Cover Story
The Decoder
Lawrence Wright reflects on a decade spent exploring and explaining the Middle East in My Trip to Al-Qaeda
Express To Join Rangers’ System Next Year
A look at their crop of minor-leaguers
Just a Just World
St. Edwards blocks Equality Texas from Internship Fair
This Week’s Waste of Time
A healthy serving of 70s vacationing all in one free video game
O. Henry Museum to Host Writing Workshop
Mary Helen Specht teaches a Short Story Master Class
Hot Sauce Recap and Best of Austin 2010
There’s a lot of stuff going on in Chronicle land!
The Daily Hustle: 9/2/10
The Best of Hustle
The Totally Awesome AusChron Newscast Gets an Education
Malfaro’s exit, F1’s entry, city utilities & more
Austin Aztex Not Part of NASL Bid
Division 2 pro soccer reorganization in the balance
Armadillocon To The Future!
Sci-fi gathering readies for 2011
Die a Metalhead
Rodrigo y Gabriela’s patriarch will be due a viking funeral one day.
The Daily Hustle: 9/1/10
It’s the first of the month …
Like A Bird On A Wire
Wisebird, as Southern bedrock as Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood
The Elevation of F1
Draft design for Austin track released
Call Him Master
Fantastic Fest to honor legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping
Dia De Los Toadies
DFW alt-rockers get their day in the sun
I Turn My Camera On
ACL Presents Satellite Sets hits the web
The Daily Hustle: 8/31/10
Get Austin Moving – to the ballot box
I Will Not Give You Up
Hard to shake Franzen’s Freedom
Cash-Flow Deficit Obsession of the Day: We Love Tiny Chairs!
Wearing Iconic Chairs around your neck
Take It to Bank
TFPF announces grant winners
Austin Rockin’ 8/30/10
Your Labor Day live music prep via me and my hair on FOX 7 this morning
An Earful of ‘Avatar’
Members of the creative team behind ‘Avatar’ give talk tonight
Austin-Lensed ‘Temple Grandin’ Scores at Emmys
Temple Grandin is an Emmy Darling
OTR – 33 RPM
The legendary Roots crew’s got soul
The Daily Hustle: 8/30/10
Water (Treatment Plant) Torture
The Sunday Survey: 8/29/10
Worst. Monday. Ever.
‘Home Field’ Looks Great on the Coffee Table
With a forward from Buzz Bissinger
Ten-Man Aztex Hold On
Austinites draw with Portland, next stop Vancouver
Ozone Watch for Saturday
Clean Air Force asks for help keeping pollution down
Robert De Niro Versus Tony Jaa?
Fantastic Fest release second wave of programming
Euro Champs League Draw Set
Group stages set to start Sept. 14
The Daily Hustle: 8/27/10
Walls and Cables
Bringing the Heat
A devotion to cooking pervades the mentality of many of the 200-plus contestants who enter each year
Texas Platters
Datalove Dimensions of Tomorrow Electronic composer Cory Allen’s ear has long been on the spectral side of avant-garde. His debut as Datalove reorganizes his mental crate-digging into something more accessible. He’s an obvious disciple of J Dilla, and hip-hop beats are the backdrop for his splashes of Indian, soul, psych, and obscure library music samples.…
History Reheats Itself
1991: First year of The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, we challenge San Antonio, and it’s a tie until John Randall’s sauce is declared Best of Show and Austin is declared the winner. Two hundred sauces entered. 1992: Awards are slow to be presented because we had a calligrapher filling out each individual certificate. What…
Bringing the Heat
These formidable opponents duke it out in the commerical bottlers’ categories
Texas Platters
Bun B Trill OG (Rap-a-Lot 4 Life) Bun B didn’t get to be an underground king by delegating authority. When BB’s production partner J. Prince goes to “Chuuch!” with the blessing of late UGK scepter Pimp C on the Trill OG opener, he rolls out a red carpet intro for MC du jour Drake. Neither…
‘Austin Chronicle’ Hot Sauce Festival Hall of Flame
In the 10th year of the festival, we created a Hall of Flame to recognize individuals, restaurants, and commercial bottlers who had won or placed in their category at least three times. Those original inductees appear below in italics. For the 20th anniversary, the list of Hall of Flame inductees is considerably larger. A few…
Vampires Suck
From the filmmaking team that gave us Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans comes this inevitable spoof of teen vampire movies.
What’s the Rumpus, and Where Can You Find It?
