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Weekend Picks: Big Band Frenzy, the frights of the forest, free fancy cocktails, more
Friday: Golden Hornet Project’s Big Band Frenzy at Ruta Maya. I’m a sucker for a big band. There’s something about the soul-rumbling wall of sound packed by a full horn section that gets me every time. For this performance Golden Hornet master composers Graham Reynolds and Peter Stopschinski are joined by some of Austin’s best instrumentalists. With jazz drummer Brannen Temple and bassist Steve Bernal holding down the rhythm duties, the ensemble includes four saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, vibes and more. Sounds will include updated takes of Duke Ellington classics, a big band remake of the “Psycho” theme and various original compositions. Pay-what-you-can-afford $10-$35
Friday: B Scene at the Blanton with DJ Mel. Your girl’s never been super high brow when it comes to the old artistic sensibilities. Between offering crass analysis with my untrained eye, and playing silly museum games, I’ve embarrassed many a hoity-toity, artsy friend in my time. This is why I like the Blanton’s B Scene parties. Apart from the obvious reasons, (i.e. art tends to be more interesting when you’re a little tipsy) if a girl happens to be inspired to hold an impromptu “pose like the Renoir” contest or grandiosely offer a fully developed metaphor likening a modernist painting to a favorite “Sex and the City” episode, it can all be blamed on the Blantinis. Also, one of my perennial favorite party rockers, the ever-versatile DJ Mel is spinning at this month’s happening. $5-$10
Saturday: Ring the Alarm at Copa. This monthly Caribbean party with cut selectas Baby G and Jah Mighty is always steamy hot. This go-round the temperature rises even higher with special guest DJ Mikey Squints of the Black One Sound System sitting in from Brooklyn. Catch a fire! $7
Saturday: DJ Bassnectar at the Parish. The San Francisco DJ’s sound sometimes tends a little more toward electronica than I generally favor, but he sidesteps the trap of endless heavy repetitive grooves by mixing in healthy doses of old school hip-hop, break beats and well, a little bit of pretty much everything else. Fantastic (and frequently costumed) funkmeisters DJs Manny and Big Face open. $10 adv., $12 door.
Saturday: Austin Haunted Forest ‘Open Forest’. The eclectic arts commune on Oltorf Street and South Lamar Boulevard, which is known throughout the year as the Enchanted Forest, will once again reinvent itself as a creepy wonderland full of trails of terror and ghoulish delights for the Halloween season. The Haunted Forest for the most part is a PG-13 experience not recommended for the little tykes, and the serious scarefest kicks off in earnest next week when the Forest will be open from 8 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. However, the Forest will be open for an all-ages “Open Forest” preview on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturday: 4th Annual East End Soulfest at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard. and Victory Grill Cafe Grand Opening. Presented by the Austin Reviltalization Authority, it’s an evening of smooth jazz headlined by jazz saxophonist Marion Meadows, along with saxophonist Kyle Turner, violinist Michael Ward, flautist Althea Renee, vocalist Werner Richmond. To be perfectly honest, smooth jazz isn’t my thing, but also on the bill is the awesome youth R&B act Urban Soul who lit up the stage at the Urban Music Fest earlier this year. The group’s enthusiasm, skill and spirited sass was a breath of fresh air in April, and odds are this talented bunch of teens has only grown tighter in the interim. Meanwhile, next door at the Victory Grill (now under new management) the new full-service cafe opens, serving many soul food classics from the original Victory Grill menu. Some buildings in Austin resonate with history, and the Victory Grill is certainly one of them. It’s exciting to witness its rebirth. Soulfest tickets are $20 adv., $25 at the gate. The Victory Grill Cafe will be serving lunch, dinner and late night short orders from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon-Sat.
Saturday-Sunday: Factory People Pop-Up Shop at the old Factory People location on Congress. When the trendiest shop in Austin’s ultra-trendy SoCo fashion district shuttered its doors shortly after SXSW this year, no doubt many an Austin fashionista shed a single jaded tear. I, for one, never could afford FP’s designer duds except when they miraculously emerged only slightly worn on the racks of Buffalo Exchange. Consequently, when the press release for this weekend’s Brian Crumley trunk show landed in my inbox, I skimmed the bits about his highly acclaimed jewelry collection, which is surely lovely, but out of my meager price range. The words that jumped out at me were “Crumley Cosmo, a raspberry champagne cocktail.” See, although I’ve never actually purchased anything at Factory People, I’ve enjoyed many a fancy drink on their dime, and nothing livens up a fantasy shopping experience like free champagne in the afternoon. There will also be guest DJs spinning, including Lady Pterodactyl at 5 p.m. on Saturday and, no doubt, beautiful people to spare. Noon to 6 p.m. each day. Free.
