Cover Story
Get Your Shovels Out
Carl Lein wasn’t looking to build the type of jumps you see today when he first rode his shovel down to the Ninth Street BMX trails. This was early 1992, and Lein wanted motocross aerials. Long jumps, low jumps, the type you pedal up and fly through. A BMX racer since the early Eighties, he’d…
Estate Sale Roundup: June 12-15
If you don’t have a truck, shop small and stuff the trunk
Film Flam
‘No No’ nabs distribution, Google Glass gets the boot, & more film news
City Plots Rideshare’s Course
Stakeholder meetings begin on TNC pilot program
Local Weird Homes Tour Is Slated for Fall
The inaugural Weird Homes Tour calls for entries
The AggreGAYtor: June 12
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
Alamo Drafthouse Pilots New Vegan Menu Items
The food-and-film enterprise goes beyond the veggie burger
‘Extra Virgin’ Evokes a Passion for Food
Couple’s book shares romance of Tuscany with stories, recipes, photos
John Elliott
The songwriters’ favorite songwriter, at Strange Brew tonight
The AggreGAYtor: June 11
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
Local Video Game News
Composer vs. union, E3 madness, pigeon love, and more.
Commissioners Say No to Tax Protest
County will study, not challenge, commercial appraisal roll
Mick Makes a Return Trip to Costa del Sol
Authentic Central American food crawl in a small strip center
ABC’s ‘The Taste’ Casting in Austin June 28
Chefs and home cooks invited to local casting call
Aztex to Bring Pro Soccer Back to Austin
Soccer team to join USL Pro for 2015; Epstein, Thornton, join ownership
Omar Souleyman
Syrian wedding singer serenades Justine’s tonight
Film Flam: El Rey Shines on Austin
Robert Rodriguez’s TV channel to become permanent production fixture
City Plots Rideshare Future
Stakeholder meeting kicks off pilot program
Full Service Telethon
ATXers fundraise tonight for second annual Circus festival
From the Vaults: Dear Pillow
John Pierson interviews filmmakers Bryan Poyser and Jacob Vaughan
The AggreGAYtor: June 10
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
Biker Bees Invade Drag, Caught in Honey Trap
Wandering colony captured via stealthy ‘sting’ operation
Two Local Video Games Announced
BattleCry Studios and Crytek USA reveal upcoming titles
The AggreGAYtor: June 9
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
Sky Fall
Bradley Wiggins 86’ed from Sky Tour de France team
Property Tax Vote Set For Tuesday
County may challenge commercial property tax roll
X Games: Gary Clark Jr. Ain’t Messin ‘Round
Local bluesman remains premium even in the cheap seats
X Games: Flaming Lips Hit the LSD
Okie freaks deliver crowd-pleasing set Sunday
X Games: Kanye West Touches the Sky
Godlike MC ushers in his 37th birthday with a commanding set
Carlton Cuse Isn’t Lost
And the ultra-successful showrunner isn’t slowing down
Spoilers Are the New Black
Are we too squeamish about our right to be shocked?
None Cooler Than The Fonz
Henry Winkler takes inaugural ATX Television Festival award
Bedfellows Getting Strange
Urban rail project slammed from opposite wings
Save the Drama for Your Momma and Them
Television dramas rule the day but are changing with the times
Aztex to Make ‘Major Announcement’
Soccer team will unveil ‘future plans in the city’ on Tuesday
It Takes Two to Make Magic
Writers work alone – unless they have partners
How We Watch – and Who’s Watching Us
Writer Kyle Killen and TV critics talk ratings and recap culture
Lit-urday: ‘The Vacationers’
Emma Straub’s new novel reviewed
DVDanger: Asian Exchange
New takes on old standards and international transplants
2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Broadcast
Almost exclusively white faces, as fine as they are
Brewery Brunchin’
Rogness Brewing Co. to host Sunday brunch
Chill Out at Frozen Rickshaw
Trailer owner makes refreshing Asian treats
Wine of the Week
New releases from Talbott and Bonny Doon
Kickstart Your Weekend: ‘Nasty’
A new short horror for the gore-geous side of glamor
Utopia Fest 2014
An incredible vibe, camping, and transformative performances
Celebrate National Doughnut Day DIY-Style
Kamal Grant schools the home cook on how to make ‘Homemade Doughnuts’
Half Step Garners Top Industry Nom
UPDATED: Chris Bostick hoping to take home 2014 Spirited Award
Where the Girls Go/ATX: Queerbomb Edition
Where to find the glitter-covered queers in ATX this QB weekend
Film Flam
AMC develops ‘The Son,’ ‘Sin City 2’ covers up, Cinema East drops lineup
The AggreGAYtor: June 6
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
The Luv Doc: Dumpster Bonin’
Dear Luv Doc, I’m pretty sure my friend was roofied by a crazy, homeless-looking lady who was hanging out at a bar we were at on Saturday night. Have you ever heard of something like that? I think she either wanted to take him to a dumpster and bone him or harvest his organs. Does…
Cold in July
A dream lineup is one of many treats in this East Texas neo-noir based on a Joe Lansdale book.
