Benson Boone, La Sécurité, Ken Pomeroy, and More Reviews From Tuesday of SXSW

Plus: Lars Ulrich pumps up new Apple Vision Pro experience

"...his sophomore album dropping later this year. A natural ringmaster, the vocalist led call-and-response choruses and belted lines to..."

March 12, 2025 Music Post by Carys Anderson

The Chronicle’s Favorite Austin Albums of 2023

Ten music writers reflect on the records they loved this year

"...scaled another Kilimanjaro with Transit Damage. Consider, too, that ringmaster Kevin Russell's Gourds logged back-to-back decades of Band-like roots..."

Dec. 15, 2023 Music Feature by Carys Anderson

Review: Austin Playhouse’s Big Fish

This charming fish tale is small in scale but huge in heart

"...beyond their imagination, bigger than life,” says the circus ringmaster who’s a werewolf to the cave-dwelling giant who becomes..."

June 13, 2023 Arts Post by Bob Abelman

Crucial Concerts for the Coming Week

Timbeko, Shinyribs, TC Superstar, an Exquisite Corpse, and more recommended shows for the week

"...Gulf Coast grit and groove. We texted the Shinyribs ringmaster for the lowdown on his 2022-ending carnival. "Oh gosh,"..."

Dec. 30, 2022 Music Column by Kriss Conklin

Review: Zach Theatre's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Theatrical elements combine for a "perfect goddamn story"

"...joy to watch as "E.K.O.," the slimy owner and ringmaster of the circus that is THE Wrestling. Danny Zigal..."

Oct. 7, 2022 Arts Feature by Shanon Weaver

The Best Music We Saw at SXSW on Tuesday

A Zamrock fruit plate, apathetic Irish drone-poetics, and so much more

"...his bandmates, he manages to keep control, like the ringmaster of a circus gone kablooey, and that makes songs..."

March 16, 2022 Music Post by Thomas Fawcett

Jon Batiste Closes Down ACL Fest with Musically Elastic, Spiritually Ecstatic Revue

A vibrant soundtrack to life coming back

"...neck with hip-hop, rap, and pop as the grinning ringmaster in his powder silver-blue blazer, matching shorts, and sequined..."

Oct. 11, 2021 Music Post by Raoul Hernandez

Checking In (Again): Kevin Russell Hasn’t Wavered Amidst the Great Wall of Empty Time

Shinyribs Santa closes the questionnaire circle on No. 100

"...On March 25, I emailed Shinyribs ringmaster Kevin Russell five quickly-conceived COVID queries in order to..."

Dec. 22, 2020 Music Post by Raoul Hernandez

New Austin Music Worth Your Bandwidth This Week

What we’re listening to

"...in 3:35. Landing on the flavor of the times, ringmaster Charlie Pierce clears a throat full of Leon Russell,..."

Oct. 30, 2020 Music Feature by Kevin Curtin

Master Pancake Takes on Roar For Alamo on Demand

Movie mockers to savage the world's wildest film

"...Roar is like the movie Born Free,” says MP ringmaster John Erler. “But instead of just one lion, there..."

May 13, 2020 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

ACL Live Review: Lizzo

Aretha Franklin for a new generation

"...by dancers and a DJ, she transformed into a ringmaster of ceremonies, delivering a manifesto of self-empowerment that is..."

Oct. 7, 2019 Music Post by Alejandra Ramirez

Old Settler’s Music Fest Resets Behind Biggest Headliners to Date

Second gathering in Tilmon points the way forward

"...Legends providing a stellar opening as Rick Trevino played ringmaster to a Tex-Mex treat behind emeritus genre legends Flaco..."

April 15, 2019 Music Post by Doug Freeman

Dumbo

Another Disney live-action remake, but this one has a little magic

"...to human-scale, now centered around Danny DeVito’s comically hapless ringmaster and the Farrier family in his employ: widower dad..."

March 29, 2019 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Election Coverage: The Texas Lege: A Tight Squeeze

Texas Dems put incumbents through the wringer

"...to maintain the three-fifths GOP supermajority engineered by right-wing ringmaster Dan Patrick (and sadly maintained by the Democrats' face-plant..."

