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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Ray Davies, Band of Horses, added to SXSW
Former SXSW keynoter Ray Davies will return this year to play an acoustic set at La Zona Rosa Thursday March 18. Also, Band of Horses have been confirmed to play Central Presbyterian Church, though the date hasn’t been announced.
The Carver Museum Theater, meanwhile, will host a SXSW gospel show Friday March 19. The fabulous Jones Family Singers are playing, with more acts to be announced later.
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Blowout benefits Capital Area Food Bank March 14
Del Castillo, the Mother Truckers, Shurman, Suzanna Choffel, The Little Elmore Reed Blues Band (with Mike Keller of The Fabulous Thunderbirds on guitar), Austin Collins, Vitera, Stonehoney: This is some lineup for a free show (with canned good donation) to benefit one of Austin’s most wonderful charities, the Capital Area Food Bank. The concert is Sunday March 14 from 2pm-10pm at the United States Art Authority (next to Spiderhouse).
So kick off SXSW week and get rid of those cans of asparagus that you bought in bulk at Costco. They were too mushy for you, but might be just right for someone else.
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Austin’s Speak release EP tomorrow at Waterloo Records
If you braved the bitter, biting cold and post-BCS National Championship game ennui to venture out to Free Week in early January, you might have caught an electric, fun set from electropop outfit Speak. The local quartet opened for Ume Friday, Jan. 8, churning out solidly enjoyable synth-saturated ballads, including a Daft Punk cover that was a highlight of that evening.
The group celebrate the release of their debut EP “Hear Here” tomorrow with a 5 p.m. in-store at Waterloo Records, 600 N. Lamar Blvd. Front man Troupe Gammage first started creating electronic music after being inspired by the driving rhythms of video game soundtracks and has a background in video game composition. The EP — released on Playing in Traffic, which also counts Los Lonely Boys, Sahara Smith and the Steps in its roster — was produced by Chris “Frenchie” Smith, a veteran of local bands Sixteen Deluxe and Young Heart Attack who’s also produced albums by Jet, … And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Ume, the Dandy Warhols and the Meat Puppets, among others.
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KGSR hires Jody’s replacement
It’s Mark Abuzzahab, an 18-year radio veteran who held the music director position at KBCO, Boulder, Colorado’s influential AAA station, until he was laid off in April 2009 by parent company, Clear Channel.
“Mark is pumped about moving to Austin,” says KGSR boss Scott Gillmore. “We did a nationwide search (for Jody Denberg’s replacement) and really loved Mark’s background.” Abuzzahab was also previously with WOXY in Cincinnati, when it was a “real” radio station and not just Internet-only. He was named music director of the year in the AAA format in 2008 by the FMQB trade publication.
Abuzzahab, a 1995 graduate of Ithaca College, will start his job as KGSR’s music director and afternoon drive DJ on Feb. 22.
“Jody was like an auteur director.” says Gillmore. “He had his own vision. There’s been a slight change in the direction at KGSR (since Denberg’s departure in December and move to 93.3 on the FM dial). Our commitment to local music is still strong. You’re still going to hear (Austin-centric singer-songwriters) Slaid Cleaves and Patty Griffin, but you’re also going to hear Phoenix and Spoon.”
And Alanis Morissette. Lots of Alanis Morissette.
In other KGSR news, the popular Blues On the Green free concert series will move back to Zilker Park this year after a season at Waterloo while work was being done on “improving” the Zilker lawn.
Update: Abuzzahab, who hasn’t yet relocated to Austin from Denver, said over the phone that he was looking forward to getting to work. “I’ve always been a huge fan of KGSR and Austin, and as a music lover there’s no better place to be,” said Abuzzahab. Abuzzahab added that though moving from Denver to Austin would be an adjustment, it was a better fit — “It’s very different; Denver’s a bigger city, with more arena shows, but as far as the music I like to see Austin’s club scene is better place.”
As far as not hiring locally is concerned, Emmis Austin programming director Chase Rupe said that though Austin-based candidates were considered, Abuzzahab was the most qualified. “Mark was the best choice based on his experience,” said Rupe. “We have a lot of people entrenched in the community and we’ll continue to lean on them.”
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Save the Cactus Cafe files documents to create nonprofit
Members of SaveTheCactusCafe.org filed documents Monday to create a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Friends of the Cactus Cafe, to support the movement’s ongoing efforts to preserve the iconic Austin venue.
Initial board members include musician Wiley Koepp, who launched the now 22,000-strong Facebook group, attorney and political consultant Reid Nelson and Momo’s owner and chair of the Live Music Task Force Paul Oveisi.
“We want to preserve the ethos that makes the Cactus Cafe what it is today and help it build upon its well-earned reputation in a way that allows greater opportunity for students in managing and performing in the club,” said Koepp in a statement.
The Friends of the Cactus Cafe aim to protect the Cactus through a four-point plan, revealed during their Saturday meeting, that focuses on preserving the venue while also opening it up for greater student access.
The news comes as supporters of the Cactus Cafe, the University of Texas and student leadership are engaged in a spirited debate over the listening room’s future, with student leaders planning to submit a plan that would keep the room open — but managed by a student committee, and not longtime manager Griff Luneberg.
