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May 2009
More than a Taste of Ethiopia
(This article ran in Thursday’s print edition of Austin360. Click here for Statesman food critic Mike Sutter’s review of Taste of Ethiopia, which serves the best Ehtiopian food I have had in Texas, and possibly anywhere.)
From caring for her family to preparing a sublime array of traditional Ethiopian dishes at her Taste of Ethiopia restaurant in Pflugerville, Woinee Mariam throws her heart and soul into everything she does.
That passion compelled her to sit for four hours on the hard floor of her daughter’s new school in Washington, D.C., nearly three years ago.
Her daughter, Hewan, is autistic. And Mariam, dismayed by what she perceived as the disregard of the staff and apathy of the students, did not feel comfortable sending her to a new school that failed to meet the family’s standards. The determined mother wanted to take her daughter out of that school. Immediately.
After deciding with her husband, Solomon Hailu, that their family needed to relocate to find a better life, Mariam gathered their four adolescent children and moved to Cedar Park. Hailu, who would join the rest of the family soon after, had relatives here, and after researching school districts, the couple said they were certain the city would be a wonderful place to raise their children.
Upon her arrival in Texas 2 1/2 years ago, Mariam worked briefly at a bank before deciding it was time to realize her own dream. With the support of friends and family and an infectious exuberance, the small woman who had spent 17 years working in other people’s restaurants opened her own. Taste of Ethiopia was born.
Spend two minutes in the little restaurant painted with comforting natural hues or on the breezy patio area sweetly scented by jasmine, and as the sounds of Bob Marley and traditional Ethiopian music permeate the mood, you drift into the warm peace that comes with being a member of Mariam’s extended family.
That family includes John Durant, one of Mariam’s former bank co-workers, who offered for free the services of his design firm.
‘I knew they were just starting out, and the design and feel of the restaurant was the last thing on their minds,’ said Durant. ‘It was something that I felt drawn to do, to help my friends make their dream a reality. Woinee is a woman of energy and love.’
Mariam extends that love and positive energy to her customers, greeting all with the smile of someone who looks like she’s gotten away with something, as her eyes sparkle and her gregarious nature almost dares you to ask her a question. Once you have, it’s off to the races, your conversation pinballing from children to music to philosophy and, of course, food.
‘This is one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I get to meet people from all walks of life,’ Mariam said. ‘There is nothing more satisfying than to see people come and dine and leave satisfied. I enjoy serving the first-timers who never had Ethiopian food. I see the skepticism in their eyes and hear it in their tone of voice. Then, I comfort them and explain the traditions and the food.’
Her people skills are surpassed by her hand in the kitchen. Each dish features fresh ingredients, traditional spices from Ethiopia and a balance of robust and subtle flavors that make each item its own revelation.
”All dishes have to be as authentic as they can be, cooked with spices from Ethiopia,’ Mariam said. ‘I credit my mom for teaching me the essence of cooking.’
‘What I learned during my early years has paid off,’ she said. ‘Major holidays such as New Year, Easter (the end of a 60-day fasting season), Christmas and other holidays are celebrated by preparing a major feast consisting of the dishes that are being served at the restaurant.’
With her gratitude, easy nature and love for food and people, Mariam has brought that sense of celebratory and communal feasts to Taste of Ethiopia.
A choice made in the best interests of a family has become a boon to the food lovers of greater Austin.
For Woinee Mariam and Solomon Hailu, the days of searching for the right home seem well behind them.
‘It’ll take a bulldozer to move me from Austin,’ Hailu said.
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Your A-List: Best Rapper
The winner of this year’s poll took home 64 percent of the vote while knocking off some of the bigger and more established names in the game.
Hip-hop act Ratarue lists 90s conscience hip-hop icons Tribe Called Quest, Del The Funky Homosapien and De La Soul as influences. But the baritone lyricist is also not shy in giving nods to rock n’ roll, which explains his role as one of the vocalists in hip-pop-punk band Spin Alley, which won last week’s Your A-List poll for Best Local Punk Band.
According to his MySpace page, “Ratarue’s debut, full length, 18-song album entitled ‘Odd Augmentation Inc.’ will be coming out in the Fall of 2009.” From that album comes this Austin-centric video for the song “Maintain Scrilla.”
