'60s music icons David Crosby and Graham Nash brought their tour to the Bass Concert Hall Tuesday the twelfth, performing for more than three hours. Some forty years into their musical careers, the energetic performances given by Crosby and Nash proved their musical might and rose far above being a nostalgia act.
Crosby and Nash Play Bass Concert Hall [Show Review]
Snapshots: Blues On the Green With Ruthie Foster
Photos from KGSR's Blues on the Green at Waterloo Park, Austin Texas, Jume 3, 2009 with Ruthie Foster. All photos courtesy Steve Hopson.
Snapshots: Solar Powered Concert [Republic Square Park with Charlie & Bruce Robison]
Every Wednesday through June 10 at the Republic Square Park, there's a concert powered entirely by solar resources. Green rock'n'roll has never sounded better, and these weekly concerts a a double-edged sword of good karma -- every event benefits Blue Dog Rescue. Mellow Johnny's bike shop is providing free 'bike valet' services, so Austinites are able to ride gree, listen green, and give to a good cause, helping animals in local shelters find new homes. Last night's concert featured Bruce Robison and his brother Charlie, lots of beer, and gorgeous weather. Photos courtesy Steve Hopson.
Show Preview: Future Clouds & Radar, Leather Bag, and Friends @ Mohawk
Future Clouds and Radar are so into it. It's not difficult to tell when a band is phoning it in, but with these guys there's never any danger. They're filled with the incredible shining power of music, and they're looking for mountaintops to shout it off of. As such, their albums reflect this.
Austinist Show Preview: Brightblack Morning Light At Mohawk
You should be able to follow your nose to the Brightblack Morning Light show this evening at Mohawk. Although it is - of course - illegal to smoke weed in public, we can guarantee you that more than a handful of beans will be baked. BML's music, like so many of their predecessors' tunes, really does lend itself to the consumption of drugs. T
Austinist Show Preview: The Backyard's Second-to-Last Show is FREE
The Backyard, an award-winning open air venue in the furry bosom of the Hill Country is shutting its doors after 16 years of basking in the Texas sun. That may not seem like a long time, but it's been long enough for Willie Nelson to have played there over thirty times.
Austinist Show Giveaway: The Roots at La Zona Rosa
Oh lordy how time flies. The Roots, one of the hip-hop world's most successful and influential acts, has been around for...wait for it... over two decades. We just checked our watch and did a double-take. DAY-uhm.
Austinist Show Preview: Li'l Cap'n Travis, Pink Nasty At The Continental Club, Tonight!
L'il Cap'n Travis is one of those rare bands whose music transcends the trappings of abstractions such as "alt-country", "indie", or "Austin", eschewing any hint of pretension. We challenge you to bring to mind another band as effortlessly and legitimately rock as LCT, so quietly invincible against the corrosive influence of the scene beneath a down comforter of fundamentally kickass material, singing into the stale-beer smell through a sheepish grin.
The Archibalds and Hunter Cross and The Strays! Tonight, at Lamberts!
We here at Austinist jump at the chance to catch shows upstairs at Lamberts, home of fancy bar-b-que. What really sets this restaurant apart is they've developed into a terrifically diverse musical venue, showcasing Austin's best acts in an intimate setting with great sound, to boot.
Austinist Show Review: Radiohead at The Woodlands
Looking back, there probably wasn't a more appropriate patch of weather to be weathered than the intermittent rain and deep, damningly grey clouds that fans had to maneuver underneath on their way the Woodlands Pavilion last Saturday evening. Spirits weren't dampened by one high E string, though. Not only did the mildly adverse meteorological conditions set a suitable tone for the set to come (not to mention the copy of In Rainbows we were warming up to whilst waiting our turn for a space in the White Lot), but it was endearing to see that the multitudes milling towards the venue would have straddled the San Andreas fault line in the middle of the Big One to catch a glimpse of Thom wheedle his internal narrative out of a Rhodes piano until being swallowed alive. Needless to say, we were all looking forward to the show, rain or shine.