(Pictured, Lady Pterodactyl, Courtesy of myspace.com/ladypterodactyls. )
Del, Devin at Emo’s tomorrow
If you’re looking for a way to shake those midweek blues, there’s a solid show going down tomorrow night at Emo’s. The outside stage is headlined by Del tha Funkee Homosapien of the highly acclaimed Oakland-based Hieroglyphics crew. Also on the bill is everyone’s favorite dirty-minded, ultra-blunted Houston MC, Devin the Dude and The Coughee Brothers.
Meanwhile, on the inside stage, HR of the classic ’80s hardcore Rasta group Bad Brains helms a punky reggae party with backing band Dubb Agents.
The Del/Devin show is $15 and the HR show is $10.
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Weekend picks: Grupo, Grimy Styles and Blue Ladies
Friday: Ladies Sing The Blues at the Victory Grill. You know what young girls coming up today could use more of? Good old-fashioned grandmotherly wisdom. At 78 years of age, the lovely Miss Lavelle White sings heartfelt blues rich with world-weary understanding. She also can still rock a sparkly dress and drop boogie-woogie rockin’ soul with the best of them. This tribute to “Austin’s grand diva of soul” kicks off with performances from youthful rocker Eve Monsees and seasoned soul songstress LZ Love. Miss Lavelle herself will close out the evening. $10 suggested donation.
Friday: Grimy Styles, Radio La Chusma at Flamingo Cantina. I’ll admit after seeing pictures of the GS cats (full shaggy beards, long white-boy dreds) I had sort of written the group off as another run of the mill hippie jam band. But Houston hip-hop maven Matt Sonzala’s unrelenting proclamations that Grimy Styles is “hands down, my favorite band” persuaded me to give them a serious listen. And it’s good stuff. Without abandoning the traditional roots of dub, a melodic reggae bass line and ample echoing electronics, the group launches off into oddball experimental forays in aural soundscaping (hints of klezmer music?) that work surprisingly well. Fresh off an Eastern tour, Grimy Styles travels to H-town on Saturday for Houston So Real’s “Punky Reggae Party,” but you can catch them Friday night at Flamingo Cantina with El Paso’s Radio La Chusma. Cover unspecified.
Saturday: Soulful Texas Hip-Hop Live at Club 115. Maybe I’m getting old, but I really appreciate the grown and sexy vibe of Club 115. The club’s cool, classy ambience is a good alternative for those of us who have trouble getting psyched about a wild night on Sixth Street. Austin’s premiere mic handler Bavu Blakes and San Antonio’s Mojoe Family will come through each backed by a live band. DJ LL will also be in the mix for the evening. $10 cover.
Saturday: Grupo Fantasma, Brownout and DJ Chicken George at the Mohawk. Though there’s been no shortage of local excitement over the mighty Grupo Fantasma, aka Prince’s favorite band, the group’s instrumental Latin funk side project Brownout has been steadily building a buzz with their critically acclaimed debut CD “Homanaje” that dropped last month. Globe trotting trend setter DJ Chicken George, who dubs his signature sound “jazztronica,” rounds out this stellar bill. As some of the most intriguing tracks off of CG’s Spring release “The Swed.u.s.h Connection 2” include guest appearances from Grupo’s Adrian Quesada I expect the evening will feature many exciting collaborative numbers. Cover unspecified.
Saturday: Swoll with DJ Mel at the Beauty Bar. One of the most popular booty-centric sweaty, body-rocking parties in town. ‘Nuff said. Cover unspecified.
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Live shots: Gotan Project at Stubb’s BBQ
Amazing show. More about it here.
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ACL side parties, Common, M.I.A., Marley, more
No weekend picks this week, as your girl is up to her ears in ACL Fest coverage. But with the mass influx of music/music lovers into our city, a few very worthwhile side parties have emerged.
Sunday: Common at La Zona Rosa. This is obviously the big can’t-miss show (which, unfortunately, I’ll be missing). Touring in support of his new release “Finding Forever,” expect an exceptional evening of soulful hip-hop gems. $30.
As a side note, Common has been added to the actual ACL lineup. He’s playing on the Dell stage at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Ziggy Marley also plays on the WaMu stage that day at 7 p.m. I mention this, because with the rash of big-name cancellations, we at Camp 360 have noticed a fair amount of ACL passes floating around craigslist below cost.
Saturday: Stephen Marley and Zap Mama at Emo’s. Stephen Marley bears an uncanny resemblence to his father in both appearance and sound. He puts on a great show. I’ve been wanting to catch Zap Mama since her amazing 2000 release “Seven” spent the better part of a summer on repeat play in my car.
Friday: M.I.A. afterparty at the Beauty Bar. Unlike the indie kids, I never drank the Kool-Aid and lost my mind over M.I.A.’s “Arular.” Some of it was cool, some was just “meh.” Which is a little weird because as a Southeast Asian I really wanted to love this daughter of Sri Lankan rebels. From what I’ve heard, her new stuff might be a little more my speed. In any case, I’m certainly curious, and my inside source tells me M.I.A. is actually scheduled to make an appearance at the Beauty Bar.
