Cover Story
My Life on Apps
The convenience and economics of living through your phone
End of the Silk Road for the Dread Pirate Roberts
Online blackmarket founder Ross Ulbricht faces 20 years
First Plates Extra Helpings: The Midnight Press
Now you can drink the Chronicle
The Righteous Reverend Gean West 1936-2015
The Relatives’ heart and soul – back in God’s hands
Of Course You Know 101 Ways to Use a Unicorn, Right?
Robb Pearlman and Dave Urban show you how.
Monkeywrench Books: Back in Business
Monkeywrench Books soft reopening & potluck today!
First Plates
How we’re celebrating First Plates and how you can join us!
Francisco the Man
Gabriel García Márquez name-droppers stop at Scoot Inn Friday
No Chairs for Travis County in House Committees
Local delegation still scores six vice-chairs
Gun Rights Activist Says Lawmakers “Punishable by Death”
Open carry advocate threatens legislators in video
First Plates Extra Helpings: What’s Cooking in the Entomophagy Scene?
Among other things, would you believe … crickets as a Dai Due special?
Fever in the Bunkhouse: Hotel San José Sold?
Diffusing rumors and starting new ones with Liz Lambert
Fables of the Reconstruction Part II
Todos Santos, Mexico, rebuilds as its music fest grows
Professor Dumpster Celebrates Anniversary
It’s been a year since he took up residence in the garbage can.
Scott McCloud in Austin with The Sculptor this Weekend
The affable theorist of Understanding Comics waxes all fictional.
First Plates Extra Helpings: My Tex-Mexistential Crisis
It’s a New Mexican thing … you wouldn’t understand
SXSW Film Announces 2015 Lineup
Circling the Thunderdome
First Plates Extra Helpings: Small You Care to Eat
Chef Danny Palumbo cooks up some mighty tasty satire
More Brisket Burglaries
Alamo City barbecue joints hit by thief
The AggreGAYtor: February 3
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
First Plates Extra Helpings: The Incredible Edible
Eggs are all they’re cracked up to be and then some
Mardi Gras 2015: Five Ways to Mardi Gras
Thoroughly, completely, and totally random advice for fellow newbs
Mo’ Music Monday: February 2
Dance magic dance your week away
Know When to Hold It
New website initiates a guide to Austin’s gender-neutral loos
Rooster Teeth Community Mourns Death of Monty Oum
Creator of anime RWBY succumbs to freak allergic reaction
KUTX Second Birthday Concert
98.9FM turns two with Shakey Graves, Tune-Yards, Jenny Lewis
The Q&A Hole: What’s the Use of Owning Original Artwork?
With Chris Cubas, Jill Schroeder, Shannon McCormick, and more.
First Plates Extra Helpings: Hit the Road & Eat Like a Local
Five cafes a conversation away from Austin
First Look: Chi’Lantro Restaurant
Jae Kim goes from truck to table
News Roundup: MLK, Chris Kyle, and the Lege
Get ready to celebrate “Chris Kyle Day”
Lit-urday: Civil Rights Are Always Timely
Graphic novel talks Freedom Rides and a shout-out to UT
Food-o-File: Super Bowl Edition
The Austin food game is on
DVDanger: Documenting Extremes
Behind the scenes at Studio Ghibli and Kink.com
Food-o-File: Friday Lagniappe
A little extra Austin food news
UPDATE: Pressley Files Election Contest
CM Greg Casar responds to Laura Pressley filing
Chronicle Recommends: Makeover Films
A new year, and a new you
One in a Crowd: The Adventures of Dr. Blah-kman & Mr. Meow
Local animation project needs a fresh lick of paint
Miraculous Sound: Jamie Wellwarth
Austin engineer acquiesces to online fund for his surgeries
Bill of the Week: Or, How Not to Pass Open Carry
How one gun group became its own worst enemy
SXSW Music: List No. 5
New crop ups the ante to 1,251 acts so far
Attorney General Avoids Day in Court
Securities investigation dropped in Travis, may go to Dallas
Mardi Gras 2015: Wendy Colonna to Home and Back, Pt.1
Austinite/SWLA-native proves you can go home again – and sing about it
Pataas
Telugu drama about corruption in a police department.
Americons
The self-serving sub-prime mortgage boom of 2007 proves seductive to a fading collegiate ballplayer.
Mortdecai
Johnny Depp fails to unleash his inner Peter Sellers in this globetrotting spy comedy.
Strange Magic
Woodland goblins, elves, and fairies go to war in this animated movie from LucasFilm Animation.
The Luv Doc: A Total Bitch
Dear Luv Doc, I don’t know if this applies to your area of specialty, but here goes: I work with a woman who is a total bitch to everyone in the office except for her friend, who is our manager. She talks on her phone all day, pushes her work off on everyone else, and…
Black or White
Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer play guardians who fight over the custody of their granddaughter.
Amira & Sam
Cross-cultural love between a U.S. soldier and an Iraqi girl flourishes in the Big Apple.
Black Sea
This undersea actioner stars Jude Law as a submarine captain leading a team of Brits and Russians in the recovery of a sunken fortune.
Mr. Turner
Mike Leigh delivers a fascinating, period-rich portrait of the latter years of the painter J.M.W. Turner.
2015 Academy Award-Nominated Live-Action Short Films
This live-action group is unified by a general desire to tug at the heartstrings.
2015 Academy Award-Nominated Animated Short Films
Five Oscar nominees, plus some extra treats.
2015 Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Short Films: Program A
Program A consists of the two longest doc shorts, and they’re among the best of the batch.
