They want to put a fence around Eeyore’s Birthday.
Really, what they want to do is get it out of a neighborhood park like
Pease and move it to somewhere an event of this size will be more manageable,
such as the Travis County Exposition and Heritage Center. This, of course,
completely misses the point. Before I launch into a dizzying soapbox tirade, I
must first take the part of the poor city official. Begun a couple of decades
ago as an UT English department lark — a celebration of literature, spring,
and joyful foolishness — Eeyore’s has become an Austin institution, and a very
big one. This event has grown into a huge, sprawling, way-too-happy picnic of
costumed folks and families that spills all over the park and the neighborhood
that surrounds it. A real mess… for part of one day. Not a week, or a month,
or all year, but just part of one day. Maybe, if I were a neighbor, I would
complain. Certainly, if I were a city official, I would have many concerns for
safety and control.
But, a city that so lamely proclaims itself “The Live Music Capital of the
World” (and is there any way we can repeal this moronic Chamber of
Commerce assertion?) should go far out of its way to preserve such folk events
as Eeyore’s. This is a true people’s party and one that defines the Austin of
the mind, the city in which we really live.
There are many Austins. One of them is a geological area that is being
reshaped and redefined every day. Another is a city in the midst of a City
Council campaign. This city has to learn anew how to think of itself and its
future — the environmental battle for Austin’s soul defined itself in the
early Eighties as growth versus non-growth which mutated into planned,
controlled growth versus uncontrolled growth. At the end of the Nineties, it
has become either fighting the long-standing fights and keeping the old battles
alive, where the victories seem to be fleeting (have you driven out from Austin
in any direction lately?), against planning for uncontrolled growth so as best
to accommodate it.
At the heart of these many Austins, there is the city of people, an
extraordinary community of slackers, professors, students, state workers,
children, workers, artists, the homeless and geniuses as well as all the rest
of us. Something like Eeyore’s, whether you like it, hate it, or don’t care
about it, defines Austin. When the city is making ridiculous demands (a fence
around Eeyore’s is not simply expensive but violates the whole spirit of the
event), it should fill us with despair. We are dealing with a city government
that has little idea about the city it is trying to administer.
I’m not sure this is a topic I should be ranting on here; it seems almost too
stereotyped for the Chronicle to be railing against the city over its
attempt to bring Eeyore’s up to code. The growth battle is lost (again, drive
out of the city), but the battle for Austin is far from over. When the city
shows such shocking insensitivity to a beloved institution, it feels as though
we are already living in the Austin I fear it is becoming.
One of those things that
makes Austin is Waterloo Records & Video, which is currently celebrating
its 15th anniversary. Louis Karp started Waterloo Records (back when it was a
largely vinyl operation) on South Lamar a few months after we started the
Chronicle; John Kunz was soon added as a partner. Eventually Karp left,
and Kunz kept running the store. Over the years, this paper and the store have
always had a close relationship, our growth and maturity mirroring each other
in many ways. Waterloo has not only been a thriving community music center but
an inspiration to other stores. Austin now boasts a large number of wonderful
record stores, both independent and chain.
As a rule, we don’t use this space to salute our advertisers or acknowledge
their birthdays because there are so many great and inspiring businesses that
advertise with us and we don’t have the space (our own business enterprises we
tirelessly flog to death, but that’s another story). It’s not just that
Waterloo is a great store, it’s the personal journeys it represents. Whenever I
see Kunz, it’s just a couple of tired veterans of too many years in Austin
music hanging out — and I wanted to salute the store and the man behind it.
Happy anniversary.
On a similar note, John’s former partner Louis Karp will be helping, along with John Aengus and others,
to present the 10th Old Settlers Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival Friday
and Saturday, April 4 and 5, at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. This lineup is
truly extraordinary, mixing great songwriters and great players. This should be
a couple of days where the business of music is forgotten but the soul of music
is celebrated (for more information, call Star Tickets at 469-7469 and see
article in this week’s Music section).
Finally, whereas I used to faithfully relate all the comings and goings within the Chronicle in
“Page Two,” we’ve gotten too big for that. Still, recent changes in editorial
must be noted. Debuting this issue is Margaret Moser’s new weekly column on
television, “TV Eye.” Moser is also taking over duties as new Media Editor,
working on our expanding media/film coverage with office-mate and Film Editor
Marjorie Baumgarten, who takes over the “Short Cuts” column. Food Editor
Jennifer Scoville moves over as Features Editor and will be expanding this area
also. n
This article appears in April 4 • 1997 and April 4 • 1997 (Cover).