Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2008 > February
February 2008
Two perfect parties
One was about coming; one was about going. Both fit the early-evening party model to a T. (A third, the Spring Rush for People’s Community Clinic, fell off the calendar because the earlier two hit so many right notes.)
The Kitchen Space occupies a low-lying building just off East 12th Street that served as a Pentecostal Church, then a community theater. Now, it’s a spiffy spot for small food service businesses, such as Soraiya Nagree’s Luxe Sweets, to operate in a professional preparation atmosphere. About 15 of those businesses have already booked regular slots there. Its launch party paired intense bites with sips of clean-tasting Savvy Vodka, only 6 months old and one of three Austin-distilled vodkas, served here by Bill Rives. We met all sorts of fascinating folks, including a medical doctor from Perth, Australia, who reported that the iron mining boom there means an employee of a chicken fast food restaurant can earn $100,000 a year U.S.
Shannon Amidon, Soraiya Nagree
Amy Bauer, Azim Nagree, Anne Campell (Amy and Anne from Austin Tidbits, the great social site, and Kennedy Creative)
Tacy Infante, Cindy Lo
Lee Thompson is one of the city’s ultimate social connectors. Formerly of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, for more than a decade, she’s run the Leadership Austin program, which trains business, political and community leaders in the opportunities and responsibilities of local leadership. It’s a blue-ribbon program with hundreds of graduates, many of whom turned up for Thompson’s retirement party at the Austin Design Center. We knew almost everyone there, having spoken to the classes about community issues for years, but we also met some people who are already making names for themselves as the next generation of leaders.
Rezi Shirazi, Lee Thompson, Adrienne Longenecker
Heather McKissick (new Leadership Austin director), Ted Smith
Eliza May, Mary Martinez
Rene Craft, Sheelah Feinberg, Geronimo Rodriguez, Karen Frost
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Party circus with Theatre Action Project
Theatre Action Project had never thrown a fundraising party. Though 10 years old, the Austin group that mixes performance with social change for youngsters may have been too small, too specialized to throw a gala before. And when it did Wednesday at the Austin Design Center, it was a circus of clowns, costumes and kids’ party activities — perfect for the company that continues to provide Central Texas schoolchildren with programs that, at least anecdotally, improve behavior and academic performance. Though it may have been their first, it certainly won’t be TAP’s last party.
The Krudas, originally from Cuba
Gavin Wilson, Carrie McDonald
Andrea Alverez, Jasmine Castleberry
Jeff Canann, Carolyn Burns, Allen Tam
Ann Graham, Alan Luecke
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No David Bowie for Austin
Michael Buble, matchmaker? During the crooner’s concert at the Erwin Center last night, Buble offered to make Mayor Will Wynn’s night. Wynn sat on the front row with a striking blonde, which Buble noted, guessing that she probably dragged the mayor to the concert, but — wink, wink, nudge, nudge — Wynn would thank him later when predicted romance ensued.
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Your A-List: Best Place to Line Dance
That’s good news for line dancers, who voted 41 percent for the Spoke as the best place to move thusly in tandem. Gruene Hall, another historic dance spot, came in a distant second with 17 percent of Your A-List tallies. Midnight Rodeo, the culturally blended hall amid the industrial mix of Ben White Boulevard, hit third with 14 percent.
Dallas, the North Austin country mega-hall, took 13 percent, while Rainbow Cattle Company, the downtown gay bar, hauled in 7 percent. Graham Central Station, the multiplex club near Pflugerville, got 4 percent. Attracting less than 2 percent were: Sefcik Hall, Silver Dollar Dance Hall, Swiss Alp Dance Hall and Twin Sisters Dance Hall.
Write-in: Coupland Inn and Dancehall.
Photo by Jay Janner.
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Your A-List: Best Local Chain Restaurant
Your A-List winner: The County Line, the ranch-size barbecue places, with 24 percent of the vote. Good-time Mexican joint Chuy’s, which has spread to other cities where giant margaritas are sipped, came in second with 18 percent. Maudie’s, more modest, but equally beloved, took 12 percent.
Rudy’s, the barbecue empire, came in fourth with 10 percent, while Thundercloud, the ultra-laid-back subway shop, took 8 percent. The next entrant, burrito kings Freebird’s, got 5 percent, but guys, it’s based in College Station. It just seems like a product of Austin culture (and aren’t our Aggie friends proud of that).
Mangia, the monster of a pizza place, earned just under 5 percent, while Zen Japanese fast food ate up 4 percent. Brick Oven Pizza, which also serves hearty non-pie fare, pulled in 3 percent. Taking less than 3 percent were: Schlotzky’s, Austin’s Pizza, Pok-e-Jo’s, Taco Cabana (uh, San Antonio-based), Taqueria Arandas (Houston), Pollo Regio and Chango’s.
Write-in: Pizza Nizza.
Photo by Kelly West.
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Angelina Jolie in Bastrop
In other Austin movies/celebrity news, “Will,” the battle of the bands movie starring Vanessa Hudgens and Lisa Kudrow, needs more more bodies. To appear in the Bandslam climactic scene to be filmed in the University of Texas’ Hogg Auditorium on Sunday, contact Beth Sepko Casting in advance at 472-5385, ext. 1.
Also, if you watched very closely, Austin actress Amparo Garcia-Crow could be seen at the Independent Film’s Spirit Awards ceremony Saturday in a clip from nominated film “Loaves and Fishes.” Garcia plans to step down as the director of the recently opened Mexican American Cultural Center so she can concentrate on her acting career again.
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Primary electrifies Austin social scene
The most telling sign that the March 4 Texas presidential primary is not like any other: Televisions at bars and restaurants all along West Sixth Street were tuned to the Democratic debate on Thursday, not the usual sports or music offerings.
Later that evening, as if striking up a conversation about the Rose Bowl, a clerk at the South Lamar Shell station chirped: “Catch any of the debate, sir?”
Presidential politics have electrified the Austin social scene like few other subjects. (Sunday’s Oscar ceremony proved a safe snooze in contrast.)
By now, many of Austin’s prominent politicians have made their endorsements. Gov. Rick Perry demonstrated that he can switch conservative horses pretty quickly. Former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos (that’s him with you know you, photo by Jay Janner) went for Clinton, while state Sen. Kirk Watson rescued his disastrous MSNBC endorsement of Obama with his deep reserve of self-effacing wit.
Austin celebrities of different stripes have kept their preferences surprisingly quiet, perhaps because the tug and pull of the Clinton/Obama race risks splitting their fan bases: Sports figures such as returning UT student Michael Griffin are making calls for Obama, but bigger guns Mack Brown and Vince Young have yet to speak up. Lance Armstrong and Andy Roddick prefer to endorse widely popular health and fitness programs rather than candidates.
What about Austin’s social connectors? Out & About surveyed several hundred, unscientifically, by e-mail. In overwhelmingly Democratic Austin, most were split between Obama and Clinton, but a smattering replied in favor of Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee or John McCain.
“Being an independent voter, Huckabee appeals to me because he has the necessary political experience, pathos for all people, excellent communication skills, and is trustworthy,” says Oda Lisa Hernandez of Wimberley.
“Paul for me,” says musician and writer Rob Davidson. “(He’s the) only candidate that stands for individual rights and backs it up with his record. He doesn’t sell out to lobbyists and defends the Constitution. An all around principled politician.”
Although he finds McCain honorable, teacher Lawrence Morgan says the Republican candidate is “too much an old warrior for my comfort.” Morgan comes to a minority conclusion: “Once again I am left fondly wishing for a constitutional monarchy.”
Many Obama supporters mentioned his inspirational effect on the electorate.
Playwright Kirk Lynn says the candidate brings “the kind of experience it will take to lead us to, as James Baldwin put it, ‘achieve our country, and change the history of the world.’ “
“In a highly partisan Washington, I believe Obama may be our only hope for a more civil approach to politics and a focus on doing what is right for the country rather than a political party,” says Paul Ruiz.
“I believe Obama is capable of working constructively with many different kinds of people,” says writer and performer Cyndi Williams. “He perceives the world in its complexity, rather than casting everyone and everything as simply ‘good’ or ‘evil.’ “
Actress Shawn Sides supports Obama for electability reasons but wants to make clear: “I’m not a member of the cult.”