Maleficent
Angelina Jolie stars in this Disney tale that promises to be a visual stunner.
Edge of Tomorrow
The sci-fi is a bit fuzzy – and the alien beasties are anything but – in this Tom Cruise action onslaught.
The Fault in Our Stars
The film does justice to the popular novel in this judicious teen tearjerker.
Night Moves
Three radical environmentalists plot to destroy a hydroelectric dam in Kelly Reichardt’s thoughtful drama.
Words and Pictures
The story is rather creaky, but who cares when the actors Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche are so sublime together?
Filth
Based on a book by Trainspotting‘s Irvine Welsh, this film keeps close company with a nihilistic character, but unwisely pulls its punches.
The Dance of Reality
Cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s first feature in 23 years is a labor of mad, passionate love
Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty
In this Hindi film, a military officer hunts terrorists.
The Good Eye: Perfume Is a Country
Two local perfumers make natural magic in Austin
Consummate Artistry
The 2013-14 Austin Critics Table Awards
More X Games Austin Music
Wavves 2pm, Saturday Circuit of the Americas Wavves can kick it with a skateboarding alien. In the video for “Post Acid,” lead single from third LP King of the Beach, the San Diego crew trails a green-faced skater through a kaleidoscopic afternoon of partying and bromance. Turns out that the Martian mask concealed pro skateboarder…
World Cup Watch
The Tournament As usual, the World Cup is contested in two stages: In the group stage, every team plays three games, against the other teams in their group; then the top two in each group advance to the 16-team knockout bracket. The U.S. “Group of Death” contains the second- and third-ranked teams in the world…
Artist Intensive Unveiled
AFS program fosters creative hookups
Local X Factor
With the exception of electro-freakout duo Auto Body, who plug into the Velocity Lounge Saturday at 1pm, all the locals featured at the X Games this weekend set up on the KUTX stage. Here’s what’s on the menu. Friday, June 6 Featherface (1:15pm) Houston fourpiece drenched slow pop in reverb on October’s “Ourselves Together”/”The Cosmic…
Headlines
› There’s no City Council meeting this week – next is June 12, with a lengthy draft agenda – but Council continues to review the staff-proposed budget, and on Saturday held its annual “Citizens Forum,” halved from the scheduled three hours as not many citizens showed up; see “Council.” › Now there are five: After…
Boob Tubistry
Television isn’t a guilty pleasure anymore. In our current era of cinematic dramas, high-concept comedies, and expensive genre hits, nobody’s going to judge you if you take a pass on the ballet – or even the movies – to stay home and eat croutons out of the bag while watching back-to-back episodes of Justified. But…
More X Games Austin Music
Kanye West 11:20pm, Saturday Circuit of the Americas Kanye West got famous making famous people more famous: “Get By” (Talib Kweli), “The Corner” (Common), “Down and Out” (Cam’ron), Jay Z’s Blueprint. You say cocky, they say “Yeezy taught me.” He made Nicki Minaj the “Monster,” hooked Justin Vernon onto hip-hop. Dirty South born, Chicago grown,…
Point Austin: We’ll Always Have … Mass Murder
On not surrendering to pro-gun mythology
From Nonna’s Sicily to Texas Bellies
Jay Maffi’s journey to meatball superiority
More X Games Austin Music
Emily Wolfe 1:15pm, Sunday Circuit of the Americas Emily Wolfe took a Jekyll-and-Hyde approach to 2013. What began as a full-length’s worth of material turned into two distinct EPs for the young Austinite. The rockist Mechanical Hands and pared down Night & Day split musical personalities. “We thought that the acoustic half would go a…
Quote of the Week
“Even if the Legislature addresses the fairness issues (and they should), the property tax burden will still be too high.” – Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant explains the risks of heavily relying on property taxes – especially residential taxes – to fund local services.
Food-O-File
Vandals on camera, plus Dai Due nears opening day
X Games Info
Don’t know a railslide from a tailslide? Not sure if you got roosted or yard saled? We’re here to help.