These are just a couple of the great shows happening this weekend. Here’s the full list.
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Weekend Picks: Brownout, Boombox and Southern rap big shots
Friday: Boombox CD Release at the Parish. This hip-hop/funk big band has been packing the house at the Lucky Lounge (on Tuesdays!?) for over two years now. Anchored by Carlos Sosa’s Grooveline horns, the ensemble drops funky bounce-heavy grooves. Now that Tee Double and beatboxer John Pointer have moved on, mic duties are handled by ATX hip-hop veterans MC Overlord and the grossly undersung Treygod Shakhem, master of rugged raw Wu-Tang style verbal kung fu. $10 adv, $12 door.
Friday: Nueva Cosa at the Belmont. The food at the Belmont has always fallen a little short of my expectations, but I am a sucker for the swanky Rat Pack meets Miami Beach atmosphere up in the spot. (Your girl loves a good outdoor deck.) I also checked out this low-fi, electro-groove jazz outfit’s MySpace page and their ambient swirl of sounds seems ideal for Friday night cocktails and conversation. A good set up for a merry stumble through the Warehouse District. Cover unspecified.
Friday: Concert to Support the Red Cross of Peru at Flamingo. Enrique Rumiche, who used to play with the now-defunct “Classical/ Experimental/ Crunk” crew Balistica, has put together this benefit concert to support victims of the massive earthquake that devastated coastal areas of his native Peru last month. His new group, the loose artists collective La Guerrilla de Lilliput, describes itself as “Electroacoustic/Latin/Alternative” and the sound has a little more indie hipness to it than most acts I recommend in this blog, but the songs are catchy, as evidenced by this YouTube video, and my heart goes out to our Peruvian friends as they struggle to rebuild. $5-$7
Saturday: Brownout CD Release at the Mohawk. Long before local cumbia powerhouse Grupo Fantasma was jet-setting around the world to play on the purple pedestal with the Prince of pop, many of the group’s core members considered themselves primarily funk musicians. Students of the JBs, they began as rowdy teenagers hosting all night jams in their hometown of Laredo. Over time, the border funk specialists migrated north to Austin where they eventually reunited, picking up a several non-Laredoans along the way, and forming the mighty Fantasma. After a few years performing nonstop cumbia on the road, some of the Fantasmites felt a strong inclination to return to their funky roots and thus Brownout was born. The group finally releases their debut album, an instrumental joint that draws inspiration from everything from the classic soul of Curtis Mayfield to the expansive Afrobeat of Fela Kuti. | Listen in SoundCheck
Saturday: Hot 93.3fm Fall Fest at Travis County Expo Center. Yes, sensation of the second, Soulja Boy, is no longer on the lineup for this show, but no doubt the evening’s mixmasters will provide amble opportunities to “Superman that…” throughout the evening. Houston heavy hitters Li’l Flip and Slim Thug are late additions to the bill, and headliner Young Jeezy who burned up the charts last summer with his ubiquitous hit “I Love It” and has steadily occupied the Music Mania charts with his official mixtape “Young Jeezy Presents USDA: Cold Summer” that dropped earlier this year, is sure to be a big draw. Also on the bill are Lil Keke, Lil Boosie with Webbie & Foxx, Gorilla Zoe. Tickets run from $25 for the cheap seats (standing) to $150 for the Sky Lounge backstage pass.
Sunday: Austin Voices for Education and Youth Stand Up Rally at Fiesta Gardens. The kids are alright. Watch them prove it in this celebration of youth music, arts and poetry from 3 to 5 p.m. at Fiesta Gardens. Cover unspecified.
(Pictured, Brownout. Photo by Todd Wolfson.)
Shar Jackson, you go girl!
Check out my girl Shar Jackson giving her all on “Celebrity Rap Superstar.” Did she just shake the “K-Fed’s baby mama” tag that’s lingered around her like an unfortunate oversplash of Britney’s “Curious” for the last three years?
I’m pretty dumbfounded by this crazy summer of reversals. As we close out the season Britney’s career has descended into utter disaster, Shar reemerges as relevant, and everyone in the Western world is begging Amy Winehouse to go to “Rehab.” Good times.
In any case, I’m not even gonna front. As much as I’m trying to resist the MTV-ization of this blog (shifting focus from writing about music to writing about music reality TV), I really loved MTV’s latest “Celebrity Rap Superstar” which debuted on Thursday.
I mean, infamous celebrity stalker Perez Hilton performing Chingy’s “Right Thurr”? That there was some mighty entertaining television.
And, of course, my husband’s favorite, ’80s hair-metal dude Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach rockin’ L.L. Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out.”
The concept behind this show — famous rappers coaching “celebrities” to perform rap hits — was definitely a hit-or-miss experiment, but it works remarkably well.
Blast you, MTV, you got me again!
(Also, blast you for all those fake video embed links you have all over the “Celebrity Rap Superstar” page on MTV.com. Why not just post the html links?)