“I proudly and unabashedly support Clinton,” says Neena Husid (photo by Rebecca McEntee). “She is hands-down the most experienced, incisive and prepared candidate, plus I’ll be able to live with myself easier later knowing I didn’t ditch the candidate with substance and smarts for one with a prettier face.”
Mary Hennessy likes Clinton because: “She’s strong, experienced and smart. I want to be able to tell my daughters I helped elect the country’s first woman president.”
I’m supporting Clinton,” says Lynda Shanblum, “mainly because I believe she brings a higher level of maturity and pragmatism to the candidacy, along with more exposure to and experience with our most critical agenda, foreign relations.”
A goodly number, however, say they are still undecided just days before the primary.
“I had previously been for Hillary, because she had the best chance of winning the national election; but now Obama seems strong also,” says Tina Tawdre. “I am trying to decide if a whole new start would be better than continuing the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton royal dynasties.”
All of a sudden, this city, once ruled by politics, is supremely political again.
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Victoria Corcoran’s cool Oscar party
Austinite Victoria Corcoran counts among her best friends Bonnie Curtis, oft-time Steven Spielberg producer, and they were among the lucky ones gathered for a hush-hush pre-Oscar dinner on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The menu of this annual dinner — Victoria is a regular participant — is themed around the Best Picture nominees. Now Victoria must descend to Austin to live among the mortals.
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Saluting James Armstrong at the Opera Ball
If the sleek Ballet Fete benefiting Ballet Austin is the “Studio 54 of galas” — chic leaders of business, politics and the arts dressed in smart little outfits — and the ornate Jewell Ball for Austin Symphony Orchestra is the lovable old guard of galas — royalty, escorts, glittering trains and deep Texas curtsies — then the Opera Ball for Austin Lyric Opera lies somewhere in between.
Karen Landa, Dale Dewey, Rachel Farris
Saturday at the Four Seasons saw the social lions standing next to the social lambs of Austin; spectacular costumes alongside elegant valentines to understatement.
Concert pianist Anton Nel with Long Center co-founder JoAnne Christian
Kenneth Price, Jennifer Price, Jenny Murphy, Jonathan Davison
It was all in honor of James Armstrong, the super-patron whose ancestors discovered oil on their West Texas ranch generations ago. Armstrong’s extended family — ex-wife, children, their spouses and at least one grandchild, along with his partner Larry Connelly — attended.
Brandi Armstrong (who surprised her grandfather by flying in from California), James Armstrong, Larry Connelly
Also milling about the richly decorated hall were most of the other big names in arts philanthropy whose names adorn theaters, concert halls, educational programs and museum galleries, all expressing their warmth for Armstrong, probably most associated with the community music school dubbed in his honor.
Deborah Stassen, William Stassen, both physicians, both from Ireland, and yes, related to the perennial presidential candidate
Four Seasons chef Elmar Prambs outdid himself with innovative dishes — truffle pâté, dover sole fillets with scallop mousse, Poire William sorbet, beef Wellington and my favorite, the French soufflé glacé.
Erica Shepler, Maria Shepler, Peter Nixon, Blythe Monhiet, also all physicians!
The evening, which was rather poorly paced and not always well miked, included arias and choral songs, a video tribute and speeches, as well as a lively auction. Kudos to Suzanne Shore, Lidia Agraz, Katharine Shields and their planning team for what worked well.
Allen Peck, Lidia Agraz, Don Eckols, Monica Hebert, Joe Christie
We are happy to report that Tana Christie, our host at Table 37, agreed to join a merry band headed to Marfa at the end of the week, where we’ll catch up with the Austin colony in that Oscar-blessed land.
And look who we found: the radiant Jane Greig flanked by John Fleming and Brian Greig
Photos by Michael Barnes
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Best picture: ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’? No. “No Country”
The most honored film early on … “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Winning for Sound, Sound Editing and Film Editing, beating at the time, “No Country” and “La Vie en Rose” 3 to 2 each.
Whaaaaa…. they are giving Best Actress now? This is wild. Wild. And a fairly huge upset: Marion Cotillard for “La Vie en Rose.” Yes, she won earlier awards (Globe, BAFTA), but she has so little Hollywood history. I guess I really must see the movie now.
Now we are into the nostalgia part of the evening: Montages of the Best Picture winners, honors to very, very old people.
That moves into the hurry-up part: Award after award, such as Foreign Language Film (“The Counterfeiters” from Austria), and the endearing “Falling Slowly” from “Once.”
Still no favorite at 10:35 p.m. Daniel Day-Lewis made the awards for “There Will Be Blood” two, tying “No Country for Old Men” and “La Vie en Rose.” All else have one, save “The Bourne Ultimatum“‘s three.
Then, all becomes clear as “No Country” wins director and picture. Deservedly.
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Owen Wilson and the split Oscars (so far)
Owen Wilson is back, looking and sounding hale and hearty, if fairly somber. Still, heartening to see him in the public eye.
The voters have split the awards exactly one apiece so far.
“La Vie en Rose” (1), “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (1); “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (1); “The Golden Compass” (1); Animated feature “Ratatouille” (1), “Le Mozart des Pickpocket” (1); “No Country for Old Men” (1), “Peter and the Wolf” (1).
First biggie of the night: Javier Bardem shoots down Supporting Actor for “No Country.” His Spanish-language thanks were deeply moving.
“Oscar Salute to Binoculars” and “Bad Dreams: An Oscar Salute” were long-overdue mocking of the typical montage.
Alright, second of the biggies: Supporting Actress is a shock: Tilda Swinton for “Michael Clayton.” The highlight, her pronunciation of “buttocks” and “nipples.”
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Jon Stewart’s jokes just keep rolling
“Does this town need a hug,” jabbed Jon Stewart. “Thank God for teen pregnancy.”
Already on a roll. First Javier Bardem hair joke of the ceremony. Then the first Jewish joke, Clinton joke, the first lawyer joke, first drugged-out joke (Dennis Hopper), stripper joke, Iraq war joke, McCain joke, “liberal Hollywood” joke, Obama joke, then the topper: “Gaydolf Titler.”
“Elizabeth the Golden Age” wins Best Costume. Don’t historical pictures always win?
And we have the first moving Oscar montage.
Animated feature: “Ratatouille.” Makeup: “La Vie en Rose.” No surprises here.
Is this song from “Enchanted” for real? I understand the irony, and Amy Adams nails the style, but really …
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Oh, let Seacrest be Seacrest
You know, Seacrest is who he is, and somebody has to do the job, no matter how ugly.
Even though most of our posts about the two hours of red carpet express horror at his non sequiturs and rudeness, Seacrest keeps things lively and a little off-kilter. Who else would ask such inane questions of celebrities, snapping them out of their regal dignity?
At least he’s not Regis Philbin, who takes over the honors on ABC at 7 p.m..
More pregnant people: Jessica Alba in her third trimester. Seacrest asks “too personal” question about breast feeding. And Cate Blanchett’s preggers, too.
Marion Cotillard looks like she’s trying out for “Mermaids.” Seacrest makes her speak with an American accent.
Tilda Swenson doesn’t need a colorful dress. She’s orange enough as she is. She keeps up with Seacrest’s silliness.
For the second time this evening, Seacrest brings up gossip about something the subject swears they’ve never heard about. This time about Colin Ferrell.
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It’s just a date, Ryan
Now they making a big deal about Clooney bringing girlfriend Sarah Larson to the red carpet. Didn’t know the practice was so rare. So they chatter about marriage without even so much as a confirmation question.
Steve Carell handles Seacrest best: It’s all a joke to him. Don’t you hate how Seacrest calls everybody “buddy”? Seriously, do you think your average star is eager to see his hyper face in their faces?
Laura Linney looks fantastic. Is that color aubergine?
James McElvoy: “What a great night for really intelligent film-making.” That was his substantive response to Seacrest’s silly questions about this being the best part of making movies.
Jennifer Garner is assaulted by Gary Busey. Then Seacrest brushes Busey off, telling the camera he has no idea what’s happening on the red carpet.
