Cover Story
Zupan on Impact
‘Murderball’ and the making of a celebrity
“Storm from the Mountain” and “The New Rulers of the World”
“Storm from the Mountain” and “The New Rulers of the World” Storm (2001, 72 min.) documents the Zapatista caravan from Chiapas to Mexico City to demand justice. New Rulers (2002, 53 min.), directed by award-winning journalist John Pilger, investigates the realities of globalization. For more info see www.austin.indymedia.org.
Listen With Your Eyes Microcinema
Listen With Your Eyes Microcinema Being shown in conjunction with Listen With Your Eyes’ hands-on exploration of meditation and viedeomaking on saturday and Sunday at Casa de Luz is this screening of Eric Zechman’s Jumbotron.1 (2002), which explores the beauty of electronic advertising, and shorts by Michael O’Reilly. For more info see www.listenwithyoureyes.org or call…
After a Fashion
A FAMILY AFFAIR: Last Friday was the final show of the series for Antone’s 30th Anniversary party. If I weren’t so vain about getting older, then I’d admit that I’d been to Antone’s legendary first location on Sixth Street 30 years ago. I’m much too vain to admit that. However, the allure of celebrating Antone’s…
Phases & Stages
Sufjan StevensIllinois (Asthmatic Kitty) Detroit native turned NYC indie darling Sufjan Stevens set out to record a suite of albums dedicated to each state in the union. The inaugural collection, 2003’s Welcome to Michigan: The Great Lakes State, was a triumph of ambition and creativity. Second entry, Illinois, is equally gorgeous and even more ambitious.…
Naked City
Yeah, that’s what we needed … another middle-aged white guy
Murderball
This doc about quadriplegic rugby entertains, informs, and inspires.
TCB
Hanging with the Devil’s Rejects, dodging downtown water-gun fire, mourning two more fallen rockers
About AIDS
Like checking your personal e-mail? “Virus notification” could acquire a new meaning if a proposed new program catches on – and we don’t mean Microsoft. Last fall San Francisco began a novel experiment: an Internet program that lets gay/bi men who have a sexually transmitted disease send e-cards to inform their sex partners, rather than…
Phases & Stages
Etta JamesHogg Auditorium, July 13 To quote one of Etta James’ many signature tunes: At last! After two previous cancellations due to illness, the R&B queen took the stage Wednesday at Hogg Auditorium to a roar from the expectant crowd that nearly blew the roof off the place. Shamefully, it wasn’t a full house, but…
On the Lege
No solution; another special session is coming
The Carol You Don’t Know
There’s much more to Ms. Channing than Dolly and Lorelei
To Your Health
Caring for the special needs of premature babies
Phases & Stages
The GreencardsWeather and Water (Dualtone) On their 2003 debut, Movin’ On, the Greencards’ hat trick was a lo-fi traditional approach and use of the powerful folk trio formation to create a magnificently contemporary bluegrass sound. That title was prophetic enough, but didn’t presage their sophomore effort, Weather and Water, being as dynamic as it is.…
Lege Notes
Odds and ends – mostly odds – from beneath the pink granite dome
Getting Kids Into the Act
The summer months give parents a unique challenge: what to do with the kids during all that off-time normally taken up by school? For more than a few years, two of Austin’s best-known alternative theatres have been offering options that get kids out of the house and into the arts. Over at the Off Center,…
The Common Law
Buying on eBay – caveat emptor part II
Phases & Stages
Engineers(The Echo Label) Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the best-constructed rock albums of the season comes from an outfit called Engineers. Respecting a craft honed by Talk Talk and Slowdive, this London-based quartet doesn’t break new ground on its self-titled debut, yet remodels the dream-pop formula to near perfection. The blueprint clearly lifts sounds from…
Point Austin: The Costs of Community
While the Lege shows what not to do, the city has a chance to do better
Hank Yanked
The Zachary Scott Theatre Center had to close its hit production of ‘Hank Williams: Lost Highway’ because of a planned national tour of the show
Day Trips
Jim Hansen, aka the Birdman of Bellville, can tell you a thing or two about birds and birdhouses
Phases & Stages
A Band of BeesFree the Bees (EMI/Astralwerks) In the grand tradition of UK vinyl punters through the ages, Paul Butler sings, mixes, and produces; Aaron Fletcher pens the lyrics and plays the other half of the instruments. The pair’s 2002 debut, Sunshine Hit Me, ingested too much Haight-Ashbury, so now six Bees shake the Sixties…
The Hightower Report
Enlist the rich; and Supremes clear the way for government to turn your property over to companies that’ll pay more in taxes
Tears for Ears
Vocalist Tina Marsh, pianist Eddy Hobizal, and cellist Terry Muir have recorded their delectably eclectic program from last summer’s CO2 benefit, and the CD is out
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
24,000 metal knife-shaped objects of unknown origin and purpose
Phases & Stages
ElectrelaneAxes (Too Pure) British foursome Electrelane turned heads with last year’s The Power Out, blending chamber-pop with punk aesthetics. On it, singer Verity Susman often sang in French and German, matching the sound of the languages to the group’s musical subtleties. Follow-up Axes sidesteps language almost entirely; there are few vocal tracks here, and of…
Played Out
After only a year and just two productions, play! Theatre Group has sold its building at East 12th and Cedar and cancelled all future productions
Soccer Watch
Lightning buckles under Heat, and U.S. advances to Gold Cup semi-finals
Phases & Stages
KinskiAlpine Static (Sub Pop) There are certain characteristics Kinski fans may share, like if you can spend a whole evening getting baked and organizing your My Bloody Valentine CDs by color, you’re probably a fan. Tolerating 10-minute-plus guitar meditations is also very high on the list. On Alpine Static, their fifth recording, the Seattle quartet…
Remembering His Roots
Craig Brewer tells the story behind ‘Hustle & Flow’
Hestervision
A new short film by Austin comic Tom Hester screens at the big Just for Laughs international comedy festival in Montreal
Oops!
