Hey Sailor! You Here for a Conference?

Welcome to Austin, you good-looking travelers! As you will see, Austinites are scary-proud of their town. And we figured that you are getting so much "official word" on what's great by so many here at the Chronic as well as from our SXSW breathren that we'd open up the field a bit and hand the mic to some fabulous gadabouts. Big lezzie and gayboy gadabouts! (We made an exception for Stephen, who is in-house, because he is our Style Avatar and a very, very silly man.) Basically we sent out a MySpace poll. This is the first in a few installations of hot recommendations from Sassy Austin McSassertons.

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Stephen Moser

Style Avatar and fashion columnist for The Austin Chronicle

myspace.com/mrmoser1

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Reporting on the scene

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Shopping on South Congress

B. Tex-Mex food at Maudie's South Lamar

C. Seeing a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse (any location)

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Austin Music Awards

B. The Pretenders

C. Neil Young keynote speech

4) Austin: Love or hate?

Austin is the center of the universe. I love it.

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza or taco?

Burger: Hut's; Pizza: Home Slice; Taco: Maria's Taco Xpress

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

Yes

7) Your dream entrance song?

"God Save The Queen"

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

Buy a cowboy hat. Tattoos are for amateurs.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

From the sidewalk tables at Guero's

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

The rotunda of the Capitol

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Liz Lambert

Owner/operator, Hotel San José, Jo's Hot Coffee, new Jo's on Second St. (opens Friday) www.sanjosehotel.com

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Trying to get the new shop open. There will be music there on Friday afternoon (Amy Cook, Seahorse, Jim Bianco from LA, Joshua Bingaham, and then the Waxploitation DJs). Also, hanging around the hotel and Jo's where we have a great stage set up with lots of free music (Thursday is the SIMS benefit with Kacy Crowley, the Weary Boys, and the Small Stars; Friday we have Billie Joe Shaver headlining; and Saturday is our traditional South by San Jose with the return of Kris McKay, Amy Cook, Tift Merritt, and the great Peter Case).

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Barton Springs and Zilker Park

B. The bar at the San Jose

C. Las Manitas for breakfast or lunch

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. South by San Jose on Saturday ... make that all of South Congress on Saturday, starting with Continental Club's free pancake breakfast, and all the free music up and down the street all day

B. Esquire Showcase with the Pretenders at Stubbs

C. Hotel Cafe Showcase

4) Austin: Love or hate?

Love

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza, or taco?

Home Slice Pizza

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

No.

7) Your dream entrance song?

"Out on the Weekend," Neil Young

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

A. My initials

B. Bad idea

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Jo's Coffee

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

Get a room.

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Ben Aqua

ASSACRE (www.assacre.com) is a one man fantasy metal/surrealist noisefest experience.

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

I set up a huge experimental/bizarro fest called AwthumFetht at a friend's house, 3208 Grandview St., this Saturday, March 18, 6pm. Featured are my favorite weirdos and hooligans from around Texas, and some outsiders as well, including heartthrobs Lesbians on Ecstasy (from Canada). (www.awthum.com for more info)

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Bring your allergy medicine;

B. Eat lots of pizza (at the Parlor or Rounders);

C. Take a walk in the park around sunset

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. any Daniel Francis Doyle show;

B. any Zom Zoms show;

C. Awesome Cool Dudes with Andy Dick

4) Austin: Love or hate?

3 3 3

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza or taco?

Burgers: Burger Tex (30th & Guadalupe); Pizza: the Parlor (100 E. North Loop); Tacos: Taqueria Arandas (South First)

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

I'm taken, though I might be willing to reconsider if SXSW had big muscles and a hairy chest.

7) Your dream entrance song?

ABBA's "I Let the Music Speak"

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

OMGX, a tribal weed leaf right above the butt.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Pretty much any YMCA.

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

See No. 9

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Dan Plunkett

Co-owner of End of an Ear Records, www.endofanear.com

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Selling records and staining shelves

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. La Reyna

B. Alamo Drafthouse

C. South Austin

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Table of the Elements showcase

B. Afrirampo

C. The Bats

4) Austin: Love or hate?

All love

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza or taco?

Fran's/Home Slice/Tamale House or Maria's Taco Xpress

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

No

7) Your dream entrance song?

"Pineapple" by Sparks

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

A musician

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

AMODA events

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

Mount Bonnell?

wow - feel like I was doing some MySpace survey, time for a beer!

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Elizabeth Jackson

(Honorary gay) Singer for Darling New Neighbors. You could call us accordion disco, you could call us lo-fi samplers. www.darlingnewneighbors.com

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Playing at the Chain Drive on Wednesday 3/15 (SXS&M!!), and on Saturday, 5pm at SxSouthFirst at Bella Blue

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Town Lake

B. Little City

C. The Chain Drive

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. South by S&M

B. Cherrywood day-party (on Thursday?)

C. I Eat Records parties at Spider House & Red'd Scoot Inn (Friday-Saturday)

4) Austin: Love or hate?

luv-v-vv

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza or taco?

Tacos, Mi Madre's

Burger, Opal Divine's

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

Single single single

7) Your dream entrance song?

"I'm Sorry Ms. Jackson" by Outkast

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

Nothing, that would be dumb

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

The Chain Drive, Whole Foods

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

The Chain Drive, Whole Foods

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John Kerrigan

Owner, the Wilker Group, a GLBT focused advertising/marketing agency

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

I am actually chairing the Human Rights Campaign Gala at the Four Seasons on Saturday, March 18. I know ... what are we thinking holding this during SXSW? Crazy.

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Town Lake – fabulous scenery and fabulous "scenery"

B. Check out the big ass fish at Hula Hut

C. Warehouse District, baby!

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. HRC Gala!

4) Austin: Love or hate?

Love Austin

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza or taco?

Austin Pizza Garden, hands down. And cute staff to boot!

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

Married here.

7) Your dream entrance song?

"Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me"

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

A longhorn

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

See No. 2A above

10) What is Austin's best make-out spot?

Good question!

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Diane "Kitty" Murray

Head Feline of the female phenom known as Foodies

groups.myspace.com/foodiesaustin

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Holing up in casa de la armour, essentially living and being productive, but it ain't pretty when writing a screenplay ... just hit page 100.

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Eat

B. Drink

C. Fuck

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Ladytron, can you guys get me in?

B. Ladytron, can you guys get me in?

C. Ladytron, can you guys get me in?

4) Austin: Love or hate?

Love to hate Austin.

5) Best burger (veggieburger), pizza or taco?

Greasiest and most nutritious: Dirty's on Guadalupe. I'm heading there now.

6) Are you single? Are you single for SXSW?

For a life sentence.

7) Your dream entrance song?

T-Rex's "Chrome Sitar," and I'm thinking I'm gonna have this dream come true when I host the big transgender bend over my knee thing for Buck Wilder.

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

The saying, "Loose lips sink ships" tattooed on the ass with an anchor. How do I know about such things? My own father ... well, has that exact tat.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Girls: Emeralds on Lamar, it's such sick fun ... Audrey and I are masters of the girl gaze while searching through racks of chiffony shit.

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

My incredible luscious bed ... Hell, Kate, you know. Ha! I ain't sayin' which Kate I'zzz talkin' about.