Others receiving votes
- SparkDawg, 7 percent
- Bavu Blakes, 6 percent
- Overlord, 5 percent
- Zeale 32, 3 percent
- Young Nick, 3 percent
- Dirty Wormz, 2 percent
- Dred Skott, 2 percent
- Terp 2 It, 1 percent
- KJ Hines, 1 percent
- Gerald G, 1 percent
- Phranchyze, < 1 percent
- Southern Boy Entertainment, < 1 percent
- Mirage, < 1 percent
- Crew 54, < 1 percent
- Tee Double, < 1 percent
- Element 7D, < 1 percent
- Mike Wade, < 1 percent
- Basswood Lane, < 1 percent
- Traygod Shakhem, < 1 percent
- Smoke Jumpers, < 1 percent
- D.O.S., < 1 percent
Image from Ratarue’s MySpace page.
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ACL headliners The Beastie Boys get down with The Roots
So, we knew that The Roots being the house band on Jimmy Fallon’s show would make for some pretty sweet musical moments, not just with tight bumper and bed music but also in the form of backing a guest from time to time. Point in case, Monday night, The Beastie Boys (one of this year’s headlining acts at Austin City Limits Festival) stopped by Fallon’s show to pimp their new four-vinyl, B-side-packed box set of “Check Your Head” and then got up on stage to throw down “So Whatcha Want” as the band from Philly laid down the grooves.
Despite being in their mid-40s, the New Yorkers still have it, even if MCA looks like journalist Chris Connelly, or a Ben Affleck character in a political thriller. Will their sound be able to move an outdoor crowd as big as the one expected in Zilker in October?
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Robbie Knievel to jump over Congress Avenue
As part of the 15th Annual Republic of Texas Biker Rally, motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel will kick off his farewell tour with a jump over 180 feet of Budweiser trucks on Congress Avenue in front of the Texas Capitol.
Knievel’s jump, his first since last New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, will utilize a 1,000-foot ramp, according to Denise Garcia at the ROT.
The son of the legendary Evel Knievel will perform his airborne spectacle at 11 p.m. on Friday, June 12.
Image from the ROT site
Photos of Evel and Robbie Knievel from the Associated Press.
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Your A-List: Best Outdoor Music Venue
Like Barton Springs and Waterloo Records, Stubb’s seems to be one of those places that visitors to the city always mention as one of their favorite spots. Even if not by name, they will at least tell you, “this cool barbecue restaurant that has an amphitheater behind it.”
The venue that visitors remember so fondly is also a beloved by locals and won 36 percent of the vote in this week’s poll.
Stubb’s, which has played host to artists ranging from Metallica to the Indigo Girls, has been planning expansion for some time and also been named in discussions regarding the city’s sound ordinances.
The following comes from an April 17 blog by the Statesman’s Michael Corcoran:
Stubb’s co-owner Jeff Waughtal says his lawyer has been in the process of getting the 2,100-capacity Waller Creek Ampitheater classified as a music venue as part of renovation plans. “It never was an issue before,” said Waughtal, who said he was under the impression that because a greater percentage of Stubb’s business is as a music venue, rather than a restaurant, the decibel limit would remain at 85 dB. But to make sure, he said “we’re in the process of addressing that.” As for the $5 million expansion of Stubb’s into a 4,000-capacity outdoor venue, with a companion new 1,400- capacity indoor venue, Waughtal said he and his architects are still working on a site plan to present to the city. The expansion plans were first announced more than two years ago. Waughtal went before the city planning commission April 14 seeking city approval to not only build a 35,753 square foot indoor venue on the corner of 9th and Red River Streets, but to add 6,445 square feet to the outdoor venue and 4,295 square feet to the existing barbecue restaurant. The commission recommended approving the plan, which the City Council is expected to hear on Thursday. The eastern part of the property along Waller Creek, which was formerly a dairy, is currently in a flood plain, which has made the process much more difficult, Waughtal said. “If the Waller Creek tunnel project goes ahead, we won’t have to worry about a lot of these things in six years.” But the bigger Stubb’s won’t wait that long. Waughtal said the first stage of construction will be the new 1,400-cap. venue. The earliest work on that would start is at least 18 months from now, he said.
