Growing up in rural Michigan, Ivy League schools weren’t the norm for kids in Ashley Hartley’s neighborhood. But, following the advice of teachers and coaches, she applied to and was accepted by Harvard University to play softball.
Textiles and apparel senior Alex King steps over dark-colored scraps of fabric strewn about the floor to cinch a jacket tighter on her model.
Walking out of “The Fourth Kind,” whispers could be heard across the theater: “Do you think it’s real?”
The Austin-made, limited-release film “Love & Tambourines” opens with a girl humming a tune in soft, cutesy “bum-bum-bums” against a black-and-white, slow-motion, backward footage of a girl in a black New York City tee banging on a tambourine. Slowly, additional music builds as the dancer loses herself even more to the music (in reverse).
To those fans of tragic, unfulfilled love out there, you might have another tale to add to your repertoire. “La Bohème,” Giacomo Puccini’s classic starving-artist opera, is making its way to Austin’s Long Center for the Performing Arts.
I blame Cinderella for brainwashing the world into believing that pumpkins can do just about anything.
The smokey aroma of barbecue wafts up from the small wooden Texas Picnic Company next to Dobie Center, clinging to clothes and spurring memories of passionate football games with close friends and family. In many ways, it’s that same smell that serves as an olfactory lighthouse to safe harbors and great comfort food.
Try walking anywhere near 21st Street on campus, and you’ll experience something that students along that route have noticed since the start of the semester — the robust smell of smoked meat on the fire pit.
Anyone who has ever browsed the magazine racks at the grocery store has noticed, women’s magazines give a lot of advice about how to please men in bed. Although they are meant to give guidance about what turns men on, most of these articles are actually written by women.
This is not an Oscar prediction. Many of the heaviest contenders have yet to enter the ring.
Water-inspired exhibit a success, complementary pieces a distraction
The Blanton Museum of Art’s new exhibits, “Teresita Fernández: Blind Landscape” and the complementary “Drawn Toward Light,” are enchanting, if flawed.
Artists overcome loss of recordings
The Mary Onettes: Islands; Think About Life: Family; Pelican: What We All Come to Need
Brütal Legend (Xbox360, PS3); Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Whether you prefer crispy iceberg lettuce or spinach leaves, salads are a favorite choice for meals due to their easy assembly and versatility.
Band's lead singer describes perfect day in Austin's city limits
Local trio Brazos is one of the gems of Austin's flowering indie music scene.
Printed word the main attraction at Capitol's lively annual festival
This weekend, authors and book lovers came together at the 14th Texas Book Festival, an event held annually on the grounds of the Texas Capitol.
The soft, rhythmic click-clack of heels breaks the silence within the Austin Museum of Art as Andrea Mellard moves from one gallery to another, quietly discussing the concepts behind each work of art and how it has been placed within the space.
Hundreds of bicyclists gather monthly to back alternate transportation
Eerie music blared from a bulky boom box rigged to a bike as hundreds of cycling enthusiasts gathered under the flawless autumn sky Friday for Critical Mass.
Steve Mannion was raised on a farm and quickly learned not to become too attached to the animals there, seeing as how they might one day be dinner.
And the Austin Film Festival’s 16th incarnation comes to a close.
“We’re cutting down too many trees,” said the seemingly scatterbrained Colin Beavan as he waited in the green room before his guest spot on “The Colbert Report.” “We need the trees to save the environment ... and the polar bears.”
When asked about her opinion on foreign policy issues, Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State, often instructs inquirers to “read my pins.”
Annual event showcases variety of authors, genres to generate public appeal
This weekend marks the 14th annual Texas Book Festival, an event that hosts more than 200 authors and more than 45,000 visitors to Austin.
It seems odd to celebrate Shakespeare in conjunction with Halloween. Yet tonight and tomorrow, Austin Shakespeare will be putting on a production starring the eeriest characters of Shakespeare’s plays.
After changing out of your classic pumpkin and ghost outfits from Halloween, switch into your best “Dancing with the Stars” costumes and head over to Galaxy Dance Studios for the two blues dance workshops that will take place Sunday afternoon.
The day begins like any other at UT. You reluctantly get up, brush your teeth and maybe grab some semblance of a breakfast before you have to get to class. But things are clearly different outside.
If Willy Wonka made doughnuts, they would be something like the pastries at Gourdough’s food trailer on South Lamar Boulevard. The doughnuts are wacky, creative, full of imagination and to put it simply, absolutely delicious.
Halloween is Saturday, and the entire city of Austin is preparing to impersonate their favorite characters.
On the cover of Chuck Klosterman’s newest book “Eating the Dinosaur,” the phrase “author of “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs” is placed under his name.
Samantha Scholfield’s “Screw Cupid: The Sassy Girl’s Guide to Picking up Hot Guys” is yet another drop in the bucket of useless relationship-advice books targeted at young Cosmopolitan-reading women.
The Austin Film Festival has reached a halfway point.
Crooked eyes and jagged smiles flicker, guarding doorsteps and driveways and beckoning costumed kids for tricks and treats. Dotting Halloween landscapes from Sleepy Hollow to Halloweentown, the jack-o’-lantern remains a constant icon of the holiday — an icon I once forgot, but refuse to let go again.
The bánh mì (BUN-mee), or Vietnamese sandwich, has been growing in popularity for years and was most recently heralded by an April New York Times feature. So when the sign for Bite Mi — a bánh mì specialty restaurant — appeared on the Drag a month ago, enthusiasts were excited.
Hormone-based birth control methods can cause severe side effects
Three months ago, I began taking birth-control pills. I was prescribed the generic version of Yasmin. In the three months since, I have gained seven pounds, suffered through my first yeast infection and recently had the most painful period of my life because it was accompanied by two days of diarrhea and vomiting.
Seth Rogen discusses his newest voiceover project and success in animation
For years, Halloween television has consisted of the traditional scary movies and season specials, such as “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror.” But, this year’s lineup will include a shift from the standard Halloween-time fare.
Extreme sport creates community for input from local craftsmen
When Austin-based artist Michael Sieben celebrated the release of his book, “There’s Nothing Wrong with You (Hopefully),” this summer at local skate shop No-Comply, I was very confused.
With Halloween around the corner, many people are using any excuse they can to be festive. These excuses include throwing potlucks and parties with orange and black food.
Tegan and Sara have been busy.
This week the Canadian pop-rock duo, composed of twins Tegan and Sara Quin, will release their sixth album Sainthood, as well as a new three-book set, “On, In, and At.”
The Found Footage Festival is a videotaped circus of the bizarre.
Devendra Banhart: What Will We Be; Raveonettes: In and Out of Control;
Mexican art, altars of deceased Austinites enrich 'Viva la Vida' event
Downtown city streets transformed Saturday as Austin celebrated the 26th annual Viva La Vida Festival sponsored by the Mexic-Arte Museum.
Underneath the historic Seaholm Power Plant's smoke stacks Saturday, hundreds of zombies shuffled and stomped along to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" choreography.
Local business owner discusses inspiration behind creative snack
In a nondescript brown building off Anderson Lane, employees of Austin Cake Ball work diligently to meet impending deadlines.
Despite increased fame, member of Austin band leads 'mild' life with wife
One of Austin's most popular musical exports, Explosions in the Sky has become a perennial favorite on the large music festival circuit.
Denton music scene includes anti-cultured Holy Rolling Empire
Never mind, MySpace. Never mind, blogosphere. The best way to find new music is to go to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry.
The first time I got to interview White Denim frontman James Petralli, the band was preparing for a set at the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Watching the new movie “Ong Bak 2,” I had the distinct impression that I was attending Cirque du Soleil.
Ghost hunter discusses her experience with paranormal encounters
Bertie Denby is a ghost hunter.
T-shirts, boxes, catalogues and cards clutter a small office in an East Austin house, all bearing one word: “Helm.”
The East Side Cafe had two dozen new residents move into the garden this year, causing significant anxiety for the cats who live next door.
It’s difficult to find the word “director” on the Austin Film Festival Web site, or even the word “filmmaker” without it being accompanied by the festival’s favorite subject: the screenwriter.
Some themes are eternal.
In the case of “Spring Awakening,” a musical based on an 1891 German play of the same name, those themes are the discovery and exploration of adolescent sexuality and the struggle with angsty intellectual development. For Jake Epstein, the Toronto-born actor who plays lead character Melchior Gabor, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.
Adolescence is a tumultuous time, filled with confusion and shame. Adults seem to conspire against teens, and isolation can seem like the only way out.
Novel follows the true story of a bibliomaniac turned rare-book thief
For book lovers, there is nothing more intoxicating than the feel of a brand new book in their hands or the earthy smell of its crisp, clean pages.
Musicians upset about use of their music for interrogation
; Validity of DNA test argued in Lil Wayne gun case
Raw vegan food is in. Kick the cow out of the pasture, the chicken out of its coop and don’t put that turkey in the oven.
Ghosts, betrayal, swordfights, live music and classical theatre: the City Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “Hamlet” has it all.
Of photography, Lewis Carroll once said, “It is my one recreation, and I think it should be done well.”
The pumpkin has finally smashed.
Fickle temperatures prompt wardrobe overhaul in favor of versatile, vintage apparel
Now that the fickle Texas weather has suddenly dropped 20 to 30 degrees in late recognition of the fall season, it’s time to re-stock your closet with new fabulous finds.