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Weekend picks: Listening parties, drinking parties, DJ parties, more
Friday: Manu Chao Listening Party at Stubb’s. After couch-surfing at a friend’s house for a couple of weeks (long story) and listening to Manu Chao’s “Radio Bemba Sound System” on loop for days, I realized I’m an idiot for sleeping on this amazing artist. All those Austinites who packed his sold-out Stubb’s show earlier this year were definitely onto something. Manu Chao’s unique blend of uptempo reggae, salsa and assorted worldbeat sounds is ridiculously infectious. The fact that his party grooves seamlessly transition among English, Spanish, French and Arabic (!) makes it all the more impressive. The new album “La Radiolina” comes out Tuesday, but the nice folks from METV’s “Sonido Boombox” invite you to check it out early at this happy hour event, complete with discounted drinks. No cover.
Friday: Kanye West Listening Party at the Firehouse. If you pay any attention to hip-hop news, gossip, beef, etc., you probably already know that Kanye West and 50 Cent are both dropping highly anticipated releases on Sept. 11. 50’s been stunting like he’ll be in the Billboard top spot when the smoke clears, but really, no one believes him. Kanye hosted a “listening and visual experience” party for the new album earlier this week in NYC, after which the blogosphere was abuzz. Apparently the new ‘Ye joint is bonkers. If you’re not willing to wait two more weeks to check the noise, drop by the Firehouse on Friday night, where DJ Kunal Merchant (in from NYC) promises to drop at least eight tracks from “Graduation” before the night is over. No cover.
Friday: DJ Nu-Mark at the Parish. While he’s best known for his work with L.A.-based hip-hop outfit Jurassic 5, DJ Nu-Mark is a force to be reckoned with in his own right. Nu-Mark’s a true turntablist who embraces creative experimentalism. When I interviewed him back in 2001 he revealed that his crate digging goes much deeper than hip-hop standards of old school funk and soul. One of his favorite artists to mix into a set, he told me, was 80s performance art icon, electric violinist, Laurie Anderson. This event is also promoter Jeff Strange’s birthday party, so if you bump into the man, buy him a drink. Cover unspecified.
Friday: Same Struggle Party at the Blue Theater. DJ Diggla and Soundfounder from Same Struggle Enterprises are taking over the space at the Blue Theater on Friday night. MCs from Houston and ATX will drop verses, and a $3 entry fee buys you all you can drink.
Saturday: Freestyle Bomb Tour at the Travis County Expo Center. Sponsored by radio station Hot 93.3, The Freestyle Bomb Tour celebrates the Latin Old School with performances by Stevie B, Trinere, Timmy T and a whole host of others. At $30-$40, tickets are a little steep, but Hot 93.3 will be giving a mess of them away on air during the morning show and Picazzo’s “3 Classic Cuts at 3” set.
Saturday: Super Soul Stars at the Continental Club. It’s classic soul from Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Archie “Tighten Up” Bell at the Continental Club. This Houstonian has been keeping the dance floor hot for close to 40 years. Bell shares the stage with fellow soulsters Barbara Lynn and Roy Head. $20
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Hurricane Katrina relief benefit at Club 311
Today is the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the storm that devastated New Orleans. We have an article here on how NOLA musicians are still struggling to eke out a living in a city that was the cradle of jazz. Closer to home, there’s a benefit performance tonight at Club 311. It features a mess of rap artists I’m not super familiar with, but headliners East 35 have been steadily putting out some of the most rugged raw mix tapes in the city for a hot minute now.
The show tonight starts at 10:30 p.m. There’s no cover, but donations are requested.
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Deconstructing Biggie
This just made my day.
via MissInfo.tv
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‘Making the Band 4’ Finally, a band is made
Ok, I refuse to wax nostalgically from the top this time after last episode’s big dupe. I will give you my picks, however. With his killer vocals, Robert is my number one guy, followed by Big Mike and my fellow Texan, Brian A. After that, it’s a toss up, but I think I’ve got to throw in for Willie. Yes, putting Donnie in the mix would diversify the crew, but I just don’t think the reverse affirmative action is the right decision in this case. With those goofy dance moves, Donnie’s no Timberlake, and I think the lack of suave is likely to be a problem.
Diddy appears at the jump to psych us up for the evening’s action. “We about to make a band. Let’s make a band,” he chants.
Next our crooners show up individually and each poses and stunts in front of a lighted background before the scene opens onto the screaming crowd in front of MTV’s studio in Times Square. Inside the building, our crooners appear onstage suited up for an a capella version of “The End of the Road” full of soaring harmonies.
As a quick clip sequence recaps the harrowing journey our crooners have been on, we find out that Diddy will be eliminating people throughout the show. Diddy’s dream team, including new choreographer Jamaica who smiles sweetly and waves at the camera, is introduced, and somewhere in the distance you can feel Laurie Ann quietly skulking in her fishnets.
