Cover Story
Rocketing Through Hard Times
Yellow Tape and other small theatre groups blast past the black hole of the recession
Hicks Day
Feb. 26 marks 15th anniversary of the death of Bill Hicks
The Lineup
Recommended music for the week of Feb. 27-March 5
Malfaro on Carstarphen: Heard ‘Good Stuff’
Education Austin president positive about AISD superintendent finalist, calls to put selection process behind district
Hall Monitoring
Library hours preserved, fire makes cuts, Strayhorn still stompin’
Forgione: ‘I Welcome Meria Carstarphen’
AISD super issues short statement about finalist to be his replacement
Carstarphen for AISD Super
St. Paul, Minn., super announced as sole finalist for superintendent position
Recycled Reads Bookstore to Open This Weekend
Recycled Reads – good for the environment and growing minds
And Then He Wrote
Joe Nick Patoski wins award for his Willie bio
Rockin’ in the Free World, Then Austin
SXSW Film premieres new Demme/Young concert film
Why We Must Still Be Involved
As Prop 8 goes in front of the CA courts, a writer remembers his mother.
Aztex Nation, Unite!
Countdown until Saturday’s Austin Aztex opener against the New England Revolution
City Hall Hustle: Bucking the Budget
Strayhorn appeals to the budding bibliophile
Champions League, Here and Abroad
Houston Dynamo misses a chance in CONCACAF; England shines in Europe
XXX Stars Jesse Jane and Stoya Do Austin
Adult entertainment superstars in town to promote ‘Pirates 2: Stagnetti’s Revenge’
Latinitas Goes to Print Feb. 26
Austin-based Latinitas issues print version
Meet Bobby Jindal
Louisiana governor’s big launch was supposed to raise his national profile
Extra Happy
Chatting with the Delta Spirit
Dutton Files Committee Swap Motion
Houston Dem continues to hammer Straus over committee appointments and House rules
A-Roid
Steroids, baseball, whatever
The Real World
The story of the Story Of
TxDoT Delays Stimulus Decisions
House Rep. Dunnam has something nice to say about state transport agency. Really.
Holloway to Be Honored in House
House sets date for reading of resolution commemorating sad loss of Travis County Green Party co-chair
Talk About It
AMF discusses the future of Austin music
City Hall Hustle: A Hustling Happened on the Way to the Forum
The Hust hits the first forum – where’s Carole?
Peña the Gang Buster
Rep. Aaron Peña wants to fight cartels and gangs the RICO way
Take a TRIP with Hello Kitty
MAC Cosmetics Hello Kitty spot
Ruling on the Rules
Dutton, Straus cross swords again over committee switches
Want to Know What’s Really in the Stimulus Bill?
Wall Street Journal charts out the $787 billion
Your Song Here
Do you have what it takes to write an Austin anthem?
Save Daptone
The soul label has a break-in
In the House of (Kate) Bush
Puff Puff and the Receivers’ trauma-rock revival
Hutchison Leads Perry by 25 Points
Texas senator gets massive boost in early polling for 2010 gubernatorial race
Botheration
Dr. John and King Cake for Mardi Gras
Commie Homo Loving Sons of Guns!
Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn give some face!
Cite-and-Release in (Almost Full) Effect
Just more than 15 months after it became law, APD finally begins cite-and-release program
I Am a MAC Viva Glam Woman Because…
RuPaul’s Drag Race gets a little cuckoo.
Interacting at Interactive
A social experiment in schmoozing goes a little too well
Dewhurst Booked for Pro-Life Day
Lt. Gov. to sound off about ultrasound legislation in the morning
Wristband Update
More ‘bands on sale tomorrow
The Frame’s the Thing
Art duo creates art from frames
Hot on the Trail
Tejano legends get their due around town
Are you M.I.A. or Kanye?
Gold sneaker dilemma
Slot Machines at the Starter’s Gate
Racing PAC pushing hard for racinos, claiming 75% in favor of legalization: UPDATED
Pot Polling
Two new polls show increasing support for pot legalization
Photo Preview of MetroRail and Crestview Station
The train comes to my neighborhood
Bass Concert Hall: Park, Pee and Leave (or not)
The musical was great, but the venue is a problem
It’s a Privilege to Park
UT has taken away all the free parking in lots near Bass Concert Hall
Sic Transit Gloria
The Texas Film Hall of Fame inducts Rushmore
The Empyrean
Ascending the heights of Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and guiding light John Frusciante’s new solo disc, ‘The Empyrean’
Business in the Front, Party in the Back
Heyd Fontenot’s new paintings are not to be missed
A Bearded Brodown at the Brohawk
‘Misprint’s Beard and Moustache Contest returns tonight!
Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
Some notes on Lykke Li’s show last night
Ben Kweller In-Store at Waterloo Records
A short video showing Ben Kweller’s performance on Feb 4, 2009.