As much as I adore the cooler weather, there is still something very comforting about coming home, turning on the oven and letting the gentle heat permeate the kitchen.
Local taco restaurant celebrates 10,000th quiz question next month
Benji Frankel can beat anyone in a trivia contest.
Russian Circles: Geneva; A Sunny Day in Glasgow: Ashes Grammar
Blue lights burst to life along every spoke of the towering "Texas Star," the State Fair of Texas ferris wheel.
With characteristic wit, 'Good Eats' host signs books, talks about media
Sun poured through tree-like sculptures Sunday afternoon, illuminating famous chef Alton Brown as he signed books at the Whole Foods Market downtown.
Light glistened on endless racks of chrome bicycles as a nun quietly chained her bike under the bright Saturday sun.
Austin's Leatherbag finds a way to reconcile the folk-rock stomp of Rod Stewart with the more hard-edged, angular sound of proto-punk bands like Television and The Modern Lovers.
Local organizations unite to combat malnutrition, fund children's program
For those of us lucky enough to afford three hot meals a day, going without supper may seem like an abstract concept or a problem for someone else to deal with.
LAS VEGAS — The e-mail from Garth Brooks was so special, Steve Wynn printed it out and framed it.
The best movies are those that make you think.
“Where the Wild Things Are” is not a film made for children.
“Law Abiding Citizen” wants to say something about justice, but all it can do is grunt.
Action-packed weekend provides alternatives to Red River Rivalry
See “Evil Dead: The Musical”; Shop the downtown farmer’s market at Republic Square; Listen to Vivian Girls play a free in-store show at Waterloo; Participate in the Tour de Fat; Witness Texas NORML’s Sixth Street Smokeout
Elizabeth Walter comes from a long line of dancers. Born in Austin, she moved to Northern California, trained for the Moscow International Ballet Competition and visited the homes of some of the most talented Russian ballet dancers of the day.
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — MTV rolled out its raucous red carpet to honor the best of the year’s pop, rock and reggaeton from Latin America with its eighth annual Los Premios MTV awards in Los Angeles on Thursday.
‘Balloon boy’ no stranger to media exposure, public eye; Lindsay Lohan faces future court date for unknown reason
Austin Museum of Art’s La Dolce Vita festival benefits art education
A pile of pink pointe shoes lie on the floor next to Jaime Lynn Witts as she stretches in preparation for a rehearsal. In a black and green leotard, a white tutu and soft pink tights, she and fellow company member Christopher Swaim effortlessly glide across a studio floor to Tchaikovsky’s celebrated “Snow Pas De Deux.
The acclaimed comedy series “30 Rock” returns tonight for its fourth season.
PostSecret.com’s uniqueness and creativity make it a rare bird.
A.J. Jacobs’ life reads like the idea behind a sitcom.
Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, a South Congress costume fixture, is like when the seven-year-old version of yourself convinced your parents to visit Party City before Halloween.
“Yeah, just living that fast-paced rock star life, you know?” Dave Prowse, one-half of indie rock band Japandroids, is giving a phone interview to The Daily Texan while waiting around in a laundromat. “These machines aren’t even chrome.”
About the hoopla surrounding the film adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are,” Maurice Sendak is characteristically gruff.
Sure Chipotle, Torchy’s Tacos, Trudy’s and On the Border are staples in every student’s diet, but these Mexican and Tex-Mex fusion diners can lighten your wallet.
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth part in a series about society’s autumn obsession with pumpkin.
Mary Lingwall responds to reader's question
Arm wrestling for charity — that’s the idea behind tonight’s Fierce Fest at the Lustre Pearl Bar.
Aaron Gross loves glass.
Board unanimously votes on appointment, students voice concerns
After two weeks without a director, the Texas Student Media Board confirmed Jennifer Hammat, the University’s assistant vice president for student affairs, to serve as interim director until a permanent replacement can be hired.
Campus begins training counselors in debriefing tense social workers
UT’s Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault has begun a two-year program to help social workers across the country cope with the emotional fatigue of working with victims of child abuse.
Group’s project a success, artists’ lyrically based venture may be ‘musically trite’
Flaming Lips’ new release offers unexpected sound, maintains vocal quality; Mountain Goats album offers inspiring lyrics, lacks musical strength
The food trailers that line street corners city-wide are testaments to Austin’s affinity for delicious grab-and-go food. The trailer taco or cupcake connoisseur has multiple options to choose from, but what about those who desire something out of the ordinary?
Vineyard provides gentle Italian ambience in Central Austin
If you've never been to Italy, Mandola's Estate Winery is the closest you'll get to Florence within a 30-mile radius of campus.
The opportunity to meet a true "master" of something hardly ever happens.
Celeste Griffin's thick, Southern voice is the soul of Monarchs.
Master chef shows ease of cooking troublesome New Orleans style recipes
Unless people are searching through a purple, green and yellow “king cake” for a tiny plastic baby Jesus during Mardi Gras, they hardly ever think of New Orleans cuisine. But with John Besh’s new cookbook, “My New Orleans: The Cookbook,” anyone who wants a taste of the city has the chance to create the flavors right at home.
Talking with Robin Chotzinoff reestablishes faith in the age-old saying that people can accomplish anything if they set their minds to it.
Female Coast Guard retiree honored as Distinguished Alumnus
After making her mark as the first woman to become vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the highest rank achieved by a woman in U.S. military history, UT graduate Vivien Crea received the Distinguished Alumnus Award on Friday night at a ceremony hosted by Texas Exes.
LOS ANGELES — "Swingers" co-stars Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau buddied up for the weekend's top movie as "Couples Retreat" debuted with $35.3 million, while the micro-budgeted fright flick "Paranormal Activity" leaped into the top 10.
Classical musicians have likened the string quartet to a bottle of wine, a marriage and an octopus, to name a few.
Rusty Shelton wants you to buy books.
The visage of a matador in red and black, eyes downcast with a determined demeanor, sprawls over a red cotton background.
Austin boasts two impressive barbecue joints east of IH-35
Everyone knows about the great Salt Lick Bar-B-Que and the prominent Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q, which has many locations in Austin.
“Couples Retreat” packs an all-star cast onto an island, hoping and praying that sparks will fly and jokes will kill.
Rich took a few minutes away from his Country Music Association board meeting to speak with The Daily Texan about football, his solo album and what it means to be a Texan.
‘Accidental mummy’ exhibit makes first stop in Detroit
Erin Curtis : Perspective Threshold; Lebowski Fest; Wavve;
Sam Dahl : Reveal Thy Sel; Ghostface Killah
Interview with with Scott Walsh of Notes Floats
Maybe it’s not your average Austin music fest, but it’s definitely one for the books.
Nestled among the barrios and government housing projects of the impoverished Rio Grande Valley is a majestic vision: a vibrant, underground music movement unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed before.
Drive-in movies were once a memory reserved for sharing the back seat of a 1950s wing-tipped Cadillac with their sweetheart on a Saturday night. Luckily, nostalgia found its way back to Austin through a local couple and their innovative interpretation with the Driftin’ Drive-In.
Author Adrian Colesberry's anecdotal novel discusses sex and relationships
Adrian colesberry doesn’t necessarily want you to have sex with him.
This may be surprising given the title of his debut book, “How to Make Love to Adrian Colesberry.” But it’s important to note that Adrian is, in fact, married.
Just the name “house of torment” is enough to make one feel a bit uneasy, and as we neared the building stationed in the parking lot Highland Mall, the apprehension started kicking in. It became clear as soon as the enormous figure of a bat-like creature holding bloody, dismantled body parts came into view that my maiden voyage into a haunted house would be anything but mild. Enduring harassment by everything from half-pig mutants to deranged clowns to the usual too-close-for-comfort, creepy butler who told me I “smelled pretty,” DT Weekend got a behind-the-scenes look at the business-side of freaking people out.
Punk group The Black Lips create chaos with their outlandish live show
Whether or not punk is dead, The Black Lips rose up from the suburbs of Atlanta in 2000 to clearly say punk is alive and thrashing.
This summer, I spent six weeks in Prague, Czech Republic, a city which has struggled to find its identity through decades of control by Nazi Germany and the Communist Party.
Texas French Bread restaurant uses local produce, ingredients
As food culture has shifted to a more convenient, industrialized market, it is difficult to find a restaurant that truly defines sustainability and cares about community.
Diverse performances, multiple venues amuse audiences for cheap
Most nights of the week, a relatively friendly audience awaits aspiring poets, stand-up comics and musicians in Austin.
Play recreates chemistry, tension between leading figures in TV interviews
It isn’t very often that you see a fierce portrayal of politics in the world of theater.
The Courrier boys know how to joke around. With their witty remarks and silly responses, their status as a group of UT-seniors-turned-bandmates is apparent.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Levi Johnston is going for the ultimate exposure — the 19-year-old father of Sarah Palin’s grandchild will pose nude for Playgirl, his attorney said Wednesday.
‘The Goonies’ to play at first Bike-In Cinema in Austin
RAMALLAH, West Bank — In five turbulent years in office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has never faced as much outrage as over his decision to suspend efforts to get Israeli officials put on trial for war crimes in Gaza.
