I just got the text message from SXSW.
Waterloo Records (NW corner of 6th and Lamar) is selling SXSW wristbands as of right now. 2 per person. Cash or credit cards.
Don’t kill anyone on the way down there.
Feb 262007
Feb 252007
The Statesman tends to be a punching bag around here and, with headlines like this one found on the front page yesterday, they’re going to have a hard time shaking that perception. They’re now inventing words just like the current President that we inflicted on the world.
I’m not sure which language they’re using for this headline, but Webster tells me that “minicity” isn’t a word in the English language. The online version of the article repeats the mistake. I’m too lazy to take a screen shot in case they change it. Who knows if they’ll correct it, but Google helpfully suggests that maybe I meant “mini city” when I did a search. It doesn’t stop them from presenting the Statesman article as the second hit on the search for the word.
Feb 222007
Wow. I just saw the news on Statesman and News8Austin that Dennis Johnson, coach of the NBA Development League Austin Toros, died today at the age of only 52.
Anybody my age remembers DJ as point guard for the Celtics. I’d been meaning to get down to the Convention Center and check them out, especially with DJ at the helm. I guess I’ve missed my chance. My condolences to his family and the team.
Last Chance for St.Nicholas at HPT
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Feb 202007
Hyde Park Theatre is giving you one last shot at checking out St. Nicholas this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The original run was last November and there were several performances during Frontera Fest this month. I caught one of the Frontera performances and wasn’t disappointed. Ken Webster’s experiences in all aspects of theater (acting, directing, running HPT) inform his performance of a cynical Irish theater critic who thinks he’s seen it all until he meets up with a group of vampires. The dark comedy is engrossing with a minimal amount of lighting and set design. It’s all Ken and he does an amazing job. If you
don’t get out for much local theater (and, honestly, I don’t), you should get off your ass and check this one out.
This special return engagement runs at 8:00 PM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 22 – 24, 2007.
Thursday is Pay What You Can Night; Friday and Saturday tickets are $15 ($13 for students, seniors, and ACOT members). Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. For reservations call 479-PLAY (7529). Off-street parking during evening performances available at Kenneth’s Hair Salon and the Hyde Park Church of Christ.
SXSW Music Releases Torrent of Bands
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Feb 192007
SXSW released a torrent of 739 mp3s featuring showcase bands (you’ll need a bittorrent client for that link to work). It’s 3.1 GBs, so I hope you’ve got a lot of room on that hard drive, iPod or whatever it is you use to listen to the digital music that the kids are into these days.
There’s all kinds of other fun stuff at the SXSW Toolbox. Check it out.
SXSW Music Showcase Schedules Announced!
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Feb 172007
SXSW has released the band showcase schedules. Some of the times are still TBA, but you can get an idea of how much walking you’re going to have to do. They’ve also got the panel schedules up for the conference. I didn’t see anything about the free shows at Auditorium Shores yet.
Stay away from downtown for a while
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Feb 152007
The Statesman’s reporting a three alarm fire at the Stephen F Austin hotel at 7th and Congress and also a multiple 18 wheeler accident on southbound I-35 at 11th street.
Not sure if it’s all cleared up by now, but there’s sure to be increased traffic delays.
Update (2007.02.15 12:52 CST) News8 says that I-35 southbound could be closed into the evening commute and that northbound traffic is bad as well. This is a bad one folks, one fatality and multiple injured. They’re advising Mopac as an alternative. Plan for extra time getting home tonight.
SXSW Music Finally Announces Band List
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Feb 082007
The speculation and Internet trawling can come to an end, SXSW finally announced the preliminary list of bands that will appear at this year’s music portion of the festival. As usual, all plans are subject to change and we won’t have the schedule for a few more weeks, but it’s a start.
Feb 072007
Mayor Will Wynn has been very busy this week and it’s only Wednesday.
Today, he announced the Austin Climate Protection Plan, a local response to the recent IPCC report on global climate change. (I entered a bit of an Internet time warp, having just read the Monday letter announcing the announcement on Bruce Sterling’s blog).
Yesterday, he announced this year’s selection for the Mayor’s Book Club, Around the Bloc by Stephanie Elizondo Griest. The idea is that we, as a city, read a particular book in February and March of each year. It started in 2002. This is the first year that the selection interests me enough that I might check it out. I need to go to the library today anyway to pick up another book I’ve got on hold.
He also called for a halt to the demolition of the notorious “Intel shell” in favor of finding another buyer yesterday. The eyesore is scheduled for demolition on Feb. 25 in an “implosion event” after sitting abandoned for nearly 6 years. It’s currently owned by the federal government and is slated to become a federal courthouse building. Wynn is arguing that the economy has picked up and that a private buyer would be willing to pay more now than in 2004. I suppose the demolition date was a bit of a surprise, but I’m wondering why they didn’t do anything sooner if they had interest?
SXSW 2007 Free Shows: Public Enemy, Mastodon
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Feb 072007
Holy Crap! I posted this past weekend about Mastodon making an appearance at SXSW this year. Well, Joe Gross of the Statesman says:
Get ready for some classic hip-hop and modern metal (though not at the same time) courtesy of South By Southwest, all for free.
Public Enemy and Ozomatli headline a free show on the Town Lake Stage at Auditorium Shores stage on Friday, March 16. Mastodon, Against Me!, the Riverboat Gamblers and more play the popular free stage on March 17. Times are still not set, though the Friday show usually starts after 5 p.m. and the Saturday show starts in the afternoon, complete with kid’s fare in the early afternoon. The lineup for the Thursday free show remains unconfirmed.
I’ll have to haul ass over there after my showcase on Friday and it’s going to take a disaster of biblical proportions to keep me away on Saturday. I’m guessing Iggy Pop will be part of the free stuff as well? And what about Thurston Moore? Can’t wait to find out more. Very exciting. I really enjoyed the free shows last year. I’m surprised Ozomatli is returning to SXSW after what happened to them in 2004.