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Please stop Ryan Seacrest
Tom Wilkinson sounds like a real actor, separating the role from the actor in discussing “Michael Clayton” and “Hamlet.” But he’s self-deprecating, too, talking about his obsession for “Friends.” Ryan Seacrest’s interview is as inane as one could imagine.
George Clooney is all class, all the time. Seacrest’s dribble about Clooney’s romantic side is just embarrassing.
Jason Bateman is putting up with Seacrest’s comb jokes and pushing “Juno” eloquently. “The snowball is running down the hill,” Bateman said about a possible “Arrested Development” film.
“Only a true queen can pull off a Bardem,” quoth Seacrest on Javier Bardem’s infectiously bad haircut. Is Seacrest finally coming out?
Anne Hathaway made the big bad red dress goof this year. “Diaphonous chic?” I think not.
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Three juicy choices for live Oscar posts
Fashion writer Marques Harper and film writer Chris Garcia are busily blogging away on the pre-Oscar red carpet. Throughout the evening, you’ll read The Goods and Austin Movies about the stars, the gaffes, the winners and the losers. Of course, Out & About will be posting as well, so keep tune to all three. …
Why are they talking about Britney and Angelina Jolie on E? They have nothing to do with the Oscars.
Heidi Klum looks like Chris from “Project Runway” designed her big-crested costume. She’s acting up like a teenager.
Amy Ryan: I can’t believe she’s such a classic beauty after seeing her in unattractive roles such as the one in “Gone Baby Gone.”
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Vino Vino, Leonard Bernstein and Sooners
The opera Friday evening was Leonard Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti,” a melancholy meditation on suburbia and marriage. It’s one of those short operas always mentioned, but rarely staged. The Butler Opera Center at the University of Texas is just the sort of educational group to do it, and director Robert DeSimone contributed another smart, mature staging (although I wish the Greek chorus trio were positioned farther downstage where we could hear them). Didn’t stay for the second half of the bill, but isn’t it great to swoop down on a theater to see a short, piquant opera and move on to the next event of the evening? Another Austin delight.
When the Aggies came to town last week, hoping to heap more humiliation on the Texas men, the batches of maroon could be spied all over the Erwin Center. They left disappointed, but loyal to the end. Hardly a Sooner could be spotted or heard at Saturday afternoon’s game — not nearly sold out — which produced a similarly lopsided victory for the Horns. Maybe UT is a No 1 seed for the NCAA tourney. Mr. Chatterbox decided not to sit behind us this game; he would have exploded at all the bad calls, which couldn’t stop the Longhorn Express.
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Mercury Hall set to become apartments
Mercury Hall, the renovated chapel among the live oaks at the crest of a South First Street hill, is under contract to become apartments. Trammell Crow Company, the Dallas-based developer, expects to build 180 units on the four-acre site, according to Galindo Neighborhood leaders who were briefed on the plans by the property owner this week.
No word on whether the chapel — which has housed hundreds of happy events, such as weddings, fundraisers and concerts — or all the oaks will survive. The indoor/outdoor nature of the hall, and its relatively central location, has made it attractive to all sorts of activities, such as the recent Equality Texas Martini Mixer. The chapel was built in 1904 in Mercury, 120 miles northwest of Austin, and was moved here in 1997.
“There are many mature, protected trees here,” said Galindo executive committee member Nick Mollberg, who was saddened by the proposal. “We are eager to keep the space as green as possible, and work to limit the proposed number of units.”
Perhaps designers can come up with a plan to preserve the chapel on site, as the developers are doing with the Broken Spoke property on South Lamar Boulevard.
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Kelso wins! I lose! Sort of …
A buddy of his recalled an example: In the late 1970s, the original home for Antone’s at Brazos and Sixth Street was razed to build the Littlefield mall and residences. Most people don’t remember that these are actually lofts, a couple dozen of them, perched above the noisy street. Iconic? Antone’s had not been at that location for long, and the later Guadalupe Street venue accrued far more nostalgia, not to mention the fact that Antone’s has far from vanished, now thriving at Fifth and Lavaca streets.
But a bet is a bet. And I promised to front Kelso a pricey bottle at an ultra-lounge like Qua or Pangaea, also frequent pin-cushions for his columns on New Austin. Instead, he requested a six-pack to share with his buddy when Longhorns baseball season opened. Guess what time it is? I thought I’d spring for a whole 12-pack, just over $8 at the South Congress Chevron.
Worth every penny.
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Live debate-watching party post No. 5
Security was thick and tight at the Hyatt Regency Austin, which implied the presidential candidates would end up there, rather than Obama stopping by the Scholz party, as was rumored earlier in the evening.
The overflow from the second-floor ballroom, where Texas Democratic dignitaries gathered, draped over the various lobby bars and nooks. Clearly, debate fever had clasped the entire hotel.
Jimmy Dushku, Heidi Dushku
“It was pretty chaotic,” said blogger Jimmy Dushku, who huddled on a banquette next to his mother, Heidi. “Everybody had a feeling of being a part of the debate. But whenever there’s a big event in Austin, the whole community gets involved.”
Kim Joffe, Lisa Matulis
“Yeah, the crowd seemed invested,” said Kim Joffe, who kept up the energy post-debate with Lisa Matulis. “I was surprised by how split it was. Before, everyone was ‘Obama, Obama, Obama.’ Then again, I was in the women’s room and they were talking about him like he was Mick Jagger.”
Standing alone in the lobby was stage and screen actor Randy Stripling, who, in the most discreet way possible, revealed he was running for U.S. Senate as a write-in candidate. “You know how it is: No name recognition; no money,” he said. “But I’ve been encouraged by the support I’ve had so far.”
This year, everyone gets involved.
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Live debate-watching party post No. 4
Whoah. That kind of small Austin talk with strangers is usually reserved for the biggest Longhorn games.
At the Alamo South Theater, all parking lots were full and two theaters were sold out with debate watchers. Earlier, they had lingered by a live donkey and tables for Clinton and Obama supporters.
“It’s 3 to 1 Obama,” said box office operator Julia Ruth (pictured holding the Alamo election tally). Patrons had reported their preferences when they purchased the required $10 beverage voucher. (No charge for admission.)
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Live debate-watching party post No. 3
The candidate neutral party at Mother Egan’s was so well attended that Greg Steinberg and Alix Horton commandeered a couch at the nearby club Molotov.
Greg Steinberg, Alix Horton
“Awww… It’s playing here, too!” said one Molotov celebrant expecting a different kind of party.
Angie Kalsbeck and Bryan Vega craned their necks to see the giant screen at Mother Egan’s — from the sidewalk outside. Cheers and applause seemed evenly divided on the pub’s patio. Early on, the biggest rose went up when Clinton urged an end to ” Bush’s war on science.”
Angie Kalsbeck, Bryan Vega
Melissa Long and Kurt Mohlman watched in the comparatively tense atmosphere of the bar’s interior. They are splitting their allegiences.
Mohlman: “We try not to discuss it.”
Long: “Or when we do, he doesn’t hear what I say”
Melissa Long, Kurt Mohlman
Up and down West Sixth Street, bars that normally showed only sports or music on their monitors were tuned to the debate. Checking back on Molotov, the apolitical celebrant was parked at the bar, enthralled. It’s been that type of election.
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Live debate-watching party post No. 2
The question of the night: How do you spread your political message without alienating your friends, especially in a close, historic race like this one?
At Texans for Obama at Scholtz Garten, full at 5:30, packed at 6.
Susan Blount, Dana Dean, Peggy Reis, Bridgette Beinecke
Susan Blount: “You think about their perspective and of points that would resonate with them.”
Dana Dean: “I’m generally not fearful of alienating other people. I have friend on the fence who are excited about having two viable candidates. We just talk about which one would be superior.”
Peggy Reis: “I live in rural Wisconsin and I’m surrounded by Republicans, so my husband and I broach the issues, not the candidates.”
Bridgette Beinecke: “It’s more of a soft sell approach. I say ‘This person merits your consideration.’”
Troy Hill, Loretta Renfro, Sheryl Alexander
Troy Hill: “I first ask if they are registered to vote. Most I talk to are for Obama. If they are not registered, I try to get them. It doesn’t count if you don’t vote.”
Loretta Renfro: “You just urge them to vote, no matter who for. And at our church, we give them rides.”
