Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > Out category
Out
August 27, 2008
Ground in Music and Strata TX at J. Black's
So many social connections surged at J. Black’s on Tuesday, it was hard to keep track. First, Strata TX held a happy hour, which makes sense, because the young professionals club for the Texas Cultural Trust significantly brings down the ages for the trust’s statewide supporters and helps spread the word about what this arts group does (primarily backs the Texas Commission on the Arts and educational programs about the arts, as well as some individual young artsts).
Erin Ivey, Marc Fort
Second, another group, Grounded in Music, held a simultaneous happy hour. This is another collection of twenty- and thirtysomethings putting their shoulders to the fundraising grindstone, this time for extracurricular music programs in schools not lucky enough to have well-heeled PTAs to pay for teachers. And they hire top musicians, too, keeping their operating budget to $40,000 by doing all the rest of the work with volunteers.
Jacquelyn Sorcic, Jeff Kreinik
But the best part was that the two groups met together in the narrow raised lounge behind the main U-shaped bar (where nightlife prince Brad Womack held court that dusk). Collaborating on the event meant their supporters cross-pollinated, something every charitable group in town should do. (I’ve seen it work for the Catalyst 8 folks on several occasions, for instance.)
Huey Houston, Leah Smith
Then it was off to dinner with the ever-gracious Stephen Rice and Mark Erwin and our instantaneous friends, Oliver Everette and Craig Rancourt at Eastside Cafe. We all left pleasantly stuffed and content.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Arts, Charity, Faith & Education, Music, Out
August 26, 2008
Angels on the Runway at Austin Music Hall
Right away, at Angels on the Runway, I ran into Kelli and Keith Lawson. The newcomers from Washington D.C. — like newcomers sweetly do — asked about the event. They wanted to know everything.
Kelli Lawson, Keith Lawson
Well, it’s an annual fashion show. And one with some name designers — this time layer-lover Robert Comstock from Aspen and New York, courtesy of Keepers men’s wear on Congress Avenue — as well as promising locals, such as Joanna Ruley-Garza and Stephanie Jimenez. But not all the beauteous models are experienced, so the action on the runway can be a bit tentative.
Mary Lee, Jenny Hoff, Maureen McCann, Catie Beck
The venue is the Austin Music Hall, which needs explanation. A multi-use facility, rebuilt from the ground up, its main flat floor is well suited to fundraisers like this one, as well as to rock concerts. But not so much for other performing arts events. The acoustics have improved from near-catastrophic levels earlier this year and the hall fits neatly with its 360 Tower and Ballet Austin neighbors.
Bennett Pifer, George Heretakis
The charity benefiting from this party is Heart House, which provides after-school educational services for the needy. I explained to Kelli and Keith that it was among several dozen young, fast-growing organizations built mostly with new money, not old, and therefore perfect for entry-level participation.
Amy Holloway, Chris Engle
Well, I hope Kelli and Keith liked the event. And yes, in Austin, unlike bigger, more established cities, you can make a difference right away.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Faith & Education, Out
August 25, 2008
The Romance of KUT's 50th Anniversary Party
The romance of the number 50.
The romance of a half-century-old radio station that echoes a city’s soul.
Patty Griffin
The romance of silvery-voiced Patty Griffin, serenading a musically vigilant house during KUT 90.5 FM’s 50th birthday launch at the “Austin City Limits” studio.
The romance of a music lovers like “Texas Music Matters” emcee David Brown, whose onstage conversations with Griffin could be collected under “love poems to an artist.”
Jeff and Janel Bates
The romance of the front-row newlyweds, Jeff and Janel Bates, who played a Griffin song during their Belize wedding, right after “you may kiss the bride.” (“We wanted to fly her down,” Janel says. “But couldn’t afford it.”)
The romance of the bearded, glowing Georgetown man, Tom Swift, trying to convert his topiary-maned, Gray, Maine friend, Sarah McCleary, into a Texan, one authentic experience at a time — peaking with the same KUT concert.
Sarah McCleary, Tom Swift
The romance of the flicker-eyed political fan, Francine Franklin, who finally meets one of her idols, Mayor Will Wynn, himself rhetorically transcendent describing KUT’s relationship to the city’s singular culture.
Mayor Will Wynn, Francine Franklin
The romance of the three British ex-pats — Trevor Richards from Swansea, Julie Tereshchuk from Carlisle and Matt Horrocks from Southwest London — sharing pre-Texas memories before the concert started.