Austinist Show Preview: Radiohead @ The Woodlands
We don't think anyone will question our assertion that Radiohead are the most respected and sought-after band in the universe. Ever. After The Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A shorted out the synapses of the entire world, all of us insignificant plebes agreed to elevate them to legend status along with the boys from Liverpool, a few members of the Stones, and Evan Dando. That's it. That is the VIP list for our musical Mount Olympus in its entirety. Thom, Mick, and Evan watching America's Top Model and eating pepperoni pizza Hot Pockets in the inner sanctum of some island-volcano hideout.
Austinist Show Preview: School of Language & Travis Morrison
Many were wowed by the fractured-yet-pleasant pop melodies of Field Music, but with the disintegration of that band, its lead figure, David Brewis, needed a new way to spin his musical sensibilities. And this is where School of Language comes in, a driven and focused effort that features all the polish and shine of Field Music without the bubbling conflict that sent that group on an ominous "indefinite hiatus." The result of Brewis being allowed to explore on his own is the album Sea from Shore, a collection of murky sun-pop songs with a thin experimental edge. Nice to listen to and not particularly demanding, this is music that seems ready-made for a light-hearted good time concert, one that is particularly well-suited for the laid-back attitude of the Mohawk.
Music Giveaway: Get Ready To Ignite! Justice Brings The French Funk To Stubb's on 3/3
The first big non-SXSW show announcement of 2008 is here, and guess what: it's a massive dance party. Straight out of Paris, the electronic duo known as Justice will kick off their US tour at Stubb's on Monday, March 3rd. This is actually a small venue for the band - just a week after the Austin date, they'll headline Madison Square Garden. If you've not already heard Justice, start with Daft Punk or MSTRKRFT as sonic reference points, then add some scruffy beards and leather jackets. Justice also revel in the rock 'n' roll imagery, so their live show features a huge backlit cross (pictured at right) and stacks upon stacks of Marshall guitar amps to blow everyone right out of the venue. The band are touring in support of 2007 album †, which spawned the hit single "D.A.N.C.E." and was quite the critical darling as well. Their set at Coachella '07 was widely praised as a festival highlight, so this March gig should be something special.
Theatre News Bits
We've heard rumors that a soon-to-open performance venue won't be such a swell place to work for the folks behind the scenes. Scant room backstage, an eensy fly space, and a tricky loading dock with an 8' door, aren't exactly the makings of a stagehand's dream job.
New Condos Planned for the Shores of Barton Creek
Image from Zilker Park Residences. Sandwich king John Wooley is building a condo for himself and 73 of his closest market-selected friends near the shores of Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake. Beloved Austin icon Wanfu Too will be displaced. Check this website later for details about the Save Wanfu Too Benefit Concert. In a surprising twist, Wooley appears to have support of the Zilker Neighborhood Association, partly because the project will require no variances...
Austinist Show Preview: Rock y Roll Dia 2007 at La Zona Rosa
Rock y Roll Dia’s second annual Dia de los Muertos concert takes place at 7 p.m. this Friday at La Zona Rosa. Hosted by VJ Paul Saucido (Sonido Boombox on ME Television), last year’s bash was marked by an appropriately eerie atmosphere, a sharp dressed Paul, and international and local musical talent. This year the event is a two day extravaganza, with music from Austin acts such as Boombox and Kanko, and out of state...
Wanna Build an Art Car?
Here's your chance! In conjunction with Maker Faire, HEYA (Toyota's collaborative youth program) is hosting an interactive art car build with Harrod Blank, art-car artist extraordinaire. Blank is the dude behind the Camera Van, which will be cruising through central Austin tomorrow—so get out your, uh, cameras. The build will run throughout the weekend, and anyone attending Maker Faire can participate. The goal is to transform a Toyota Matrix into a "music-themed piece of art...
Snapshots: Bass Concert Hall Renovations
Photos from The University of Texas Performing Arts Center's renovation of Bass Concert Hall. Photos by Lauren Perdue. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump....
Bummer in the Summer: July 4th Closures
Just like last year, Austin's in for another rainy July 4th. With Lake Travis still hovering around 700 feet above sea level and an estimated 2-4 inches of rain on the way, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is keeping all area lakes closed for boating, including Lake Austin and Town Lake. "Debris and high water from floodwaters make the lakes unsafe," reads the news bulletin post to LCRA's site this afternoon. "LCRA will...