Sheryl Alexander: “Everybody needs to vote for who they support. Just vote.”
Ryan Soelberg, Sarah Smith, Mike Agresta
Ryan Soelberg: “It’s difficult. I’ve lost one friend over this election.”
Sarah Smith: “My parents are social workers, so they are big on ‘saying things other people can hear.’ … Talking about things both people know. That said, even my parents are pretty prickly about the subject right now.”
Mike Agresta: “Humor is important. Make fun of all sides. And if the person is your friend, respect their opinions.”
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Live debate-watching party post No. 1
Out & About hopes to drop by each event tonight, so check the blog to find out how people are socializing for political purposes. Our question: How does one spread a political message among friends without offending supporters of other candidates? We’ll record the responses live, then add the photos after 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, so many journalists and celebrities are milling about Austin, it’s hard to keep up. Here are a couple of leaks: Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel with guests Joe Ely and Carolyn Wonderland plan to perform at a post-debate event for Obama tonight. Then comedian George Lopez will perform a set in support of Obama at Opal’s Penn Field on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Other tips welcome.
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Olympic hopeful Eric Shanteau makes splash at Hilton event
Shanteau, an Olympic hopeful and subject of a recent Statesman profile, routinely ranks second or third in his events, but only the top two U.S. contenders can make the team, even if he’s also, say, No. 3 in the world.
Shanteau shined at a charity event, oddly scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at the Hilton Austin’s 8th-floor health club pool. It was all part of a Hilton campaign to help local swim clubs and the USA Swimming Foundation. (Participants are swimming a total of 6,250 laps at various Hiltons — symbolizing the miles from Los Angeles to Beijing — while the hotel chain donates tens of thousands of dollars to train swimmers. Cool idea.)
Shanteau told me about his upcoming meets, including one in Austin on March 6-8 (the most overcrowded weekend of the Austin social calendar each year), as well as an encore exhibition event for spectators. He’ll take a week or so off, then head to the Olympic training village in Colorado Springs (we joked about gasping for air at the facility I visited last year).
What does he do during his off weeks? Read books. And lake activities: “My idea of the perfect day is a day at the lake,” says the athlete who grew up on Lake Lankier near Atlanta.
Two of the local groups participating in the Hilton event were Nitro, a North Austin swim club, and SWIM, a group that matches coaches with at-risk kids.
Dominic Testa of USA Swimming Foundation with Paul Wallace and Bryan Jones of SWIM
“It’s in between ‘learn to swim’ and competitive events,” says Paul Wallace, the investment banker and UT swim alum who helps run the program. Wallace says he grew up in a single-parent home in the San Antonio inner city, and swimming helped rescue him from a wasted life. So, working through Boys and Girls Clubs, he’s making a difference in Austin.
Hilton’s Sean Durkin, Joe Bolash and Paul Parr, executive sous-chef
It was also fun hanging out with the crack Hilton staff, although the only refreshment I sampled with the so-called Vitamin Water (from the Center for Responsible Hydration, whatever that is). It tasted like green tea, which is what it is.
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Your A-List: Best Spa
I know, I know, the experience sounds heavenly: All those massages, mani-pedis, scrubs, packs, healthy eats and drinks. What better way to recuperate for a weekend of Outing and Abouting?
Just because we don’t have firsthand knowledge of these establishments, doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate that the Second Street District 2006 addition Milk + Honey must be treating customers right, having won 30 percent of your A-List vote. Cheers to the relative new kid on the block.
No. 2 Lake Austin Spa — considered one of the best in the world — has had longer to earn its 26 percent. The Crossings took 8 percent, Barton Creek 7 percent, Jackson Ruiz 6 percent, Mecca almost 6 percent, Four Seasons 5 percent, Ann Kelso, Daya Aziz and Joie de Vie right around 3 percent, and Salon 505 2 percent.
Write-ins: Dayhouse, Iris, Kisma, LifeSpa at Lifetime Fitness, Spa Django at Hyatt Lost Pines, Tower Health Club, Vickmay and Woodhouse.
Gotta try that sometime.
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Your A-List: Best Smoothie
With locations on Barton Springs Road and Lake Austin Boulevard, Daily Juice, your winner in the A-List vote with 33 percent, is positioned to service runners, bikers, swimmers and other athletes and recreationalists. DJ also operates a popular mobile unit (see photo).
Here’s what austin360.com blogger Matthew Odam wrote when the Lake Austin location opened: “Daily Juice offers a wide variety of organic vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies. Customers can make their own or order from a broad array of juices and smoothies already devised by the juice masterminds. The store also carries delicious vegetarian and vegan food products, from the Vegan Snicker Doodle to an assortment of treats offered by Baraka Foods Co., a natural food company owned by Daily Juice co-owner Keith Wahrer.”
If not a specialty shop, the next best place to find a smoothie is where they sell the food: Whole Foods came in second with 18 percent, Wheatsville third with 17 percent and Central Market fourth with 8 percent. (Actually, it tied exactly with Jungle Juice.)
Close behind was ice-cream purveyors Amy’s with 7 percent. Taking less than 5 percent: Flipnotics, Maui Wowi, Zoombaz and Camille’s
Image of Daily Juice on Lake Austin Boulevard by Matthew Odam
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Update: Sandra Bullock, Owen Wilson, Dennis Quaid, Taylor Kitsch
Sandra Bullock: She’s slated for another romantic comedy, “The Proposal.” We also hear she’s finally getting local author Amanda Eyre Ward’s “Sleep Toward Heaven” on a faster track (she optioned the novel in 2003).
Owen Wilson: Is he getting his groove back through “Marley & Me” with Jennifer Aniston in Miami?
Taylor Kitsch: Won’t be hanging around Austin for a while, since “Friday Night Lights” is on hiatus, so will join the cast of “Wolverine,” along with Mr. Romantic of the Moment Ryan Reynolds, an infrequent Austin visitor since filming “Fireflies in the Garden” here.
Dennis Quaid: His “Vantage Point” is a critical bust, but he’s all over the news in his new “G.I. Joe” role as General Hawk. Check this image of Quaid in his costume uniform.
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It’s not hard to be Out in Austin
The voice was soft and steady, more Gulf Coast than Central Texas, steeled with an authority acquired, most likely, through motherhood.
“Mr. Barnes, I don’t think the general public is interested in reading about the gay lifestyle … “
The call was inevitable.
Although only a fraction of Out & About chronicles the lives — not the lifestyles — of gay Austinites, the subject still rankles.
I was pleasantly surprised that it took five months of the print version of Out & About before just two readers complained about the gay thing (more on the second response later). In 1994, when the American-Statesman ran a front-page story on how AIDS had devastated the Austin arts community, the attacks were numerous and vicious, including unholy glee over the illness and demise of local artists.
It was also my first experience with death threats. One came scrawled over the image of Nazi SS officer: “We will hunt you down and exterminate you.”
All this despite the fact that the word “gay” never appeared in the article.
By 2001, the civic mood had changed. For a high-profile series of articles, writing partner Sean Massey and your columnist surveyed 1,200 members of the Central Texas gay and lesbian community, finding that they felt safe, comfortable and satisfied with the quality of life here, yet they missed certain aspects of traditional gay culture, such as social spaces, businesses and other resources.
One reader, however, was memorably upset by the image of a man sitting in another’s lap. Only he wasn’t. (See image above.) The reader imagined it. How the mind wanders.
(Catching up: Massey was recently elected to the City Council in Binghamton, N.Y., where he teaches social psychology at the State University of New York. He and partner Loren Couch are opening a bistro in downtown Binghamton, which looks to Austin for clues to attracting the creative class. Their adopted son — my godson — is the most animated 5-year-old one could imagine.)
Out & About, as many readers know, started in 2005 as, primarily, a chronicle of local gay culture on austin360.com. It quickly expanded to include arts and entertainment reporting, as well as vignettes of street life, night life, anywhere life in Austin. It was not until last summer that it assumed the forthright task of recording the social scene, which incorporates every aspect of local culture, including business, politics, education, sports, fashion and entertainment.
A tiny tincture of pink remains in the print column’s subject matter — and title — which led to the other remark, left in the blog edition’s commentary block. One word: “Queer.”