Trevor Richards, Julie Tereshchuk, Matt Horrocks
The romance of meeting strangers who may become friends: Patrick Dentler, photographer for the KUT party — he took the Griffin photo above — youngest brother of former SXSW Film director Matt and son of my elementary school classmate Hank (aka George); Ian Knox, the husband of freshly minted Statesman food writer Addie, who, despite being a young parent, seems to attend almost as many parties as I do; and a good dozen KUT stalwarts who made a newspaperman feel welcome in this blessed broadcast realm.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
August 22, 2008
Pretty People Can Be Nice, Part 3: Anthony Nak at Eliza Page
See Parts 1 & 2 of “Pretty People Can Be Nice” to follow the narrative and thematic thread of Thursday’s killer parties.
Bhawna Sharma, Gloria Callner
We wound up the evening at Eliza Page, the jewel-like accessories shop on West Second Street, for the world premiere showing of new artistry from the Anthony Nak team. Our first impression was how tall and thin the guests were, though it turned out the tallest, dressed in black, were actually security staff, who could peer over the partiers to check on the safety of the innovative jewelry on display.
Kelley Sullivan, Elizabeth Serrato
We did run into one gentleman with fantastic dreads who declined to be photographed, and we had a short, polite conversation about his reasons (he had declined on an earlier social occasion). I never force people to appear in the newspaper, but I’m always curious why.
Zion, James Walker
Elizabeth Serrato herself introduced me to her stunning employee Kelley Sullivan. Blackmail’s Gail Chovan and I caught up on lots of gossip, some happy, some sad. All the while, we glanced at the goods, which we’d prefer to examine more closely at our leisure, and the party drifted out onto Second Street’s wide sidewalks. What fun.
Brenda New, Regina Witte
I didn’t get a chance to chat with Anthony Camargo and Nak Armstrong, but they continue to keep Austin ever so stylish. I wanted to apologize about aiding and abetting the Madonna rumor earlier this year, but hey, they are grown-ups about their cherished and famous customer.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Out, Style
Pretty People Can Be Nice, Part 2: Movies at Gruv
See Part 1 of “Pretty People Can Be Nice” to follow the narrative and thematic thread of Thursday’s killer parties.
Adam Bloodgood, Paul Michael Bloodgood
Party No. 2 took place at the never-dull Gruv on West Fifth Street. Sure enough, Hostess Suprema Jen Shoemaker greeted me at the door, looking sharper than ever. (And her hairstyle seems to grow higher on each greeting.)
Ryan Rittenhouse, Nakisha Nathan
Chinese ceremonial dragons shook and shimmied on the main club floor, while folks involved with the production of “Templar: Honor Among Thieves,” the martial arts movie directed by Rene Hinojosa and gang out at Spiderwood Studios in Bastrop. This fascinating project will be created over many months with local martial artists mostly filmed against a green screen.
Marco Martinez Trevino, Mary Ellen Villarreal
Needless to say, those artists, male and female, provided the primary pretty factor. We talked for a long while with Paul Michael Bloodgood, the Ballet Austin dancer who has forged a new career as an actor and director in film. He was accompanied by his brother, Adam, who, also a ballet dancer training in Seattle. Incredibly, the charming Bloodgood brothers have yet another male sibling in the ballet business. It’s a dynasty!
Janell Smith, Tommy G. Warren
Not all the handsome partiers were green youngsters. Janell Smith and Mary Ellen Villarreal are fully formed women, while Tommy G. Warren, owners of Spiderwood Productions, is at least my age. Although he made his first fortunes in Beaumont, Warren splits his time between Austin and Malibu, producing movies that, from all accounts, actually make money.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Out
Pretty People Can Be Nice, Part 1: AU40 at Imperia
Pretty people get a bad rap. Shallow? Petty? Inaccessible? Not in my experience.
At least not in Austin. Of course, my marital status lowers any potential sexual tension while interacting with pretty people on the job. Not being particularly pretty myself actually works my behalf, too. When I approach someone at a party or club for conversation, I’m clearly not making untoward advances.
Sam Ryan, Tasha McCarter
Austin Under 40 is not an organization for pretty people. In fact, it recognizes high achievement in multiple fields as well as unusual civic benevolence. Yet the happy hour held for its volunteers at Imperia on Thursday could easily be mistaken for a mixer for shiny young professionals. I must have met 50 of them in the space of an hour.
Yann Curtis, Meredith Estes, Jorge Padilla
At first, a hundred or so engineers, marketers and other high achievers clumped near the Warehouse District restaurant’s bar, ordering drinks spiked with Tito’s Homemade Vodka. But once a buffet opened back by the new sushi service area, the AU40 followers spread out, allowing more breathing room.