2015 Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Short Films: Program B
The collected films in Program B examine suffering from different angles
Yennai Arindhaal
Tamil thriller tells the story of a man from the age of 13 to 38.
Hawaizaada
Hindi movie about the life of scientist Shivkar Bapuji Talpade.
All Over Creation: Site Specifics
Fusebox Festival helps the community envision a new kind of development with thinkEAST
The Hightower Report: Death of the Lush, Green Lawn
Farewell to green lawns, hello to desertscapes
Gay Place: Big Blue Body
GIAC’s Nina Diaz is her own dang thang
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
According to one world traveller, men in China are not uncomfortable with holding a woman’s purse. About 2,200 people in the U.S. die from excess drinking each year. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Almira Gulch in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, wore the Almira Gulch dress when she…
Soundpainting Bowie
In The Bowie Project 2, everyone is Bowie, and nothing stays the same
Playback
Last chance to vote in the Austin Music Poll!
Not Your Usual Song and Dance
Indie Meme film showcase explores independent Indian cinema
The Good Eye: Girl, Illustrated
The fine lines between the lines
DNA
Capital T Theatre’s DNA reveals more about how animals behave in a group than an episode of Nature
Standard of Care
Are pregnant inmates receiving adequate medical treatment?
“ExtreMezzotints”
Slugfest Gallery’s sampling of the exquisitely complicated print process called mezzotint will have you gawking
Health Care Equality
Obamacare and the LGBTQ community
“Unconscious Collective”
John Tennison’s solo show lacks an editorial eye, and the exhibition suffers for it
All About That Banchan
Singing the praises of Austin’s unsung Korean cuisine
The Perea Story
Producer fired by KTBC last year kills himself at Fox headquarters
Soccer Watch
It’s just a couple of weeks now until the inaugural ATX Pro Challenge, a four-team MLS preseason tournament hosted by the Austin Aztex, Feb. 13-15, at UT’s Mike Myers Stadium; tickets are now on sale at all Austin H-E-B stores, or via www.austinaztex.com… The Aztex announced the rest of their preseason schedule this week: It…
Baby Boom
The Soup Peddler family grows
Death Watch: Two More Executions Will Make Three in Five Weeks
Executions accelerate in 2015
Day Trips: New Braunfels Brewing Co.
New Braunfels Brewing Company in New Braunfels is making some pretty unique beers. Not only do they make wheat beers, but they go the extra effort to make “sour” beers. The results might surprise you. NBBC’s brews range from a subtle tartness to a pucker-up sour of a lemon while maintaining a smooth wheat-beer flavor.…
The Shopping List
Four new ways to keep it local
Sparks Flares Over City’s SOI Ordinance
Court hearing on anti-discrimination ordinance goes poorly for city
Oops
Last week’s review of the Native Family Co. restaurant stated that co-owner Ryan Genthe is from Cleveland. Genthe is actually from Detroit. We apologize for any distress that may have caused Michigan fans. Co-owner Olivia Genthe also informs us that they have a new phone number: 512/920-2019.
Food-o-File
The beef with brisket
Quote of the Week
“Rick Perry is a good man, a man of integrity, and a friend.” – Sen. Ted Cruz lays out his case for the defense after a Republican judge refuses to throw out the felony abuse of office charges against the former governor.
Point Austin: Reinventing the Wheel
May God bless the new City Council. They’re gonna need Her.
Transportation Apps
Car2Go Short-term Smart car rentals. $35 sign-up fee + $0.41 per minute. Uber Similar to fancy taxicabs. $1 Safe Rides fee + $1 base fee + a computer-generated combination of $0.19 per minute and $1.30 mile. Stay wary of dynamic pricing. Lyft Also like fancy taxicabs, albeit less corporate in messaging. $1.60 Trust & Safety…
Legislative Committees Take Shape
Lite Guv Patrick begins making appointments
Delivery Apps
Favor Errands and food delivery. Cost of order + 1% processing fee + $5 delivery fee + suggested tip. Instacart Grocery delivery. Cost of order + delivery fees ($3.99-5.99) + suggested tip. Drizly Booze delivery. Cost of order ($20 minimum) + $5 delivery fee + suggested tip. BrewDrop Booze delivery. Cost of order (no minimum)…
Diving Right In
The new 10-1 Council begins to re-invent Austin government
Public Notice: A Modest Proposal
Zoning doesn’t have to be so hard
Robert Earl Keen
Inside REK’s inner sanctum, the “Scriptorium”
Council Members on Their Initial Priorities
We asked the mayor and Council members what their priorities will be in the first few weeks of their tenure; these were their brief answers. Steve Adler: Mayor “The most important thing for this Council is to set up the new structure of governance, and then to take it to the first application and figure…
Headlines
City Council meets today (Jan. 29) in the first regular meeting of the new 10-1 Council, with decisions expected on structural reorganization and office budget adjustments, along with the usual brace of public hearings – but no zoning cases. See “Diving Right In,” “Council: Between the Cup and the Lip,” and “A Modest Proposal,” Jan.…
Happy Prisoner Record Review
Robert Earl Keen Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions (Dualtone) Crossover albums often become specious affairs. Remember Willie Nelson’s reggae effort, Countryman? So when Robert Earl Keen, a West Texas Dylan, steps into the pickin’ circle, he risks desecrating the American songbook. Instead, on Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, he finds glory. Nailing bluegrass mega-standards “Footprints…
“Deep Dives”
City Council’s work-in-progress list of policy reviews
Council: Between the Cup and the Lip
The 10-1 Council takes its first agenda
Do Your Worst
TV showrunner Stephen Falk on his anarchic FX rom-com, You’re the Worst
