Day Trips
The Texas Wendish Heritage Museum in Serbin may be the final legacy of an emigration that began more than 143 years ago in Central Europe. The museum is run by the Texas Wendish Heritage Society and had help from professional display firms in organizing one of the best community repositories in the state. Housed in…
Roadkill
Mike Watt Electric Lounge Tuesday, November 18 One of Mike Watt’s favorite touring proverbs is, “If ya ain’t playin’, you’re payin’.” Subsequently, the 45-city tour for his adventurous new punk rock opera, Contemplating the Engine Room (Columbia), includes only three days off. “I don’t take one penny of tour support from the label,” says Watt.…
Pub Crawl Results
Thirty beers. It was a daunting task, and our panel of judges were, well, daunted by the end of it all. Some of the scores are a bit sketchy at points, so take the results below with more than the usual grain of salt. What to make, for instance, of the fact that one of…
Page Two
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. It’s about how the environmentalists — not the economists or the politicians — correctly predicted what was going to happen, and everyone ignored them. Twenty years or so back, Austin voters kept turning down road bond packages which they felt would only encourage growth away from the…
Road Shows
NOVEMBER FRI 14 Ani DiFranco, Texas Union Ballroom FRI 14 Pachinko, Spunk, Lanola, Emo’s FRI 14 Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Antone’s FRI 14 Little Jack Melody, Flipnotics FRI 14 Kevin Welch, Tim O’Brien, La Zona Rosa FRI 14 Galactic, Mercury Lounge FRI 14, SAT 15Rebirth Brass Band, Mercury Lounge SAT 15 Piston, Back…
Fear & Loathing in Austin: A Clarification
Last week’s column about local company Teatro Humanidad Cansada (THC) and an anonymous note accusing it of “violations of ethics and conflict of interest” in last year’s City of Austin Cultural Contract funding process contained a crucial error. I reported that “THC board member Maria Rocha did serve as a peer panelist last year and…
Don’t Smash the Melting Pot
It’s been a helluva year for immigration law. So it’s no wonder that our local Political Asylum Project of Austin (PAPA), the only pro bono legal project in Central Texas serving asylum-seeking refugees and immigrants, is being stretched to its limits. Their clients range from those fleeing political and religious persecution to battered women and…
At Your Service
illustration byDoug Potter Tracy Nelson has been been doing a bit of research with her stopwatch lately. And she doesn’t like what she’s finding. A resident of the Parke, a development near Lake Travis at the corner of RR 2222 and 620, Nelson is worried about emergency services. She is concerned that the city won’t…
Where Have All the Cowgirls Gone?
photograph by Jana Birchum Janet Lynn’s voice — bold, resilient, and mightily heartbroken — sang out at us late one October night like it was straight out of Bradley’s Barn, 1960. About 14 people saw her that night, all of us spread out over the echoing dance hall like a few roadies at sound check,…
Mister Smarty Pants Knows
The late John Denver (aka John Deutschendorf) once considered using “Aspen” as his stage name. A research team at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice, France recently found that people suffering from blood clots are three times as likely to have recently been on a flight or coach trip lasting more than four hours. Guinea pigs…
And the Winner Is…
Sam’s Bar-B-Que owner Dan Mays says rising costs for city services are hard on small businesses. photograph by Jana Birchum Three weeks ago the city council took a break from the throngs of suburbanites protesting the injustices of the city’s annexation plan and scheduled the first public hearing for the alleged “winners” in the deal…
Exhibitionism
LUST SUPPER: DELIVERING FRESH BLOOD Hyde Park Theatre, through November 22 Running Time: 1hr, 30 min Sometimes promo graphics give it all away. Poster art, program art, and postcard art really clue you in to all the clues you need to figure out a particular show. Who doesn’t know the Phantom mask or the Cats…
Food-O-File
If yours is one of the 5,000 families that has ordered its entire holiday feast from the Gallons to Go division of Threadgill’s the past 10 years, listen up. Threadgill’s owner Eddie Wilson announced this week that the company will not be taking to-go orders for turkey and trimmings at Thanksgiving or Christmas this year.…
Analyzing Annexation