Brian Cheng, Victor Yu
We talked with one smiling gentleman, Brian Cheng, for some time. At first, he pretended to be among the AU40, but in fact, he was on a business trip from Chicago. Turns out he grew up with Imperia managing partner CK Chin in Southwest Houston. So lots of Houston connections to discuss.
Jim Kaighin, David Landry
“I’ve known him since he was just six feet tall,” Cheng joked about our towering host. “Back when he was 14 years old.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Biz & High Tech, Charity, Faith & Education, Out
Betting on Aces and Third Base
Meanwhile, he’s prepping the former Hard Rock Cafe on East Sixth Street as a chic nightclub, an even trickier gambit. We reported here a few months ago that the club would be called Aces. We now hear it will also feature a full-time burlesque troupe, jazz nights on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as creative dance + rock ‘n’ roll shows on Thursdays.
It sounds like Aces will join high-end lounges such as Qua, Pangaea, the Belmont, Buzios Room and others on the downtown nightlife scene, but it include more live entertainment. Neo-burlesque has been an Austin staple for years. We’ll see how Puthoff melds it with a modern nightclub concept. We’ll report.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Out
August 21, 2008
Weekend Out: Revving up for Fall
You can feel it: The transition from Olympics and political conventions to school and football and parties. The social engines are revving up again. My plans include:
Friday: Ivan Zoot tries to break world record at Roosters Men’s Grooming Center; Yelp Hot Night in the City at Buffalo Billiards; KUT Party with Patti Griffin at ACL Studio.
Saturday: Worries & Wonders Gala at TDS Exotic Game Ranch; Evil Eye Ball for the Rude Mechs at the Off Center; Heart House’s Angels on the Runway at Austin Music Hall; Nasty Clan Pool Party at Momo’s
Sunday: Interview with Heath Riddles and Stephen Rice for OutCast on KOOP studio; 15th Anniversary Celebration at Top Drawer
Monday: Entertainment Journalism at St. Edward’s University; Future Clouds and Radar at Beauty Bar
Tuesday: Nelo (pictured) at Threadgill’s; StrataTX and Grounded in Music Happy Hour at J. Black’s; Pompeii at Mohawk
Wednesday: Austin’s Fifth Annual Cocktail Throwdown at Threadgill’s
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Out, Weekend Out
August 19, 2008
Texas Sommelier Conference Reception at the Four Seasons
Spain last year. Southern Italy this year. The Texas Sommelier Conference, backed by the Food & Wine Foundation of Texas, highlights different regions each year, as it educates masters of wine and the public wanting a little advice for their trips to the wine merchant.
Linda Rosens, Randy Rosens
The conference, in its fourth year, has bounced between Austin and Dallas. Last year, Mark Sayre won the highest honor. Now he’s the sommelier at the Four Seasons, and helped Kip and I make an ideal for his birthday dinner at Trio. Only twice have we had such luck with sommeliers — Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and the French Laundry in Napa.
Candice Goldman, D’Lynn Proctor
The winners this year: Third place: Kim Wood from Pappas Bros. in Dallas and D’Lynn Proctor from Wine’Tastic, also in Dallas (they nabbed $1,000 scholarships); Second place: Laura Atkinson from Horizon Wines in San Antonio ($1,500 scholarship); First place: Scott Barber from Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas ($2,500 scholarship).
Alpesh Mistry, Becky Holditch, Damon Holditch
Among those who helped me navigate the sea of oenephiles: Karen Odom Spezia, B.D. Amend, Jaclyn Wetherholt and Susan Cashin, who rhapsodized about her farm in South Africa, not far from Stellenbosch.
April Collins, Craig Collins
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Food, Out
August 17, 2008
Changing the world at Acton School of Business
One of the benefits of this job is meeting people who shape Austin. Only a few of them do so with sheer money or raw influence. Rather, they lubricate the social machinery that improves the region’s civic health, introducing the idea people to the practical types who can make good things happen.
Tiffany Allen, Kevin Cobourn
At times, one can almost glimpse the future of the city in the faces of leaders in the making. I often experience this shivery foresight at functions for the Austin Under 40 Awards or Leadership Austin, two groups that encourage the blending of social sentience with enlightened self-interest.