Both responses are exceptions, not rules. Austin can be a gloriously welcoming city for gay newcomers who can adapt to its social eccentricities.
We were prepared for the culture shock of living in close proximity to fraternity houses for the first time, but some of our friends expressed alarm that we might be, somehow, in danger of harassment or worse. After all, this was not long after a gay and lesbian student association float was pummeled with beer bottles during the annual Round Up Parade on Guadalupe Street. Not cool.
They need not have feared. We got along swimmingly with our new Greek friends; they came to our parties; we went to theirs. They tolerated our lame impersonations of blues musicians on our front porch; we cheered their hapless but heartfelt volleyball and basketball games.
One night — and I’ve told this story countless times, so if you’ve heard it, bear with me — during rush week, the fraternity men across the street were throwing a bash, while we were goofing around our front yard after a rehearsal, or work or something. It was very late. Two young men, new to town, spied our improvisational dancing and wandered over to inquire.
“Are y’all on drugs, or something?” one asked.
“No, we’re just in the theater,” one of us replied. “We’re like this every night.”
The duo lingered for a while, using that mocking tone reserved for junior-high bullies, then they returned to the big party.
Moments later, two fraternity officers crossed the street with troubled looks on their faces.
“Did those guys bother you?” they asked, concerned for their neighbors.
“Nah,” we replied. “Their attempts at intimidation just made us giggle.”
“Well, they came back to party and said, ‘We tried to (mess) with them, but they wouldn’t let us.’”
Exactly. That became our house motto. And has been a motto for dealing with the few remaining bullies and bigots in this great city.
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Longhorns and Rufus Wainwright, only in Out & About
I’m sure you’ve experienced this: There’s a season ticket holder behind me in Section 94 who talks constantly to officials, as if they could hear him half a mile away in the $10 seats. Now, I could understand yelling at the refs near courtside, and, by instinct, I’ll blurt out a criticism every once in a while, but the ongoing zebra-phobe monologue begins to wear after a few games. (He even critiques other fans’ critiques.) I chalk it up to TV-watching behavior, but a least in the arena, unlike a movie theater, it’s supposed to be loud.
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Broadway producer mixes and matches at Vespaio
Hosts, like matchmakers, know you can’t shove people together and expect love to bloom. Instead, you collect a diverse set in a single room and let them find each other.
That’s what evolving social connector Anne Elizabeth Wynn did Sunday night with Broadway producer Pun Bandhu, who was in town accepting an honor from the Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
Pun Bandhu, Stephen Mills
She had met Bandhu a couple of years ago when Salvage Vanguard Theatre’s “Intergalactic Nemesis” was first considered for a high-profile New York run. They kept up the connection as he won back-to-back Tony Awards for the “Glengarry Glen Ross” revival and the smash musical adaptation of “Spring Awakening.”
Brent Hasty, Quality Quinn, Amy Barbee
So whom should Bandhu meet while in town? Well, Ballet Austin wizard Stephen Mills and his sharpie partner and high-tech exec Brent Hasty, Texas Cultural Trust director Amy Barbee, First Night helmer Patricia Paredes and Marfa artistic exponent Quality Quinn. The table at Vespaio poised as Bandhu recounted the development process for “Spring Awakening” and considered the potential of an Austin spot on the hit’s upcoming tour. (The rock musical about a 19th-century school’s tormented discovery of sexuality is ideal for Our Town’s young demographics.)
Patricia Paredes, Anne Elizabeth Wynn
Bandhu, whose casual, friendly tone is more Austin than New York, engaged the dinner partiers one on one. Looks like Wynn has made a match for Bandhu and Austin.
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Austin’s prime starwatching season is upon us
The teenager from Corpus Christi could hardly contain himself. Would Out & About confirm the exact location of Vanessa Hudgens, the sweetheart of Disney’s supernova, “High School Musical,” while she was filming “Will” in Austin?
This columnist could add only one word: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
From the beginning, Out & About has advocated a light touch with celebrities: Don’t invade their zones of privacy, even in public, except when they clearly invite the attention. That’s advice to remember as Austin’s prime stargazing season — before, during and after South by Southwest — commences.
That’s just the overture. Rodeo Austin already lured hall of famer Nolan Ryan to its gala two weeks ago at the Palmer Events Center, and the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo expects to parade Willie Nelson (never enough Willie, is there? For proof check out our “75 Days of Willie” birthday countdown at austin360.com/willie) and country legend George Jones, plus a crew of up-and-comers and nostalgia acts, around the Travis County Exposition Center beginning March 1. (Couldn’t tell you where the actual rodeo athletes party. Maybe a reader can help.)
The South by Southwest Film Festival, which unspools March 7, always magnetizes hundreds of filmmakers. The headliners include Helen Hunt, Kal Penn, David Schwimmer, Kristen Bell, Jim Sturgess and Neil Patrick Harris, plus others not yet officially announced. (Hey, just realized: Two “Friends” in town at once, right where Jennifer Aniston first hooked up with Brad Pitt.) Movie mogul Michael Eisner is among the more unusual SXSW guests, slated for the March 11 Vuguru studio launch of its second original series “The All-For-Nots,” starring Austin native Kathleen Grace.
The Long Center for the Performing Arts holds its Sneak Peak Weekend March 6-9, with performances by Mass Ensemble, the Brewery Troupe’s Crowtations and the Tami Wolfe Duo, building suspense for the grand opening of the long-awaited center later in March. UT alum Tommy Tune returns as master of ceremonies at the March 28 Long Center gala, then an all-Texas concert follows March 29 with Ray Benson with Asleep at the Wheel, Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Rick Trevino and Flaco Jimenez — acts Austinites can see any day, but not in such acoustically generous surroundings. Among classical artists, Metropolitan Opera-banned Kathleen Battle is the biggest name slated for the Long Center’s early weeks, appearing in recital April 8.
Two more premium social events — Austin Under 40 Awards (March 7) and Huston-Tillotson University’s President’s Masked Ball (March 8) — are that weekend. Crazy stuff, because they, too, tend to pull in leaders from the business, charity, education and political communities. (Let’s go over that again: Texas Film Hall of Fame, SXSW Film Fest, Beyond the Lights, Austin Under 40 Awards, Long Center Sneak Peak and Masked Ball, all in the space of two days. Somebody is not doing their math.)
Rounding out the March stargazing, “The Tree of Life” imports Sean Penn — now in San Francisco shooting the Harvey Milk biopic directed by Gus van Zant — and Pitt for a Smithville shoot.
At that point, we can only pray that Angelina Jolie doesn’t show. The city will be celebrity-sated.
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Michael Huff herds Horns for charity weekend
Signed for the fun April 4-5 in Austin are a lot of all-star athletes with bodies honed for other sports: Nathan Vasher (Chicago Bears), Roy Williams (Detroit Lions), Tatum Bell (Detroit Lions), Jonathan Scott (Detroit Lions), Shaun Rogers (Detroit Lions), B.J. Johnson (formerly Denver Broncos), Sloan Thomas (Houston Texans), Shane Boyd (Houston Texans), Jacoby Jones (Houston Texans), Trenton Shelton (Indianapolis Colts), Derrick Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs), Hollis Thomas (New Orleans Saints), Dominic Rhodes (Oakland Raiders), Fabian Washington (Oakland Raiders), Stemford Routt (Oakland Raiders) and Bo Scaife (Tennessee Titans). Details about the event to be announced soon.
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Crawling to Light Bar, the Marq and Prague
For readers still perplexed about young people moving downtown in droves — despite high real estate prices — spend just a short night out on the town. A post-midnight visit to three lively Congress Avenue clubs — all reconfigured in the past months — revealed three more reasons why Austin night life just never stops expanding.
Shawn Davis, Joyce Miller at Light Bar
Light Bar, formerly the Forum at Congress and Fourth Street, has traded its back lounge for a forward exhaustion niche and a raised stage for live music. This looks like an alluring early-evening bar, but the real action was on the roof, which is now an appealing hip-hop dance club.
Erin Nick, Jeff Cruz, Carlos Garcia at Light Bar
A chic crowd, including Amber Roth’s bumpin’ bachelorette party, filled the night air with revelry.