Diddy makes a grand entrance, and to prove that this is indeed a live television event, he takes a phone call from the audience. The caller poses the astute question, (paraphrased) are you really crazy or do you just play a crazy person on TV? To which Diddy responds, it’s a little bit of both. Next an audience member asks Mike about his weight loss and how he feels about the size he is now. He says, “Big or small, I’m still going to be sexy.” See, Mike doesn’t have that suaveness problem.
Next we’re treated to a montage of summer camp style, behind-the-scenes goofing out from our crooners, part of which includes, oddly enough, an Irish fiddle in the soundtrack. Then our crooners are split into two groups, and they each take a crack at New Edition’s “If It Isn’t Love.”
Group two, which features Brian A., Jeremy, Brian H., Willie and obvious crowd favorite Big Mike, has the stronger performance, although Qwanell and Deangelo both bring it so hard that I might be forced to back-peddle a little on my top picks. My man Brian A. is adorable as always.
After the performances, the crowd boos as Diddy makes his first cut, Dyshon. Don’t worry, D, that studio audience is packed full of willing shoulders to cry on!
For the next challenge, the guys come up with a ballad version of “Exclusive” they want to perform. Donnie plays the keyboards, while Deangelo dedicates the jam to the ladies and Qwanell croons the intro. Four bars in, and it becomes clear the slowed version of this jam has a laboriously tortured Tori Amos-esque quality. But our crooners sing their hearts out, and even as Donnie flubs a couple chords on the keys, the ladies in the audience show their love. A girl drifts forward and grabs Brian A.’s hand while he sings, and once again, Mike gets the biggest crowd response.
At the end of the song Diddy makes another cut. Brian H. gets the ax.
Then, oh no, it’s a visit from Danity Kane. Apparently our crooners have a tour with Danity Kane to look forward to. The DK girls have been watching the “MTB4” marathon, and while they think they had a rougher run than our crooners, Dawn confides, “Diddy made all of us stronger.” Thankfully, the DK ladies do not perform, Diddy instead brings out Yung Joc for that honor.
Finally, the eight men left standing are shuffled around while Diddy explains that he does things spur of the moment. He’s had a premonition (or perhaps, he’s read the comments on this blog) and he’s going to make a five-man group, in the spirit of the Jackson 5. Robert is number one. Willie comes in next, followed by Qwanell and our man Brian A. Finally, the feel-good man of the year, Big Mike, who’s dropped 50 pounds since the show started, makes the band.
I feel good about this. All of my men made the cut, plus Q who really pulled it out in the final hour. Good stuff. And to sweeten the deal, Donnie gets a solo deal on Bad Boy. Not bad. While I don’t buy Donnie as a Temptations, he might be another Robin Thicke. Yeah, I like this band. I’d go see these guys live. Unless, of course, it meant paying for a package tour with Danity Kane. Oh wait… Maybe I’ll just download the ringtone.
- Episode 8 recap
- Episode 7 recap
- Episode 6 recap
- Episode 5 recap
- Episode 4 recap
- Episode 3 recap
- Episode 2 recap
- Episode 1 recap
Weekend Picks: Jazzy hip-hop, Casbah rocking and free drinks
Friday: Count Bass D’s Birthday Bash at Flamingo Cantina. Nashville-based MC and multi-instrumentalist/producer Count Bass D celebrates his birthday at Flamingo Cantina on Friday night. I’m not super-familiar with the underground hip-hop veteran’s catalog, but I highly recommend that everyone drop by his site and download the new single “Jamaican’s Get Down” which is a fantastic blend of jazzy piano, “Jamaican Funk” and witty rhyme stylings. Zeale 32 and Haps open. Cover unspecified.
Friday: Devin the Dude at Aftermath (formerly Club Visions). Raw, irreverent, dirty-minded and certainly blunted, the Dude invariably puts on a great show. He drops his lazy, hazy, sing-song flow at Aftermath, formerly Club Visions, which served as home base for hip-hop at SXSW 2007. Cover unspecified.
Friday: Ruta Rocks Reggae at Ruta Maya. Earlier this week, I wrote about how much I appreciated the freight train of sound packed by the Tribal Nation’s bottom-heavy horn section when I caught them last Friday at Maggie Mae’s. This prompted Tribal Nation keyboard player/vocalist Mike Franklin to hit me up to let me know that wasn’t even the full band I saw. You can catch the full band Friday along with Don Chani at Ruta Rocks Reggae at Ruta Maya. “Come feel it in the one drop.” $7.
Saturday: Rock the Casbah with DJ Mel at the Parish. This uber-popular ’80s party has been going down in Austin since 2001, and based on the A-List pictures from the April event it shows no sign of slowing down soon. $9.
Saturday: ‘Move Something 6’ at the Whisky Bar. DJ Chicken George continues his top-notch visiting DJ series Saturday night with Rhettmatic of the World Famous Beat Junkies joining him on the wheels at the Whisky Bar. Percee P of Stones Throw Records plays emcee for the evening and there will be a Madlib Listening party for the new “Beat Kondukta in India” album. And because Chicken George loves you, there will be free drinks and Stones Throw giveaways from 10 to 11 p.m. Now that’s a party. $5.