Shams Siddiqi, Sarah Siddiqi
That feeling overwhelmed me at the opening of Acton School of Business’ new campus on East Riverside Drive on Saturday. Framed by the hilltop scenery, traditionalist architecture and tech-savvy classrooms, former, current and future students of the innovative MBA program for entrepreneurs mingled, nibbled breaded shrimp and sipped freshly squeezed margaritas.
Joseph Koszusko, Laura Lee Kozusko
I talked to several dozen of them, as well as to instructors, staff and family members, all eager to cheer the program that encourages a “life of meaning” alongside highly honed business skills. (Also some respectful A&M and TCU grads.) They ogled the video equipment that would record and place online every arched eyebrow in every classroom discussion among the next 30 students at the school.
Rodrigo Rodas, Jeff Sandefer
(At least one expressed apprehension about the thoroughness of the documentation. “We can’t kid around too much,” he said.)
Suzi Sosa, Roy Sosa
Jeff Sandefer, the unconventional oilman behind the program, spoke ever so briefly. Mostly people wanted to meet the Actonians from around the world, who might be changing it soon.
Dave Chun, Sarah Stasney-Chun
We also spoke with Georgia Thomsen, the hyper-competent Acton executive director, who glided from one circle to another, looking as much like a star athlete or model as a top administrator.
David Gian, Dori Eversmann, Jeff Eversmann
We took an unusual number of pictures at this event, in part because the urge to document overcame any impulse to proceed to the evening’s next social commitment. After all, these images might tell the future.
Vince Lopresti, Danielle Lopresti, Georgia Thomsen
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Biz & High Tech, Charity, Faith & Education, Out
August 16, 2008
KidsActing at Center Stage
Dede Clark has been teaching young people to sing, dance and act for as long as most of us can remember (well, at least since 1980). Yet she’s not aged a day, still the spunky lady with boundless energy who founded KidsActing in a closet-sized space on Burnet Road. Clark expanded her business around Center Texas while training folks that went on to Broadway and Hollywood glory (currently Barrett Davis and David Bologna on the Great White Way).
Erin Quigley, Noel Alford, Brian Bogart
Now KidsActing has a home more appropriate to its impact on childrens’ lives — Center Stage, just off Martin Luther King Boulevard in the former Arts on Real. (Blake Yelavich and his Naughy Austin band decamped from the renovated industrial site earlier this year.) Clark, whose old spot on Burnet was razed along with the original Frisco, now operates a classic warehouse theater right in the midst of quickly adapting East Austin near a rail stop and fresh housing.
Julie Woytek, Lisa Craven
KidsActing’s seating capacity more than doubles in the space, while the overall facility is at least four times the square footage. Plenty of room to grow — although the Clark tightened the lobby area, where backers crammed like sardines for a reception for the opening of “Cyberella” there on Thursday.
Jennifer Sutton, Stephanie Binder
In attendance were alumni of KidsActing shows, board members for the newly formed nonprofit umbrella for Center Stage, parents, siblings and just plain fans.
Dede Clark, Jeff Binder
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Arts, Out
August 14, 2008
Catching up with Brenda Thompson at Mulberry
It’s always rewarding to linger over food and drink with Brenda Thompson, the independent publicist who lends her shoulder to arts and charitable groups. We met for lunch at Mulberry, the new eatery on the ground floor of the 360 Tower — south sidewalk. (We thought it might be a compact deli, but it’s more of a modern wine bar with excellent selections for lunch and dinner.)
Thompson kept me current on what’s happening at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and Lily Tomlin doubling up on her Austin appearances, performing her one-woman show at the Paramount Theatre, but answering questions from Ken Stein at Planned Parenthood’s Public Affairs fundraiser for Ken’s partner, Ken Lambrecht.
Next on the conversational menu was Mobil Loaves and Fishes and its 10-year expansion from 2 staffers in Austin to feeding the homeless in six cities, including New Orleans, followed by Leadership Austin’s Best Party Ever plans and the search for the perfect gala venue (a Glossy cover story idea?) We exchanged notes on experiments with personal workouts — trainer Alex Dotte for me, hatha flow yoga for her — as well as dating plans for the newly single Thompson.
Out of nowhere appeared Michael Palumbo, owner of Mulberry, who also owns Bin 71 and Barcibo Enoteca in Manhattan. Young for a restaurant group owner, Palumbo attended UT’s McCombs School of Business and lives upstairs in 360 as he (softly) opens Mulberry. (Let’s see, that makes six wine bars downtown.) Turns out, one of our heroes, Michael Hsu, helped design the vertically arranged restaurant, with its squared-off stools, cool marble, wine mezzanine and extremely compact space (so Manhattan).