Annexation is an adversarial process, just ask Mayor Watson. While there are a few areas which have requested annexation, they are very much in the minority. For the most part, people don’t like to be annexed and, as any attendee of the city’s recent numerous public hearings can attest, those opposed to annexation will call…
Imagining the Scene
photograph by Todd V. Wolfson From the outside, the home of set designer Christopher McCollum looks like any other in its tony central Austin neighborhood and gives no hints to the imaginative wonders concealed within its walls. McCollum, with his lanky strides and easy manner, took me on a quick tour of the inside while…
The Bitter End
The Bitter End is an upscale restaurant with brewing equipment. The food menu includes trout, pasta, and designer pizzas. “We get people that just want a beer and people that want to try a craft beer,” said Steve Tidwell, who shares the brewing duties with Tim Schwartz. The brewpub tends to concentrate on English-style beers,…
A Dickensian Prospect
illustration by Doug Potter It was the best of progressivism, it was the worst of progressivism. It was the age of economic sustainability, it was the age of inflated real estate. It was the epoch of mediated dialogue, it was the epoch of polemical posturing. It was the season of consensus, it was the season…
Ur-Beat
Herbert Huncke Before Jack Kerouac, before Allen Ginsberg, there was Herbert Huncke. Though born a year apart, Huncke (1915-96) had been living an underground life as a junkie, thief, and homosexual long before William Burroughs became part of the New York beat scene, and, if you believe him, was a sort of mentor to Burroughs.…
The Copper Tank
The Copper Tank is a sports bar with brewing equipment. The stylish pub has televisions on nearly every wall, a couple of pool tables, and lots of room that fills up quickly at happy hour. Rob Cartwright, the head brewer, runs the 15-barrel system that is visible behind the long bar. Cartwright estimates that the…
Hands off My MUD
Davenport MUD president Liz Newell speaks to city council at an annexation hearing held at the Austin Country Club October 29 photograph by Jana Birchum About an hour into the city council’s October 23 hearing on the annexation of the Davenport Ranch area, Davenport resident Mike Neely, a retired IBM planner and Jim Lehrer lookalike,…
Postscripts
Mixed Notes Local literary firm Phenix & Phenix has opened an online bookstore at http://www.Books.451.com with Mark Greene of Pecos Design fashioning the site. Leann Phenix says the site is designed to “help out the little guy,” with an emphasis on selling titles represented by Phenix’s agency as well as authors whose books are published…
The Draught Horse
The Draught Horse has been a neighborhood beer bar in the Medical Parkway area for decades. Three years ago, owner Dan Moran added brewing equipment. They serve 80 different beers in addition to their house brands. By having so many commercial beers available, Moran said, it gives brewer Josh Wilson the flexibility to experiment in…
Naked City
Edited by Amy Smith, with contributions this week from Robert Bryce, Nate Blakeslee, Walter Cole, and Lisa Tozzi. Off the Desk: We’re dumbfounded. They needed a slogan, one that would help the University of Texas raise $1 billion. They got the best minds in the ad business, Austin’s GSD&M. The firm worked on the project…
The Voice of the Writer
Larry McMurtry photograph byJana Birchum Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana opened the 1997 Texas Book Festival with a session in the Capitol’s House Chamber — august environs indeed for a book reading, and hardly big enough for the crowd on hand. It was a packed House — five hundred by…
It Was a Dark & Stormy Afternoon
Confession: I think I have a crush on Kelly Willis. But wait, I leap ahead of myself…. We all met in the parking lot of The Austin Chronicle: moi; Chron features editor Kate Messer; Chron food critics Pableaux Johnson, Pat Earvolino, and Meredith Phillips; music critic and Designated Smartass Michael Bertin; Local Country Music God…
Kill the Wabbit
If you grew up in front of the television set in the Sixties, you know who your friends are: rabbits, ducks, adorable puppies, superheroes in tights, unnaturally wise and bug-eyed children. You also know who your enemies are: rabid bulldogs, bosses, evil scientists, foreigners, cats, or anyone dressed in a top hat and tux. If…
Eve’s Bayou
Actress-turned-first-time director Lemmons unravels a spellbinding tale that blends Southern Gothic magical realism and disturbing family drama.