Kim Barnes, April Gage, Bridget Coers, Amber Roth, Julie St. Martin at Light Bar
Over at the Marq, the Womack brothers’ foray into the more grown-up side of downtown, holds down the southwest corner of Congress and Fifth, and a short line had formed by 12:30 a.m.
Alexandra Eastes, Nere Emiko at the Marq
Mostly a snooze when it was Glass, the Marq was packed with celebrants Saturday, shaking to a nimble DJ.
Allison Tisdale, Tory Lauterbach, David Turley, Robin McHennly, Katie Naranjo, Jeffrey Leopold at the Marq
A high quotient of arrogant young men, which made my female companions wrinkle their noses in disdain, didn’t hurt the overall attractiveness, which was shockingly high for both genders.
Derek Swanson, Iris Gonzalez at the Marq
Under the Marq lies Prague, which one patron said was where his set went when Gruv, next door, was too full.
Neha Vasani, Vinay Amin at Prague
I can only think of four other downtown basement bars off the top of my head — Barcelona, Cedar Street, the Cloak Room and the Elephant Room — but this one really lives up to its name.
Erin Collins, Jake Guzman at Prague
Very European, from the free-form space to the strategically placed video screens showing the dancers. (The YouTube quality, though, makes that experience seem a little creepy.)
Fleming Seay, Eric Diffner, Ashley (one name), at Prague
All three places attracted ecstatically mixed crowds, and all three DJs made our four Club Crawlers move unself-consciously. That’s a rare thing.
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Silly, sexy ‘Colosseum Wrestling’
What would we do without Arts on Real and Naughty Austin? Deprived of these twinned East Austin institutions, the camp-lite genre of theatrical entertainment — staged in actual theaters, at least — would go missing locally.
Some might say: “What about Zach? Dave Steakley has staged ‘Reckless’ and ‘Forever Plaid’ and ‘Beehive,’ etc.” Those objectors would be right, up to a point. But Zach tends to tasteful notions of campiness, i.e. high camp, which is not as guilty a low-camp pleasure as say Naughty Austin’s “Pageant” or this week’s Arts on Real tickler, “Colosseum Wrestling.”
Well, that and the modest display of flesh. Let’s not be coy. For those reasons, it’s a hit, with concrete potential for revivals and tours to Houston and San Antonio, reports Yelavich.
Reading Week No. 7
The midwinter Reading Week always evaporates too quickly. We’re back in Austin with a few passing thoughts on the value of Marcel Proust and other novelists to a social columnist.
While Anthony Trollope provided the keys to ideal social behavior and George Eliot gave insight into moral choices in society, Henry James dramatized the ultimate impermeability of certain social webs. His contemporary Proust also observed the social classes intermingling, almost never understanding each other in a satisfying way.
In Proust, love rarely involves just two people, but rather is shared by concentric social circles of family and friends. Anxiety keeps the social — not economic — classes from crossing paths more often. In the first volumes, M. Swann seems to pass through social barriers more easily than others, but most of his interlocutors misread him from the start.
How often this is played out in Austin.
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Reading Week No. 6
It’s not that difficult, really, with a little organization and a lot of cooperation from friends. Ours was inspired by a made-up holiday in Iris Murdoch’s “The Book and the Brotherhood.” (Spoonbills from this year pictured.)
Truth is, the first one, 14 years ago, proved to be a disaster, with guests fighting to set the tone of what was then a Reading Weekend. Was there to be loud music and dancing or quiet chatting and paging through books? Who was to cook what and when? What if the dogs didn’t get along? And where would everyone sleep — or not?
As you read this, we should be wrapping up our week of literary bliss. If you follow these few directions, you could be doing the same this time next year.
1. Pick a date. Early. Like months in advance. Or a year. Advertise the date to your friends, and remind them about it every chance possible. Start with a weekend, using Friday and late Sunday as travel time. Avoid the bigger beach holidays (Labor Day, Thanksgiving), and stick to the minor weekends with few conflicts (Presidents Day is perfect).
2. Book the house. Snowbirds aside, Texas beaches are pretty empty midwinter. Book a large cottage (ours sleeps 32) through one of the reliable rental agencies specializing in Surfside, Galveston or Port Aransas, all within 4 hours drive of Austin.
3. Assign tasks. Using your handy e-mail list, split up the cooks into teams. Give non-cooks supporting roles. That way, there’s no scramble in the kitchen. Assign bedrooms. Keep the nocturnal peace, at least initially. How do we gain this right? We pay for the entire week’s rent. Everybody else cooks and cleans (but, of course, we do too, but not on the weekend teams).
(And friends, such as Colorado’s Rob Kendrick and California’s Paul Talley, who lasted the entire week this year, pictured.)
5. Additional info for online only: Although rental houses often provide cooking and serving equipment, it’s best, once you decide to duplicate the experience, to store your own Reading Week extras off site: sharp knives, games, toys, kites, special utensils, paper products, dish towels, cleaning gear, anything that you ran out of the first time around and can predict will be needed again.
Have fun. Any questions?
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Reading Week No. 5
Otherwise, we are at that point in the RW when air dissolves into liquid pleasure. Four of us remain. I’m back in the comforting embrace of Proust. Pasta is prepared with leftover chicken or fresh, plump shrimp. In years past, guests left behind loads of pita, butter, capers and balsamic vinegar, among other surpluses. This year, it’s onions, French bread and wine.
Try making up meals that encompass those ingredients.
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Reading Week No. 4
Nora, our snakebit Lab, is back with us. A bit groggy from the painkillers and antibiotics, she avoids the bracken dunes. Yet the puppy is up to normal puppy behavior, even frolicking with Nick, our 10-year-old blond Lab.
We generally steer clear of partisan politics in this space, but it’s the big story for the next couple of weeks, given the sudden importance of the Texas primary. We’d be interested to know whom Austin’s social leaders — and not just the full-time politicos — are backing and why. Just another part of the fascinating social life of Austin.
The beach continues idyllic. (That’s Loren Couch, Clay Smith and Rob Kendrick in the kitchen.) After another swift storm, a clear, crisp morning beckons. Last night, we bundled around a breathy fire, played dominoes, and watched just one bad gay movie: “Postcards from America,” a flashback-riddled meditation on paternal monstrosity and ’70s street life. It put us all to sleep.
The piles of magazines are dwindling. Most popular, by informal survey: New York Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement, Harper’s, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, Texas Monthly, People, The New Yorker and The Economist.
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Reading Week No. 3
A storm whipped up Monday evening, whistling through the rafters and driving the remaining seven Weekers inside for more reading and the latest edtion of Paul Talley’s Big Bad Gay Film Festival. (The worst entry of the evening: “Colma,” a musical set in the dreary San Francisco suburb of that name.)
Among the books currently plowed by the Weekers: “The Sea, the Sea” by Iris Murdoch, “Dingley Falls” by Michael Malone, “Bridge of Sighs” by Richard Russo, “The Decameron” by Boccacio, “Letting Go” by Philip Roth and “Michael Tolliver Lives” by Armistead Maupin.
The wind has scrubbed away the clouds, leaving us with a Venetian sky by Gaudi or Turner — and a tense silence as we await an update on Nora.
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Reading Week No. 2
More heartbreakingly perfect weather at the beach. Which means, of course, round after round of cut-throat croquet.
My second book of the week: “Nureyev: The Life” by Julie Kavanagh. This meticulously researched biography by the London-based Kavanagh was ripped in the New Republic for dallying over the naughty bits in Rudolf Nureyev’s celebrated life, but that’s one reason we read biographies, right? He was a comet on the stage, but he also was a star in the nighclubs and resorts frequented by the rich and famous.
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Reading Week No. 1
Three enormous meals so far, one feast titled “My Bloody Valentine,” and every dish contained blood oranges. (See intentionally spattered beginning of the meal below.) Like so many Paul Talley-inspired meals, it took hours and hours to prepare. Appetizers at dusk. Dessert after midnight. Divine.
Twenty guests, two children, two dogs, hundreds of books and magazines. Some guests arrived as late as Saturday afternoon, others left as early as Sunday morning. A lucky few will stay all week, after the masses have departed. Only one completely new guest this year: Clay Smith of the Texas Book Festival.
