Cover Story
Abandoning the Nest
Hurt by the state’s inadequate incentives program, Texas film crews take flight
Casting Call: ‘Momma’s Boys’
Casting call for a new reality series, “Momma’s Boys.”
‘Writ Writer’ on Texas’ Penal System Woes
SXSW alum Writ Writer to premiere on PBS
Bad Joy Backlog
Cleaning out the wax
Moneyland
Del McCoury and friends stick it to the Men
Cravey Goes Camping
Brings stove, coffee pot, regrets, general sense of ennui
Busy weekend
Sometimes a weekend comes along that is so joyfully packed with great events that even the Chrontourage cannot be out at everything. Attempting to do so would spread the Chrontourage so thin it is likely to cover the earth and infect all the people with a strange need to invest heavily in the Hostess Snowball…
Meet the Candidates. Again.
Morrison and Galindo back on the stump
Dagoberto and the Downtown Book Club
For its inaugural Downtown Book Club at the Faulk Central Library, the Austin Public Library is one-upping your garden-variety book club by inviting the actual author to attend and engage in the conversation. With a lesser book, one might worry about the mix (awkward much?), but the book – The Flowers – is highly acclaimed…
Iraq in Even Deeper Doo-Doo: International News Roundup
FIFA suspended Iraq from all international competitions on Monday, after the Iraqi government dissolved its Olympic Committee and national sport federations. The Iraqis, in the middle of Asian qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, have until today (Thursday) to “stop interfering in sport to avoid being banned from international soccer and this year’s Beijing Olympics,”…
Democrats and Abbott Settle in Voter Suppression/Fraud Case
Both sides claim victory
Tarsem to Talk in Town
Tarsem Singh to answer your burning questions
Mormon Hair Watch
The simple wildflower-print dresses worn by the ladies of the Texas polygamist cult (hasn’t anybody discovered their real name, or at least created a media moniker?) may indicate innocence, submission, and lack of vanity, but their updos stand for anything but. Cosmetics are apparently forbidden, but hair products can get you closer to salvation. God…
Southern Gothic
Dustin Welch & the House Band, in the house
Farewell, Joe Allen
Texas Democratic Party pays tribute to Dirty Thirty veteran
Aztex Get U.S. Open Cup Home Game
This just in: The Austin Aztex have drawn a home game in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; they’ll host the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL First Division, at 7:30pm Tuesday, June 10. The full draw is below. All games will be played on Tuesday, June 10. Brooklyn Knights (PDL) at…
Have Your People Tweet My People, Luke
Twitter. It’s not just for celebrities
Bill White Has Himself An Austin Moment
Houston mayor goes all green
Villa Muse After Villa Muse
The uncertain future of the Eastern Travis County tract
Post-Chaos
More shots from the pit
Weighing In
Battle of the bulge
Vietnam Soul
A British label re-mines a classic
At Least One Election’s Over
AISD trustees to be sworn in tonight
Boy Toys
Dangerous Toys get re-dangerous
Casting Call: ‘Survivor’
Austin to outwit, outplay, outlast
Aztex 1, New Orleans 0
Another shutout win for the Austin Aztex Sunday afternoon, though it didn’t look like it was going to happen for them until right at the end. Austin completely dominated the game, but with the Shell Shockers playing 10 men behind the ball almost the entire game, the Aztex couldn’t break through until the dying moments…
Aztex Win in Laredo; Host New Orleans on Sunday
The Austin Aztex beat the defending national champion Laredo Heat Friday night, 1-0, on a 70th-minute goal by Jamie Watson, assisted by Marcel Uriarte. The Aztex also had a first-half goal disallowed, and Laredo had two second-half red cards, finishing the game with nine players. See the Aztex report on the game here. The Aztex…
When Not Asking and Not Telling Isn’t Enough
Lesbian wins what may turn out to be a first “Timber!” in the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell tree.
The Beautiful Game
The scene at Fado’s was a madhouse for the Champions League Final
Gay Marriage McCainery
McCain and Degeneres debate.
Buckle Up and Drive Safe…Or Else!
Ace Acevedo sez be safe this weekend
Face to Face With the King of Trill
I got to meet Bun B and it was real.
Wranglers Crush the Copperheads
An offensive explosion or a defensive implosion? Take your pick when it came to the matchup between the Austin Wranglers and the Texas Copperheads Friday, May 16. Austin demolished Texas 61-17. The Wranglers offense could not be stopped by a lousy Copperhead defense. And by lousy, that would mean not worthy of being on the…
School’s Out for Johnston High Principal
Principal Celina Estrada-Thomas announced Tuesday she would resign from Johnston High School at the end of this school year, adding just one more twist in the story of a high school that could be on its way to closure due to poor academic performance under the state’s accountability system. In announcing Estrada-Thomas’ departure, district officials…
F-I-L-M
…but “party” is a five-letter word.
