Cover Story
Gentle Disturbances
Creating ripples in public space with large-scale public art
Art Outside
Art Outside reinvents the art show by placing art outside of its normal context, in a wood filled with 120 plots, each occupied by a different visual artist
Food-o-File
Watching TV while keeping an eye on the local scene
Like a Hurricane
WitchDirty Dog Bar, Friday, March 17 You might not know Witch, but you’d have to be a Bush appointee in a hurricane to not have heard of J Mascis’ Dinosaur Jr. In Witch, Mascis pulls a reverse Dave Grohl, shifting from guitar to drums, his first instrument. Said kit was rudimentary, although Mascis beat the…
Trashing the Trash Rules
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently adopted the most significant rewrite of the state’s garbage rules in a decade
TV Eye
Is this crazy, or is it just me?
ProArts Collective
After a cruel 2005, ProArts is moving forward in the new year, with its first stage show, Kissing the Goodbye, by award-winning Austin writer Zell Miller III
Roky Road
The 2005-06 Austin Music Awards
Like a Hurricane
Be Your Own PetFox & Hound, Saturday, March 18 One of the more hilarious sights witnessed during Be Your Own Pet’s set was a suited, music-exec type stagediving into the crowd. This at the advice of spunky blonde singer Jemina Pearl, who instructed us to move our asses, pronto, halfway into their set. No problem.…
Polygamous Prophet Property Report
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been hard at work on yet a third secluded compound – much like its gated spread in West Texas
She’s the Man
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night gets a teen-movie rehash in this manic panic of a mess that never rises to even the lowest levels of the Bard’s cross-dressing comedy of errors.
Austin Lyric Opera
Austin Lyric Opera announces what’s coming when it turns 20 next season and serves up a banquet of opera on celluloid in a party, titled Lights, Camera, Opera
Like a Hurricane
Art BrutParish, Wednesday, March 15 When a band takes the stage to the opening strains of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” you never expect things to go well from there. Yet, Art Brut made it seem not ironic but rather part of their deliciously dry British humor. The South London quartet’s debut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll,…
Like a Hurricane
The High DialsBlender Bar at the Ritz, Saturday, March 18 “We’re the High Dials. Are you sick of us yet?” That’s how vocalist/guitarist Trevor Anderson began the Montreal psych-pop quintet’s showcase. Although the High Dials played four Austin gigs in as many days – undoubtedly diluting attendance at their official set – listlessness wasn’t a…
Whose House Is Fattest?
The original “McMansion or Not?” contest
Inside Man
Although with Denzel, Jodie, and Clive in tow it would be difficult to go wrong, Spike Lee and screenwriter Russell Gewirtz have created a truly original film from various shopworn genre clichés.
Arts Review
Cyndi Williams’ play ‘Where Are They Now?,’ based on the Parker-Hulme murder case, is a true crime drama that isn’t about who done it but who survives it
Like a Hurricane
ChamillionaireBack Room, Wednesday, March 15 Engaging in the traditional how-many-rappers-can-be-squeezed-onstage-at-once, Houston’s Chamillionaire bombarded the Back Room with a barrage of frenetic raps and singsong hooks. Running through hits like a muscled-up Escalade, the gold-certified MC performed the first two songs from Get Ya Mind Correct, Play-N-Skillz productions “Call Me” and “Ridin’,” The Sound of Revenge…
Like a Hurricane
The Essex GreenAntone’s, Saturday, March 18 With the exception of two numbers, the first half-dozen songs from this Brooklyn quintet’s set list previewed their forthcoming Merge LP, Cannibal Sea. For those who haven’t heard Cannibal Sea yet, this was probably an exciting night, because the preview sold it, the band in top shape: Sasha Bell’s…
If a Tree Falls on a Corndog …
Austin novelty card company gets crushed by lawyers and money
Cowboy del Amor
Ivan Thompson, the “Cowboy Cupid” who brokers marriages between American men and Mexican women, is a truly fascinating documentary character that is expertly revealed through rock-solid storytelling.