Lovejoy’s
Lovejoy’s is the funkiest of Austin’s brewpubs. Their beers are closer to homebrews than other brewpubs’, but that may be because Eric Roach, owner of Austin Homebrew Supply, is a consultant and Paul Koonz, an avid homebrewer, is the brewer. A half-block off Sixth Street, Lovejoy’s is a combination living room and local pub with…
Fast, Cheap & Out of Control
One of the most striking moments in Errol Morris’ new nonfiction film Fast, Cheap & Out of Control comes near its end. George Mendon�a, a topiary gardener, is shaping a giant bush into an elephant. A light rain is falling, and the sculptor and his creation are glowing in a dusky light. If the scene…
Fast, Cheap & Out of Control
Fast, Cheap & Out of Control 1997, PG, 82 min. Directed by Errol Morris, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Ray Mendez, Rodney Brooks, George Mendonça, Dave Hoover. To say that Errol Morris is the most original talent working in the field of documentary filmmaking today is merely one inadequate means of describing the…
Guide to the Brewpubs & Their Brews
While the judges sipped and sniffed each glass of beer, I was the sober chaperone who made sure everyone made it back on the bus after each stop and the judging was kept as fair as possible. At each stop, I had the unique opportunity to talk with the brewers about their beer as it…
Scanlines
Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose/War of the Coprophages D: David Nutter/Kim Manners with David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson (20th Century Fox laserdisc) Two of The X-Files’ finest episodes from the series’ third season have been paired for laserdisc and videotape release. Both are written by Darin Morgan, a favorite of X-Files fans, and each benefits greatly from…
Critical Care
Critical Care 1997, R, 109 min. Directed by Sidney Lumet, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring James Spader, Helen Mirren, Kyra Sedgwick, Albert Brooks, Wallace Shawn, Jeffrey Wright, Anne Bancroft. Critical Care should be quickly put out of its misery and tagged clearly with a big “Do Not Resuscitate” order. Sidney Lumet has directed…
The Waterloo Brewing Company & American Grill
The Waterloo Brewing Company & American Grill is a neighborhood bar with a brewery at the front door. The first floor is taken over mainly by patrons visiting the restaurant; the second floor is the game room; and the rooftop deck has a great view of the West End entertainment district. Owner Bill Forrester, who…
Short Cuts
Entertainment Weekly, in two separate October issues, singled out two local Web endeavors for meritorious distinction. In an article titled “30 Beautiful Sites” in the Oct. 10 issue, TV Hole (http://www.tvhole.com) was listed as one of the five best television sites on the Web. Its award? “Best Snarky TV Site”… and we have to agree.…
The Man Who Knew Too Little
The Man Who Knew Too Little 1997, PG, 95 min. Directed by Jon Amiel, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Bill Murray, Peter Gallagher, Joanne Whalley, Richard Wilson, Alfred Molina, John Standing. Whither Bill Murray’s career? The pockmarked comedian’s last substantial role was in Groundhog Day some four years ago (Mad Dog and Glory,…
Dancing About Architecture
I admit it: I have no idea what’s happened recently in Austin. After all, I only caught a few minutes of MTV’s all-day airing of the Sports and Music Fest on Saturday, and missed Austin Stories altogether. From what I could tell of the former, the main thing the S&M Fest proved was that even…
Full Metal Bracelet
illustration by Jason Stout Recently, while re-arranging the trinket boxes on top of my dresser, I came across a piece of jewelry I haven’t worn in years. It is a simple, nickel-plated bracelet, embossed with the name of a person I’ve never met. It reads “S/Sgt. Perry Kitchens 11-3-70.” It is my POW bracelet. In…
The Jackal
The Jackal 1997, R, 124 min. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Richard Gere, Bruce Willis, Sidney Poitier, Diane Venora. About the best that can be said for The Jackal is that it does full justice to the concept of a cinematic battle of wits between Bruce Willis and Richard…
about AIDS
As recent news stories suggest, the needs of people with AIDS are changing, yet many needs stay the same. Volunteers are still critical in providing quality services to the people who come to AIDS Services of Austin every day for help! Direct Care Volunteers serve in many capacities. * Some help out in the fast-paced,…
Heavy Western
The Derailers: (l-r) Mark Horn, Tony Villanueva, Brian Hofeldt, Ethan Shaw photograph by John Carrico Saturday night at the Continental Club. Wall to wall. Western shirts and hats sliding past taffeta and lipstick, high heels and high hair. Looks like a post-war party circa World War II until you notice the long hair, designer denim,…
To the Bat Cave!