Texas Platters
Greg Ginn & the Taylor Texas Corrugators Bent Edge (SST) Gone The Epic Trilogy (SST) Mojack Under the Willow Tree (SST) Greg Ginn’s not one for nostalgia. Even in the early years of Black Flag, the seminal guitarist was evolving past hardcore, incorporating atonal jazz into 1985’s instrumental EP, The Process of Weeding Out. Shattering…
Developing Stories: Million-Dollar Vision
Will council fund a fresh comprehensive planning process?
Naked City
News briefs from Austin, the region, and elsewhere
Food-o-File
Sarah’s Party, a benefit for Sarah Rowland of Hairston Creek Farm, will feature locally produced foods and beverages and a silent auction
Texas Platters
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Not Noiice (Chalk Circle) Not nice or not noise? When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth’s sophomore LP is a tomato-tamato affair. The local sevenpiece beast, featuring members of Awesome Cool Dudes; Oh, Beast!; and the late Tuxedo Killers, subscribes to the power of two – on drums, vocals, and guitar –…
Dingus vs. Dems … vs. Craddick?
Sometimes the best way to thwart the Republicans is to sue the Democrats
Beyond City Limits
• Nathan Macias, R-Bulverde, has dropped his attempt to challenge the squeaker victory by Doug Miller, chairman of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, in March’s Republican primary for the Texas House District 73. Macias took the seat in 2006 after winning a brutal primary battle with GOP incumbent Carter Casteel by 46 votes; in March, he…
Restaurant Review
Cafe 909 can compete on a national level
Texas Platters
Sunset Bright Blue Dream (Autobus) Bill Baird’s a scientist. He mixes potions; he toys with the space-time continuum. He’s a bit mad, jostling around like a loose centrifuge and viewing the world through a prism. Sunset, the local mass headed by Baird and comprising all members of Sound Team as well as a healthy portion…
@ Newsdesk: Some Real Losses at the Lege
A blog-land report on last week’s collision of politics and meteorology
Day Trips
At the pick-your-own Blueberry Palace outside Nacogdoches, it’s one in the bucket and one in your mouth
Restaurant Review
Driskill 1886 Cafe & Bakery is home of impressive chefs and bad food service
Texas Platters
Craig Marshall Point of View (Big Ticket) You’d probably never know it from his swinging Lucky Strikes persona, but Craig Marshall is an unabashed aficionado of pure pop. While his third solo album is an easy sell for genre acolytes, the true test of pop is its resonance. Point of View boasts pristine production and…
Bikes Missing From Domain’s Mix
The Domain, the upscale Northwest Austin development known for posh emporiums like Neiman Marcus and Tiffany & Co., is often cast as a paragon of New Urbanist planning. With its retail and residential components situated between two future transit rail lines, it’s even been dubbed “Downtown North.” But when the city was reviewing initial plans…
Playing Through
The Austin Outlaws’ Shadana Hurd averages 13 yards per carry, but that doesn’t exclude her playing a second position on the field
Restaurant Review
Delicato impresses customers with gelato, sorbetto, coffee, and an international tapas menu
Texas Platters
Guy Forsyth Calico Girl (Small and Nimble) “Hey, can I ask you a question – where’d you get the music?” asks Guy Forsyth on the opening track of Calico Girl. “These songs have been recorded before, and they’re available on iTunes, but none of that money gets to me.” Beyond the opening lament, Forsyth released…
Craddick Promises Money to Burn
It’s an election year, so Texas Republicans are talking property-tax cuts and how to pay for them. In a May 1 issues paper on his website, House Speaker Tom Craddick wrote, “When the Legislature convenes in January 2009, some people estimate that we may enjoy a $15 billion surplus even after passing the largest property…
Oops!
In last week’s “Place 4 Handicapping: Clouds Over Galindo,” the chart titled “The Power Boxes” was incorrect. The names over the results chart read (l-r) Cravey, Galindo, Morrison. In fact, they should have read Galindo, Morrison, Cravey. In the May 9 issue, in “Place 3: Kim Goes Attack Dog,” there were three editing errors. In…
Pick Your Own Berries
Enjoy the extravagance of berries without the supermarket price
Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-First Century
A UT Law professor’s tremendously nuanced collision of big ideas
Texas Platters
Heybale The Last Country Album (Shuffle 5) While Heybale’s Sunday night Continental Club residency has become Austin tradition, the first studio album from the quintet of country ringers proves just as compelling. Anchored by Redd Volkaert’s guitar and Earl Poole Ball’s piano, Heybale stacks mostly original tunes that play like a country music primer. Gary…
Oklahoma Is OK for Dan Patrick
Oklahoma now requires ultrasounds for pregnant women seeking abortion. Is Texas next?
Page Two: Duck Amuck
Cultural touchstones for the gray spaces
Readings
The book itself is a kind of drunkard’s walk through the history of probability, statistics, and chaos theory
Texas Platters
Clemits Tomorrows Friend (Blue Room) Clemits’ decision to include a themed Almost Famous phone conversation between Lester Bangs and William Miller as the outro to his album hints at the obvious: The Austin rapper’s not cool. The “least liked, most lovable character” (“Whut chu’ got to Lose?”), once involved with the Gorilla Broadcast Crew and…
Austin’s Most Wanted Bison Killer
Local businessman may pay high price for Colorado bison killings
Lasting Commitments
The 2008 class of the Austin Arts Hall of Fame
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Pevensie kids are summoned back to Narnia for yet another mystical adventure based on C.S. Lewis’ series of fantasy books.