A peek at our upcoming coverage of aGLIFF and Machete
Texas Platters
Michael Scott Parker Creature Rock (Oh My! Music) With the not-so-distant memory of 2008’s Naked in mind, Michael Scott Parker’s Creature Rock is just as evocative. Her contemporary touchstones are obvious – Tori Amos and PJ Harvey above all – but she’s got a healthy dose of the 1980s brashness that made Patti Smith such…
Hot Sauce Bands
1991: Conjunto Aztlan 1992: Los Hermanos Cruz, Los Matreros del Norte 1993: Don Walser’s Pure Texas Band 1994: The Cow Pattys, Don Walser’s Pure Texas Band 1995: Los Pinkys, Don Walser’s Pure Texas Band 1996: Los Pinkys, Don Walser’s Pure Texas Band 1997: Los Pinkys, Don Walser’s Pure Texas Band 1998: Hot Club of Cowtown,…
Piranha 3D
Finally, 3-D is being put to its optimum use. Who cares how it holds up as a remake?
‘Chronicle’ Critics’ Picks for Restaurant and Commercial Hot Sauces 2010
Our critics guarantee these sauces are all delicious and encourage readers to check them out
Texas Platters
Amy Zamarripa Information From the Edge San Antonion-turned-Austinite Amy Zamarripa packs 18 originals into her first recording, Information, conveying a charming, summery, stripped-down feel – just Zamarripa and her guitar. No question her heart leans heavily to the folkie side of life (“Come to the Water”), but she’s not above bilingual ballads (“Natural Way”) or…
UT Volleyball
kicks off the season ranked No. 3 in the country
Lottery Ticket
Bow Wow stars in this comedy about a guy with a winning lottery ticket who must protect it over a long weekend.
Bringing the Heat
Robb Walsh knows Texas food and makes you enjoy the hell out of reading about it
Texas Platters
Rose Kimball & Judy Painter The Journey (Bat Cat Melodies) Too bad the dusty sweetness of The Journey will be lost in the shuffle of back-to-school CDs; Rose Kimball’s composing skills in the traditional art of songwriting ring true in the manner of Caroline Herring or Slaid Cleaves. Some of the songs are simply well-crafted,…
Soccer Watch
Aztex, Longhorns, and soccer-playing dogs
The Last Exorcism
This faux documentary pulls few punches in its fresh look at what happens when religion and the secular world collide.
Gay Place
The Gay Place implores you to don your mustache and grow out your muumuu
Event Menu
Stomp grapes and pair wines at Central Texas wineries, meet a local Food Network star, and more tasty outings
Texas Platters
Stephanie Salvo Contradiction Stephanie Salvo’s beats and lyrics sound as if they are straight from urbania (“To the Top”), but on the second track – the title cut – she explodes with an edgy, noir jazz sound before sliding back into her hip-hop groove (“When I Come Around”). That aspect gives the Lord Ronin-produced Contradiction…
Off the Record
Good vibrations courtesy of the Roots, Distant Lights, and the Sword
Animal Kingdom
An Australian family that commits crimes together avoids time together in this brutal look at the human survival instinct.
Day Trips
Harvey Houses helped settle the West and were the travelers’ best friend for 92 years
Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Both sides now – 50 years ago and now the iGeneration
Texas Platters
Tricia Mitchell Purple Room (Pigtail) Tricia Mitchell’s songs feel familiar in their soft country-folk settings (“Lilly’s Verses,” “For This”), but they bear a lyrical sharpness at once clever and provocative (“Bobby Joe Plays Violin”) and even laugh-out-loud witty (“Girlfriend of the Band”). One of Mitchell’s literary tricks is a flat resolution in her storytelling: “Twenty…
City Hall Hustle: In the Zone
Land-use issues in all corners of the city dominate council agenda
2010 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival
OOB dishes up a feast of funny after a summer starved for laughs
‘Over the Rainbow’
Judy Collins appears at BookPeople Friday, Aug. 27, 3pm, singing “Over the Rainbow” and autographing the children’s picture book of the same name. (Wristbands will be distributed, and books must be purchased in-store.) Speaking on the telephone from her home, Collins revealed a lifelong connection with the timeless ballad. Austin Chronicle: Why “Over the Rainbow”?…
Dark Forces Gathering
ArmadilloCon 32
Eco-Currents: Party Circuit
Solar trailer makes the social rounds; wind power blows hot and cold
Out of Bounds: The Lineup
The ninth annual Out of Bounds Comedy Festival runs Aug. 31-Sept. 6, with performances scheduled at Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.; the Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress; ColdTowne Theater, 4803 Airport; the Velveeta Room, 521 E. Sixth; and La Zona Rosa, 612 W. Fourth. Tickets are $10 for Rocket Surgery with Kevin McDonald and for…
Food-o-File
Buy local eggs, the Best Wurst lives on, locals get some small-screen time, and more delicious foodie news
Arts Review
Zell Miller III makes the four corners of hip-hop come together in the theatre
Headlines
� When City Council meets today (Thursday, Aug. 26), Domain-related controversies are expected to dominate the zoning agenda. See “City Hall Hustle.” � A storm was brewing this week as opponents of Austin Water’s proposed 6.1% rate hike prepared a full assault for today’s public hearing at City Hall. Critics say the increase – which…
Adam Conaway
Remembering the behind-the-scenes worker for Blue Lapis Light and CO2
Booming in the Bust
ACC advances its higher-ed march across the region – but not everyone is happy
Arts Review
This dance/spoken-word production embodies our waking, sleeping dream
Naked City
News briefs from Austin, the region, and beyond
‘The Intergalactic Nemesis’
The popular salute to old radio serials comes to the Long Center – with pictures!