Others receiving votes
- Zilker Park, 13 percent
- The Mohawk, 11 percent
- Auditorium Shores, 10 percent
- Threadgill’s, 10 percent
- Tim’s Porch at The Backyard, 5 percent
- Cedar Street Courtyard, 3 percent
- Scoot Inn, 3 percent
- Club de Ville, 3 percent
- Emo’s, 2 percent
- The Belmont, 2 percent
- Kenny Dorham’s Backyard, 1 percent
- Austin City Hall, < 1 percent
- Creekside Lounge, < 1 percent
- Light Bar, < 1 percent
- Four Hands, 19 percent
- Uncommon Objects, 11 percent
- Room Service, 10 percent
- Uptown Modern, 8 percent
- Homegirls, 6 percent
- Mercury Design Studio, 4 percent
- Eclectic, 3 percent
- Nest, 3 percent
- Kirk, < 1 percent
- Prototype Vintage, < 1 percent
- La Luz, < 1 percent
- “There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one.” -Greek saying
- “A woman with a beard looks like a man. A man without a beard looks like a woman.” - Afghan saying
- “A kiss without a moustache is like soup without salt”
- DJ Manny, 11 percent
- D:Fuse, 4 percent
- Trey Lopez, 2 percent
- Govinda, 2 percent
- Charanga Cakewalk, 2 percent
- Whatamelon, 2 percent
- Ohn, 1 percent
- Learning Secrets, 1 percent
- J.A.M.O.N., < 1 percent
- Bird Peterson, < 1 percent
- Zom Zoms, < 1 percent
- John Gomi, < 1 percent
- SoundCheck360: Listen to Spin Alley
- World Burns to Death, 45 percent
- Midgetmen, 1 percent
- Riverboat Gamblers, 1 percent
- Krum Bums, 1 percent
- Flametrick Subs, < 1 percent
- Manikin, < 1 percent
- Sex Advice, < 1 percent
- Camp X-Ray, < 1 percent
- The Teeners, < 1 percent
- Hex Dispensers, < 1 percent
- Sacred Shock, < 1 percent
- Me vs. Everybody, < 1 percent
- Finally Punk, < 1 percent
- Total Abuse, < 1 percent
- Deskonocidos, < 1 percent
- Naw Dude, < 1 percent
- Oasis, 14 percent
- Hula Hut, 11 percent
- Hotel San Jose, 6 percent
- Opal Divine’s, 5 percent
- Doc’s Motorworks, 3 percent
- Vivo, 3 percent
- Freddie’s, 3 percent
- Mozart’s, 3 percent
- Iguana Grill, 3 percent
- Little Woodrow’s, 3 percent
- Z’Tejas, 2 percent
- Rio Rita, 2 percent
- Trudy’s, 2 percent
- Cedar Street, < 1 percent
- Cedar Door, < 1 percent
- Mesa Ranch, <1 percent
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Your A-List: Best Place to Buy Funky Furniture
New shops come and go, Goodwill feels as if its always been around. Some vintage stores may have a selection that suits you better, but you’d have trouble beating the prices at the place that took home 33 percent of the vote in this week’s poll.
On top of feeling good about recycling other people’s old goods, you can also take heart in the mission statement of Goodwill Industries, which is to “provide job-related services and opportunities for people with barriers to employment.”
With over a dozen locations in the Greater Austin area, you’re never too far from some good deals on used furniture, clothes, etc. And if you really want to stay abreast of the goings on at Goodwill, you can even follow them on Twitter.
Others receiving votes
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‘American Idol’ finale live chat
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Padma Lakshmi and Carl’s Jr.: An unholy marriage
This just in … men love sex and bacon.
Using the word sell-out is so ’90s. Method Man and Redman shill deodorant. Gene Hackman wants you to shop at Lowe’s. Of Montreal pimps Outback Steakhouse. In this day and age, nothing is all that shocking. People need money, and who am I to begrudge them for how they go about getting it? If Robert DeNiro wants to make “Meet the Fockers,” so be it. Hell, I’d do a Hello Kitty commercial if they offered me enough (any) money. But sometimes, certain stars in certain ads just make my head spin, and I’m not talking about Nicolas Cage’s run of ads in Japan.