The Love Sonatas: Take five (and put ’em all on stage)
The HBMG Foundation revs up Manuel Zarate’s cycle of five plays, staging them all in repertory over two weeks
DVD Watch
The world’s favorite whip-wielding archaeologist gets a new DVD reissue
Streetcar Dreams Deferred
Now what?
AISD All-City Musical: ‘Rent’ control
A Pulitzer can’t save Rent from being axed by AISD as this year’s districtwide summer musical
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
If you’re looking for escape, then the fourth installment in the beloved cliff-hanging archaeological-adventure franchise should fit the bill.
Funniest Person in Austin 2008: Crowning Krug
After the final punch line in this year’s contest was delivered, the last laugh belonged to Eric Krug
TV Eye
At the Death House Door examines the death penalty through the eyes of a former death row chaplain
FLDS Hearings Turn on Ages of Mothers
Fallout from West Texas raid continues
Arts Review
Austin Shakespeare’s free production in Zilker Park provides affordable, above-average dinnertime amusement
A Four Letter Word
This tale of an unapologetically promiscuous New Yorker settles for the easy trifles of romantic comedy.
The Hightower Report
God and Oil Prices; Autocracy in Action
Film News
Her hotness Heather Graham makes a movie in town
Happenings
For more events, see Community Listings. Thursday 22 MEETING ON GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT SITE See five development teams pitch their proposals for the Green Water Treatment Plant and Energy Control Center site today, or catch the public presentations (live or reaired) on cable Channel 6. A visual display from each proposing development team will…
Arts Review
Sherry Kramer’s play is heavy-handed when discussing America and oil but funny and moving when discussing her late mother
Postal
Another video game adaptation from the famously outré Uwe Boll, this one won fans at last year’s Fantastic Fest.
Off the Record
The Butthole Surfers reunite, Sarah Jarosz paddles up Nickel Creek, and Shearwater soars to new heights
Needle-Exchange Pilot Stung by Prick
Bexar D.A. thumbs her nose at new law to reduce drug addiction and disease
Arts Review
Balkan’s paintings celebrate and challenge traditional portraiture, presenting something of an identity peekaboo
Infinity and Beyond
Return to Forever captain Chick Corea takes his Millennium Falcon out of mothballs
The United States of Savings
How Texas’ incentives stack up
TV Storm Surge … and the Demanding Life of a ‘Statesman’ Editor
What would we do without TV during a storm?
The Common Law
My Credit Card Company Is Suing Me: What Can Really Happen?
Bomb the Bass
Who says the guitar is sexier than bass? Not Return to Forever’s Stanley Clarke, and hopefully not Beyoncé either.
Splash Town
Baby Cakes and the Professor Brothers dive into Adult Swim
Beside the Point
As Kim makes her exit, Austin heeds the heavens’ wrath
After a Fashion
Stephen is humbled by the outpouring of love and offers a photo tribute here
Elegant Gypsy Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola Returns to Forever with 30 more years of shred
Sticks and Stones
MonkeyWrench Celebrates May of ’68
Point Austin: Meanwhile …
Approaching Memorial Day, something else to consider
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Neil Young and model trains, beans and Cokes for the Beatles, and more
Fine Wine With Lenny White
Return to Forever and drummer closet vintner Lenny White
Rehabilitation or Torture?
Texas prison inmates say their ‘therapy’ has taken a dark turn
Quote of the Week
“Senator Clinton has shattered myths and broken barriers and changed the America in which my daughters and your daughters will come of age.” – Sen. Barack Obama, offering a nod to his intrepid opponent while staking his claim on the nomination after Tuesday’s primaries
Letters @ 3AM
Science is an endeavor, an investigation, a body of knowledge, but it is also a behavior
Texas Platters
Backyard, May 15
Life in SAFPF
The following are brief excerpts, rendered in a manuscript font, of a narrative written by Jodi Stodder-Caldwell, an inmate in the Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility at the Texas Department of Corrections Halbert Unit, from July 2007 to March 2008. Gateway Terms: ‘Tighthouse’ Total shutdown of entire unit. No TDC jobs [during day], no [therapy]…
Headlines
• On Tuesday, May 20, the temperature in Austin reached a record 101 degrees – time to hit the springs! • Declaring, “Johnston High School is embarking on a new vision that requires another long-term commitment,” JHS principal Celina Estrada-Thomas announced her resignation Tuesday after three years, while the school awaited word on state-mandated test…
Event Menu
May 22-29
Luv Doc Recommends: Austin Wine Festival
If you know a lot about wine, good for you. Everybody should have some sort of skill. While other people were busy learning how to knit, play guitar, build model airplanes, and swing golf clubs, you were lolling about drinking bottles of fermented grape juice. Well done. Now your palate is so refined that you…
