Hey Sailor, Pt. 2!

This is part two in a series! Check out part one!

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! Basically we sent out a MySpace poll.

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Frank J. Rivera

Bon vivant, forensic specialist, and Austin Chronicle intern

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

I'm playfully playing in Chronicle land, mostly film reviews that Shawn tosses me.

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. A visit across the South Congress bridge near dusk. Now personally, I recommend not telling them about the bats, 'cuz watching people run like headless chickens when the swarm appears is just delicious.

B. Picnic at Zilker with a basket of Whole Foods goodies.

C. Barbecue or Mexican. Austin's is hard to beat when compared to the rest of Texas ... let alone what those silly Northerners think is Mexican food.

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde is to cool what Emmylou Harris is to wholesome.

B. Eagles of Death Metal. Homme is the French word for man, and Josh Homme is a lotta hot man.

C. Annie.

4) Austin: Love or hate?

I frickin' love Austin, TX.

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

Taqueria Arandas. A taste of the real Mexican tacos de muerte that you'd find with central Mexican street vendors without the risk of botulism.

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

Yes. And not for long, hot cakes.

7) Your dream entrance song?

T. Rex's "We Love to Boogie", because I do. And it's almost Saturday night.

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

An image of Leslie humping a Dell computer.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Doc's Motorworks

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

There's this little stone bench off the Town Lake hike & bike path where fish come to the surface and the moonlight reflects on the water.

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Lynne Kirby

Owner of Ararat Middle Eastern Restaurant, creator of Goddess Nite, event coordinator, drag king, active member of the Queer Community

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

I will be coordinating events and entertainment all week at my restaurant.

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Have a delicious Middle Eastern Feast - while watching belly dancing & fire dancing and listening to great music at Ararat Restaurant (111 E Northloop). Lesbian-owned, and we are B.Y.O.B.

B. Get some coffee from one of the following 'totally Austin' coffee shops: Joe's (on Congress), Quacks (on 43rd) or Spider House (off of Guadalupe and 28th). Great people watching ... good coffee and you are sure to get a feel from what the people of Austin are really like.

C. Take a walk around Town Lake. It is close to everything ... but there are certain areas where you will feel like you are not even in the city. It will help relax you ... and you can soak up the sun and see all of the cute pets and crazy pet owners ... while seeing different parts of the downtown area.

D. If you are in town at the right time ... you have to check out a drag king show. (Women dressed like men). Probably unlike anything you have ever seen. Check out www.kingsnthings.org for show dates.

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Friday 3/17 ... St Patty's Day Celebration at Ararat Restaurant

B. Wednesday 3/15 Bellaparker at Pecan St Ale House

C. Saturday 3/18 ... What Made Milwaukee Famous at Stubbs BBQ

4) Austin: Love or hate?

Love it ... sometimes hate to love it (Summers are so damn hot!).

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

Maria's Taco Express (on South Lamar) for breakfast tacos or Vivo's (on Manor) for delicious puffy tacos.

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

No and no

7) Your dream entrance song?

'Who's that lady ... who's that lady? Lovely Lady... Who's that lady... by the Isley Bros.

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

The best thing would be to NOT get a souvenir tattoo – especially if you are drinking. My friend, Kim does amazing Henna work at Forbidden Fruit ... Thu.-Sat. nite. It is beautiful, lasts for a couple of weeks ... and does not scar or need to be removed by lasers when you sober up.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Any of the above coffee shops I mentioned ... cause I hate go out to the clubs ... to cruise chicks and dudes ... it seems so cheesy.

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

The beautiful candlelit back yard of Ararat Middle Eastern Restaurant (or at least that is what it seems like every weekend ...)

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Lonnie Stern

Executive Director of the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF)

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

I will be taking in the music and watching the final run of films that I missed in the past week.

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Alamo Drafthouse / Warehouse District

B. Las Manitas: walk through the kitchen!

C. Barton Springs

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Morrissey!

B. Queer Films

4) Austin: Love or hate?

"Love it and ain't ever gonna leave it"

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

Homeslice Pizza

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

No, happily coupled since 1999.

7) Your dream entrance song?