Last night, while fast forwarding through the commercials of the “24” season finale (anti-climactic as all hell, by the way), I thought I saw the most incongruous vision imaginable: Indian born model/foodie/TV presenter Padma Lakshmi and a Carl’s Jr. burger. I remember Carl’s Jr. from my days at University of Southern California, but did not realize they had gone national. I had to rewind the footage.
Am I just acting like a naive fool in my shock? I don’t want to condemn Lakshmi for making the choices she makes to support herself, I guess I am just utterly shocked at the bizarre pairing of the woman and the product. At the end of the day, it comes down to whether the ad worked. Well, it did get my attention. But I wouldn’t say it sold me on the burger, although I probably won’t fast-forward through the commercial next time. Mute it? Likely. And who knows, if Lakshmi can stoop from “Top Chef” to Carl’s Jr., maybe she could make the downgrade from Salman Rushdie to an unknown blogger.
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Austin Facial Hair Club: The men behind the beards
Following their participation in local beard and mustache competitions sponsored by Misprint Magazine, the shaggy quartet decided to organize in an effort to represent Austin at the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Anchorage on May 23.
Backed by sponsorship of The Mohawk (huge fans of beards and manliness) on Red River Street, the AFHC will make the trek accompanied by Mohawk owner James Moody and photographer Dave Mead, who will chronicle this shaggy man story to its conclusion.
The group, which is lobbying for financial support via the Internet, arrives in Alaska on Tuesday, May 19 and will take in the sights, indulge in some shenanigans, including a beard parade through downtown Anchorage, and prepare to battle for bearded glory.
I tracked these legends down via email to get their thoughts on facial hair.
The M.O.: What do you love about facial hair?
Bryan Nelson: The freedom and individuality it gives me. And the ability for friends and loved ones to pick me out in a crowd.
Allen Demling: The way it touches me so softly, and never leaves, even when I am rough with it.
Why are people so scared to be real men?
Nelson: People are scared of not conforming. TV/Media Society dictates that men should not have beards, but that they should look like women. Even More so! Women are concerned with exfoliation, but they are not so concerned that they shave millimeters of skin off of their face every day. To me, the whole thing is absurd. In the beginning of this country men had unique and rad beards/facial hair. We haven’t had (expletive) since the industrial era. WTF? I give you quotes from Wikipedia:
Demling: “We’re a generation of men raised by women.” -Tyler Durden
What is the preferred drink of men with beards?
Nelson: For me: whiskey/bourbon, followed by beer. Repeat.
Demling: I prefer Lone Star with a shot of Jameson poured by Housheng.
Nelson: Billy Gibbons followed by Santa Claus. I am a bicycle commuter, and on average of 3 times a day someone yells at me, “Hey!, ZZ Top.” Only once has someone yelled “Santa Claus” at me.
Demling: Gimli? I don’t know, I’m not very cultured.
The Beard Mount Rushmore … ZZ Top gets two spots or one?
Nelson: Three.
Demling: All of them.
Follow up question: Frank Beard, traitor to beards or honorary Beard Brother?
Nelson: Frank Beard has a moustache, which includes him in the Club. As a band, ZZ Top has put beards on the map more than anyone else.
Demling: Frank Beard has the important role of telling Billy and Dusty when they have BBQ sauce in their beards. Honorary Beard Brother.
If beards had a theme song what would it be?
Nelson: “Tush” by ZZ Top, “Working Man” by Rush, or any something by Mike Watt/The Minutemen.
Demling: “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler.
Worse beard: Joey from “My Two Dads” or Judge Lance Ito?
Demling: I’m going to say Judge Ito. Joey’s beard was a metaphor for the fact that he was Paul Reiser’s beard. That show was very deep and full of double entendres, and thus deserves a higher level of respect.
What would it take to get you to shave your beard?
Nelson: I have shaved my beard maybe 12 times in my life… mostly at random. I would have to say timing and/or cash incentive.
Demling: Lawyers, guns and money.
What advice do you have for the poor fellows who just can’t grow a beard? Or those that suffer from “patchiness?”
Nelson: I think that all beards are valid. That is my platform. Every man should grow his beard for a year at least once in this life.. Then, and only then, can he assess its worth in this world.