MOSCOW — Hundreds of people urged Russian authorities to find and punish the killers of journalists and human rights activists in Russia, rallying Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of the killing of Anna Politkovskaya.
Local brownie businesswoman chronicles her early influences
At local grocery store counters, a woman flirts with customers. She stares with her flapper-esque hairstyle, her beautiful white teeth, her perfect jaw line and — oh yeah — her chocolate perfume.
How does one rate 16 ladies? This isn’t Miss America: this is a brownie tasting.
Marketing in stores and eateries across the city seems to indicate that fall is in full swing.
Every so often I receive a question about the effects of alcohol on sexual performance.
David Bazan discusses thoughts on philosophy and Biblical parallels
In chaos, there is hope.
Or, at least, that what David Bazan believes.
At 10 p.m. every Saturday, 12 of Austin’s improv elite convene at a small theatre in downtown Austin to compete for recognition, humor and Canadian money.
Art project tracks path of moon for next solar event visible from Austin
The Blanton Museum of Art will host famous Mexican artist Pablo Vargas Lugo today for a massively interactive event, “Eclipses for Austin.”
There has been a growing interest in memoirs and personal biographies over the last few years. These stories are not only of the entertainment and political elite, but of “ordinary” people as well. Non-fiction works like Jeannette Walls’s “The Glass Castle” and David Sedaris’s many collections of autobiographical essays give readers a relatable glimpse into the lives of people that could very easily be their next door neighbors.
The recent overpopulation of all things orange in retail stores proves that people are not only ready to embrace fall, but also ready to embrace pumpkin. This week’s recipe features moist pumpkin bread that will fit in perfectly among bowls of candy corn and scarecrow figurines.
The xx,xx; KISS, Sonic Boom;
Music lovers trek to Zilker Park by the thousands for annual fest
Reviewing a music festival after it’s done is a bit like a book’s appendix, unnecessary and a waste of space.
Surprise conditions, run-ins make festival more memorable
There’s no doubt that this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival was an anomaly, given the festival’s history of hot weather, dust storms and general bedlam.
Ray Benson is a huge figure in the Texas music scene. Besides his imposing 6-foot-7-inch frame, his band Asleep at the Wheel has been playing its brand of Western swing music in Austin since the early ‘70s.
LOS ANGELES — The undead were alive and well at movie theaters as Woody Harrelson’s horror comedy “Zombieland” opened on top with $25 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
WESTMONT, Ill. — Neighbors said Sunday that it’s the apparent normality of the 47-year-old man who lived in a suburban Chicago town house that’s made his arrest for allegedly stalking and secretly taping ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in the nude so upsetting.
And the fifth annual Fantastic Fest comes to a close.
Optimal festival experience requires planning, preparation
The annual Austin City Limits Music Festival usually leaves festivalgoers reminiscing about great performances, great company and great tans.
Taylor Steinberg tells a lot of stories.
Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, “Whip It,” is a coming-of-age sports story, an Austin showcase and a great time.
LOS ANGELES — David Letterman acknowledged on Thursday’s show that he had sexual relationships with female employees and that someone tried to extort $2 million from him over the affairs.
When Michael Moore made his directorial debut with “Roger and Me: A Humorous Look at How General Motors Destroyed Flint, Michigan,” the film-going community recognized the man for what he was: a brilliant entertainer and humorist with an agenda and a knack for anecdotes.
The Seaholm Power Plant — Austin’s little art-deco piece of Gotham City — will be re-energized this weekend.
Nestled close to campus lie quirky tea joints that serve exotic blends
Considering that tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world, finding full-fledged tea houses around campus is a surprisingly challenging task.
Some couples move gracefully across the room. Others plod along muttering “one, two, three” under their breath as they try to remember the moves they’ve learned over the past few weeks.
Adreon Henry’s chaotic workspace sheds light on his unique approach
An aluminum foil-covered wall, a detailed plastic mask of a sorrel horse face and a lamp made of metal piping and candy-colored ice pops — these are but a few of the items that confront visitors of artist Adreon Henry’s eccentric work space.
Carefully constructed characters reveal quirks and insecurities of youth
Think back to your elementary school years, those carefree days when homework didn’t exist and responsibility was a fallacy. At some point, however, you must have come across that quintessential competition known as the spelling bee.
Students and friends are invited to eat, drink and dance to live music amidst a nearly complete 16th century altarpiece Friday night at the Blanton.
“We don’t have guilty pleasures,” said Patrick Stickles, lead singer of New Jersey indie band Titus Andronicus, when asked about his unabashed disclosure about jamming to a Lou Bega tape while on tour sans a CD player last spring. “That term is oxymoronic as far as we’re concerned, because anything that gives you pleasure, why would that be guilty?
NEW YORK — “Jon & Kate Plus 8” will soon be simply “Kate Plus Eight.”
CBS show's crew survives Pacific earthquake, tsunami; Video company asks for millions in Lennon, Ono case; Overdose, combination of drugs caused DJ AM's death
Up-close-and-personal images capture unique moments, raw emotions
Situated in the heart of downtown Austin, The Fifth Gallery delivers appropriately themed art to the “live music capital of the world.”
With a light breeze blowing after a day cooled by rain showers, the pumpkin patch outside of HEB actually looked timely Monday night. Gourds of various shapes and colors mingled as I passed through on my way inside.
In my experience, discussions about sexual health almost always veer off into a debate over which STDs are “the most harmful.” And the students that I have come in contact with almost always identify HIV and herpes among these “most harmful” diseases.
Before indie-rock duos like She & Him and Matt and Kim, there were Mates of State.
Five-actor theatre troupe set to perform classic Shakespearean tragedy
The British are coming. Actually, they’re already here.
Texas Union committee offers free advanced screening to students
UT zombie fans rejoice; while most will have to pay to see “Zombieland” on Oct. 2, the Student Events Center Film Committee will host a free advanced screening tonight at 7:30 p.m. There’s even going to be a zombie costume contest.
One of my weekend rituals is to sift through cookbooks, magazines and cooking blogs to find a dish that will inspire me to give up takeout and actually cook a meal. But many many recipes are made for more than just one. As a student who mainly cooks for herself, I am left wishing there was something of a more personal size to make.
Alice in Chains: Black Gives Way to Blue; The Very Best: The Warm Heart of Africa; Avett Brother: I and Love and You
As said by the great character Gusteau in the movie “Ratatouille,” “Anyone can cook,” but, what he didn’t mention is that instructional literature is absolutely necessary.
Curbside stand provides students with new take on ordinary frankfurter
Upon first look, the unique gastronomic experience that is Rigo’s Madness appears to be yet another hot dog cart on the Drag. Giving a double take, many are surprised to find that this push cart boasts intriguing goodies such as caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and many more, all prepared in hot dog fashion.
PARIS — Was Roman Polanski “thrown to the lions because of ancient history?” That’s what the French culture minister says — though not everyone in France agrees.
Renowned photographer to focus on 'amateur' work as part of University visit
World-renowned photographer Elliott Erwitt, famous for his humorous and touchingly candid black and white photographs, will be speaking today and Friday on campus at The Blanton.
Second City alum puts comedy spin on episodes of late ‘80s teen favorite
If you went to middle school in the late ‘80s, or had a sibling that did, you probably watched “Saved By the Bell.” But maybe you were too young for this.
The Buddha’s Brew Kombucha Tea factory lies nestled in a modest row of red and white warehouses in Southwest Austin off Highway 71. A small sign — a pensive golden Buddha’s head with the company name in a handwritten-font – is tacked onto the door to distinguish it from the rest of the industrial homogeny.
In 2005, Fantastic Fest crawled out of the Austin sewers and into Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. As the brainchild of Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse and Harry Knowles, founder of Ain’t It Cool News, it reeked of geeky-greatness but, in a city already home to SXSW and the Austin Film Festival, what would FanFest bring to the table?
Actress enrolls in a Master’s program to learn heritage: Nintendo slashes prices on Wii system to stay competitive
Community college gets a humorous spin this season with NBC’s “Community.” From the beginning, the show jokes about the college’s stereotypes.
Old Pecan Street Festival offers up family fun on Sixth Street
Artisans and patrons crowded along the expanse of Sixth Street as thousands of locals braved the weekend heat to partake in Austin’s annual Old Pecan Street Festival.
Mom shares her hope that current legislation will prevent hate crimes
On Oct. 7, 1998, 21-year-old gay college student Matthew Shepard was brutally tortured, tied to a fence post and left for dead, forever changing the GLBT community and bringing hate crimes to the political forefront.
Austin’s Brothers and Sisters have a knack for making songs that sound timeless.
SNL newcomer marks first show with accidental on-air expletive; Animated children’s tale
dominates box office again; Michael Jackson documentary sells out a month in advance
While the first thought that comes to an American’s mind when they think of the late 1960s may be of peaceful hippies and free love, “The Baader-Meinhof Complex” portrays the bloody contrast that was occurring at that time in Germany. As the world vowed never again to allow the rise of Nazism, the Red Army Faction (RAF) from the democratic western Federal Republic of Germany was only beginning to fight perceived forms of fascism with terrorism.
Video games have begun to outgrow their status as a social stigma over the past decade to the point where San Francisco can have an 8-bit-inspired sculpture downtown and a band called The Depreciation Guild can use a Nintendo sound chip as an instrument without the music directly relating to games.