Newcomer, Ken Ruddick photograph by Darren Carroll It was definitely some kind of omen. At around 4am on the first official night of the Ice Bats’ ’97-’98 season, 20-some hockey players found themselves sitting by the side of a desolate two-lane road in Ellinger, Texas, home of Hruska’s Instant Shopping, a Texaco, and — at…
The Ice Storm
Emotional deep freeze during a 1973 Thanksgiving weekend in Connecticut.
Scum of the Earth
by Suzy Banks Dear Suzy, I have a house dilemma that I hope you can help me with. I’ve always been appalled by most men’s bathtubs, wondering how and why they get so disgusting. Now my judgments have come back to haunt me: I have a scummy bathtub. My bathroom is very humid and my…
Live Shots
The high spark of a low-heeled boy, Steve Winwood ar the Austin Music Hall, November 7 photograph by John Carrico FLEETWOOD MAC Alamodome, San Antonio, October 31 “Not that funny is it?” spat out Lindsey Buckingham. “Don’t know what it is. But you can’t get enough of it. Not that funny is it?” No, it…
AUSTIN & THE WHPL
Before finalizing any agreement to bring a franchise to Austin, the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) was considering Belton, San Angelo, El Paso, Midland-Odessa, Abilene, and Amarillo as possible sites. By the end of October 1995, the league approached Travis County commissioners about using the Exposition Center. Blaine Stoughton and three investment partners purchased the…
Contempt
Contempt 1963, NR, 103 min. Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Fritz Lang, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli, Brigitte Bardot. It’s not Godard’s best film, but it is one of cinema’s most interesting looks at itself, masquerading as a love story gone awry. Sumptuously filmed in CinemaScope, Contempt was the director’s…
Coach’s Corner
I tucked my head deep inside a winter jacket, like a turtle, trying to avoid the cold November wind and rain. I was walking across the parking lot to Scholz Garten with a queasy stomach. I knew a lynch mob was in attendance, whose hostile attitude I had, through written and spoken words, helped to…
Recommended
Friday: Maryann Price, Waterloo Ice House Sixth; Horton Bros., Susanna Van Tassel, Bruce Robison, Continetal Club; Kevin Welch, Tim O’Brien; La Zona Rosa Saturday: Ezra Charles & the Works, Iron Cactus; Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra, Flipnotics Sunday: Guy Forsyth, Antone’s Monday: Jon Cougar Concentration Camp, Pinhead Circus, Brand New Unit, Pezz, Bates Motel; Joseph Vincelli, Sullivan’s…
How Did Hockey Get Here Anyway?
illustration by Jason Stout Ice hockey is an offshoot of what is now called field hockey, which was first played in ancient Persia and Greece. Originally called “bandy” and played with a wooden ball instead of a rubber puck, the ice form of the game has been known for at least five centuries in northern…
One Night Stand
One Night Stand 1997, R, 102 min. Directed by Mike Figgis, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Wesley Snipes, Nastassja Kinski, Kyle MacLachlan, Ming-Na Wen, Robert Downey, Thomas Hayden Church, John Ratzenberger. In this new film from Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas), Wesley Snipes plays Max Carlyle, a successful, thirtysomething director of television commercials…