Sound familiar? This territory is not far from the Out & About beat, only set in downtown Manhattan, not Austin. (Austin plays the briefest of cameo roles.) Currid knows her strengths, saying little about the theater and other performing arts, concentrating on art, fashion and music. She also makes a plea for saving the nightlife infrastructure from the city’s ongoing development, a problemmatic policy strategy. Quick read, though; interesting stuff. (Thanks to Mark Holzbach for the lend.)
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The teening of First Thursday
It’s been noted elsewhere that the South Congress First Thursday is shrinking, in part because of conflicts between street vendors and shop owners, and the intervention of city officials trying, not always successfully, to keep the peace.
Another cultural shift is less documented: The teening of First Thursday. Last night, observing the pedestrian flow from a cafe window, it was all too evident that suburban high schoolers have discovered an urban gathering place — en masse. Goths, neo-hippies, fashion nerds, you name it, the underage crowd, chased from Sixth Street and not always welcome on the Drag, have found a home, at least once a month.
Is this a good thing? South Congress shops were humming. Crowds shared the sidewalks with the same good cheer as always — that Austin thing again. And the scales have not tipped in the direction of all-out teen culture, which can be the kiss of death for some businesses. So no cause for alarm.
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Where to go without Out & About
Were I in town, though, these events would tempt Out & About:
Today: Launch of Parkside restaurant on East Sixth Street (actually may make this one). Photo of Parkside chef Shawn Cirkiel by Courtney Dudley.
Friday: Reno and “Throws Like a Girl” salute at the Off Center
Saturday: Chinese New Year at the Chinatown Center, Toma Mi Corazon at La Peña, Austin Wranglers Foundation’s Lone Star Arena Football Classic at the Erwin Center, Rodeo Austin Black Tie Gala at the Palmer Events Center
Sunday: Hospice Austin Gala Renaissance Austin Hotel, LunaFest at the Arbor Theater, Glynda Cox memorial at Jovita’s
Monday: On the Road with the Beats at the Ransom Center, W Austin Hotel & Residences Cocktails and Conversation at the Loft
Wednesday: Bitter Singles Party at 2209 Thornton Road
Heath Ledger in your medicine cabinet
The prescription medications that killed Heath Ledger — anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, pain killers — by accident are found in tens of millions of American homes.
This is not a screed about our over-medicated society. I’ll leave that to others. It’s a gentle reminder that, taken in tandem, especially with alcohol, they can be extremely dangerous.
I joke regularly about “Valley of the Dolls” — and even performed part of the Neely O’Hara alley scene at a party recently — but these comforting little pills, though legal and prescribed liberally by doctors, kill far more people than those few celebrities reported in 60-point type. Be safe.
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Your A-List: Best Computer Store
So what makes for a great computer store? We asked David DeBalko, owner of Logic Approach, which won the A-List poll for Best Computer Store with 26 percent of the vote.
“We get the consumer what they need at a good price, and not more than they need,” DeBalko said about the South Lamar Boulevard business that’s been around since 1987. “What you’ll see is a lot of people coming in with ads from Best Buy or somewhere else, looking for the latest technology, and when we explain that they don’t need all those things, they realize: ‘Why don’t I buy something used or refurbished?’ Which is the soul of our business.”
Less than 3 percent were earned by Computer Doctor and Computer Solutions.
Write-ins: Apple Store, Mac Alliance and PC Doctors.
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Your A-List: Best Jukebox
What’s a juke joint without a juke box? The whole retro dive bar movement depends, not just on retro live music, but those rainbow-shaded fountains of recorded tunes. What better accompaniment for sipping whiskey or planning adultery (not throwing out accusations, mind you)?
Aptly named Barfly’s drank up 7 percent, while East Austin classic Longbranch Inn took 6 percent. Almost too authentic G&S Lounge got 5 percent, while the seemingly doomed Ginger Man had 4 percent.
Taking less than 3 percent were Rio Rita, Little Thailand, Creekside Lounge, and the Peacock.
Write-ins: Bert’s BBQ, Cloak Room, Club de Ville, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Draught House, Horseshoe Lounge, Lala’s and Lovejoys
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Your A-List: Best Bakery
What a delicious category: Best Bakery. Not only do the following shops produce ample bread, cakes, pies and pastries for their regular customers, they supply coffee shops and restaurants with the staffs of life.
Once the king of the hill, Texas French Bread, fighting its way back, took 9 percent. La Mexicana, purveyors of sugary pan dulce, attracted 7 percent, while another veteran, Quack’s, squeezed in right behind. Lucy’s Cakes cooked up 6 percent and Mediterranean specialists Phoenicia a solid 5 percent. Russell’s, always a treat, had 5 percent.
Coming in with less than 3 percent were Mr. Natural, ATX Vegan Bakery, Mi Victoria and Hyde Park.
Write-ins: Food! Food!, Madcakes, Mandola’s, Sweet Tempered, Tiff’s Treats and Whole Foods
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Super Tuesday live party blog No. 5
10 p.m. (delayed because of iPhone problems): An Obama-centric crowd packed Scholz Garten, a throng as big as all the other election night parties put together and an unavoidable attraction to local elected officials.
A mosaic of Democratic associations were represented, but also ad hoc groups of students and others, delighted to be swept up in election momentum.
Becca Heffley, Caitlin Styrsky, Adam Bennett, Amanda Hodgson
“Obama is the only one with a big presence on campus,” said Adam Bennett, although others in his group allowed that Ron Paul also maintained a visible presence at UT. All but one of his friends were committed to Obama and they, for some reason, felt Clinton had dissed Texas during a speech last year.
Brad Harrington, Lahari Samineni, Lyren Brown
Lahari Samineni had commandeered another group of twentysomethings. “Everyone here has been pretty upbeat,” she said, with the biggest cheers coming when North Dakota and Kansas were called for Obama.
Jude Galligan and Amber Gugino, chatting about the Villa Muse creative development with Mayor Will Wynn, admitted to splitting their preferences between Obama and Clinton. They had filled out the yellow Scholz ballots and reported that whenever Republican results were announced the crowd would shout, rather childishly, “You (expletive)!”
Jude Galligan, Mayor Will Wynn
Still, electricity charged the crowd, even as they began to disperse after 10 p.m. Clearly, this will be an election to remember.
author=Michael Barnes author_email=mbarnes@statesman.com
Super Tuesday live party blog No. 4
9 p.m. Not surprisingly, the conversations at Santa Rita Cantina were especially nuanced, given that the party here consisted of alumni of the LBJ School I Public Affairs.
“It hasn’t been as raucous as I expected,” said Tina Bui.
The alumni came in all political stripes, and “undecided” got a lot of votes as McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Clinton and Obama split the returns into tiny splinters.
Roland Baldwin, Tina Bui, Nathan Doxsey, Susan Dow, Alice York
“It’s early yet,” said Susan Dow. “I haven’t heard people saying ‘I’m definitely voting for him or her.’ “
“Our families from around the country are not unified behind a candidate,” said Alice York.
Veronica Vargas Stidvent, Patrick Graves
“It seems like Obama is gaining momentum even if he isn’t winning everything,” said Veronica Vargas Stidvent.
“Whenever you get a few LBJers together, you’re going to hear politics,” said Patrick Graves, prez of the association’s Central Texas chapter.
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Super Tuesday live party blog No. 3
8 p.m. Cheers went up at Mr. Gatti’s on MLK as CNN projected Alabama for Huckabee. His backers, a mostly young, mostly clean cut gang, exuded optimism as they planned for their candidate’s rally here Saturday.
Several supporters expressed conviction that Huckabee would be in it for the long haul.
Linda Benskin, Holly Wonder, Patrick Hansen
“We’re thrilled at how he’s doing,” said Holly Wonder. “He’s an atypical Republican.”
“He’s the real candidate for change,” said Patrick Hansen, dismissing other pretenders to the title.
Julio Massad, Jason West, Ryan Ellis
“We’re glad Texas is going to play a role,” said Jason West, already a savvy motivator despite working in his first campaign.
Super Tuesday live party blog No. 2
7 p.m. Two things held true for the Austin Town Hall Conservatives, who met at Joe’s Crab Shack’s Party Pen on Lady Bird Lake, while Mardi Gras celebrations and basketball distracted other diners.