Saturday: Tributo y Celebracion for Raul Salinas at the Mexican American Cultural Arts Center. I interviewed Raul Salinas for one of my Web sites back in early 2001. He told me about his work in the prison movements of the ’60s and early ’70s and how the experience of being incarcerated awakened in him a new understanding of the value and power of language. Words saved his life in prison, and when he got out he dedicated his life to sharing this vital appreciation of literature with others. In Salinas’ life, writing and activism is the same thing, and he’s worked for the causes he believes in and mentored others to do the same for decades. I left Salinas’ shop, Resistencia Bookstore, that day humbled and awed. In my afternoon encounter with grandfatherly wisdom, I came to truly understand the value of community elders. Salinas, who has struggled with health issues as of late, is in my opinion, one of the most interesting voices in Austin. This event features many writers who have been touched and inspired by Salinas coming together to honor his life and work. It should be a moving event. $10 suggested donation.
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‘Making the Band 4:’ Wacky antics from would-be crooners
I’m dropping this silly video of our favorite crooners-in-training goofing out on here as a reminder that the live season finale of ‘Making the Band 4’ is this Sunday at 9 p.m. And, of course, your girl will be watching.
(video spotted at A Hot Mess)
‘Making the Band 4’ recaps
- Episode 8 recap
- Episode 7 recap
- Episode 6 recap
- Episode 5 recap
- Episode 4 recap
- Episode 3 recap
- Episode 2 recap
- Episode 1 recap
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Tribal Nation low blow horns
I dropped in on my good friend D Madness last Friday at Maggie Mae’s where I caught a set by the recently reorganized local reggae powerhouse Tribal Nation. I like the new lineup a lot. D Madness is now on drums instead of bass, the grooves still skank and the vocal harmonies remain tight. But it was the horns that really blew me away (terrible pun not intended). The new Tribal Nation lineup sports a bottom-heavy horn section featuring a trombone, baritone and tenor saxes and a trumpet. Those low horns come at you like a freight train, and the band exploits this quality to the fullest. The reggae segue into the “James Bond” theme was particularly fun.
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Weekend picks: Free drinks, funky grooves and high-fashion bargain hunting
Friday: DJ Dojo 2nd Anniversary Party. It’s been two years since DJs Manny and BigFace opened this South Austin spot as both a record store and turntablist community center. To tempt anyone who hasn’t been by yet to check out the spot, they’re hosting a party with free drinks, healthy snacks and giveaways. The Dojo’s house DJs will man the tables, and jazztronica master Chicken George will swing by to bless the spot with a set. Free. 7 to 11 p.m.
Friday: McPullish Soundsystem CD release at Flamingo Cantina. After relocating to Austin from Denver last year, multi-instrumentalist, dub artist McPullish fell right in with the local ambient, echo-laced reggae scene. As he celebrates the release of his latest, ATX dub stalwarts Grimy Styles drop in off a recent Midwestern tour to join the party. There will also be live visual projections and roots-reggae sets from DJs EE and MOOK before and after the bands. $5-$7
Friday-Sunday: Victory Grill 62nd Birthday Bash. The Victory Grill throws a 3-night celebration for the anniversary of “one of the last remaining Chitlin’ Circuit venues still open in the country.” The party kicks off on Friday night with Waxploitation’s Noel Waggoner dropping hard funk from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. When I ran into Noel a couple weeks back, he told me he warned the Victory Grill to stock lots of beer for this event. Waxploitation parties frequently end in a drunken sweaty blur and their last happening dried out the bar at Red’s Scoot Inn. The Victory Grill celebration continues Saturday night with bluesman Chris Thibodeaux from Port Arthur leading an all-star jam with local faves the Blues Specialists and San Antonio’s 2Blues. On Sunday, the celebration closes out with a blast from the past as Sax man “Spot” Barnett shares stories from the Chitlin’ Circuit days and then takes the stage once more with his blues band. $5 Friday night, cover unspecified Saturday, Sunday.
Saturday: DJ Platurn at the Whisky Bar. Award-winning Bay Area DJ Platurn of the Oakland Faders joins DJ Mel down at the Whisky Bar for a night of good old-fashioned true school party rocking. Cover unspecified.
Saturday: Mystic Bowie at Flamingo. I don’t know a whole lot about Mystic Bowie, except that he’s a longtime collaborator of Talking Heads’ offshoot the Tom Tom Club and he blew the minds of the fine folks at Flamingo when he performed at the Austin Reggae Fest a few months back. His MySpace page features feel-good rock steady reggae that’s perfect for a balmy summer night.