Arts Review
Sean Carey, Lucas Molandes, Rob Nash The Velveeta Room, March 18 I just got back from the Velveeta Room and, boy, are my legs tired. It was SXSW, as you may be aware, and I was checking out one of the few nonmusical (and nonaffiliated) shows available in the swarm of activity that the streets…
Like a Hurricane
GoldfrappAustin Music Hall, Thursday, March 16 It’s enough to incite a riot: Take an act who’s scheduled to perform after a special guest, then bump their slot up half an hour when the special guest flakes. In this instance, Goldfrapp’s showcase was moved up after Ray Davies reneged on a showcase at the Austin Music…
Like a Hurricane
Richard Swift / Pink MountaintopsEmo’s Annex, Saturday, March 18 Richard Swift just doesn’t happen anymore. There are no more piano troubadours that meet the spontaneity and passion of Tom Waits. There are no more downtrodden musicians who write lyrics that actually mean something. Richard Swift, therefore, is an anomaly. “I am New York,” the afro’d…
Naked City
Headlines and Happenings from Austin and Beyond
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story
Tristram Shandy’s inspired, breakneck madness provides a good forum for Michael Winterbottom’s chief talent: the illumination of human nature, with all its messes and occasional marvels.
Readings
Branwell is a novel describing not so much the arc of Branwell’s character as his steady decline
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Dengue FeverCarribean Lights, Thursday, March 16 Cambodian songstress Chhom Nimol, Dengue Fever’s singer, couldn’t be blamed for fanning herself before the band’s 1am showcase. In the midnight slot, Brazil’s Lenine absolutely cooked the place with a tropical funk-rock blowtorch. Not that it mattered; Dengue Fever’s Mekong-meets-Memphis sound emits its own steam. Nimol burst out of…
Like a Hurricane
Christopher O’RileyElephant Room, Saturday, March 18 Following the wonderfully wild piano jazz of Katahdin’s Edge, classical pianist Christopher O’Riley sat at the Elephant Room’s grand piano and proceeded to play with three-handed intensity. Not a dusty classical piece, but rather one of the many Radiohead songs he’s transcribed for the 88 keys on 2003’s True…
Evacuee Limbo, Eviction Trickle
FEMA stops sending money at the end of the month to cities for paying the rent of hurricane evacuees; apartment eviction notices are already showing up on some New Orleanians’ doors; thousands of displaced evacuees are in rental properties throughout the area; talk amongst yourselves
Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey
Lots of information and finely honed arguments characterize this vicariously thrilling and joyous documentary that explores heavy metal’s many permutations and sheer endurance over the past 30-odd years.
Readings
The real, tragic story, is not one of a boy possessing magical powers, but of a boy whose psyche is unraveled by the obtuse, negligent adults in his life
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Gogol BordelloEmo’s Main, Thursday, March 16 This isn’t a rock show, it’s a celebration of life and liberty dispensed by Ukrainian émigré Eugene Hutz and his insanely energetic crew of larger-than-life characters. Gogol Bordello is the most uniquely entertaining act to hit SXSW. Opening with slow climb “Immigrant Punk” off last year’s Gypsy Punks: Underdog…
Like a Hurricane
Allen Toussaint / New Orleans Social ClubAuditorium Shores, Saturday, March 18 “We can’t wait to get things together, so we can go back home.” The New Orleans Social Club, comprised of Crescent City exiles Leo Nocentelli, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Henry Butler, and Raymond Webber, stormed Auditorium Shores with a lyrical sense yielding emotional…
Capital Judicial Pinball
Rodney Reed Case Back in Court
Tsotsi
Winner of the 2005 Best Foreign Language Oscar, this South African entry is a harsh but ultimately redemptive tale of a young gang leader who lives in a Johannesburg shantytown.
Page Two: Location, Location, Location
An Open Letter to the Citizens, Public Servants, Mayor, Council Members, City Manager, City Workers, Merchants, Artists, Filmmakers, Musicians, Club Owners/Managers/Staffs, Restaurant Personnel, Bartenders/Bouncers/Owners, Hotel Workers, and Anyone Else I Have Left Out, Past and Present. With Special Acknowledgment to the SXSW, Austin Chronicle, and City Staffs: Thank you! As humbly and quietly as I…
Like a Hurricane
FigurinesKarma Lounge, Thursday 16 The last place any band wants to be stuck showcasing at is a non-Sixth Street venue that only hosts live music during SXSW. Such was the case with Karma Lounge, and such was the luck of Figurines, an affable Danish quartet that turned in an enjoyable closing-time set for a smallish…
Like a Hurricane
For more SXSW “Live Shots” and coverage via the Chronicle’s SXSW Daily editions: austinchronicle.com/dailies Best SXSW Showcase Greg Beets: The Woggles, Habana Calle 6 Patio, Friday, March 17 Michael Bertin: Superchunk, Antone’s, Saturday, March 18 Jim Caligiuri: Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Antone’s, Thursday, March 16 Robert Gabriel: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Antone’s,…
Edna Injustice Update
After more than a year-and-a-half in prison for a crime he insists he did not commit, Rick Patterson, one of 29 blacks arrested and charged with selling drugs in Edna, Texas, was granted parole.