The Biscuit Brothers' Family Friendly Benefit Concert
Local children's show stars The Biscuit Brothers are celebrating the Fourth of July with a special concert at the Paramount Theatre. The performance is their biggest ever, and will be filmed for a DVD. All profits go towards funding the duo's third season of family-friendly, music-centric (not to mention Emmy Award-winning) programming on KLRU/PBS. If you'd like to win a free family pack to the show, fill out the form below!
Bass Concert Hall Remodeling Has Begun
This morning, the long-awaited remodeling of Bass Concert Hall -- the main performance center on UT campus, located between the LBJ Library and Royal-Memorial Football Stadium -- began in earnest. The renovations will cost a total of approximately $15 million and will include upgrades in fire code compliance, improvements in sound and lighting systems, restaurants, a rooftop lounge, a donor lounge, as well as additional exhibition spaces. It will also include a new glass-front...
The Weekend IST List
THURSDAY [10] music • Learning Secrets with Ramesh (Voxtrot), Ben Craven + Co at Whisky Bar music • Rock of Ages Cover Show with Preserve the Sound (50s), Consider the Source (60s), Seaflea (70s), Promisebreakers (80s), Say Hello to the Angels (90s) at Emo's music • The Postmarks, Shuttle Debris, Raleign at Stubb's music • Future Clouds & Radar at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • Moonhangers, Love Gone Cold, Salvia Family Band, Shot Gun...
Woman Like a Man to Take Her to Damien Rice Tonight
Damien Rice will perform tonight at Bass Concert Hall in support of his most recent work, 9, an album wrought with angst, anger and (not surprisingly) sexual frustration. Last year, we reviewed the album and were pleased with Rice for not letting the follow up to a brilliant work (his previous full-length, O) suffer the slump: Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice has carried quite a weight the past four years. Ever since his debut release,...
The Daily IST
WEDNESDAY [9] books • Amy Guth presents Three Fallen Women at BookWoman (7:00pm) comedy • Jimmie Roulette at Cap City Comedy Club film • Texas Doc Tour: "Ten Under Ten 2007" at Alamo Downtown film • "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" with Golden Ticket Giveaway at Alamo Downtown film • Weird Wednesdays: "Cop Killers" at Alamo Downtown food • Angel Valley Organic Farm Farmstand at Asian American Cultural Center, 11713 Jollyville Road (10am-2pm) food...
Francis Ford Coppola Is Here to Change Your World
Filmmaking legend Francis Ford Coppola needs little introduction, but it can be daunting to keep track of everything that this prolific director, producer, screenwriter, and (yes) winemaker has been responsible for. For instance, we'd completely forgotten that he directed the amazing 1986 3-D space opera, Captain EO (see below). Youth Without Youth, his first directorial effort in over a decade, is set to be released later this year. The romantic thriller is set in...
The Weekend IST List
FRIDAY [27] music • While You Were Out, presented by Bueno Music Bureau, with The Unbearables, She Sir, The Scripts, Friday After Dark at Club de Ville ($5) books • Anita Gonzalez, Ph.D., presents Dancing Between Myth and Reality at CAAAS (UT - Jester A232) (3:00pm) comedy • Tig Notaro and Steve Burr at Cap City Comedy Club comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) dance • Fetish and Other...
The Daily IST
WEDNESDAY [25] comedy • Tig Notaro and Steve Burr at Cap City Comedy Club books • BookPeople's First Annual Spelling Bee at BookPeople (7:00pm, 13 and under) books • Jacqueline Taylor presents Waiting for the Call: From Preacher's Daughter to Lesbian Mom at BookWoman (7:00pm) dance • Fetish and Other Dances, part of Refraction Arts' Fuse Box Festival at The Off Center (8pm) film • "The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico" at Alamo...
Bright Eyes to Light Up Bass Hall May 13
In Austin, all the malt shops, arcades, bowling allies, drive-ins and wherever else the hip kids hang out these days will be empty May 13th. Instead, they’ll all be gathered at Bass Concert Hall with their hearts in hand ready to give them freely to Bright Eyes indie folk heartthrob Conor Oberst. He’s now become a coveted American musical icon, and thanks in part to the media, we have watched him mature through breakups...