Local X Factor
Gary Clark Jr. Blak & Blu: The Mixtape Austinites brag about witnessing Gary Clark Jr. shred Continental Club happy hours back in the day, but there’s another place you could spot the lanky local bluesman before he became an international guitar god: local hip-hop shows. More than simply a six-string virtuoso, Clark’s long dabbled in…
Then There’s This: No Praise for Appraisal Process
Disparities in property values could prompt protest from county
Food Events
June 5-10
Changing Directions
Community-based programs aim to redirect the ‘school-to-prison pipeline’
Finally … Cole Declares for Mayor
Local leaders help kickoff campaign
Playback: SXSW Survey a Snooze
City’s post-SXSW survey succumbs to poor planning
Council: About Those Tax Bills …
Vested rights returns to agenda
Blackbird Singing
Upscale neighborhood pub Blackbird and Henry features simple yet excellent cuisine
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
According to one historian, King George V probably never told a joke, or if he did, it was probably a bad one. In China, 520 means I love you, because the word for five sounds like I, two sounds like love, and zero sounds like you. People try to choose 520 for their cars. Lesley…
District 9 Race Warms Up
Tovo, Riley kick off campaigns
Texas Platters
OBN IIIs Third Time to Harm (Tic Tac Totally Records) “Awright … One! Two! Three! GO!” So shouts OBN IIIs namesake Orville Bateman Neeley III, kicking these local Stooges’ third LP into gear. Screaming guitars rampage through notably upgraded production, set against the frontman’s lonesome polecat holler, warning he’s got “No Time Left for the…
comPassion
In its latest festival, Conspirare finds passions thriving in 21st century music
Need a Lyft? Rideshare Wars, the Sequel
New player brings rideshare back to city agenda
Texas Platters
Carrie Elkin & Danny Schmidt For Keeps (Red House) Separately, Carrie Elkin and Danny Schmidt are among Austin’s most dynamic folkies. Together, they’re now engaged to be married. For Keeps, their first album as a duo, celebrates that relationship but speaks of universal truths, each complementing the other in subtle yet crucial ways. It’s a…
Studio Visits: Terri Thomas
Collaboration is a gift for this provocative artist
Grace Garcia of Annie’s List Killed in Crash
Colleagues pay tribute
Texas Platters
Graham Weber Faded Photos “Let’s start stripping it down,” declares Graham Weber at the outset of Faded Photos on “YNRN.” The local songwriter’s fifth effort counters his recent roots-rock work with So Long, Problems, returning him to the gripping lyrical detail of 2011’s Women and 2008’s Door to the Morning as he continues to mature…
Exhibitionism
Theatre En Bloc delivers a tough and disturbing social critique on suburbia and adversity facing single mothers
Perry Estate Looks to Next Chapter
Two structures on grounds up for demolition
Texas Platters
Radney Foster Everything I Should Have Said (Devil’s River) For his first set of new material in five years, Radney Foster writes love songs without relying on what’s already been said to death. Everything I Should Have Said thus demonstrates the Del Rio native’s uncanny ability to produce musical magic. Foster left behind the studios…
The Hightower Report
Fast-food chains stealing from low-wage workers
Texas Platters
David Grissom How It Feels to Fly (Wide Lode) String-slinger David Grissom has been a fixture on the Austin music scene for three decades, wielding his Paul Reed Smith guitar for everyone from Joe Ely and Lou Ann Barton to John Mellencamp and the Dixie Chicks, not to mention leading Storyville and his on-again/off-again bar…
Exhibitionism
Austin Playhouse does right by this popular American comedy, mining all the laughs and also making its point
Gay Place
Queerbomb turns 5!
Texas Platters
Ghost Wolves Man, Woman, Beast (Plowboy) Crunch blues duo Ghost Wolves opens its immaculately produced debut LP with fangs bared. Man, Woman, Beast strikes surf guitar superiority on “Shotgun Pistol Grip,” where helium-voiced front babe Carley Wolf handles a one-string guitar and husband Jonny Wolf barks the stone-cold backup vocal “Grandma’s a rebel, raised by…
Exhibitionism
In the sequel to the 2013 concert of the same name, Julie Nathanielsz and Heloise Gold came at dance from opposite directions
Day Trips
Get your thrill and Edom too at Blueberry Hill Farms
Toe to Toe With a Life in Dance
A ballerina inspires two choreographers in AFS Doc Nights offering
Texas Platters
Ulrich Ellison Synergy Guitarist Ulrich Ellison’s woodshedded in his Austria, got a master’s in music at UT, played sessions for Abra Moore and Nakia, and tours Europe regularly. As a result, Synergy is a well-crafted and polished collection of tunes. His melodies flow smoothly and the songs stand for more than just excuses to solo;…
X Offenders
Music freaks and sports fanatics become indistinguishable
Soccer Watch
Another strong performance from the Austin Aztex earned them a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win over Midland-Odessa on Saturday, on Chuy Cortes’ goal late in extra time. The Aztex are now 4-0 – the best record in the 64-team Premier Development League. They’re on the road this week, with a Thursday/Saturday double-header at the second-place Mississippi…
Righteous Cause / Cool Swag
Summer Indie Movie Challenge
Texas Platters
The Sour Notes Do What May Five LPs in five years with a few EPs mixed in between. No wonder Jared Boulanger, chief orchestrator behind the regularly remolding Sour Notes, has gotten the hang of a mixing board. Building on the stripped-down optimism of Last Looks in 2011, Do What May moves beyond aspiring wall…
X Offenders
The Flaming Lips 7:45pm, Sunday The Flaming Lips are playing the X Games. If you’re at all familiar with the longstanding Oklahoma weirdos, this will come as no surprise. Between full-album covers of Pink Floyd, collaborating with Miley Cyrus, and encasing 24-hour songs in human skulls, the Lips are down for anything, anywhere. Thirty-one years…
