Parish the Thought
Among the myriad other things going on next weekend, the Mercury will officially cease to be, but in name only. The lantern-lit club above Jazz on Sixth Street will inaugurate its new name, the Parish, with a special unannounced appearance by an artist with especially strong ties to the new Louisiana-evoking moniker — think car wheels, gravel roads, passionate kisses, that sort of thing. Jazz Director of Catering & Special Events Kerry Mosser says he’s glad the Parish will now be able to establish its own identity, but he expects most everything to remain as it is at the popular venue. He’ll continue to coordinate the booking with Philip Croley and Charles Attal, and hopes to “open it up” to more styles of music, which could mean more shows similar to the club’s recent Distillers and Andrew W.K. dates. Taking a cue from Dallas’ highly esteemed Curtain Club, Mosser hopes to keep the Parish’s focus on local and regional bands as much as possible, provided said acts are an established draw. “We already have a good roster of local bands,” he says, “but bands need to know this just isn’t the place to start. The Flamingo Cantina, Red Eyed Fly, or Emo’s might be better starting points.”
Mixed Notes
It’s that time of year again. No, not Austin City Limits time — South by Southwest (www.sxsw.com) is now accepting submissions for its 2004 edition. Next year’s Music Fest commences on St. Patrick’s Day, boyos… The Austin Music Network (Time Warner Channel 15) airs the first part of Doug La Rue‘s three-part, 30-year-spanning scene history The Austin Groove tonight (Thursday) at 11pm and again Saturday at 10pm… The Texas Rollergirls are interested in any information about who’s been tearing down their posters around town. Five-Way Action and the Rockland Eagles play the Rollergirls’ semifinal bout Sunday, 6pm, at the Playland Skate Center… Congrats to local video artists Paul Beck and Jason Archer, who scored a Latin Grammy last week for a clip they directed for Mexico City rap-metaleers Molotov. Read more about their slightly pyromaniacal adventures in “Screens”… Sophie B. “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” Hawkins turned up at Parade‘s recent Saxon Pub show, and was the first to sign the local rockers’ e-mail list… Richard Buckner must be more into noise-rock than anyone knew, because the band he’s assembled for his ACL Festival appearance (and Emo’s gig Wednesday) includes Jason Morales and Andrew Duplantis of Tia Carrera, and Butthole Surfers drummer King Coffey… The hottest ticket in town the night before the ACL Festival won’t be Steve Winwood at Stubb’s — it’ll be the invitation-only ACL gala at the Convention Center with Dwight Yoakam. ACL‘s Maury Sullivan says festival artists Ben Harper and Los Lonely Boys will tape episodes of the long-running PBS program on Sept. 22 and 24, respectively, “and then we collapse.” As will we all…
This article appears in September 12 • 2003.