Saturday-Sunday: Le Garage Sale at Palmer Events Center. It’s that time again, when Austin’s fancy boutiques band together to offer their high-dollar trendy duds to the city’s less fabulous (read less financially fortunate) set. It’s good bargain hunting; last year I scored a $250 pair of Italian leather shoes for $25, but it’s also not a shopping trip for the faint of heart. Prepare to elbow your way through hoards of other thrifty chicas to find your fashion scores. Also, keep in mind that there are no changing rooms available and dress accordingly. $10 daily, $15 2-day pass.
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Drive-by shooting hits Houston radio station KPFT
In the early hours of Monday morning a single bullet was fired through a Plexiglass window at the studio of Pacifica Radio affiliate KPFT 90.1 in Houston. The gunshot shattered the window and came within 18 inches of KPFT programmer Mary Thomas, who was hosting the radio show “Zydeco Pas Sale.” No one was injured in the shooting.
According to KPFT station manager Duane Bradley, a bullet casing recovered on the edge of the property indicates the shot fired was a “39-millimeter round that’s commonly used in AK-47 assault rifles.”
At this point there is no way to tell whether the shooting was politically motivated, but when the station launched in 1970, the Ku Klux Klan blew up its transmitters twice in its first year on the air. More details on the shooting and the 1970 bombings are available here.
KPFT airs the excellent Houston hip-hop show “Damage Control” hosted by blog kingpin Matt Sonzala on Thursdays from midnight to 3 a.m.
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‘Trapped in the Closet’ on IFC.com
Before R. Kelly finds himself trapped in a courtroom facing long overdue child pornography charges next month, everyone with a Kell-related project in the works is scrambling to get it out. Fast. At least that’s my explanation for IFC.com’s decision to release the next 10-episode installment of Kell’s fantastic musical mini-soap “Trapped in the Closet” as a daily Web serial.
The series kicked off today with our boy Sylvester (Kell) on a mysterious mission with his hot-headed brother-in-law, bullet-proof Twan, new details on the domestic life of Rosie the Nosey Neighbor and much foreshadowing about a mysterious new character Tina. I highly recommend checking the recap episode and IFC’s handy Who’s Who Character Map to get back into this thing, as the master of R&B weaves a tangled web indeed.
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Weekend Picks: Slammin’ poets, body-rockin’ grooves
It’s a slow weekend, as we’ve hit the customary Austin late-summer lull, so I’m doing an abbreviated version of Weekend Picks this week.
Friday-Saturday: National Poetry Slam finals at the Paramount. Have you noticed a mess of brooding artsy types roaming the streets of Austin spouting off profoundly this week? It’s poetry slam time and word warriors of all ilk are gathered in Austin for the festivities. There are a mess of events going on day and night but the Individual Finals are Friday night and the Team Finals are Saturday night at the Paramount. The finals night party is Saturday at 501 Studios in East Austin, where those wacky wordsmiths will be tearing it up from 11 p.m. to 4 in the morn. Poetry Slam finals are $27.50 nightly, $10 wristband covers all other events.
Saturday: Swoll Anniversary Party at the Beauty Bar. DJ Mel celebrates one year of producing this booty-centric body-rocking extravaganza. DJ Ayers of The Rub will be dropping in from NYC. This is the slam dunk event of the weekend, so if you’re trying to go be sure to show up early as the house will likely pack to capacity. Also, check out this interview with Mel that ran on Austin360 earlier this week. Cover unspecified.
Saturday: Body Slam #4 at the Whisky Bar. DJ Dojo’s Manny and old-school funk master Resinthol hold down the wheels on 4 turntables at the Whisky Bar. Cover unspecified.
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Grupo Fantasma with Prince in London
Have I mentioned that these around-the-block cats who have been tearing up the Austin music scene since 2000 are steadily getting famous?
Here’s the review of their show last night, opening for Prince in London, and then rocking the afterparty.
(photo by Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon)
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Eastside Living: The Ararat experience at Hot Mama’s Espresso Bar
- Photo essay: The Ararat experience at Hot Mama’s
“The best female relationships start in public bathrooms,” Ararat owner Kelly Abshire giggled Saturday night as she stood with Hot Mama’s Espresso Bar owner Holly Skala on a makeshift stage at the Pedernales Lofts pavilion.
Ararat, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant that operated out of a humble, low-ceilinged space on North Loop for 13 years, shuttered its doors earlier this year after the owners were unable to renew their lease. After several months spent in limbo, trying to locate a new space, pay off old debts and keep the dream of Ararat alive, Abshire met Skala by chance while waiting in line for the ladies room at Cafe Mundi. As the two female business owners talked, a mutually beneficial proposition began to take shape. Abshire was looking for a kitchen to work from, and Skala was looking to expand her cafe’s food service. A partnership was born.