Duck Season
Despite being a movie about youthful inertia among some Mexico City adolescents stuck at home by themselves, Duck Season is squirmy, restless and avidly visual.
After a Fashion
After SXSW, everything is an afterparty!
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Marty Stuart & His Fabulous SuperlativesAntone’s, Thursday, March 16 Forget about impostors like Kenny Chesney, Marty Stuart is the most important country music artist of our time. While he played three official showcases this SXSW, his Antone’s set was a full-on electric blast of everything he and his supertalented band are capable of. Dressed in…
Like a Hurricane
New Orleans Music After KatrinaAustin Convention Center, Saturday, March 18 Will the horrors of Katrina and its aftermath be the death knell of music in New Orleans? Not according to a panel of folks who should know. Moderator and sometimes New Orleans resident Harry Shearer (Le Show, The Simpsons) led a discussion between Jan Ramsey…
Forgione Now Suggests Closing Becker and Oak Springs Outright
“Repurposing” has turned into “closure.”
Unknown White Male
The ambitions of this intriguing documentary about one man’s amnesia far outweigh its accomplishments.
TCB
SXSW 06: Was it all a dream? Or a nightmare?
To Your Health
Is SOD available in food or do I need to get it in a supplement? I’ve been reading that it’s a great free-radical neutralizer.
Like a Hurricane
The Woggles Habana Calle 6 Patio, Friday, March 17 There’s nothing better than going to a show and being knocked on your ass by a band that clobbers your expectations and makes you feel ashamed you haven’t seen them sooner. That was the kind of show the Woggles played at their Chicken Ranch Records showcase.…
Like a Hurricane
Outside the BoxAustin Convention Center, Saturday, March 18 Although lightly attended, this was a panel for record geeks. Yet it wasn’t until raconteur Andy Schwartz threw out the idea that the 1990 Robert Johnson box marked a turning point in how both record labels and music consumers thought about such packages that the panel came…
The Rhythm of Peace
Anti-war weekend warriors mark third anniversary of Iraq invasion in Million Musician March
The Long Goodbye
We’re having a tough time letting go of SXSW Film 06
The Common Law
Listen up – burning CDs and copyright law
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TralalaRed 7, Friday, March 17 If you want to make a living as a band, you’re going to have to tour, and eventually the economics of touring are going to dictate some terms of the band. So half the fun of watching Brooklyn’s Tralala was being able to see the future of the band unfold…
Like a Hurricane
Diamonds in the SouthAustin Convention Center, Saturday, March 18 As moderator Matt Sonzala of Damage Control Radio quipped that 1986 marked both the inception of SXSW and Rap-A-Lot Records, 20 years of Houston rap dissected itself for a panel of Screwston enthusiasts. “This is not the first time Houston rap has blown up,” Sonzala announced,…
Point Austin: Chasing the Money
Austin campaign finance reform is much less than meets the eye
Day Trips
Nowhere in the state takes more pride of its dogwood trees than Palestine, and nowhere can you find a greater concentration of the blooms than in Davey Dogwood Park
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Tapes ‘n TapesLatitude 30, Friday, March 17 Must be a bitch living up to the hype machine. Tapes ‘n Tapes are four sweet Midwestern boys who look like deer in the headlights, mannequins on the tiny Latitude 30 stage surrounded – literally – by hundreds of curious not-yet-fans. Hipsters, industry moguls, and musicians poured in…
A Question of Fairness
Austin voters will have another chance to broaden city insurance coverage
Beside the Point
As usual, the Statesman editorial page gets it completely wrong
Events
Christo and Jeanne-Claude will present a lecture, Work in Progress: The Over the River Project for the Arkansas River, State of Colorado, on Thursday, March 30, 7pm, at the Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress. Tickets are $20-48. “Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Würth Museum Collection” continues through May 30 at AMOA-Downtown, 823 Congress. For more information, visit…
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Those crazy, crazy presidents