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Food, Out
August 13, 2008
Weekend Out: Everybody's watching the Olympics
Thursday: KidsActing Reception at Center Stage.
Friday: San Marcos pub crawl: Ponty Bone at Cheatham Street Warehouse; Scraps of Life at the Triple Crown; Quickly Now at Lucy’s.
Saturday: Grand Opening of the Acton School of Business; KVRX Cupcake Social with Lady Pterodactyl, Rae Davis and more at the Carousel Lounge.
Sunday: La Cage Bar Turn-About Show at Oilcan Harry’s.
Wednesday: David Newbold Live at ME Studios.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Out, Weekend Out
August 10, 2008
Voodoo Cowboy at The Belmont
If the Ice Ball at the Monarch Center represented a grassroots fundraising and socializing effort come of age, the Voodoo Cowboy party at The Belmont the same evening had the feel of a top shelf event that just gets more glamorous at each turn. Voodoo Cowboy Entertainment manages musicians, athletes and moviemakers, while its party-giving colleagues at Mueller Law Offices work in a myriad of specialties. Their annual shindig Saturday — overseen by Mark Mueller himself — lured the brightest and the most beautiful from a multitude of Austin professions into the spotlight.
Zach Hadley, Angela Torres
In our first sweep through the party, we encountered filmmaker and activist Turk Pipkin, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Style Avatar Stephen Moser, SXSW Film’s Janet Pierson, Austin Film Society’s Agnes Varnum, UT Performing Arts Center’s Tim Neece (or was it?), lawyer and Fortunate 500 stand-out Becky Beaver, bountiful benefactor Melanie Barnes, open-hearted publicist Patricia Paredes, and writer and social connector Anne Elizabeth Wynn, among many others.
Amy Hillin, Paul Molanphy, LZ Love
The whole event, blessed by late-night winds, was filmed and, given the bands loosening the guests’ joints and the flowing liquids loosening them even more, there should be some interesting footage out there.
Haylee Faggard, Mark Faggard, Cassandra LeBlanc
We spent the most time with David Sullivan, the new head of First Night and one of the national proponents of art-sated New Years Eves. “He’ll be the Cliff Redd of First Night,” predicted Wynn, referring to the Long Center savior, who swept aside local bickerers to build the city’s first municipal performing arts center.
David Sullivan, Patricia Paredes, David Johnson
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Movies, Out, Politics & Law
Ice Ball at the Monarch Center
It never ceases to amaze me that, in Austin, a simple grassroots gathering at a private home or small business can blossom into a major fundraising event with just a little tender loving care. Amy Stanley and friends started Helping Austin with a get-together four years ago in her Keystaff Inc. headquarters on Anderson Lane. The money they raised went to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Texas. People had fun. They did good.
Carol Cain, Eric Stumberg, Amy Stanley
Stanley’s gang moved downtown for the next parties, then chose the Monarch Event Center near Highland Mall for its Ice Ball on Saturday, partly for ready parking, a relatively central location and “good deal,” says Stanley. The former Lincoln Theater multiplex in what was once an upscale center has been lightly renovated to include a flat floor for a sizable banquet room.
Keri Anthony, Bryan Clark
What’s so neat about a group like Helping Austin is that almost nobody at the festive event, cooled with icy concoctions, was recognizable from the gala circuit. Dressed eclectically from frayed jeans and cowboy hats to metallic gowns, they had made their own community of socializing and benevolence, raising approximately $30,000 for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, while extending good will beyond the traditional Austin circle of philanthropy.
Rebecca Kan, Russell Lubojacky
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Faith & Education, Out
August 7, 2008
Dallas in Austin: A curious conversation
Dallas marketer: I was wondering if you could assist me with a few questions about some hot spots in Austin where the “crowds” will be. I am putting together a live marketing campaign set up by the Dallas Visitors Bureau that will take place Aug. 9 and 10th - a Sat. and Sun. over that weekend … we are looking for some high foot traffic areas to market through our D TOWN acapella Motown quartet. Basically, the group sings 3 Motown songs about what Dallas has to offer as a vacation or tourist spot.
Dallas marketer: Thanks for your suggestions. However, our demographic is not college students or the late night partiers of that age … we would want to hit the areas with tourists, business professionals and families (people that would travel down to Dallas or would consider it). Out of the areas you mentioned, which ones would be best and where are the largest amounts of people walking by?