"Kiss" by Prince

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

"Save Yourself for Kinky"

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Warehouse District

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

Mount Bonnell

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Khatti

Drummer from the TunaHelpers

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Playing at a number of shows

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Go Canoeing?

B. Free parties; there are plenty of them.

C. Enjoy the Mexican food.

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. The Gossip on Thursday.

B. Non-South-by, there is a free show on Friday at Austin Java Co. that Scream Club is playing at. They're cool ladies from Olympia.

4) Austin: Love or hate?

I love Austin.

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

Burger: Casino el Camino.

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

Ummmm, I'm thinking that I'm ... yeah. I'm single for SXSW.

7) Your dream entrance song?

Last week it was "Singing in the Rain." This week, I don't know. It's ever-changing.

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

That's too hard. No idea. No idea.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Oh, I don't know. I'm not very good at that. Just sixth street, the whole thing. Open your eyes.

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

Uhhhh ...

AC: Just sixth street, right ... the whole thing?

Khattie: Yeah.

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Brian Carr

Austin Chronicle Advertising Senior Account Rep

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Self-proclaimed card-carrying badge whore... just trying to cram all the swag, music, and cocktails I can into 96 hours while still showing up for work (and get through the day without throwing up).

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. $2 bottled beers on Mt. Bonnell at Dry Creek Cafe with Tammy Wynette on the jukebox.

B. Dinner and drinks on the Shoreline Grill patio overlooking Town Lake

C. Antique store and thrift shopping on South Congress Avenue.

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Morrissey, Austin Music Hall, Thursday, 9:30pm

B. Goldfrapp (... or Portishead on adrenaline) Austin Music Hall, Thursday, 12:15am

C. Jamie Cullum (... or Hipster Connick Jr.) Eternal, Friday, Midnight

4) Austin: love or hate?

Give me another 20 years to decide.

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

Conan's Pizza Deep Dish Savage on whole wheat crust, hands down.

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

Will my boyfriend be reading this?

7) Your dream entrance song?

"The Boss" by Diana Ross

8) What is the best souvenir tattoo a visitor can take back from Austin?

A well-placed hickey

9) What is a good Austin place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Chain Drive back patio.

10) What is the best make-out spot?

(Brian's personal address had been edited out for space limitation reasons, but he can be found in the Austin white pages on page 97)

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DJ Amerykah

Hot Lady DJ

1) What are you doing during SXSW?

Playing at a number of shows

2) Top three Austin things to do

A. Play bingo. I don't know if people would find that fun. I mean, they might find it fun because it's pretty interesting. It's like old people ventilated by cigarettes, playing bingo. Or,

B. The cliche, come to Austin, watch some bands play.

3) Top recos during SXSW week

A. Giant City, a ragtime band.

4) Austin: Love or hate?

I love Austin. I think it's an amazing city. I was thinking about this driving down Mopac. I was just thinking, man I fucking love this city. Austin has

something that no other city has ... and I don't even know what that is.

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

Burger: Casino El Camino. But the Tuesday special at Sandy's is really cheap.

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

Yes. I am single for south-by.

7) Your dream entrance song?

Bessie Smith, "Nobody in Town Can Bake a Sweet Jelly Roll like Mine."

8) Best souvenir tattoo from Austin?

The most cliche Austin tattoo, I would have to say, a five-point Nautical

star. On your forehead. Everybody in Austin's got one. I've got close to 90 stars on my body, so I mean, I'm into it. It's not very original, but it's what we need

to do. Either that or the Hamburgler. Or Grimace. Grimace is good.

9) Place to cruise chicks or dudes?

Tuesdays at Elysium. The best lesbian gathering that is every week, and is

pretty casual and laid back. On a good night, we get 150 girls. On a bad night, 50. But 50 is better than nothing. But for boys, I'd probably say Rain. All the

gay boys are talking about it, as the place to go. Or Bout Time, Karaoke. Mondays and Sundays. And Sunday nights at Elysium is like 75%, 25% hetero. Or even 50/50 ... there are a lot of bi kids there, too.

10) Best Austin make-out spot?

besides the back seat of my car ...

AC: Oooh, bitches. (Much laughter.)

DJA: Or a bathroom in a bar, I guess.