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Animal CollectiveFox & Hound, Friday, March 17 Waaaay back before SXSW, Spin columnist Ultragrrrl said she was looking forward to seeing Animal Collective; she previously thought they sounded like “a bunch of retards clapping.” For the majority of their 90-minute set, Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist, and Deaken reached back to Sung Tongs-era weirdness, drawing…
Pondering the Props
The ballot language of the proposed charter amendments, with Chronicle translations
The Hightower Report
Doing Something About Global Warming; and Taking Care of Number One at the ATF
Getting Christo & Jeanne-Claude
As part of its exhibit “Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Würth Museum Collection,” the Austin Museum of Art invited anyone who had experienced the artists’Êwork to share their feelings about it in a special Austin Responds program at the museum’s Laguna Gloria site. Here are two local respondents with sentiments that help explain the appeal of…
Soccer Watch
U.S. men falter in a WC warm-up, West Ham United blowing bubbles, and more
Like a Hurricane
Arctic MonkeysLa Zona Rosa, Friday, March 17 How good was the SXSW debut of the Artic Monkeys? Perhaps only as good as you’d allow yourself to think they were. With these Sheffield teens arriving in town with the biggest-selling debut in British rock history, it was both too easy to expect too much and too…
Chipping Away at CHIP
Kids’ health coverage still touch and go in Texas
Titan, King, God, Monster
Ray Harryhausen in Austin, Tuesday, March 28
Austin Green Art
The Gates made a big impression on Austin artist Randy Jewart, a work that was simple, elegant, and powerful. “And I thought, ‘We should have our own Gates project. We should have gates in all our parks, and our gates should look like wreaths, gigantic wreaths, with garlands and vines and flowers.’ I didn’t know…
Veggie Heaven
A visit to Angel Valley Organic Farm
Like a Hurricane
Glass Eye Copa, Saturday, March 18 The reappearance of Austin’s Glass Eye after 16 years was, for those that remember when, an event. The audience was an international mix of old friends, who seemed to have weathered that time by shedding some hair. Vocalist/guitarist Kathy McCarty introduced the showcase with the promise of “a set…
Privatization Problems
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s efforts to privatize some of its job functions have gone awry under Accenture; the outsourcing firm awarded an $899 million contract to develop and operate a new eligibility system. For privatization foes and Accenture observers, Texas’ problems could have been avoided had officials bothered to study the company’s…
Film News
So, sure, SXSW is over, but that just clears your schedule for QT Seven
David Huntsberger
Straddling all things rascally and erudite, David Huntsberger’s stand-up odyssey on evolution is more fun than a barrel of Scopes Monkey Trials
Spring Into Organic Growing!
If the arrival of spring and an inspirational story about hardworking organic farmers Jo and John Dwyer pique an interest in organic gardening, this timely event is custom-made to address that issue. A coalition of environmentally aware Austin businesspeople, educators, and activists have developed a series of events this spring known collectively as the Sustainable…
Like a Hurricane
The PretendersStubb’s, Saturday, March 18 With SXSW 06 in its last throes, the question of what sort of set the Pretenders might deliver hung over the capacity crowd like the threat of rain. Earlier in the week, frontwoman Chrissie Hynde had dropped the bomb that the Pretenders might never record another album. Yet when she…
Death and the Unpatriotic Act
Among amendments tacked onto newest version of the PATRIOT Act is a section allowing U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to grant legal fast-track for death-penalty appeals in states that have enacted standards for attorney appointments to indigent death row inmates
DVD Watch
THE DICK CAVETT SHOW: COMIC LEGENDSShout! Factory, $39.98 “Dying is easy,” Edmund Kean allegedly quipped on his deathbed. “Comedy is hard.” Had he lingered a little longer, Kean might have amended his witticism to “Conversation is easy. Conversation about comedy is hard.” Just ask anyone who’s sat through 90 minutes of Jerry Lewis pontificating over…
Luv Doc Recommends: Joe Nichols At Rodeo Austin
News flash for the CMT crowd: Lil’ Bow Wow is no longer Lil’, he’s just Bow Wow. Woof! He’s all growed up. Doesn’t matter. You missed him anyway. He blew up the Tuesday headliner spot this week at Rodeo Austin, aka.the Star of Texas Rodeo. Nice change. Rodeo Austin feels homier … plus they knocked…