Austin columnist: You got me. Tourists visit exactly those locations I mentioned. They like what’s Austin about Austin. Maybe you could go to the Domain, an upscale outdoor shopping mall in North Austin, which is a lot like Dallas.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Out, Travel
"Project Runway' Wednesdays at The Side Bar
What a blithely accessible community: The mass that gathers Wednesdays at The Side Bar on East Seventh Street for showings of “Project Runway” resembles any scrum of sports fans assembled for a big game. “It started mostly as girls,” says Soo Lee-Spaw, the bar’s irrepressible rep. “Now it’s everybody.”
James Apel, Tessa Bourgoin
Hardcore fashionistas were already reserving seats in front of a giant screen half an hour before the 8 p.m. show, and by the time that Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum were explaining this week’s challenge (designing for the Olympic opening ceremony), the place reverberated with anticipation. “People cheer and boo,” says Cassandra Casillas, a regular who had pulled along four or five event newbies last night.
Alicia Tuben, Chuck Frausto
“Everybody’s into it,” says Joseph Moran, a wiry waiter from P.F. Chang’s, who says that Wednesday events often draw a service-industry crowd. Everyone I spoke to mentioned that the show’s earlier air time had resulted a slightly smaller draw this seaeson, but the Side Bar excitement still seemed to overflow onto the patio.
Cassandra Casillas, Corby Bryan
I wondered why single guys like Web designer Russ Ryan hung out at the bar alone, following “Runway” closely on smaller monitors. Then striking beauty Melissa Mizner showed up to share his bar stool. Ah.
Russ Ryan, Melissa Mizner
My adaptation of the “Sex and the City” dictum holds: “First the gays, then the girls, then they guys.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Media & Books, Out, Style
August 5, 2008
Cocktails at the Garden Street Compound
Two of our favorite people, Lorne Loganbill and Sterling Price-McKinney, who split their lives between Manhattan and Austin these days, invited Kip and I over for cocktails last night. We previewed the almost completed renovation of 1202 Garden Street, the Victorian farmhouse they purchased 17 years ago from the late Doug Dyer’s family. (Austin Arts Hall of Famer Emily Little oversaw the renovation.)
Kip and I spent the first six years of our marriage living at 1204 Garden and reserve nothing but fond memories of the informal complex, which was the literary birthplace of Joe Sears, Ed Howard and Jaston Williams’ “Greater Tuna,” by the way. Last night — when I was not checking in on “American Gladiator” — we spoke at length and fondly of architecture, museums, art, but also of Karen Kuykendall, the cabaret legend, hostess and diva who passed away around this time last year and served as Price-McKinney’s onstage partner. Wonder how the fundraising is going for the Kuykendall Stage at Zach Theatre.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Out, Style
Weekend Out: Back in Town
After a three-weekend break from the local social whirl out West, I’m ready for some of that spirited Austin interaction. Here are some of the events I hope to make this week. (Still time to add some more! Suggestions welcome.)
Thursday: Longhorns Football practice at Denius Field; Media Preview Party for “Twelfth Night” at the Scottish Rite Theatre.
Friday: Roar Salon Salon Presents Abi Ferrin Trunk Show; “Bachelor” contender event with “Bachelorette” runner-up Jeremy Anderson at The Thirsty Nickel; Wayneapalooza 2008 with Northern State and Mike Swing at Karma Lounge
Saturday: Voodoo Cowboy Entertainment and Mueller Law Offices party featuring One Mississippi, Hypernova and Satin Dolls at The Belmont; Tribute to choreographer Judy Price-Thompson during “Beauty and the Beast” at the Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater.
Sunday: “In the House with Carol Gonzales” from Austin Modern at 2305 White Dove; “Clean House” at Zach Theatre
Tuesday: Tapestry Dance Company Wine Tasting at Uncorked.
Wednesday: The Knot Wedding Network Season Preview at One World Theatre; Symphony Bats Recruiting Party at Loft on West Cesar Chavez St.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Out, Weekend Out
August 1, 2008
2008 Fortunate 500: The Complete List
Remember, this is our annual list of Austin’s most social citizens. It honors those Central Texans who go Out & About for the good of the greater social fabric.
Almost all our picks were originally nominated by readers, then followed by our social spies during the subsequent year. (I chatted with most of them, too, at the 1,000 or so social events I attended in the past 12 months.) So now is a prime time to alert us to people who contribute above and beyond to the social scene, so they can be eligible for the 2009 list.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Arts, Biz & High Tech, Charity, Faith & Education, Fame, Food, Fortunate 500, Media & Books, Movies, Music, Out, Politics & Law, Sports, Style