End of Silence

Two bits of tech-related news from the city on this Friday afternoon:

1. The city along with Dell (among others) is sponsoring an e-cycling on the north side of Highland Mall tomorrow from 10am to 3pm. You can drop off computers and related accessories and small household electronics (things like cell phones, radios and DVD players, not TVs or microwaves).
2. The city is also taking input in a redesign of their web site. The survey can be found here (espanol) and you can get more information about the redesign project here. As a side note, the city’s library online catalog recently underwent an update. The Austinist has a review.

Alamo South Lamar’s Saturday Morning Film Club is featuring the film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes tomorrow at noon. It’s free, as in beer, so you’ll want to get there at least a half an hour early to make sure you get a seat.

I’d be all over it, but I’ve got a school carnival that I can’t escape. I saw this in the theater when it was released in 1983. It’s just creepy enough, but not terrifying for the kids and there’s plenty for adults as well. I’d have no qualms bringing my 8-year-old. It’s borderline for a 5-year-old, depending on the kid. The visuals are really great (the whole movie oozes autumn, something we don’t get much of here) and it’s got Jason Robards AND Pam Grier. What more do you want? You have to see it if only to hear Robards deliver the title line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

My wife and I went to see Tony Bourdain at the Paramount on Saturday night. We’re big fans of both Cooks Tour and No Reservations. My wife worked in the restaurant industry here in town and remembers reading parts of Kitchen Confidential with the kitchen crew at Chez Nous and howling at his description of vegetarians and their “Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans”. The show was completely sold out. Bourdain came out and talked about how amazed and thankful he was for how his life has turned out. He’s still completely shocked that he’s been able to do Cook’s Tour and No Reservations after writing Kitchen Confidential.

He reiterated a lot of the themes that appear in his shows: how food brings people together and how a society’s culture is tied to their food. He referred a lot to specific No Reservations shows, so audience members who weren’t familiar with him probably felt a little left out. Since the Paramount sells season tickets and many people end up picking an unfamiliar performer for at least one show, it was clear there were some people who fell into that category. The annoying jerk of the night award goes to the guy in the upper right balcony who answered a cell phone call during the performance, then stood up while talking and moved out into the right aisle and then slowing walked in front of several rows while still talking. What an inconsiderate a-hole. There was a lengthy Q&A session after his talk. At least half of the questions were pretty bad, but he fielded them all gracefully, including the shouts from overenthusiastic groupies. He recommended Bill Bruford’s Heat and, not surprisingly, named French Laundry and Masa as his top restaurant picks even if you have to rob a bank to get the cash to afford eating at either one.
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I realize many locals will think pasteries and coffee on Burnet Road when they hear “Upper Crust”, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. No, I’m talking about the legendary fop rock band from Boston, The Upper Crust, who’s coming to Beerland tomorrow night as part of a very short US tour. The Austin date is the only Texas date, followed by two in California and one on New York. This is their first set of live dates in quite some time. It’s a show not to be missed.

If you’re part of the unwashed masses unfamiliar with the band, just think Bon Scott era AC/DC with a healthy dose of Spinal Tap, powdered wigs, and pantaloons. They’ll no doubt play at least a few tracks from their classic album, Let Them Eat Rock (iTunes), which includes tracks like: “Little Lord Fauntleroy”, “Friend of a Friend of the Working Class” and “I’ve Got My Ascot ‘n’ My Dickie”.

From their own site:

Dearest of Friends,

It is with a glad heart that I put aside my ordinarily reticent disposition – for I have long dedicated myself to the attainment of a certain brevity of style in discourse which I believe conveys the discretion appropriate to a gentleman’s gentleman – and announce to one and all that my masters, The Upper Crust, long absent from the stage, are once again prepared to enter the tumultuous affray of Rocque.

So it is that at the risk of speaking perhaps a word in excess, I have the pleasure to relate that very shortly we shall again rejoice in the boundless vigor and cocksure posturing of the Duc D’Istortion with his marvelous electrical guitar; the unflappable composure of the noble Count Bassie, he of the golden throat and throbbing baritone instrument; the rhythmical connivances of Jackie Kickassis, whose mastery of the drums is never more apparent than when he is playing them; and in the strained braying of my Lord Bendover, which is neither more nor less bothersome than the sounds that usually accompany the ritual slaughter of a thousand goats on certain holy days amongst the Musselmen.

…

Your faithful companion of letters,

Bumbles, manservant and secretary to their lordships The Upper Crust

Photo by Jay Elliott, courtesy of Upper Crust’s Press Kit

We all know traffic has been getting progressively worse around here. It also just got more expensive. Two toll stories popped up this morning, one not really helping the other.

Apparently, some of the existing toll equipment around town has double-billed drivers 50,000 times since the toll roads were opened in January. The story mentions that there are three trouble spots, but only identifies the westbound center lane at the Lake Creek toll plaza on Texas 45 North. Makes you want more toll roads, doesn’t it?

The good news is that if you don’t use the existing toll roads enough that you’re concerned about this double-billing, you’re going to get your own chance at double-billing in the not too distant future. CAMPO approved the much maligned tolls to five existing roads last night.

The new tolls will make it pretty much impossible to get to the airport from downtown via a highway without paying a toll. As this handy little map shows, they’re going to toll 183 from Springdale Road to 71 and 71 from Riverside to Thornberry. Those of you with more time on your hands than money can take Montopolis (either from Riverside or Ben White) to Burleson to FM 973 to 71 and approach the airport from the east to avoid that toll. I hope the people on Burleson Road are ready for a traffic increase.

Two of the other tolls, 290 between 183 & 130 and 45 between Mopac & 1626 are too far north or south for me to care too much about. It’s not clear to me where the toll at the Y at Oak Hill starts and ends, but that one might catch me on occasion and will certainly catch all of you Dripping Springs people.