What is the most embarrassing thing that could get caught in your beard or moustache?
Nelson: Nothing that gets caught in a beard or moustache is embarrassing, only inevitable. If you cast a net into the sea, what you bring back is your reward. If you cast no net into the sea, you reap no such reward.
Demling: A titmouse.
In the original “Star Trek,” the evil Spock from a parallel universe was identical except … he had a beard. Message?
Nelson: Beards are out of the ordinary. They scare the masses. Wearing a beard reflects that you are an individual, and that is a threat to a conformist society.
Demling: Logically, that shows that our universe sucks.
Nelson: Don’t shave. The “rules” are that any maintenance/trimming to improve eating or kissing is acceptable. I find that I need to do no trimming to experience either kissing or eating. Just takes practice.
Demling: Get a warranty, you never know what could happen.
Do the Grizzly Adamses look down on groomed beardsmen as poseurs?
Nelson: No. Every beard is valid. A bearded man should not look down upon another mans beard.
Demling: It is hard for me to look down on anything, my beard always gets in the way.
Do beards help out with picking up women?
Nelson: When you find a woman who loves your beard, for all of its gloriousness and pheromonal qualities, you will find a woman that you can share the rest of your life with.
Demling: Yes, beards can be very strong, and given the proper apparatus can pick up many things, such as bowling balls, children, books, and even women. I point you to thingsmybeardcanlift.com.
Left to right, Austin Facial Hair club members Cory Plump, Bryan Nelson and Allen Demling. Photo by Dave Mead.Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Misc.
Catching up with Ghostland Observatory
While they defy classification, Ghostland Observatory was thrilled to take home 72 percent of the vote in this week’s Your A-List poll as Best Electronica/Dance Band. It is the second year in a row the band has won this category.
“I am honored and very humbled by the support Austin continues to show us,” Ghostland’s Thomas Turner told me by email this week.
Call them electronica, call them dance, call them sex rock. Whatever you choose to call them, Turner and frontman Aaron Behrens only care about staying true to themselves and playing music that inspires them.
“We’re trying to stay away from trendiness and focus on something that’s more timeless,” Behrens told me recently over tacos at Izzoz.
The Austin band started as a small but intense flame in the Austin clubs four years ago before setting Zilker Park on fire at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2007, a set that had thousands drop what they were doing and take notice of the soft-spoken duo that runs on thunderous beats and lightning clap vocals.
Since their eye-popping, ear ravaging set at ACL, Ghostland has toured the States, shocked Scandinavia and released their third album, “Robotique Majestique.”
After their stadium-sized laser light extravaganza in 2007 that left fans and critics raving, Behrens admits he initially felt pressured to constantly strive to enhance the band’s production in an effort to match their memorable ACL set.
“But I’m starting to realize that there’s more to it than just upping the ante,” Behrens said. “It’s about being comfortable with who you are and what you are, and doing that 100 percent. We’ll still be reaching out creatively, but it’s about being comfortable in your own skin.”
That ethic of trusting themselves and being present permeates not just the duo’s live act, but also influences how they write and produce records. Asked when fans can expect a new album from the band, Turner said, “You never know. We never planned out the other three records so best not to change anything.”
In the meantime, Ghostland will perform shows from San Francisco to Tokyo, as they work their way through a summer schedule that will end up where it all really kicked into high gear for the two unassuming, married fathers.
As for what fans can expect in Zilker in October, Behrens says simply that the band will bring 1,000 percent to the stage, just like they do every time they take the stage, whether in front of 200 or 20,000 people.
Asked whether the newfound fame has noticeably affected the way they live their lives, Behrens joked that he now walks around naked all the time. Kidding aside, in private, Behrens and Turner’s flamboyance on stage is belied by a startling and refreshing humility. But that does not mean the two are not confident.
“We believe practice makes perfect,” Behrens said. “We put a lot of work and effort into what we do. Why should we step on the stage and not be confident about what we do?”
Ghostland Observatory’s next local gig is at the Whitewater on the Horseshoe in New Braunfels on July 17 and 18. Aaron Behrens and The Dirty Banquet perform Saturday, May 16 at The Hole in the Wall in Austin.