The Lineup
Recommended music for the week of Feb. 20-26
Better Late Than Never
Five years after your grandparents started blogging, the Arts section gets with it
Fight the Power for Pot
Texas NORML is training pot activists this weekend
Agricultural Convergence
Madam Mam’s West Gate 4514 West Gate Blvd., 899-8525 www.madammam.com When we finished the landscaping at Madam Mam’s West Gate soon after they opened that location, there was a large triangular open area left between the north side and the 8-foot privacy fence that borders the gas station. It was in a bad state, needing…
Phases & Stages
Enrico Rava New York Days (ECM) Miles Davis’ red hot and cool still melts trumpets from Berklee (Tiger Okoshi) to Poland (Tomasz Sta´nko), with a layover in New York (Terence Blanchard) for the red eye to Italy on Enrico Rava’s thick, rich, vintage brass smear. Five years – 2004’s Easy Living to 2009’s New York…
Playing Through
Have marathoners found the Answer?
Pitching the Comprehensive Plan
Three teams vie to plan Austin’s future
Agricultural Convergence
Fonda San Miguel 2330 W. North Loop, 459-4121 www.fondasanmiguel.com Inspired by the wonderful vegetable garden at Eastside Cafe, Tom Gilliland dreamed of having one for his successful Fonda San Miguel, but he lacked the space in which to do it. Years passed before Gilliland acquired the land adjacent to the restaurant. He considered expansion, or…
The Hightower Report
What’s the Word for Wall Street Greed?; and Why America Needs a Truth Commission
Headlines
• After publicly deliberating for months, former Texas Monthly Publisher Mike Levy announced he would not run for mayor. See “Point Austin.” • City Council is recovering from a contentious meeting last week. Among the decisions: delays on the Wildflower Commons development and a proposed $250 million solar energy farm. See “Later for Wildflower Commons”…
The Gardening Habit
It started innocently enough. Just another mealy supermarket tomato. But this particular underwhelming tomato triggered not only disgust but also memories of homegrown tomatoes: red, sweet, tart, abundant. “If the only way to get a decent tomato is to plant a tomato plant, I guess I can manage a few tomato plants!” I wonder if…
All Access
Austin’s B-Side Entertainment rethinks how to get a movie to the masses
Res Publica
Thursday19 CAMPO 2035 PLAN REGIONAL WORKSHOP The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization needs your help developing a mobility plan for 2035. 6:30-8:45pm. Thompson Conference Center, Rm. 2.102. www.campotexas.org. TOWN HALL MEETING: CUTTING CITY COSTS Discuss the latest plan to reduce city of Austin expenses to meet the projected $20 million budget shortfall. 6pm. Mexican American…
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Profligate spending may be out of step with the times, but don’t short-sell the comic charms of Isla Fisher.
Victory Gardens Redux
Eating is an agricultural act. – Wendell Berry, 1990 Eating is a political act. – Alice Waters, 2001 Victory Gardens offer a way to enlist Americans, in body as well as mind, in the work of feeding themselves and changing the food system. – Michael Pollan, 2008 Growing vegetables at home is agricultural, political, practical,…
The American Con of Bootstrap Optimism
Kelly Reichardt talks about Wendy and Lucy, her prescient tale about a girl and a dog, a rock and a hard place
City Hall Hustle: Alternating Current
At campaign time, the policy choices just get tougher
Fired Up
This new teen sex comedy is both sexist and prudish.
Book Review
Bradbury’s prose has become both leaner and keener over the years without sacrificing any of his trademark humanist whimsy
DVD Watch
Rules of the Game (1939) played ball and jacks compared to Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel
Point Austin: Levy Steps Back … and Shoots Long
Running the city is easier campaigned than done
Delhi-6
New Bollywood film.
Food-o-File
Join in for another Artz Rib House fundraiser, and get involved in making Fat Tuesday official
Book Review
This impressive new history makes the case for more space and permanence for women in halls previously ruled by Melville, Twain, and Hemingway
TV Eye
KEYE’s Mr. Fix-It can help you with your DTV conversion troubles
Local Reps and Their Committees
Strama tapped to oversee Technology Committee
Wendy and Lucy
From the director of Old Joy comes this minimalist story about a girl (the elfin Michelle Williams) and her dog getting by in society’s margins.