The Hightower Report
Dell Twists in the Wind; and Driver’s Double Dip
Arts Review
Exploring of what goes on beneath the surface � of our bodies, of society, of the cities in which we live, of the very planet itself
Res Publica
Citizens’ calendar, Aug. 26-Sept. 2
A Change in Perspective
Tom Grimes doesn’t rewrite history in his memoir, Mentor – he just understands it a little better now
Festival Welcome and 20-Year Retrospective
Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival
Cap Metro to Suburbanites: Get Off the Bus
Transit agency could pull the plug on northwest express routes
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
According to Dr. Dave Holmes, an animal behaviorist at Manchester Metropolitan University, mice hate cheese. Before launching Playboy, Hugh Hefner worked as a circulation manager for a children’s activities magazine. The costume worn by Big Bird (of Sesame Street fame) is made from 4,000 turkey feathers. He was born on March 20, making him a…
The Call of the Wild
David Michôd on the unlikely roots of his Aussie crime drama, Animal Kingdom
Contest & Festival Facts
The 20th Annual ‘Austin Chronicle’ Hot Sauce Festival Presented by Capital Area Food Bank of Texas Sunday, Aug. 29 11am-5:30pm Waterloo Park at 12th and Trinity Admission The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival requests that you pay an admission fee in the form of three nonperishable food items to be donated to the Capital Area…
Bradford-Nohra Ruling Leads to Sequel
Hyde Park neighborhood fights Hyde Park family over Hyde Park home, Part II
Letters at 3AM: The Thing About Words
Words are the property of all
TV Eye
TV Eye breaks down the nominees for Best Drama and Best Comedy
Celebrity Judges
Nick Rotas: Rotas (right) has been the regional manager for Austin’s homegrown Z’Tejas chain for the past four years. Prior to that, he served as general manager for nearly 10 years at Copper Tank Brewing Company and at Dave and Buster’s in Austin and Dallas. He’s an upbeat, funny guy who loves spicy foods and…
Bowing to Business Wheels, AISD Cans Tax Hike
Board passes new budget but drops ballot proposal
After a Fashion
Your Style Avatar is officially a ‘tween’ and is pretty bored with Fashion Weak
Texas Platters
The Sword Warp Riders (Kemado) “Upon the forsaken world of Acheron, the Archer is exiled from his tribe,” posits Warp Riders’ written intro. “In his solitary wanderings, he makes a singular discovery within an ancient ruin ….” What he’s found constitutes a way back home for the Sword. Where 2006 debut Age of Winters put…
Hot Sauce Fest Cooking Tent
After last year’s successful debut, the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts cooking demo tent returns to this year’s Hot Sauce Fest. Three new chefs will talk about a variety of chiles and their uses. They’ll share secrets for hot sauce making and cooking techniques, demonstrating recipes in all contest categories: red, green, and…
No Surprises in City’s Answer to WTP4 Suit
Water plant controversy keeps on churning
Bringing the Heat
A few stories from ‘The Austin Chronicle’ Hot Sauce Festival
Texas Platters
Flying Balalaika Brothers With their ongoing Monday night Red Army Surrender Jam at Ruta Maya, the Flying Balalaika Brothers have proven commanding gypsy punks. Those sprawling, weekly marathons can include up to nine members, but the Soviet expatriates’ self-titled debut was recorded by its core trio – Zhenya Kolykhanov, Sergey Vashchenko, Aleksander Kouznetzov – with…
Elizabeth Derczo
Since its inception in 1991, thousands of people have attended the annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festivals. They’ve all parked someplace, submitted contest entries, tasted and voted on hundreds of hot sauces, munched on chips, enjoyed cold beverages, boogied to the bands on stage, sheltered under tents, lined up for potties, purchased festival T-shirts, and…
Page Three: Hell in a Handbasket or, the Worst of Austin
Well, the shit is certainly hitting the fan this week. From the Chamber of Concrete/Austin American-Statesman war on public education to the eternal shell game that is the Domain development swindle to the increasingly ludicrous boondoggle that is Water Treatment Plant No. 4, it seems all our evil chickens are coming home to roost at…
Luv Doc Recommends: ‘Austin Chronicle’ Hot Sauce Festival
You might ask yourself: “Why here? Why now?” Waterloo Park in late August will be hotter than Satan’s taint – sweatier too. Of course, the same could be said of Austin in general, so apparently there are quite a few people here in Weirdsville who don’t mind a hot, sweaty taint. Hot, sweaty taints were…