Others receiving votes in the Your A-List poll
Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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New Wilco album streaming online
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Interview: Nick Prueher, co-curator of the Found Footage Festival
He took his discovery home to share with his good friend Joe Pickett, who immediately shared Prueher’s enthusiasm. Unable to keep their newfound joy to themselves, the guys began inviting friends to share in the pleasure of watching comedy that had to be seen to be believed.
With their first piece of comedy gold in hand, the two began a quest to find hilarious old VHS tapes to add to their collection. Over the next 15 years, the two amassed a booty of absurdist tapes — instructional videos, sexual harassment awareness videos and all manner of embarrassing antics of high-status boobs — that they shared with friends. By 2004, the secret became too great to keep to themselves, so Prueher and Pickett booked a theater in Manhattan for a public screening.
After the success of their initial screening, a small tour followed. Four years after their first visit to the original Alamo Drafthouse, the guys return to Austin today with their Found Footage Festival.
Prueher discussed his passion and singing dummies by phone last week.
Austin American-Statesman: The footage you use seems like a perfect marriage of the universality of bad ideas and nostalgia for ’80s aesthetic.
Nick Prueher: Yea. One thing we’ve found that a lot of our videos have in common - it’s not something we look for specifically - but a lot of the ones that make the cut involve people with a lot of ambition and very little talent. So as long as those people have access to video equipment, we’re in no danger of running out of material. I think another reason the show works - and we never anticipated this - is that when you taking these videos that were never meant to be seen in public - training videos, sexual harassment awareness videos, exercise videos - you know stuff that was meant to be watched in a break room or by yourself in a living room, and then you put it in a theater on a big screen with 300 like-minded people and you sort of give people the permission to laugh at this stuff, there is something cathartic that happens. Something magical happens when you’re in a room watching it up on a big screen.
I don’t have kids, so maybe I don’t have much on which to base my opinion, but are children’s videos as tripped out now as they used to be?
Nick Prueher: I think so. I think the production values are a little bit better on kids’ videos nowadays, but it’s still just as creepy as before. One thing we’ve actually found is that the technology changes and it gets cheaper to produce professional looking videos, but bad ideas never really change. As long as people have bad ideas or a misguided idea of how they want to educate children, there are going to be some pretty (expletive) children’s videos.
What is creepier than a singing dummy proselytizing Christianity?
Nick Prueher: That pretty much does it. I think that might be the pinnacle of creepiness right there: Freddie For Jesus comes out of his little box and is doing lame vaudeville comedy routines but under the guise of talking about Christ. … There’s a lot of things in the show that you can’t unsee.
You and Joe both have day jobs, so what makes you want to go across the country showing your videos.
Nick Prueher: This is our passion. It’s something we love doing. I guess we’re sort of masochists in a way because we torture ourselves and watch so much bad video. But we’re willing to suffer for other people’s entertainment, because when you do find those videos that are so-bad-they’re-good and just wonderfully awful in just the right way, you have a desire to go and show people. What’s better than showing off your video collection and telling the stories of how you found it. … There are a couple of clips from Austin Public Access in the show. One of them is a show from the 90s called Citizens Live, and they’re taking calls, which is always a bad idea. Because who is going to seriously call in with a serious question at two in the morning … so it’s almost all prank calls, people swearing and hanging up.
Bleach blonde hair with a dark beard: Great 80s style or greatest 80s style?
Nick Prueher: That is the greatest 80s style in the world. I would say it’s the most fabulous.
Found Footage Festival
Sunday, May 10
Alamo South Lamar
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $9 [link]
Here is a trailer for a previous Found Footage Fest.
Image of Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett at a Found Footage Festival show in New York by Josh Hertz
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Did Paula Abdul go to rehab? She says, “No, no, no”
Yesterday, I admitted I had watched “American Idol” this year and linked to a story in “Ladies’ Home Journal” in which Paula Abdul admitted she had previously had an addiction to painkillers and had gone to rehab to sort herself out. A pretty low moment for me all the way around.
While Abdul’s admission came as no surprise to people who have watched her frantically and haphazardly dead-eye her way to a comeback, I still gave her props for coming clean and trying to get her life back on track.