Every morning, Spencer Scorcelletti wakes up at the “House of Guys,” a self-described “fauxternity” that sits at the corner of MLK and Rio Grande Street. He gets out of the lofted bed he built and exits via a pole stretching from floor to ceiling — also built by him. He gets ready, exits the house and takes a deep breath before mounting the tandem bike he rides to school. He’s the “free rides” guy, energetically riding around campus day and night offering rides to needy students.
“Bright Star,” written and directed by Jane Campion (“The Piano”), chronicles the tumultuous love affair of John Keats (Ben Whishaw), the Romantic poet, and Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a bold, intelligent woman who lives next door.
There is something about Mbewe Escobar that is both comforting and intimidating. Her slender figure and perfect posture reveal her profession at a glance. She exudes a sense of calmness and wisdom that makes her audience feel at ease.
The Undergraduate Writing Center isn’t just for those last-minute revisions on papers. Tonight the center will host a panel in its “After Hours” series on comic book writing.
The weekend marks the end of Austin Shakespeare’s three-week run of “Measure for Measure” at The Long Center’s Rollins Theatre. The play — one of Shakespeare’s darkest — covers sin, mercy and justice. This particular production is set in southern Georgia in the 1920s.
The American Red Cross of Central Texas teamed up with Antone’s for a benefit show Wednesday night in an attempt to reach out to a younger crowd.
If you haven’t heard of bestselling author Dan Brown’s controversial novels,“Angels & Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code” then you’ve probably been trapped under a secluded, soundproof rock for the last six years.
A porcelain plate with the image of an armadillo at its center awkwardly balances halfway over the edge of a pedestal. Below the armadillo stretches a pie recipe: two pounds armadillo meat, two tablespoons shortening, one tablespoon dry herbs, one package frozen mixed veggies and flour.
When I was first encouraged to write a Hump Day article on sexuality and physical disability, I felt hamstrung by my inherent lack of insight into the experience of a physically disabled person. And despite positive encouragement from my wheelchair-bound friends, I felt like anything I wrote would be innately inadequate and ostracizing.
While there is no shortage of great games this fall, there probably is a shortage in your personal funds. Why regret spending $60 on a game when you can enjoy many free and innovative games online?
Serving autumn-themed beverages before October normally would be a torturous tease in Texas. With the summer sun ceaselessly beating down on the state well into September, chemically produced pumpkin java seems to signal the seasonally spiced steam of an illusory autumn oasis.
It has been said that truth is often stranger than fiction, but in Dave Eggers’ latest piece of non-fiction, “Zeitoun,” the facts are so inconceivable that any fictional tale would pale in comparison.
Lawyer disputes relationship between Anna Nicole, doctor
Washed Out: Life of Leisure; The Big Pink: A Brief History of Love; Girls:
Album; Monsters of Folk: Monsters of Folk; The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Higher Than the Stars
For those questioning the fashion trends of 2009, Tribeza, an Austin lifestyle and culture magazine, is here to help.
A little over a year ago, Bay Area garage rocker Justin Champlin, better known as Nobunny, was spray-painting paper covers onto record sleeves found in the trash for his debut album, Love Visions.
Different take on clam chowder includes versatile veggie favorite
With Tuesday marking the fall equinox, we may have to say goodbye to summer, but with a tasty corn chowder, we don’t have to say goodbye to golden summer corn.
Chocolate Festival panders to Austinites with a sweet tooth, a generous spirit
The appeal of chocolate brought hundreds of people of all ages to the Monarch Event Center over the weekend for the Austin Chocolate Festival.
Tucker Max is not a shy person.
Professor Don Graham sees more than ranches in Texas' history, lifestyle
Don Graham is a witness to the evolution of Texas land once dotted with cotton and cattle, when more than half of the population lived on a rural expanse of a frontier land.
Kids growing up today will probably see the awful sequels to Jurassic Park before the original, a movie which helped a generation realize Earth’s incredible history.
Austin’s The Octopus Project has been playing its mélange of instrumental indie rock and bouncing electronica for almost 10 years now.
Damon's performance is spot-on, but story goes on a half-hour too long
It’s difficult to know if “The Informant!” is actually based on a true story.
NEW YORK — The styles shown at New York Fashion Week were meant for next spring — not that you’d know it.
Documentary examines struggle with autism, unconventional journey
At age 2, Rowan began throwing unstoppable tantrums, did not speak at the appropriate volume and had difficulty making friends with children his age. The doctor told Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff, Rowan’s parents, that he suffered from autism.
It is hard to find a more inspirational story than that of Rowan Isaacson, the subject of the new documentary “The Horse Boy.”
Leslie Gandy’s favorite mantra hangs on the racks, covers the plush seats and glitters in the light of her store: “Classic over disposable; timeless over trendy.”
Ryan Harvey has been playing arcade games his entire life. As a Japanese major at UT, he became a regular at Einstein’s Arcade, and like most of its customers, he was devastated when it shut down.
The timing of Pat Green’s performance — during the same weekend as the Texas/Texas Tech football game is no coincidence. The Tech alumnus and former Austin resident couldn’t pass up the chance to return to one of his favorite cities and see his favorite team play.
In a small recording studio crowded with soundboards, microphones, a computer and a few chairs, Jim Franklin reminisced about the first poster he ever designed for a concert at the Armadillo World Headquarters.
Shopping at thrift stores can be either wonderful or miserable.
Last weekend marked the opening of the thought-provoking play “The Collection” at the Hyde Park Theatre, directed by and staring multiple B. Iden Payne Award-winner Ken Webster.
Though NBC has given Amy Poehler and “The Office” producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur a second season of their show “Parks and Recreation,” many are still skeptical. The renewal was certainly great news for the cast and crew, but critical viewers were left wondering why.
NEW YORK — Fashion for spring is back in black.
Since last January, “Hump Day” has sparked dialogue and lots of opinionated comments about sexual education by openly addressing topics from birth control to sex toys. We hope that by talking about sexual curiosities, we can lessen social taboos that often come attached to them. So, as a new semester begins, we’re jumping right back in where “Hump Day” left off. Bring on the comments, outrage and, most importantly, questions. We’re ready.
Upon entering the recently opened Ho Ho Chinese B.B.Q., customers are greeted by the sight of roasted duck, pork and marinated chicken hanging in a glass case.
Children’s fantasy novels such as “The Chronicles of Narnia” and the Harry Potter series have experienced widespread success and international fame.
Just to clear the air, despite appearances over the past year and a half, Wheatsville Food Co-op has always remained open during its renovations. All you had to do was brave prison-esque cyclone fences, plywood-covered windows, steep ramps, freshly poured slabs and other obstacles blocking the entrance.
Swayze's greatest roles
"Ghost"; "Point Break"; "Dirty Dancing"
The Harry Ransom Center is celebrating the controversial Ballets Russes, the infamous ballet company that used designs by Coco Chanel and Pablo Picasso, with a multifaceted film series beginning tonight.
LOS ANGELES — Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into viewers’ hearts with “Dirty Dancing” and then broke them with “Ghost,” died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.
Though the stairs of Waggener Hall can put an intense burn in anyone’s legs, nothing is more painful than being sick in college. The misery that accompanies runny noses, sore throats and unstoppable coughing fits is only compounded when you have to travel into a cafeteria or campus restaurant to get something to eat. To avoid having to bring a box of tissues and cold medicine to the dining hall, try some of these meal ideas to ward off the flu bug blues from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Times New Viking: Born Again Revisited; Muse: The Resistance; The Dodos:Time to Die
Mike Sacks has a good job. Last year, it involved spending hundreds of hours questioning some of the nation’s most well-respected and interesting comedic writers about things they’d never before been asked.
With tongues wagging and mouths watering throughout the city this week, hungry Austinites will dine for charity during the third annual Austin Restaurant Week.
“The Jay Leno Show” doesn’t premiere until tonight, but it has already been talked to death.
Along with being the songwriter and vocalist behind the acclaimed indie rock of Shearwater, Jonathan Meiburg is really into birds. It was UT’s graduate program in ornithology that brought him to Austin, where he first joined Okkervil River and then moved on to playing in Shearwater full time.
Austin's Buddhist Priests strive to minimize harm to their surroundings
Waking up at 5:45 a.m. each day, Kosho McCall dresses simply in a navy robe, pants and slip-on sandals.
Performing arts center changes name to reflect its mission
Hairdresser has defied the ages, the trends and the ever-youthful freshmen
Joann Clements knows hair. A veteran stylist at Pro-Cuts on the Drag, she’s seen it all, be it the influx of students hoping to look like the latest hot celebrities or businesspeople from the Capitol stopping in to get a trim. She’s lived through the hair trends of the ‘90s, she has witnessed the cycles ebb and flow with the times and the tastes of the public.
There were murmurs that James, down the hall, was sick with swine flu. Which James? With uncharacteristic fearlessness, I made it my business to find out.
In the dingy garage of a Southwest Austin home, small kegs lay strewn across the ground amid pots, pans, buckets and empty glass containers of all sizes. Two bar stools sit in an aisle formed between three refrigerators and two meat lockers.
