Odds are if you’ve picked up a music rag or shopped at Good Records in the past two years, you’ve heard of Sufjan Stevens and his ambitious 50 states project. The idea of recording a concept album for every state may have been a great PR move, but it’s surely…
No matter what you thought of my good friend Sam Machkovech, many of you know by now that he’ll no longer be filling this column space. As you read this, he’s en route to Uganda (yes, Uganda) for an unexpected yet well-deserved vacation from the Dallas music scene, and we…
When I read that the Cara Mía Theatre Company was finally bringing Martín to the stage, I could hardly contain my excitement. Could it really be true? Would Martin Lawrence’s witty FOX sitcom finally be getting the theatrical treament? Would Shenehneh finally get her moment in the sun? Alas, it…
It’s very fitting that the Amon Carter Museum’s new photography exhibit, a collection of rare color photographs taken between 1939 and 1943, is called Bound for Glory. You see, that’s also the title of the autobiography of Woody Guthrie, the ramblin’ Dust Bowl singer who gave a voice to millions…
Growing up I was obsessed with geology. At first it was simply because dinosaur bones could be found in sedimentary rock, but later I also grew to appreciate the parts of the earth’s surface that weren’t the fossilized remains of living critters. Many afternoons I found myself sifting through drawers…
“One. One. One. One or two won’t do. No, I want it all.” From the moment M. Ward’s smoky, Technicolor voice kicks off “Poison Cup,” the first song on his sixth album, it’s clear that he’s reaching for the brass ring. Already one of the best singer-songwriters of the aughts,…
Austin is undoubtedly home to hundreds, if not thousands, of conspiracy nuts, but none are quite as passionate as Alex Jones—who frankly puts The X-Files’ Lone Gunmen to shame. Fox Mulder’s friends could only manage one measly newsletter; Alex Jones is responsible for a radio show, two Web sites (infowars.com…
If there’s one universal truth about children’s programming, it’s the fact that the best kids’ shows are the ones created by people who are clearly under the influence of drugs. Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse—drugs, drugs and more drugs. Judging by the trailer, the creators of The Aqua Rangers fell…
Not many people know that Jimmie “J.J.” Walker experimented with a few different catchphrases before settling on the now-infamous “Dyn-O-Mite!” For a while he tried saying “TNT!” Then he tinkered with “Bombs Away!” which was soon onomatopoeically changed to “Ka-Blam-O!” This was followed by the inexplicable choice of “Ouch! That…
Sixth grade was a bitch, man—the bullies, the break-ups, the unfortunate fashion decisions–it’s a wonder I ever made it to the horrors of middle school. Luckily for me I had two wise old friends to see me through the tough times, and their names were Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn…
Kirk Douglas might be fondly remembered for his turn as Vincent Van Gogh in 1956’s Lust for Life, but it was co-star Anthony Quinn that took home the Oscar, winning a gold statue for his supporting turn as French painter Paul Gauguin. Luckily for us, a young Bob Dylan was…
Austin’s Okkervil River had quite the year in 2005, touring extensively in both the U.S. and Europe and releasing their third straight masterwork, the critically lauded Black Sheep Boy–a raw, sprawling concept record based on a character in a Tim Hardin song (and so good it deserved its own equally…
Some people may think it’s a little too soon for a Terri Schiavo musical, but not the fine folks at the Richardson Theatre Centre. Never content to work within the stifling confines of “safe” theater, these brave thespians are bringing the legend of Ol’ Black Brains out of the headlines…
I’m a big Paul Newman fan, but strangely I have never tried any product from his purportedly excellent line of salad dressings. Conversely, I have never heard the gospel singer known as Djore, though I have faithfully used his line of pore-clearing facial strips for years. This Wednesday I might…
Living in Texas, it’s hard not to be amused by Southern-slanted comedies such as Steel Magnolias and Daddy’s Dyin’…Who’s Got the Will?, both of which got their start on the stage before making the leap to the big screen. (In related news, we eagerly await the George Lucas/Peter Jackson rehash…
Like many children who spend time with grandma, I spent my formative years watching hours upon hours of soaps, Nana’s favorites being the CBS roster of The Young and the Restless, As the World Turns, Guiding Light and The Bold and the Beautiful. I seriously doubt Bad and Beautiful, now…
I’ve never really sat through a stand-up comedian and thought to myself, “Man, this routine would be so much funnier if the jokes were set to some Indigo Girls-style acoustic balladry.” I would hope for the sake of humankind that most people haven’t. Comedian Kristin Key, on the other hand,…
What exactly would one wear to a biker’s wedding? Jeans and a tux shirt with the sleeves cut off? Suit pants and a “If You Can Read This, The Bitch Fell Off!” T-shirt? The answer might lie in J.C. Corcoran’s new novel, The Biker’s Wedding. This is no fun-filled romp,…
I’m not really a fan of being read to, unless it’s by Sarah Vowell or someone similarly brain-sexy. The visual learner in me just can’t deal with it, which is why I run for the hills when I see my family members moving toward me with e-mail printouts. But if…
Comedian Gary Owen is apparently down with the brothers. The only white host of BET’s Comicview (I assume he got the job with one of his really lame gay jokes, like the one where Barney has sex with Arnold Schwarzenegger), he’s also had bit parts in Eddie Murphy’s Daddy Day…
Every time I go to the circus I think, “Damn, this dancing elephant would be a lot more entertaining if someone was playing some top-40 hip-hop and rowdy gentlemen were throwing dollar bills at the pachyderm.” Meeting me halfway is the UniverSoul Circus, an Atlanta-based all-minority circus that adds a…
Twenty years ago, the AIDS epidemic was just beginning to capture the attention of the American public, some five years after the first reported U.S. cases. It was around this time that playwright Larry Kramer premiered The Normal Heart, one of the first theatrical productions to tackle the issue. The…