A “Naked City” item about Juneteenth sculptures to be placed on the Capitol grounds incorrectly spelled the name of artist Adrienne Rison-Isom. The Chronicle regrets the error. The article “More Summer Fireworks at ACTV” incorrectly called producer Stefan Wray the chair of ACTV’s Producers Advisory Guild. Mr. Wray is the former chair; Sue Cole is…
Lifting the Curse at KEYE?
Can big bucks and big names return the CBS affiliate to the land of the ratings living?
Flowing Over
More with Craig Brewer
Arts Review
Zilker Theatre Productions’ staging of ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ is delightful enough to make you feel there are no show people like show people
Fish Tale
Maiko sushi lounge has great potential, but some of its promises have gone unfulfilled
Rocha Case: New Drug Evidence Raises Questions About County Lab
First test showed no drugs in suspect; second contradicted
Film News
Action Figure’s new digs; plus, ‘The Cassidy Kids,’ Native American shape-shifters vs. bounty hunters, and more
Arts Review
The Original Theatre Company’s ‘The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley’ presents the story of a Texas teen sentenced to death with heartbreaking scenes, evoking pathos for injustice
Indian Palace
The land of milk and honey down Far West
Guadalupe Gets a Makeover
Heritage neighbors give mixed reviews to redevelopment north of the Drag
DVD Watch
Based on one of Robert Crumb’s earliest characters, Fritz the Cat doesn’t exactly survive the test of time and was admittedly off-base to begin with – Crumb famously hated the movie and killed Fritz off in a subsequent comic – but that didn’t diminish the film’s popularity
Arts Review
In her clothesline installation ‘Winter Hung to Dry,’ artist Karyn Olivier utilizes the sparest means to penetrate the consciousness of nostalgia and perception
Rocco’s Grill
Less Louis Prima than the Spins
Naked City
Headlines and happenings from Austin and beyond
TV Eye
What the …?
Arts Review
The Texas Monkey Project: 2005 Art Show and Sale runs Saturday, July 23 through Saturday, Aug. 20, at Progress Coffee. All proceeds benefit the Primarily Primates sanctuary
Food-o-File
Thoughts on the feeding tube; plus, Nu Age, El Chilito, and everything you need to know, event-wise, for the upcoming week on the Austin food scene
Naked City
Austin rep learns hard lesson while on vacation
Anzaldúa Archives at UT
Although Santa Cruz, Calif., was where she lived and worked the last years of her life, Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa (1942-2004) wanted her intellectual legacy to live on in her native Texas
Iraqnophobia
Tough Austin tenorman Alex Coke
Naked City
Legislation goes easy on phone companies, hard on local governments
The Island
If you like Maxim, you’ll love this latest from adrenaline fiend Michael Bay.
Also This Week …
The Austin Public Library has hired Cynthia Charles as the Carver branch’s head librarian
Alex Coke’s Iraqnophobia Reviewed
Alex CokeIraqnophobia (Voxlox) Commissioned by Tina Marsh for Austin’s Creative Opportunity Orchestra, Alex Coke correlates the Texas prison setting of his previous “Wake Up Dead Man” suite with Iraqnophobia and the misfortune of innocent citizens caught in an endless war. With each movement inspired by the images of local photographer Alan Pogue, Coke personalizes hardened…
Naked City
And not surprisingly, the big money goes to Republicans
Hustle & Flow
A rousing Rocky story set on the mean streets of Memphis.
Wake-Up Call
Looking back on the onetime heart of local hip-hop, Catfish Station, and the visuals that defined it
Naked City
Portfolio standard less than enviros wanted, but could kick lethargic wind industry into gear
The Devil’s Rejects
A viciously entertaining psycho-road-movie-revenge-‘n’-wreckage-romance.
Letters at 3AM
No recent commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s ‘Leaves of Grass’ shared the poem’s spirit or its author’s invitation to expand the very definition of ‘human being’
Plastered Online
More hip-hop handbills
Naked City
The true source of terror is our own ill-begotten war
Bad News Bears
This genial remake is Billy Bob Thornton’s game all the way.
Luv Doc Recommends: Heybale! Concert
It’s tricky business recommending brown bagging in a space so close to the Variations section. There’s always a chance for some sort of bizarre misinterpretation. Not everyone reads to the end of a sentence – much less to the end of a paragraph or page and certainly not those inclined to take an innocent phrase…