For people well-immersed in Austin theatre, you know you can find a wide range of productions to entertain yourself with. If you’re longing for something grounded but still a tad out of the ordinary, look no farther than The Off Center’s production of “I’ve Never Been So Happy,” which opens tonight at Rude Mechanicals.
Every 12-year-old girl knows there are countless at-home remedies able to achieve a variety of desired effects on one’s hair.
Hugh Hefner and wife divorce, renegotiate monthly payments; President Obama’s mother the subject of 2011 documentary; Talk-show host replaces Abdul as fourth American Idol judge
After a summer of reruns, we are ready to start anew with fresh shows and the return of old favorites. Here are four of this season’s reasons to delay starting homework.
UT hosts largest Edgar Allen Poe exhibition in history, astronomy expo
The rapping and tapping on the Harry Ransom Center doors yesterday came not from English literature’s most famous talking raven but rather from visitors anxious to see the opening of the museum’s two latest exhibitions — the largest one commemorating the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth and the other a celebration of the history of astronomy.
Female body is haven for 'erogenous possibilities,'exploration worthwhile
Since last January, “Hump Day” has sparked dialogue and lots of opinionated comments about sexual education by openly addressing topics from birth control to sex toys. By talking about sexual curiosities, we hope the social taboos that often come attached to them can be lessened. So, as a new semester begins, we’re jumping right back in where “Hump Day” left off. Bring on the comments, outrage and, most importantly, questions. We’re ready.
Shane Acker spent four years as a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles making an animated short film.
Movie fails to grab audience's emotions, needs more plot depth
It’s a tough time for animated films. Pixar continues to produce one phenomenal movie after another and sets the bar so high that all other animation feels a little soulless and stale.
Moo Moo’s Mini Burgers makes the most of its modest location with a mouthwatering menu and the savory satisfaction to back it up.
French toast is one of my favorite breakfast foods because I feel like I’m getting to eat dessert early.
Museum of Digital Art brings public's focus to 'overlooked composers'
Line Upon Line and members of the New Music Co-op covered three avant-garde classical works for the Austin Museum of Digital Art’s Peformance No.13 on Saturday night, flirting with early electronic recording techniques.
Chevelle: Sci-Fi Crimes; Sondre Lerche: Heartbeat Radio; Taken by Trees: East of Eden
Seth Lewis might be the person who saves journalism. A former sports editor for The Miami Herald, he’s now a journalism doctoral candidate and assistant instructor focusing on new media and its implications in the field.
Grocery shopping is a pleasant enough experience for most of us — we soak up the air conditioning as we leisurely scan the aisles. The boxes of moist chocolate chip cookies in the bakery make our mouths water — we grab a box, and as an afterthought, pick up a quart of milk from the dairy section as well. It’s simple: We buy what we like or whatever looks good.
Who has not felt the blunt-force trauma of an idiotic boss?
Mike Judge, the creator of “Beavis and Butthead” and “King of the Hill” and writer and director of “Office Space” and “Idiocracy,” has been manufacturing cultural touchstones for years.
Russell Crowe challenges columnist to bike duel; Michael Jackson mourned by Elizabeth Taylor, other celebs
Chef James Holmes ditches politics for apron, restaurant ranked in nation’s top ten by Bon Appétit
Walking into Olivia on South Lamar Boulevard, a diner might catch a glimpse of chef and owner James Holmes cooking away.
Summer vacation is over, and you probably just shelled out more on textbooks than you would on a round-trip airplane ticket to Cancun. The last thing you want to do is spend more money on books, which is why fall is not the best time of the year to read for pleasure.
University staff members recite poems of choice at first monthly Harry Ransom Center meeting
A cool September breeze paired with shade from the towering trees provided an appropriate setting for Wednesday’s “Farewell to Summer”-themed Poetry on the Plaza at the Harry Ransom Center.
The school year has just begun, yet somehow, the coursework is already piling up.
The joy once derived from reading novels has turned into the lament of required reading. Fear not: There is salvation in the form of comic books. Rather then checking Facebook, comics are cheap, quick reads that can break up the monotony and stress of coursework.
The old, squeaky wood floors and the stark white walls of the Mexic-Arte Museum act as the perfect counterpart to the striking Serie Print Project XVI exhibit that opened Aug. 14 at the downtown museum. The serigraph prints, better known as silkscreen, line the walls with layers of Latin influence.
Natural sunlight gives way to a fluorescent glow as a pink north Austin apartment turns golden, the sun setting out the window.
Editor’s Note: Since last January, “Hump Day” has sparked dialogue and lots of opinionated comments about sexual education by openly addressing topics from birth control to sex toys. By talking about sexual curiosities, we hope the social taboos that often come attached to them can be lessened. So, as a new semester begins, we’re jumping right back in where “Hump Day” left off. Bring on the comments, outrage and, most importantly, questions. We’re ready.
Local man uses ‘impeccable technique’ to create works of art
Entering local potter Don Brimberry’s studio is instantly relaxing — the dry, cool air and the fresh smell of clay are reminiscent of after-school art classes taught by soft-voiced, hippy-ish teachers.
In reggae music, one man stands out as the genre’s founding father. One man shaped the recognizable sound that would spread across the world and live for generations, providing the soundtrack for everything from Caribbean political uprisings to your last pool party. No, it’s not Bob Marley – it’s Lee “Scratch” Perry, legendary 73-year-old Jamaican producer and artist and the man essentially responsible for the creation of reggae.
Concert celebrates album debut with wide range of genres, instruments
When the lights at Bass Concert Hall dim tonight, there will be no mistaking the trademark thick eyeglasses and dark suit.
With football season quickly approaching, I am beginning to brainstorm ideas for fun snacks to bring to tailgates or TV-watching parties. It is a challenge because I want to make something that doesn’t require utensils, isn’t too messy and doesn’t include a plastic tray and hundreds of carrot sticks. Not that there’s anything wrong with carrot sticks.
Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer; Whitney Houston: I Look To You; The Arctic Monkeys; Humbug
‘Destination’ beats ‘Basterds,’ ‘Halloween’ to No. 1 spot; Autopsy of DJ AM still leaves some questions unanswered
Chronicle-sponsored event attracts thousands to sample variety of salsas
Though the temperature outside was a cool 93 degrees, thousands of mouths were on fire at the 19th annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival on Sunday at Waterloo Park.
Austin developers lead business into new era with large projects, several successful companies
Austin has a long-lived reputation as a music city, but it might not be long before it is also viewed as a major hub for the video game industry.
This week, The Daily Texan caught up with Neil Petty, the man behind “Neiliyo.” Combining chunky, Day-Glo beats from his laptop with a funk guitar and an infectious energy, Petty is a constant force in the downtown dance club scene.
Mac released its latest operating system, Snow Leopard, on Friday to much anticipation despite the fact that the new system is little more than a more polished version of its predecessor, Leopard.
The bass booms softly amid the din of chatting club-goers lounging on plush sofas, red lights glowing from every corner of the room.
Founder Tolly Moseley tells the story behind her fast-growing blog
People are strange. They’re also funny, interesting, inspiring and a host of other adjectives that could fill up every page of this paper.
Waddle pays homage to Fitzgerald’s works for BookPeople series
Many people will never see the connection between the written word and the audible note, but P. Kellach Waddle is out to change that.
5 picks for the weekend events in Austin
I fondly remember the days when lunch referred not only to a meal but to a 30-minute retreat from responsibility — an oasis in between math and P.E.
In reality, Monahans is a small city in the center of Texas’ Permian Basin. But for Greg Vanderpool, it is something more abstract.
“Project Runway,” the hit reality fashion competition show, has returned and is fierce as ever. With the season premiere last Thursday, however, audiences were in for some considerable changes.
Author Dominick Dunne dies at 83 in his Manhattan home
Watch out, Austin City Limits Music Festival and South by Southwest Festival. It looks like Fun Fun Fun Fest is here to stay.
Reggae musician Matisyahu plays a short concert on the drag to promote his most recent releas
Tex-Mex: people either swear by it or flee from the globs of cheese.
In many ways, the days leading up to the start of the fall semester are the calm before the storm: parking spots that were empty all summer are filled with moving trucks unloading box springs and bookcases, campus convenience store employees re-stock refrigerator shelves with new bottles of Dr. Pepper and Gatorade and incoming freshmen nervously pace the Six Pack in anticipation, maps in hand.
A tumult of beeps, buzzes and bass fills the low-lit Beauty Bar as a huddle of svelte bodies bounce up and down, lost entirely to the beat.
Editor’s Note: Since last January, “Hump Day” has been sparking dialogue and lots of opinionated comments about sexual education by openly addressing topics from birth control to sex toys. By talking about sexual curiosities, we hope the social taboos that often come attached to them can be lessened. So, as a new semester begins, we’re jumping right back in where “Hump Day” left off. Bring on the comments, outrage and, most importantly, questions. We’re ready.
Chris Brown sentenced to five years probation in assault case
Chris Brown sentenced to five years probation in assault case; Billboard names Beyonce its third ‘Woman of the Year’; After three Hollywood movies, Jet Li returns to Chinese film
Poetry, art come together in ‘A Couple of Ways of Doing Something’
The new Chuck Close exhibit at the Austin Museum of Art, “A Couple of Ways of Doing Something,” certainly lives up to its name: digital prints, photogravures and massive tapestries stand out among scores of staggering daguerreotypes.