Oh, Paula, just when I think I’m out, you drag me back in!
Apparently, the reputable magazine like totes got the story wrong and mischaracterized Abdul’s experience, which she told the Kid Kraddick show was simply a retreat to get facials and mud baths. Potato, potato.
The following press release comes from the Kidd Kraddick radio show:
Dallas, TX - Paula Abdul says the widespread reports of rehab and pill addiction are patently untrue. During her appearance on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, the Idol judge was asked if it was a difficult decision to reveal her addiction to prescription painkillers. “I didn’t!,” Paula replied. “I was quoted as saying something I didn’t say. It’s getting to the point where enough is enough. I am used to being misquoted or taken out of context. The fact is, I went to the La Costa Resort and Spa and got mud baths and facials. It is a resort, not a clinic.” Surprised by the response, Kraddick apologized for blind-siding her. Paula’s retort? “You didn’t, Billy did, presumably referring to Billy Bush from NBC/Universal’s syndicated Access Hollywood. “I was caught off guard,” Paula said. “I said, ‘Wait, say that again. They had me saying, ‘What? Are you kidding me?’ That is how I found out.” The alleged quote from Paula’s interview for Ladies Home Journal was first read to her by Bush during his radio show. Paula said she remembered commenting at the time, “This is amazing. I didn’t even know the article was out.” She went on to say that if she had gone to rehab she would have made it “a very big wide public thing. But that has never happened to me. And to see myself quoted as that? I’ve never said that.” Abdul appeared on Kraddick’s nationally syndicated show to discuss the debut of her new single, “The Music Never Stops” which she premiered on the Idol stage Wednesday night. The entire interview can be heard on the show’s podcast at kiddlive.com.
Reading this bizarre explanation, it’s apparent that the music isn’t the only thing that doesn’t stop for Abdul.
Goin’ off the rails, on a crazy train.
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Paula Abdul admits problem with drugs
In other news, Yao Ming is tall. The pope wears a hat that may be considered humorous and the economy has a cold.
I must admit, I am watching “American Idol” this season for the first time ever. Maybe it was my girlfriend who got me hooked. Maybe I was just taking my new DVR for a test drive. Or maybe I am getting old and boring and lame.
Whatever the reason, I have watched almost every episode this season. I won’t here get into how boring and average most of the performers have been or give a nod to the Rocky Horror Led Zeppelin Picture Show (Adam) or Fake Matthews Band (Chris). What I want to mention is the much maligned and ridiculed Paula Abdul. Certainly the woman has had a successful career in music and if you listen closely, out of the rambling and slurs, you hear her mention things like “phrasing,” hitting certain notes, etc. So she does know her music. It’s just so hard to take her seriously when it seems so obvious that she has had a problem, one that seems to have been denied or overlooked for years. Oddly, I hear she actually seems more together than years past.
Well, the (MC Scat) Kat is finally out of the bag. Paula Abdul has admitted to “Ladies’ Home Journal” in its June edition that she has, indeed, been battling addiction to drugs.
Now, drug addictions, in all of their varied forms, are no laughing matter. But neither is profiting off of the wacky behavior of drugs addicts, as it seems “American Idol” has done at times over the past few years. Abdul says she is now off of the drugs for the first time in 12 years.
The former pop star, who turns 47 this month, has never looked better. In previous years she acted erratically, at times slurring her words or appearing disoriented. This year she’s got it together. And for a reason: For the first time in 12 years Abdul says she’s no longer dependent on medication. The rumors that her sometimes-bizarre behavior was fueled by drugs just may have been true. Abdul was taking heavy-duty pain killers, though she claims she never shot an Idol episode under the influence. But last Thanksgiving, determined to overcome her habit, she checked into the La Costa Resort and Spa, in Carlsbad, California, to wean herself off her medications in one fell swoop. “I could have killed myself…. Withdrawal — it’s the worst thing,” she says. “I was freezing cold, then sweating hot, then chattering and in so much pain, it was excruciating. But at my very core, I did not like existing the way I had been.”