While Ararat continues to search for a permanent location (and investment capital to restart a full operation), Hot Mama’s will begin hosting regular Ararat events and serving a limited selection of Ararat foods daily. The kick-off event, a partnership celebration that included music, belly dance, fire dance and an extensive buffet of Ararat foods, took place last Saturday at the Pedernales Lofts pavilion directly behind Hot Mama’s on East Sixth Street. Tickets to the happening were $15, not bad, considering that dinner at Ararat was never a cheap proposition. The event was well-attended by an eclectic group of artsy and foodie types as well as die-hard Ararat fans.
Abshire sounded pleased about the event but still exhausted from the effort when I talked to her Tuesday.
“I want to offer something truly special and different for the Eastside,” she bubbled over the phone, repeating the phrase “Ararat experience” several times. But look for the next event (tentatively planned for early September) to be a smaller, more intimate dinner seating, perhaps in Hot Mama’s beautiful courtyard.
In the meantime, a limited selection of Ararat lunch items is available daily at Hot Mama’s. A companion and I dropped by for lunch Monday and sampled a couple of the offerings. We ordered an Arawrap ($4.95), which was surprisingly fresh for something that comes out of a refrigerator case. The pita bread was pleasingly soft, and the generous chunks of feta cheese offered a nice zing to the hummus and veggie wrap. We also tried the Pita Pizza, which sells for $5.50. This was a big hit. The thin pita bread was toasted to form a crispy, crackerlike crust, and the pungency of the feta cheese sprinkled on top was tempered by the slightly sour flavor of the tahini sauce. Our barista drizzled the pizza with a little extra olive oil and offered crushed red pepper to add a little spice. Good stuff.
Additional daily lunch specials include a Hummus Plate for $4.95, Tabouli for $3.75 and Sweet Cous Cous for $3.75.
Hot Mama’s, 2401 E. Sixth St., is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with extended hours to 9 p.m. and live music Thursdays. With the recent acquisition of a beer and wine license, the cafe will begin staying open later on the weekends in the near future.
- Photo essay: The Ararat experience at Hot Mama’s
More Eastside Living
‘Making the Band 4’: Satisfying cuts deferred by silly promotional scheme
(humming nostalgically) “So we’ve come to the end of the ro-ad….” Yep, this is it, the season finale. The top crooners went on a two-month sabbatical and now they’re coming back for the final cut. I’d call it judgment day, but the whole Diddy-as-God thing is way too indulgent. It’s time to pick my own dream team. After last week’s blistering performance, the obvious sleeper pick is Robert. With June’s meddling, or her support, he’s in, all the way in. I’ve gotta grab Big Mike too— beyond the whole weight loss dedication thing, he’s such a naturally charismatic personality and he was dropping hot vocal tracks last week too. After that, it’s got to be man my Brian A. Yes, I’m giving him 50 bonus points for being from Houston, but beyond that he’s been consistently charming and positive, and once again, the boy can sing.
Those are the easy picks for me. I get stuck on No. 4. The obvious marketing move is to throw in Donnie, the last white man standing, but I just can’t quite get past the goofy dance moves. The kid’s got great enthusiasm, but he seems to struggle so hard to get the soul thing. Qwannell is the top dancer of the group, but I don’t remember being moved by his voice. I’m not at all convinced about the haircut, but Deangelo has been a solid performer, and Willie’s a tough contender too. I’m officially undecided.
Diddy drops in from the jump to let us know this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. “We’re gonna make a band!” he declares.
We catch up with our crooners in the airport where they jovially reunite and compare training notes from the break. In a conspicuously perfect moment for allegedly unscripted TV, everyone happens to be waiting expectantly at baggage claim when Mike shows up sporting a slimmer physique. They rib him good-naturedly, and it’s hugs and pounds all around.
Back in New York, they return to the amphitheater from Episode 1 where Bivins reminds them of the journey they’ve undertaken. Now it’s down to the wire. He warns the crooners that the “one area that everyone’s not built for” is live performance, and in 48 hours they will be opening for New Edition.
Next they are off to Ankh Ra, who gives them Diddy-determined group assignments and begins coaching up a storm as each group takes stabs at the “MTB4” theme song.
In a brief cut, Qwannell makes it clear he’s not happy with the way he’s been assigned.
Group A, consisting of Willie, Robert, Brian H., Deangelo and Jeremy, suavely dub themselves FLO, For Ladies Only. Group B, consisting of Qwannell, Donnie, Dyshon, Brian A. and Big Mike, picks the much less fly name Fifth City.
Diddy drops in to let us know that “his greatest gift to anyone would be a chance to perform in front of a sold-out audience of people.” Our crooners arrive and are visibly moved as they enter the historic Beacon Theater. With Bivens’ prompting, they chunk up the fours.
Incidentally, expect the “MTB4” theme song to emerge as a label-pushed single and ringtone any minute now.
The two groups take the stage, and while both are a little shaky, FLO
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The VORTEX and Zell Miller, III present the second installment of the “The Hip-hop Theater Explosion”, When the culture falls, there are those in the culture who are not afraid to question, redefine, then uplift the culture back to it’s place of brilliance
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hey girl, hope I see you out this weekend….it’s been too long.
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