As the fall semester begins, I realize I have to get used to eating dinner around my schoolwork and other commitments.
Amid the fog of cigarette smoke and the reverb-heavy cacophony of a show at one of the indie rock haunts along Red River, it’s rare that you won’t find a certain young man with black hair, square rimmed glasses, assertive eyes and the most conspicuous of accessories: a video camera.
International Waters; Imogen Heap; Destroyer
Crypt above Marilyn Monroe’s grave fetches millions on eBay
Festival draws tens of thousands, raises money for bat conservation
As the humidity settled heavily on the evening, one Saturday night event began in homage of one of Austin’s greatest oddities: the 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats that live under Congress Bridge.
Customers salvage used clothes, furniture at 'Trash to Treasure'
In a second-floor gymnasium at the UT Recreational Sports Center, hundreds of UT students and Austinites sorted through piles of used clothing and furniture Sunday morning at the fifth annual Trash to Treasure Garage Sale.
Festival organizers scramble to make last-minute lineup changes
The year that ACL Festival organizers don’t have to deal with last-minute dropouts and lineup complaints from fans will be their favorite year ever. Unfortunately, 2009 won’t be that year.
We’ve all heard Austin touted as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” but this grandiose title discounts the fact that it’s individual musicians that make it so. In order to get to know a more personal side of Austin’s music scene, each Monday we’ll ask a local musician 10 questions about their music and their life.
Actor Antwon Tanner pleads guilty to NYC ID-theft scheme
With literally hundreds of restaurants in easy reach, deciding where to eat around campus can be a difficult decision. Here is a short but savory list of campus establishments that will hopefully please your palate and bring flavor to your day.
No filmmaker today divides cinemagoers like Quentin Tarantino.
Director Eli Roth has been subverting the horror genre since he broke onto the scene with 2002’s creepy, campy “Cabin Fever.”
Taking a break is usually a bad sign for a band, evidence that either the creative well has run dry or conflict within the group is causing problems.
When I told my boyfriend Robert about a thrifty date challenge a few of my coworkers had put me up to, I was sincerely impressed by his enthusiastic response.
If you can recall your high school English classes, then you probably remember reading quite a bit of Shakespeare.
There’s no better word to describe Bowerbirds than “precious.”
Fueled by peace, love and drugs, event defined music for a generation
For all those who find themselves venturing to Austin City Limits every year — covered in sunscreen, battery-powered fans hanging around their necks and the unmistakable feeling that somehow they were transported to another planet — it’s easy to envision the muddy chaos that was Woodstock.
When it comes to dining in Austin, it’s not necessary to keep going to the same comfortable restaurants. Go out on a limb and try some really delicious foods at an unobtrusive, ethnic hole-in-the-wall. Here are a handful of our favorites.
“Each year thousands of women in the U.S. learn they have cervical cancer,” says the young girl in the Gardasil commercials we’ve seen just about every day since the FDA approved Merck’s vaccine for four of the more than 30 strains of HPV in 2006.
In an upstairs classroom in the Blanton Art Museum’s Smith building, 12 high schoolers sit and listen to a Blanton docent.
As the end of the summer approaches, I find myself craving simplicity; the desire to get away from the complications of moving, buying textbooks and, most notably, the heat. With less than three weeks until the start of the fall semester, I’m boycotting turning on my oven until the first signs of cooler weather.
Summer is coming to a close. Many have faced the mass exodus from West Campus and is, more than likely, dealing with the form of homelessness that apartment complexes love to inflict upon young students.
Mainstream country is probably the most isolated genre of popular music. No matter what happens, it keeps to itself.
Dozens of cheese-heaped tables filled the Governor’s Ballroom at the downtown Hilton on Saturday night, where the American Cheese Society held its annual Festival of Cheese. Gruyères and goudas, Muensters and mozzarellas, pepperjacks and provolones — about 1,100 varieties of the delicious delicacy were put on display for hundreds of guests to eat.
Last Thursday, Austin Homebrew Supply gave a winemaking workshop as part of Slow Food Austin’s series of monthly culinary classes.
Last Saturday, the Austin Museum of Digital Art held its 46th bimonthly Digital Showcase at Club De Ville, featuring a lineup of live electronic bands and digital art. Both international and local artists donned the stage and screens of the breezy Club De Ville patio.
‘G.I. Joe’ movie has kung-fu grip on weekend sales at box office
An Ikea trip is a perfect idea for those seeking fun, affordable date
If necessity is the mother of all invention, then only being allowed to spend $10 on a date is bound to breed some quirky romance.
“What kind of fool would only want it one way?” asks Fielding, one of the many conflicted characters in Maile Meloy’s new short story collection, “Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It,” in which she examines this theme in her diverse collection of 11 stories.
Abdul’s ‘Idol’ exit shakes up TV’s top-rated show; Screenwriter for ‘On the Waterfront’ dies in NY at 95
Break out your Campbell’s soup cans and bananas, it’s Andy Warhol’s birthday!
Unique music artist talks about records, personal lyrics and wild shows
Who said hip-hop was dead?
There are tons of places to get dim sum near campus, but newly opened Fortune Chinese Seafood makes it a unique experience. From the very low prices to a wide variety of menu offerings, it’s worth a visit.
The Guttmacher Institute, one of the world’s preeminent sex and reproductive health think tanks, released a study in December based on new evidence supporting the efficacy of the withdrawal method at preventing pregnancy.
Cooking legend Julia Child, perhaps the world’s most renowned chef, has been garnering a lot of press recently. This Friday marks the release of “Julie and Julia”, a film based on a book by Julie Powell. The movie depicts events in Child’s life juxtaposed with Powell’s own life as she attempts to make all 524 recipes in Child’s book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
Tony Ciola, owner and operator of Tony C’s Coal Fired Pizza, is 25 years old. Though he’s young for the typical restaurant owner, he says he was born into the business: Ciola’s great-uncle opened the original Ciola’s Italian restaurant in Virginia Beach, Va., in 1949, and the Ciola family has been in the business of making food ever since.
No One’s First and You’re Next; About Love; Tribute To
NEW YORK — He’s become a publicity nightmare for CNN, embarrassed his boss and hosted a show that seemed to contradict the network’s “no bias” brand. And on top of all that, his ratings are slipping.
Whether it’s a sleep-deprived UT student or fast-walking downtown office employee, Austinites love coffee, a claim made evident by the plethora of coffee shops — both chain and independently-owned — that line nearly every street corner in the Capitol City.
Last Saturday, Austin saw its first Cupcake Smackdown, a family and pet event held at the One2One bar that celebrated the tiny treats and locals who bake them.
Since its formation in 2003, Glasvegas has been combining the dark attitude of 80’s New Wave revivalists like The Jesus and Mary Chain with the types of noise-rock manifestos made famous by bands like My Bloody Valentine.
‘Infinite Summer’ makes 1,000-page novel less daunting with blogs, forum discussion
A summer online challenge has quickly made “Infinite Jest,” David Foster Wallace’s behemoth 1996 novel, this summer’s must-read book. It’s one of the most talked-about and difficult books in the last 20 years.
“A Map of Home” by Randa Jarrar; T-Minus: The Race to the Moon by Jim Ottaviani
Continental thievery forms basis for budget date, embarrassment
Some guys may think the perfect date ends with breakfast, so I decided to mix it up and begin my “thrifty date” bright and early with a bite to eat.
n this month’s issue of Texas Monthly, the magazine published “The 50 Best Burgers,” a comprehensive list of the self-proclaimed best hamburgers in the state. On the list, eight out of the 50 burgers are in Austin. We sent our staff to test two out of the list’s top three burgers in the city.
Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, recent graduate of the MFA creative writing program at UT’s James A. Michener Center, has found a warm reception in literary committees and drama competitions with her play “LIDLESS.”
Doing research for the “Hump Day” column has led me to some of the most interesting books I have ever read. With an excuse for reading books like “The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women” from cover to cover, I have seen myself turn into a receptacle for random facts about sex.
Despite any preconceived notion you may have, granola isn’t just for hippies.
Music reviews of Ashley Tisdale's new album "Guilty Pleasure," and Sugar Ray's album "Music for Cougars,"
Cheer Up Charlie’s draws inspiration from movie exploits of Willy Wonka
Remember that sobering moment in Mel Stuart’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” when you are so ready for Charlie to find the golden ticket and he doesn’t?
Online auction includes love faxes, robe, phone messages
Whimsical 5K raises money for group fighting sexual violence
A Sunday morning run is not really unusual in Austin — the city is known for being one of the nation’s fittest. This Sunday’s inaugural Cougar Country Classic 5K, however, was slightly different.
Wildflower Center hosts Lady Bird Tribute Day featuring videos, tours
When it seems as though nothing can survive in the sweltering triple-digit weather, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, filled with flourishing plants, is not hurt by the blazing Texas sun.
Drunk crowd laps up the obscenity laced music, comedy of 'Variety Show'
Just when you thought Austin was slowly bleeding out its old, unique character, a show of epic insanity designed to “bring back a little bit of what Austin used to be” pulls you out from the depths of coffee shop chains. “The Troy Dillinger Variety Show” owned Saturday night at the U.S. Art Authority, located next to Spider House.
