titillated, amused, or maybe even shocked at the provocative art and provocative personnel, but in the name of a great cause, get dressed up in
your most provocative outfit, prepare to be generous, and have a great time at one of Austin's coolest events. Tickets are $25, and go to
www.octopusclub.org for more info
On the subject of excellent causes, Sunday, Feb. 13, brings the
Glorious Velvet Valentine, a musical and comedic fashion show, to benefit the
Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin. Held at the Old Glory Ranch in Wimberley, this glorious event, starring
Joe Sears and
Jaston Williams of
Greater Tuna, singers
Jimmie Dale Gilmore,
Kimmie Rhodes,
Colin Gilmore,
Jo Harvey Allen, and others, begins with cocktails at 5pm followed by dinner provided by
Word of Mouth Catering and drinks served by miniature donkeys(!). Featured in the show will be black velvet jackets designed by the divine
Sharon Ely (Mrs. Joe, natch) and painted by a variety of artists, including
Joe Ely,
Jim Franklin, and
Guy Juke, among others. Tickets are $150 per person, $1,500 per table of 10, and $3,000 per sponsor table of 10. For information and reservations, please visit
www.bcrc.org/website/mission.asp or
www.oldgloryranch.com for more details
Mark your calendar for Valentine's Day night, Monday, Feb. 14, 8pm, at
Sidekicks (119 E. Riverside); I honestly can't tell you
what to expect from
Burlesque for Peace: Burlesque Without Borders, except that it is raising money for
Doctors Without Borders, which is also an amazing and very worthy nonprofit. The show itself features members of
Kitty Kitty Bang Bang (
www.kittykittybangbangshow.com) and Burlesque for Peace (
www.burlesqueforpeace.com) joining forces to put on what will surely be an unforgettable evening. You'll find more info at their respective Web sites.