It’s that time of year again. There’s a chill in the air, pretty lights are
being strung on trees and houses, and the street urchins are asking for a
little extra spare change. The end of the year is fast approaching, and
the number of days left to apply for a SXSW showcase is rapidly shrinking. This
year, the usual last day get-together at Ruby’s BBQ will be the Monday after
next, November 18. Dave Thomson asserts that day as “the absolute last day we
can take anything,” as the final postmark date for mailed-in entries will have
passed on Nov. 15. You’ll need an application, which you’ll find in this very
issue of the Chronicle, your tape, CD, or record (no DATs or videos),
and $20, payable via check, cash, or money order.
En-Trance-es and Exits
Starfish will be a somewhat different band the next time you see them, thanksto the departure of drummer Scott Marcus, which Trance Syndicate’s Craig
Stewart postulates comes out of “the usual personal differences stuff, I
guess.” Zooming down to take the stool and sticks at the band’s November 16
show at Emo’s will be former Sixteen Deluxe drummer Bryan Bowden, who’s been
spending his time in New York, playing until recently with Crown Heights.
Stewart says this appearance is a one-time deal, but that Bowden says if the
band wants him to stay on, he’s ready to move back to Texas. (That sound you
hear in the background would be bar owners and taxi drivers rejoicing.).
Starfish just recorded a final track for their next CD, due March 11, using a
drum machine.
Pork may be the band who actually knows how to turn down (they turned down an
Elektra deal, anyway), but guitarist Mary Hattman didn’t get a chance to turn
down an offer from L7. The band called her a few weeks ago to see if she was
interested in joining up with them following the flight of Jennifer Finch, but
Hatten says that the band never called back to try and set anything up. “It was
just a little tease,” she shrugs. Pork will be going on tour this week, staying
on the road ’til the end of the month.
The Toadies may not be a Trance band, but they’re good buddies with Trance
owner King Coffey, so I should mention that they are minus a member these days
as well. Since second guitarist Daryl Herbert’s departure, the band has been
taking a couple weeks off to find a replacement. Manager Tom Bunch says that “I
don’t know if you’d call it `auditioning,'” but the band is currently checking
out the talents of three or four select candidates for the job.
Rabbits & Rivets
Well, it’s official: The White Rabbit is off the chopping block. Sold! — toone of Jordan Silber’s UT cronies, Rob Powell, who takes over the Sixth Street
sometime late November/early December or whenever the liquor license is
approved. Owner Silber says the sale came about mostly because “Sixth Street
has taken a dive in terms of live music,” and because the rigors of running
both a club in Austin and San Antonio became too much. Don’t think that means
things are all rosy in S.A., however. “It breaks my heart because the live
music scene in San Antonio sucks,” says Silber. “If I could backtrack and just
do the White Rabbit in Austin, I would in a second. Here, the mentality is they
walk in and are glad to see metal chairs because they’re good to hit people
with.” According to Silber, the Austin White Rabbit will most likely continue
on its current musical direction, sans the name and metal chairs.
Iron In the Fire?
Remember the kid who fell off the Iron Cactus and onto his head about sixweeks ago? Well, word on the street a few weeks back was that he’d died. Not
true. “We interviewed his roommate, who told us he had increased his mobility
— was walking around,” says Lt. David Ferrero of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission. Apparently, investigation into the matter is still ongoing, with
the TABC offices looking at other Sixth Street clubs that might have served the
19-year-old accident victim, though they’ve already filed “an administrative
violation” against the Iron Cactus for having served a minor (he had a fake
ID). Because the club’s doormen had been to “seller training school,” Ferrero
doesn’t anticipate any sanctions against the club. He adds, however, that this
Friday and Saturday is when the TABC’s sting operation winds down. Out of 54
targets, 14 have been stung (no live music clubs), with 11 remaining — some of
which Ferrero says are Sixth Street music venues. Clubowners, remember: The
“You must be this tall to get on the ride” signs are not considered
adequate precaution.
The French Left Bankrupt
Concert promoter and Old Pecan Street Festival maven French Smith has filedunder Chapter 13, but that still spells “bankrupt.” Ironically, considering
that Smith has been accused by club owners and other festival organizers of
purposely scheduling his events to conflict with and draw crowds away from
others, his downfall apparently stems from losses incurred at his most recent
Pecan Street Festival, which ran concurrently with the Austin Aqua Festival. On
another interesting note, Smith was spotted backstage at the 101X Fest talking
with his former nemesis Tim O’Connor. Could this mean that the two might be
getting together? I mean, just because I caught Debbie Rombach and Jay Hughey
smooching in the office at the Hole In the Wall, it doesn’t mean that venue is
joining forces with the Electric Lounge. After all, would you go to a
club called the Flaming Hole?