When we meet at her Mediterranean-style home in the San Fernando Valley, Abdul is eager to talk about her transformative journey. Sitting at her dining-room table, cradling Bessie Moo, an aggressively affectionate white Chihuahua with chocolate-brown spots, Abdul is wistful about the past years. “I’d been working nonstop,” she says. But she wasn’t really living. Instead, she bought into the showbiz saying, “the show must go on.” “I’m an old-school professional,” she says. “Never let them see you sweat.” But doing so became increasingly difficult for Abdul, who for years has suffered from chronic debilitating pain caused by an unusual series of accidents, the first of which occurred when she was a 17-year-old cheerleader.
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“It’s been an amazing journey,” says Abdul of her 20-year career. “American Idol has been a gift. Nothing makes me happier than nurturing talent and seeing them rise and take flight. It’s my true calling in life.”
As wack as she is, Abdul does seem to have a soft spot for these kids and truly champions their talent and dreams, which is admirable. For someone who worked so tirelessly to get to the top of the game 20 years ago, it is heartening to see her devote her energy to helping others while fighting her own demons. Let’s just hope she can stay clean.
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Your A-List: Best Punk Group
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Your A-List: Best Patio
Sitting outside is nice. Booze is nice, too. Drinking booze while sitting outside is really nice. Especially when you can do so on a balcony patio with stellar views, hence the victory in this week’s poll by the Stephen F. Austin (40 percent of the vote).
The swanky hotel has a popular, highlighted with some serious Texas touches (see: mounted longhorn over the hand-tooled leather bar and cowhide barstools). But arguably the greatest attraction of the Stephen F. Austin’s bar is the terrace that wraps around the hotel, offering views of the Texas Capitol, Congress Avenue and Seventh Street. When the weather is nice, it’s hard to find a better spot in town to have a drink.
Others receiving votes
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Interview: Comedian Eugene Mirman on affable Conchords and chunky youth
Eugene Mirman has become one of those rare things in the indie entertainment world — both ubiquitous and fairly anonymous. He’s shared the stage with indie rockers such as Modest Mouse and Yo La Tengo, has a slew of videos populating the Web, been seen up and down the TV dial, and has even penned a satirical self-help book, ‘The Will to Whatevs.’
But Mirman’s most mainstream visibility has come courtesy of his work on HBO’s musical comedy ‘Flight of the Conchords.’ He is currently opening for the show’s eponymous stars Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. We caught up with Mirman by phone to discuss his comedy influences and fat kids.
The M.O.: There seems more than ever to be a clan of comedians working together on all sorts of projects, from TV to stand-up to Web content. Can you talk about having that rich peer group with which to work and is there any sense of competition among you?
Mirman: I would say that it actually isn’t really that competitive. I’m only really speaking from my point of view, in the sense that it’s not like I’m going to get the same role as Kristin Schaal would get, or Aziz (Ansari) or somebody. In terms of collaborating in the different shows and things, it’s fun. I have nothing to compare it to. It’s hard to say, ‘it’s amazing, unlike this other thing.’ For me, that has been my career … it’s been collaborating with and knowing these people. But I think it’s amazing. I think I happen to be in place with tons of incredibly funny people making very, very interesting stuff.
To what do you trace your absurdist sensibility and humor?
I think just a lot of the things I liked as a kid. I guess I don’t know. I wanna say the Velvet Underground, but they’re not particularly absurd (laughs).
What was the idea behind your book “The Will to Whatevs” and who were you trying to help, Eugene?
Fat kids.
What do fat kids need help with?
I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure this book will help them.
What has the experience like working with Bret and Jemaine?
Working on the show was super fun. They’re just genuinely extremely sweet guys and very, very funny. But touring with them is unbearable because they’re just so polite. Like, come on, stop being so nice to those around you, it’s exhausting. I get it, you’re a really great person.
You’ve been to Austin a thousand times. Is there anything you look forward to doing when you get the chance to come to town.
I actually do love Austin. When I think of places I would potentially live, Austin is definitely one of them. There’s a place that used to be called Ben’s Barbecue that’s my favorite. Even though it changed its name (J. Kelly’s Barbecue), the recipes are all the same. So I go there and I try to go to Waterloo Records, and sort of just in general, to cute little shops and weird places.
Flight of the Conchords with Eugene Mirman [info.]
Thursday, 8 p.m.
Bass Concert Hall
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Super Mike predicts the future
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