Nov. 9, 2018 News Feature by Mary Tuma

En Route Productions' *some humans were harmed in the making of this show

CB Goodman's play is memorable for its exuberant satire, but an abrupt hairpin turn toward the serious makes the show even more memorable

"...proclamations with all the drama and self-importance of a ringmaster. The theatrical biography she introduces is essentially a clown..."

Oct. 5, 2018 Arts Review by Robert Faires

Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre's Locked-In

A dance inspired by our rigid connection to our cell phones was more spontaneous and personal than its title implied

"...signals from the conducting language Soundpainting. An amalgamation of ringmaster, conductor, and baseball umpire, the conductor in a Soundpainted..."

June 29, 2018 Arts Review

The Greatest Showman

Don't be fooled by this whitewashed version of the great huckster

"...nice-guy Jackman, a dashing ringleader outfitted in a brocade ringmaster jacket, top hat, and cane? If anything, the movie..."

Dec. 22, 2017 Movie Review by Steve Davis

Gorillaz

"...made a nontypical appearance on "Andromeda," while the multi-instrumental ringmaster joined the backing band, mostly handling keyboards. By then..."

Oct. 13, 2017 Music Feature

ACL Review: Gorillaz

Damon Albarn’s cartoon supergroup transcends

"...made a nontypical appearance on “Andromeda,” while the multi-instrumental ringmaster joined the backing band, mostly handling keyboards. By then..."

Oct. 9, 2017 Music Post by Kevin Curtin

Steve Davis’ Top 10 Films of 2016

"...a circus sideshow, with a narcissist as its inept ringmaster. Ahem. The best damn show on television. Worst Film..."

Dec. 30, 2016 Screens Feature by Steve Davis

Review: Boiler Nine

Three isn't necessarily a charm for La Corsha's latest venture

"...Ideally, that would encourage nuanced comparisons of how the ringmaster interacts with the acrobats, but nuance should not be..."

Sept. 16, 2016 Food Feature by Brandon Watson

Gay Place

Pride Week has arrived!

"...to the next level. C-Rail does his thing with ringmaster DJ Bret Law from Seattle. 9pm. The Iron Bear,..."

Aug. 26, 2016 Column by Sarah Marloff

Moontower Review: Andy Kindler's Particular Show

That pain at the base of your skull? That's comedy!!

"...condition lay, naturally, with Mr. Kindler, who served as ringmaster for this Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival show and..."

April 26, 2016 Arts Post by Robert Faires

Calliope Musicals

"...puts on performances wherein frontwoman Carrie Fussell acts as ringmaster amidst the homegrown sextet's circus theatrics of DayGlo costumes..."

April 22, 2016 Music Review by Alejandra Ramirez

Shit-faced Shakespeare

Highbrow meets lowbrow for an irreverent happy hour take on A Midsummer Night's Dream

"...the hours leading up to the performance. Berger-Jones' flamboyant ringmaster costume – top hat, gold sparkle pants, and vest..."

Feb. 5, 2016 Arts Review by Stephanie Carll

Fantastic Fest 2015: Untangling the Doglegs

Director Heath Cozens on Japan's disabled pro-wrestling league

"...be some very exploitative endeavor with an evil circus ringmaster type cracking the whip while freaks came parading out..."

Sept. 25, 2015 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

For Friday the 13th... Alice Cooper

Shock rocker delighted kiddies at the Moody Thursday

"...streamers, and confetti filling the Moody Theater – the ringmaster leading 100 minutes of ghoulish Barnum & Bailey spectacle,..."

Feb. 13, 2015 Music Post by Raoul Hernandez

The Dog

Dog Day Afternoon is a film about a wildly true bank robbery; as conveyed by John Wojtowicz in this doc, the story gets even nuttier when told from the horse's mouth.

"...and borough residents with the attention-hungry Wojtowicz as its ringmaster. The sideshow ends on the tarmac at Kennedy Airport..."

Aug. 22, 2014 Movie Review by Steve Davis

The Good Eye: V Is for Vulnerability

There ain't nothin' hurly or burly about these ladies

"...show with a hammy French accent, suspenders, and a ringmaster's gusto – brought in local burlesque stars Coco Lectric..."

May 23, 2014 Column by Amy Gentry

Happy Feet!

'You listening to the ooold school – KUTX, nine-eight-nine!'

"...the music. All I'm doing is serving as the ringmaster."..."

Nov. 29, 2013 Music Feature by Chase Hoffberger

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