I pedal down Lamar Boulevard listening to the smooth sound of tire treads gliding on asphalt. Over Town Lake, I see to my left the pedestrian bridge lavished with bikes of every type.
I’m a fan of cheese in all its glorious forms; my roommates tease me about having three different kinds of cheese in the refrigerator. When a friend asked me what souvenir she should bring back for me from Italy, she was surprised when I requested the finest wheel of Parmesan Reggiano she could find.
Display at gallery shows hybrid of medium and inspirational sources
Shrieking sobs, plastic pig masks and a veritable tower of office supply cabinets: These objects may sound as if they belong in some unlikely hybrid of “Office Space” and “Lord of the Flies.” But these seemingly disparate items represent one man’s take on theambivalence and uncertainty of the present.
Austin marijuana dealer says business is thriving despite economy
Shut away in a humble downtown apartment, local marijuana dealer “Kosmo” sits.
Last September, The Daily Texan published “Out of the Closet, into a Minefield”, an opinion piece by openly bisexual physics sophomore Heath Cleveland.
Books uncover expeditions into different worlds
‘Expose’ boasts thought, time, legitimate research on fundamentalist sect; Irish novelist weaves tale of strangers in ‘70s New York that may be best yet
As I was driving downtown last week, I noticed yet another new cupcake shop near the Second Street District. Delish Cupcakes (209 W. 3rd St.) marks the fourth independent cupcake shop to open in Austin.
Sylvia Orozco’s resume is definitely one to envy.
Fashion show and awards ceremony boast a uniquely Austin atmosphere
As the sun sets Sunday on an unusually breezy evening, Austin’s fashion community strolls down a red carpet rolled out in front of the Long Center for the Performing Arts during the fashion show and awards ceremony that would culminate the city’s first everfashion week.
Exactly 40 years ago today, the members of the Apollo 11 crew were on their way to being the first men to set foot on the moon.
Space 12, a colorful artist collective and community center on Austin’s East Side, is the YMCA of the next generation.
Annie Ray is kind of a big deal. Or, at least that’s what her Web site claims.
Sackville’s scandalous life challenged Victorian-era views of place in society
Long before notorious party girls like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, there was Idina Sackville, whose scandalous behavior and tumultuous love life became notorious in England at the turn of the 20th century.
She’s 6 feet tall, brunette and gorgeous — so gorgeous, in fact, she occasionally does side work as a model in addition to being a fashion design student.
Sexual tension and scant exposition throw fans right in the action
When the first “Harry Potter” film came out, way back in 2001, there wasn’t too much to be excited about.
The first time I ever saw a dildo, I was about 10 years old.
My first brush with true musical genius, exemplified in the Chicago-based band Tortoise, was years ago at a party.
Austin’s taco fetish is out of control. From the traditional to the exotic, tacos are available at basically every corner (I can think of three places I could buy one within walking distance of where I am now.) It’s easy to see why tacos are so popular: They’re tasty, versatile, portable and, perhaps most importantly, cheap.
Since The City Theatre began playing host to the Summer Acts! Festival on Thursday, a collection of six small shows have taken the stage — mostly original fare, such as a rock musical version of “The Odyssey” and another musical dramedy entitled “Home(less) Economics.”
Picket Fence Cartel; Horehound; El Radio
Thousands of fans crowded outside Stubb’s Bar-B-Que Saturday night to see Spoon, a local quartet that has become a success story of Austin music. From its start, when frontman Britt Daniel played solo shows at Hole in the Wall while he was a UT student, to October 2007, when the band was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Spoon’s evolution from obscure local favorite to nationally recognized act holds a warm place in the hearts of Austin fans who can say “we knew them when.”
Austin Fashion Week, July 13-19, includes a variety of events beyond the catwalk. Most are free and open to the public, and all guarantee great deals on self-improvement techniques, clothing and accessories. Free luxury items, especially in this economy, seem even better.
Artists in competition show what state means using different mediums
The significance of home is intimate and often anecdotal for individuals. So, when Austin Art Space asked Texan artists what their state means to them, a wide array of representations arose — from the obvious painted longhorn to obscure and confusing neon-colored lines streaked across a gray canvas.
LOS ANGELES — Gay Austrian fashion devotee Bruno has landed the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office, though it’s uncertain how much staying power he has.
Musically diverse album reflects band’s devotion to experimentation, spontaneity
Two years ago, Spoon was ubiquitous.
Project to educate and rehabilitate prisoners reopens in new location
On the streets of East Austin there is a place where books, prisoners and volunteers converge. After a four-month hiatus, the Inside Books Project reopened in a more diverse collective space to continue its goal of prison improvements through education.
Spoon's new album, Got Nuffin
Comedian Kathy Griffin returns to the Long Center for the Performing Arts tonight as part of her nationwide tour.
Erotic store caters to women and couples, makes patrons feel at ease
In this rough economy, the story of a business struggling to make ends meet or having to compromise in order to survive is not unheard of.
Annie’s Cafe & Bar opens doors again to serve great food, first-rate desserts
Austin is full of restaurants that cater to diners — places that care not only what goes into the entrees, but also about what makes the restaurant accessible and pleasing to all kinds of people, no matter their taste buds. Annie’s Cafe & Bar, a new local restaurant, embodies such versatility and awareness in its cuisine.
If there’s one thing Shane Lawlor keeps coming back to when discussing his new music, it’s love.
Engulfed in oxytocin-induced feelings of comfort, people frequently partake in intimate talk after sex — most commonly called pillow talk.
It’s officially summertime. It’s the time when we all make pledges to ourselves about how we will use our spare time wisely.
I think I ought to be called out on this recipe: Though it’s masked with a pretentious name, this dish is really nothing more than a dressed up casserole.
White Denim and Clutch
A few weeks ago, the Tutto Theatre Company’s presentation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s “Black Snow” premiered at the Salvage Vanguard Theater.
Competition was fun and intense as teams, individuals competed
What do you get when you combine veggie dogs, beer, carnival music and a dash of Austin’s weirdness? If not the makings of a pretty lame joke, then you can bet it’s the Third Annual Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest hosted by iLoveMikeLitt.
Offers the chance to see legendary films as they were meant to be seen
Like anyone with a severe moving picture addiction, I spend a serious, and sometimes debilitating amount of time watching movies in my living room. I’m totally relaxed, relatively engaged and I enjoy every minute of it.
Washington, D.C.’s Pentagram has often been referred to as the “American Black Sabbath,” as both bands took the garage and psychedelic rock of the past in slower, darker directions.
I’ve been traveling to East Austin a lot recently.
After a long day of family gatherings, forced religious experiences and altogether awkward conversations, I always leave my parents’ house thinking, “Well, that story goes in the memoir.”
Indian Jewelry is constantly on the edge. One of the best experimental bands to emerge from Texas in the past decade, the Houston-based group always seems to straddle the divide between beauty and destruction.
Around Austin are hundreds of clues that lead to secret, concealed boxes. More than likely, you have walked by one of these hidden treasures completely unaware of its existence. The treasure hunt is all part of a game called letterboxing.
What do you get when you combine two former touring drummers, music fans and the rise of social media? For Todd Hansen and Scott Miller, the result was a national database of free places to stay for traveling musicians.
Lying intertwined in the sweaty afterglow of a sexual romp can be one of the most emotionally fulfilling, monumentally disappointing or chillingly awkward moments of a sexual interaction. From pillow talk and cuddling to grabbing the keys, finding your underwear and sheepishly hauling butt for the door, the vast array of post-coitus feelings can sometimes be difficult to manage.
When you think 1930s gangsters, the likes of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson come to mind, with their tough-guy looks and “You dirty rat” mentality.
If you’re looking for some clothes, shoes or random trinkets, but don’t have a lot of money, Austin’s Really, Really Free Market may be of interest to you. It’s free. Really.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost July, and this Saturday is the Fourth, ensuring all the traditional festivities like fireworks, picnics and patriotic color overload.
It has been said that if you want good Chinese food in Austin, go to Houston. Fortunately, the newly opened Get Sum Dim Sum does not fit that mold.
Wilco (The Album); Cradlesong
Mastery of image, defeat of racial barriers endear ‘King of Pop’ to millions
I remember the first time I heard Michael Jackson. One summer in the early ‘90s, my sister and I stumbled upon a Jackson 5 vinyl that belonged to our mother.
Beautiful model, TV star Farrah Fawcett left her mark on 40 Acres
Last Friday, after battling anal cancer for several years, Farrah Fawcett died at the age of 62. Some remember her as one of “Charlie’s Angels,” others remember her as an icon of the sexually-charged ‘70s, still others remember her as a struggling actress dealing with the troubles of life after stardom, but most forget that she was a Longhorn.
One time when I was sick, my boyfriend came over to cheer me up with MTV’s “Laguna Beach” series.
Lauren Conrad’s visit shows difference between MTV show and real life
Gaggles of prepubescent tweens held out their cell phones and cameras as they were ushered into a dimly lit room on the third floor of BookPeople on Lamar Boulevard on Saturday afternoon.
TAMPA, Fla. — Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50.
Austin Green Art helps to reform lives with ‘green employment’
“This is Heaven,” said Randy Jewart, founder of Austin Green Art, standing proudly before an expanse of tattered windows, rusted tools and industrial ghosts.