- Diversity. “You’re going to find somebody for everybody here,” said Judge Melissa Goodwin. “We agree on basic conservative principles, not candidates.”
Sharon Williams, Judge Melissa Goodwin, Mary Beaver 2. Restlessness. Self-described constitutionalists, libertarians and social conservatives saved their ire for perceived front-runners McCain and Clinton.
David Whitehead, Judy Morris, Steve Mason
Ron Paul supporter Judy Morris went out of her way to compliment Obama supporters as polite and “first class.”
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Super Tuesday watching parties live blog
Tonight, besides hoping to make the Chinese New Year celebration before midnight at Imperia, we’re hitting as many Super Tuesday watching parties as we can locate.
It’s not been easy. Several Democratic groups are gathering at Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. Great Hills Democrats, however, will party at Kerbey Lane at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, the Austin Chapter of the LBJ School Alumni Association will be at Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina down the street at 26 Doors, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Republicans have not made their parties as accessible to the public. Contacts with the Travis County Republican Party, Young Conservatives of Texas and College Republicans at UT have confirmed there will be parties, but nobody will tell me where! Mike Huckabee’s fans are grouping at Mr. Gatti’s on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, so we’ll start there.
Stay tuned for frequently updated reactions on this blog from the parties I attend.
Ben Sargent lances Bush in March Mad-ness
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Lisa Kudrow added to ‘Will’ cast (and more Austin celebrity news)
“Will,” the movie about a high-school battle of the bands prepping for production in Austin, has tacked on Lisa Kudrow to a cast whose most prominent names so far have been Vanessa Hudgens (“High School Musical”) and Scott Porter (“Friday Night Lights”).
After local auditions, the Daze, a youthful Austin band, has signed for the on-screen competition. Wanna join along? Third Coast Extras holds an open casting call 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Austin Film Society facilities at 1901 E. 51st St. For more information, call 472-5385, Ext. 1 or visit the casting company’s Web site.
In other Austin celebrity news, Dennis Quaid was drafted for the upcoming pic, “G.I.Joe.” … By now, you know that frequent Austin visitors Ethan Hawke and Matthew McConaughey are expecting. No, not together, silly. Hawke with his kids’ former nanny, Ryan Shawhughes, and the McConaughey one with Camila Alves, the twenty-ish Brazilian model. (All that talk about the shirtless one flirting with co-star Kate Hudson was leaked to promote “Fool’s Gold,” which opens Friday in Austin.) Funny, although Hawke and McConaughey are charter Austin Hollywood Boys (AHBs), nobody has reported spotting their amours around town …
Now that Vince Young and Michael Griffin are back in town to finish their University of Texas studies, some fans expect to salute the NFL pros at their old party haunts. Young, at least, once ruled this city and now can’t go out unheralded. It’s just as likely that the Titans will hit the books hard. The teacher inside me wishes that.
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Super socializing during Super Bowl
Made-up holidays are cherished by Americans as much as their traditional or official ones.
Customary Epiphany (Jan. 6), once a major stop on the ecclesiastical calendar, passed this year with barely a blip. Designated by law, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 21) was, rightly, more solemn than celebratory, also an excuse for a three-day weekend for some workers, but still too new to have developed a distinctly festive culture.
That leaves Super Bowl Sunday, a manufactured event with a shamelessly commercial function, as the year’s first fully anticipated and ceremonious holiday, and one not in danger of cancellation by the writers’ strike.
A mostly Patriotic crowd gathered at the Cedar Door downtown to watch the N.Y. Giants poison Boston’s perfect season.
Petra Dizdar, Brendan Starr, Audry Ley, Lea Markovick
“It’s an excuse for a party,” said Eli Catalan, an art director for A3 Design and totally disinterested in the game itself. “I came for the pretty girls, the food and the out of doors.”
Jane Martin, Erika Martin, Kate Millea, Melissa Shook
In fact, several of the celebrants, including devoted fans of each team, cited the clement weather as a reason to join strangers on the deck of the peregrinating Door.
“You can’t do this where we come from,” said Montanans Tracy and Heather Havens.
“Not without winter coats,” said Melissa Shook, a transplanted New Yorker and therefore a Giants fan among Bostonians Jane and Erika Martin and Massachusetts-born Kate Millea.
Tracy Havens, Heather Havens
The Martins had only just arrived in town, checked into the Hampton Suites and raced to the nearest game-watching post. Colorado techies Kyle Graver and Greg Pring, in town for business, were also staying in nearby hotels.
“It gives you something to look forward to,” said Graver, who favored the Giants, and claimed the team for Pring, who said he actually “couldn’t care less.”
“We liked the idea of $2 appetizers,” said Linda Ley about her posse’s choice of the Cedar Door. “And we don’t have to clean up,” added her companion Lea Markovik.
Ley was forthright about Super Bowl Sunday as a holiday: “It’s a good drinking day.”
“You feel the game if you’re with a lot of people,” said Ernesto Fraga, who split allegiences with his wife Claudia. “Sure it’s a holiday for us. But every day’s a holiday.”
Now there’s a response designed to appear in Out & About.
On a personal note, my Super Bowl Sunday was a bit frazzled because the previous two nights were devoted to the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner event to benefit Project Transitions. Our team of seven hosts, led by the American-Statesman’s Dale Rice, prepared an 11-course sit-down meal of Latin American and Texan dishes, accompanied by 20 varieties of wine, for 18 diners. Nine hours of marketing and prep work on Friday, followed by nine hours of cooking, serving and entertaining at the gorgeous Old West Austin house of Robert Mayott and Nick Shumway. I’ll leave it to other columnists present to describe the experience in detail, but your correspondent enjoyed himself just a little too much. Not a good idea for somebody with two big events the next day and an out-of-town guest on the way.
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Is there a ‘Porgy’ leaving soon for New York?
“That’s my baby,” cried the dapper man during the “Porgy and Bess” matinee Sunday. “The fruit certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Turns out it was Philip Michael Thomas, best known for his suede-sleek role on the original “Miami Vice.” He was in Austin to catch his daughter, Sacha Crosby, in the Zachary Scott Theatre production. Crosby, a member of the Austin band Rotel & the Hot Tomatoes, sang “Summertime” with a shimmering sweetness and threw the biggest dramatic punch to the hurricane scene.
I overheard Thomas using the B-word calling Crosby backstage before curtain. Given the glowing critical and audience responses, it’s no wonder fans are already projecting a run on the Great White Way. But nobody wants to jinx it. A million things could go wrong. And once the money people get involved, one can never tell what of the original will survive.
Many things went wrong during the show’s short run at the Austin Music Hall: Too hot one night, too cold the next, no plumbing another night, hinky acoustics in the balcony and surfaces caked in construction-related powder from the ongoing renovation.
But not the performances. They were astonishing, and by Sunday, the amplification was in fine tune. I mean it: The entire cast sounded fantastic in Dave Steakley’s jazzy, gospely version of the Gershwin masterpiece. Drop 30 or 40 minutes, add some snap to the transitions, and it’s ready for any theater in the country.
Photo by Michael Raiford
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Catalyzed by Catalyst 8
Emo’s, the tripartite music venue on Red River Street, doesn’t need an “under 40” club. It is an under 40 club, for the most part, as are many parts of the downtown entertainment districts.
Groups such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, which, like most orchestras, faces a graying audience, depend on the fresh blood from clubs such as the Symphony Bats. The Long Center’s under-40 backers are called Catalyst 8. They’ve expanded beyond socializing and fundraising to checking out other arts resources in town, and I caught up with them at the Austin Museum of Art last night for the Roy Lichtenstein retrospective.
Neat group. Some of them are already deeply invested in the arts, such as Dennis Karbach and Robert Brown, who have taken their Congress Avenue palace off the market and so will continue to grace Austin’s social scene. Others seemed to be in the discovery stage, which can be even more exciting.
Allen Beurshausen (with the Boost group that helps artists reach audiences), Colby Pyle and Andrew Long (whose work will appear in AMOA’s “20 to Watch” in a couple of weeks)
Mike and Jodie Baldwin of Zax Pints and Plates, which serves savory specialties and should benefit from the Long Center development
Jennifer Jones, Sharon Lyle