Sushi Innovations
New trends in local sushi keep Austinites fresh
Agricultural Convergence
April 1, 4pm: About half of the garden will be in shadow by now. The part closest to the building will only get a couple of hours a day of direct sun. The modeling, done on Google SketchUp, was a big help in planning the garden. See a short animation. [embed-1]
Sticker Shock Over Governor’s Mansion Repairs
The historical building may be endangered but so is the state’s pocketbook
Arts Review
This update of a Greek tragedy has a modern look but the same old sense of the inevitable
Event Menu
Your local food events, Feb. 22-28
Off the Record
Paying tribute to the Texas Tornado, working out at the Music Gym, and Trail of Dead’s Justice for all
Renewed Push for Judicial Reforms
Shining a light on the Texas judiciary
Arts Review
The revival of Stephen Mills’ Shakespearean ballet is rich in visuals and moving passion
Restaurant Review
The new Arpeggio Grill does Mediterranean right
Dumping the Water Pump
Should Austin’s conservation success forestall WTP 4?
On the Road (and Rail) Again
Watson’s take on transportation reform
Arts Review
This worthy production of Rostand’s play reveals the rock star in its romantic hero
Queen Bee
Buzzing with the queen of the bumblebees, Lucinda Williams
Reasons to Conserve: The Message
Saving water means saving energy and protecting the climate
Later for Wildflower Commons
Council delays Wildflower Commons development hearing until August
Austin Symphony Orchestra
The Arkansas Symphony’s Galen Wixson has been hired as ASO’s new executive director
Randy Weeks
Going My Way (“Texas Platters,” Jan. 23) boasts songs so good, new Austinite Randy Weeks hardly needs to play his trump card these days. To put a fine point on it, he wrote the only cover song on Lucinda Williams’ tour de force, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, “Can’t Let Go.” “I love Randy,”…
Gay Place
Turn day into nighttime and night into daytime
Naked City
News briefs from Austin, the region, and beyond
The Common Law
People’s Law School
Phases & Stages
Andrew Bird Paramount Theatre, Feb. 12 At the best merchandise table in indie music, the deluxe edition of Noble Beast, Andrew Bird’s affecting new LP, sat a half-inch thicker than the standard issue, with different artwork that appeared hand-painted. Amid its complementary tour poster, T-shirts, and $10 boutique live discs not available in stores, this…
Day Trips
The salt lake La Sal del Rey in central Hidalgo County is as inhospitable as it is beautiful
Media Watch: Local News
The Statesman and its suitors, and the TV shuffle
Seventh Annual Black History Month Concert
Austin gets a rare chance to hear one of Duke Ellington’s concerts of sacred music
Phases & Stages
More than any other genre, metal dialogues on a global basis with regional trappings both preserved and adopted while remaining colorblind to all but its true hue: black. Pittsburgh instrumental duo Zombi races Germanic per usual on Spirit Animal (Relapse), its second full-length since 2004’s Cosmos, 2006 precursor Surface to Air solidifying a parallel to…
Letter to City Council
Reasons why the city should forestall WTP 4
Wheels Finally Turn on Bicycle Road Map
City releases updated Bicycle Master Plan
After a Fashion
Cruising the highways and bar-ways in search of a stiff drink and a late-night enchilada
Phases & Stages
Chip Taylor goes Dutch
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Squids mate in February, genetic mutation causes blue eyes, and more
Fundraiser for Pat Crow
The woman who orchestrated scores of progressive political campaigns now needs your help
Agricultural Convergence
Food, art, politics, and culture come together in the garden for local restaurants and for Austinites, as well
Phases & Stages
Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid (Nonesuch) Last year’s Attack and Release gave the Black Keys a modern makeover courtesy of producer Danger Mouse that resulted in one of the most inventive blues records of recent memory. In its wake, the self-produced debut from guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach isn’t quite the revelation it should be, though he…
Oops!
In a News story that ran Feb. 13 (“Craddick’s Computer Files Wiped Clean”), the Texas Public Information Act was incorrectly referred to as the Texas Freedom of Information Act. Also from that week (“Ayres on Texas Children”), we apologize for identifying Robert and Pat Ayres as brother and sister – they are husband and wife.…
The Topless Tax Sequel, Part III
The Lege’s Titty Tax refuses to die
McCallum Fine Arts Academy Orchestra
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? In this case, back up a Beatles cover band.
Phases & Stages
Antony & the Johnsons The Crying Light (Secretly Canadian) Antony Hegarty’s second LP, 2005’s I Am a Bird Now, was refreshing, haunting, and unusual, a picture of struggle and self-actualization from the Lou Reed crony. The Crying Light, dedicated to centenarian Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno, who graces the album’s cover, is a different animal. Opener…
Page Two: Tiny Tornadoes
SXSW time allows us to go soaring off fearlessly into our imaginations
Another SBOE Voice for Creationism
The SBOE’s Ken Mercer chimes in on creationism and evolution
Luv Doc Recommends: ‘Misprint’ Magazine’s Third Annual Beard & Moustache Competition
Suppose you finally decide you want to lose that middle-age hipster nut-duster. Here are some options: You can cream it, wax it, pluck it, or shave it … with one, two, three, four, and even five blades. Want to make your privates smooth and shiny like a polished apple? Semipermanently? You can hire someone to…
