Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2008 > May > 05 > Entry
Austin Star Map party in Great Hills
The Austin Star Map is a harmless bit of fan fun. Created by self-confessed gawker Ame Shillington, the snappy guide identifies more than 50 locations for famous movie scenes (“Slacker,” “Spy Kids,” etc.) as well as the homes, former homes, businesses and favorite night spots of the famous, mostly from the movie industry (Sandra Bullock, Dennis Quaid, etc.). A walking tour takes one through downtown sites, while another list points out prime stake-outs for celebrity spotting (Alamo Drafthouse, Uchi, etc.)
Meriah Garrett, Nick Wellinghoff
Some may find the whole idea invasive, but so far, almost nobody has complained, says Shillington. And Saturday, backers of the tourist map threw a launch party at the Great Hills Apartments Clubhouse (a clear indication of the map’s charmingly unpretentious origins).
Hannah Kimbro, Ian Mouton
Self-proclaimed D-Listers mixed with, well, whoever didn’t even make that low cut. We talked with musicians, models, technicians, early-career film actors, bloggers, radio personalities, all sorts of folks with whom we felt supremely comfortable.
At the party, Stephen Felix slipped me some MP3s of his orchestral band, Noise Revival, which is best described as soundtrack music, textured, imaginative, indicative of more creativity to come.
Stephen Felix, James Sommers, Nathan Felix
Which brings us around to artists sticking to their strengths. In three recent CDs, beloved belter Shirley Bassey smacked the wall with an ill-considered dance album (her voice is too round, dramatic, delineated for the collection entitled “Get the Party Started”); Maureen McGovern, whose cursive voice I also adore, unwisely strayed into wispy, melancholy Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and Judy Collins territory with “A Long and Winding Road”; but Natalie Dessay proved she’s the next soprano to beat with “Italian Opera Arias.” She knew exactly where to stick and where to stray.
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