Halloween II
Say what you will about the Voodoo Lounge, but one thing’s for sure — they’renot squeamish! Maybe it’s leftover trick or treat spirit, but in the space of a
week, they’ve booked three of the most notoriously troublemaking bands in the
known universe. The Impotent Sea Snakes, fresh from getting banned from
Washington DC, appearing on HBO’s Sex Bytes, and having a row with the
Hell’s Angels over a burning flag in Providence, RI, will play there on
Saturday with Psychotica (see “Recommended”), while the Genitorturers, a
similarly depraved bunch, are there next Friday, November 15. Finally, there’s
the current lineup of the Stranglers, who aren’t confirmed as of yet, but may
play there Nov. 14 between beating up any pesky reporters, which they were
known to do in their younger years.
The Screenplay’s the Thing
Tornado Jam is not a new film featuring “Magic” Johnson and theTasmanian Devil, it’s a screenplay by Jo Carol Pierce and Sharon Ely, and it
has been picked up by 20th Century Fox to go into production next spring under
director Lynda Obst. The subject matter is currently under wraps, but it will
be a musical to some extent. And I may have hinted at this before, but DGC
Records has now announced that Sonic Youth has indeed been recording music for
the soundtrack of Rick Linklater’s upcoming flick, Suburbia (not to be
confused with Penelope Spheeris’ wretched mid-Eighties punk trash epic of the
same name). Beck, Girls Against Boys, Flaming Lips, Boss Hog, Thurston Moore,
Superchunk, and the Eels will also have tracks on the soundtrack album, along
with a duet by Elastica’s Justine Frischmann and Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus of
the Frank ‘n’ Nancy Sinatra hit “Something Stupid.” That album is due out
January 4. Meanwhile, Lucifa, a new play Kirk Smith that opens tonight
(Thursday) at the Planet Theatre, features a recorded soundtrack utilizing
several well-known locals. Dah-Veed and Juliana Sheffield have recorded parts,
and other familiars are expected to join them.
Mixed Notes
The Bill T. Jones dance company, which features a segment accompanied byDaniel Johnston songs, will be appearing at UT next spring, and word is they’re
hoping the composer will be able to attend. Meanwhile, Johnston’s former
manager Jeff Tartakov reports that he’s just passed a very strange piece of fan
mail along to Daniel. It seems a young fan in Oklahoma has sent Johnston an
engagement ring… MCA Records has announced the date for the re-release of
Walter Hyatt’s CD King Tears. The album, which was co-produced by Lyle
Lovett and originally appeared in 1990, will return to store shelves on
November 19… Shawn Colvin’s been seen and heard down at the Hit Shack, where
she’s been recording a Van Morrison song for an upcoming tribute album…
“Willie [Nelson]’s really into it,” says Bill Oliver of the big Camp Chautauqua
benefit concert on November 10 at the Resort Ranch. Nelson has apparently
changed his mind about keeping his set simple and acoustic, and will be
bringing his whole band along. Also new on the bill: The Ian Moore Band has
joined the show… Ed Hamell has hooked up with hotshot producers the Butcher
Brothers (known for their work with the Fugees and the Rolling Stones) to
produce his next Mercury album. Look for that in March, and look for Hamell
himself in town at the beginning of December… A couple of newer live music
havens to check out: Hyde Park Unplugged at Joel T’s, hosted by Glen Alyn and
Steve Brooks, is an oddball collection of acoustic acts, poets and writers
every Thursday from 7-9pm, and the Victory Grill is now hosting DiverseArts
East Side Circuit series, with acts ranging from Coreo Arreo to the Catfish
Poets to Toni Price. Check our music listings for further info… Cattleguard
play an in-store for their new 7-song CD Long Pathetic Story today
(Thursday), 5:30pm, at Sound Exchange, and Breedlove have an acoustic in-store
for their new Reach Out CD this Friday at Waterloo Records at 5pm…
Teisco Del Rey has placed a song from his Music For Lovers CD on the
soundtrack to the new Bill Murray film Larger Than Life. Right now,
though, Del Rey is still buzzing from his wedding day, which began with a
congratulatory call from Duane Eddy and ended with a jam featuring the LeRoi
Brothers, Ronnie Dawson, Doyle Bramhall (Sr.), C.C. Adcock, David Grissom, and
the groom… The good news: Johnny Cash is returning to the Erwin Center on
December 4. The bad news: he’s bringin’ June along again…
— Contributors: Christopher Gray, Raoul Hernandez, Andy Langer, Margaret
Moser
This article appears in November 8 • 1996 and November 8 • 1996 (Cover).