Faking it: tossing him a bone leads to mutual regrets
This week, I am joined by Daily Texan columnist Ben Wermund to discuss the gendered expectations of orgasm and the acceptability of “faking it.”
With “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” it’s clear that someone let director/master of destruction Michael Bay off the leash.
Contemporary exhibit perplexes visitors, lacks emotional intensity
What do I know about contemporary art? Apparently, not much.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Staggering through tobacco clouds at 90-proof an hour, Austin’s musically confederate band, Clyde and Clem’s Whiskey Business, fills up a lovingly abused back patio table at the Hole in the Wall.
Dream Theater; Pete Yorn; Regina Spektor; Julianna Barwic
Late at night, disc jockeys in the isolated KVRX studio play “none of the hits, all of the time” for Austin listeners.
House Pizzeria serves tasty pizza made from flavorful ingredients
Pizza is a favorite meal among most college students.
Francisco Matto's work explores, spans gap between modern and past societies
Only one word can be used to describe the Blanton Museum on Friday night: swanky.
Rilo Kiley frontwoman rocks to gospel and soul for a little side project
Jenny Lewis never fails to put on a show that is both physically and emotionally moving. Though the 33-year-old Lewis is normally found playing guitar and singing in the band Rilo Kiley, she is currently doing her own thing as a solo artist.
Bullock’s ‘Proposal’ woos date crowds with $34.1M
When the last bell rings and school is finally out for the summer, many kids run home, kick their feet up in front of the TV and stay there for the next two and a half months.
It’s strange to think that only six months ago director Sam Mendes made “Revolutionary Road,” a film about how settling down will rob you of your ambition and dreams.
In “The Proposal,” high-powered publishing house editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation to her native Canada and must bribe her abused assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), into marrying her.
If you haven’t heard of Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, now is as good a time as any. With the recent release of her sophomore album Actor, Clark is turning a lot of headsand attracting a lot of ears.
Four years ago, if you told me Austin was going to become a great town for metal, I would laugh so hard my guts would come spewing forth and I would resemble an Autopsy song. The Sword hadn’t made its mark yet, Averse Sefira rarely did shows and national tours often skipped Austin for San Antonio.
Hill Country berry farm is organic 'mini-oasis,' just miles from city
Last Saturday, with thoughts of jam and cobbler in my mind, I drove an hour west in search of something more organic than the city could provide. Tucked away in the Hill Country is a mini-oasis called Sweet Berry Farm, where determined visitors are invited to pick their own produce from rows of fruits and vegetables waiting to be unearthed.
When creating the interactive DVD “Stockholm: An Exploration of True Love” — a game that lets a player kidnap a young woman and then uses a limited number of available physical and psychological tools to make her “fall in love with [the viewer]” — Stanton Audemars didn’t seem to think his game was going to ruffle any feathers.
Many bands in search of a signature aesthetic turn to old cultural artifacts. From early punk bands the Misfits’ and Cramps’ “B” horror film-fetish to the modern folk movement’s plundering of Native American dress and design, musicians have found inspiration in abundance through the ways of the past.
Lately, it seems that Hollywood has gotten incredibly lazy. Almost every movie coming out is an adaptation of a book.
South Lamar eatery serves delicious food and free booze while waiting on liquor license
After almost a year and a half of planning, Black Sheep Lodge finally opened on South Lamar Street.
When I pulled into the parking lot of Austin Playhouse, I feared I was in the wrong place.
Mexic-Arte displays more than 2,000 works from Hispanic artists
As you walk, bus or drive downtown, there is no doubt you will encounter a cultural explosion.
The porn industry has an incredible ability to make even the most natural of sexual phenomena sound utterly disgusting.
One of my guiltiest pleasures is being a total food-blog junkie.
Tosh.0; 16 and Pregnant; NYC Prep
Lines, Vines and Trying Times by the Jonas Brothers; Rhett Miller by Rhett Miller; Microscopic Metronomes by Wild Moccasins
Stunts, public indecency and alcohol make event most gnarly in Austin
Motorcycles are awesome. That’s what I learned this weekend. They’re fast, noisy and super sweet. From a young Marlon Brando’s iconic performance in “The Wild One” to the legendary stunt jumps of Evel Knievel, the American spirit is filled with images of leather-clad, motorcycle-riding awesomeness; and downtown Austin was packed with the best examples of this last weekend.
The gold is here! Santi White, also known as Santigold, has made a major name for herself in the music business with her debut album Santogold.
Settled under a shady tree, music group Riyaaz delighted Barton Springs Pool-goers with a taste of South Asian tradition on Saturday afternoon.
The camera obscura is an early device used to project an image on a screen.
Somnio's cafe on South 1st talks the talk, but food leaves a lot on the table
Eating out has always been a bit of a compromise for me. While it offers instant gratification for my stomach with food made with skills well beyond my own, sometimes I sacrifice not only the contents of my wallet, but also the ability to know exactly what goes into my food.
Three circles of green plastic tubing, representing brain neurons, dangle from the ceiling as you enter the exhibit “The Lining of Forgetting: Internal and External Memory in Art” at the Austin Museum of Art. At the heart of each sculpture is a video of artist Deborah Aschheim during one of her birthday parties in the 1960s.
With many things to do this weekend, the Texan’s Life & Arts editors have some suggestions for what you should be doing. This is a weekly series to keep you informed about weekend events.
NEW YORK — Aerosmith may be nearly 40 years old, but the group is staying connected with younger audiences.
Monday night at Momo’s, local musician David Lutes performed for a small crowd gathered inside the bar.
With beach season in full force, it’s inevitable that a female member of my family will soon hand me a novel with some sort of ridiculous romance theme.
If nothing else, a musical can usually provide an escape from the banality of the daily trudge. With all the lights, dancing, and catchy music — not to mention the over-exaggerated singing — what’s not to love?
When you get to a point where the rigors of touring and writing music aren’t satiating enough, what’s a musician to do?
Inspired by 'Arrested Development,' founders want stand to spoon out frozen goodness
In a tiny wooden trailer at the corner of a parking lot on 9th Street and Lamar Boulevard, Anna Notario and Laura Anderson stand for six hours a day, seven days a week, dipping frozen bananas into a Crock-Pot full of melted chocolate sauce.
“But why does it have to be about sex?”
Summer evenings are typically reserved for hanging out and drinking a few cold ones. Summer mornings, however, are usually best for little more than sleeping off the night before. Instead of downing painkillers in preparation for Round 2, consider a more enlightening a.m. activity: yoga.
Fruit's moisture and tenderness are perfect for Texas summers
When I was a kid, I would eat bowls of watermelon until I made myself sick, sitting on our front porch and spitting the seeds onto the sidewalk. Today, I try to practice the art of self-restraint, capping my fruit consumption before it ends tragically in a sugar coma and water-filled stomach.
Products premiered at Apple's annual trade show for developer
Rumors have run rampant the past few months about what Apple has been working on at their home base in Cupertino, Calif.
On the last day of the 2006 Austin City Limits Music Festival, my friends and I sat in the grass, killing time while we waited for The Flaming Lips set to begin.
After the release of the promising Flashlights EP last year, my biggest fear was that Loxsly would neglect its subtle, carefully constructed arrangements and enchanting textures for a more traditional indie-pop sound.
After months of speculation and rumors, the inevitable has happened. Lil Wayne’s Rebirth, Weezy’s so-called “rock” album, has been released.
As someone who predominately listens to and writes about experimental music, it’s embarrassing to confess that I’ve never really listened to Sonic Youth. Sure, I’ve heard a few tracks from its critically acclaimed album Daydream Nation and even seen frontman Thurston Moore play live, but the band’s monumental, decade-spanning catalog has always seemed too daunting to tackle at this stage in my life.
Thousands represent Austin's vibrant gay community, hear talk on Stonewall Riots' impact
When Masashi Niwano moved from San Francisco to Austin four years ago, he found the local gay community to be smaller than the one in his native city.
Red, blue and green cloths dangle from iron hangers in the corner of the room. An infant-sized doll mimics the movements of a man on a TV screen. This is just the beginning of “Practice, Practice, Practice,” the new exhibit at the Lora Reynolds Gallery on Third and Nueces streets.
“Killer Joe” is sure to inspire feelings of unease.
“Fall,” critically acclaimed author Colin McAdam’s sophomore novel, is arguably the best new work published in recent literary history.
Last October, I saw Christopher Buckley in Austin at The Texas Book Festival. His then-scandalous endorsement of Barack Obama for president was making waves in politics, eventually leading to Buckley’s resignation from the political magazine “National Review,” which was founded by his father, the oft-hailed “Father of Conservatism” William F. Buckley.
Noise band evolves sound, drawing from dancehall and dubstep
In my junior year of high school, my friend and fellow music fiend Josh handed me a plain white burned CD with CREATURE COMFORTS sloppily scrawled across it. That 2004 album by the Brooklyn experimental band Black Dice changed the way I perceived music.
The room is too bright. The light from outside is burning through your shut eyelids. Your head feels like it’s filled with the contents of an aquarium — fish and pirate decorations included. Oh, and there’s also the pain on your left arm from that tattoo you got last night.
Will Ferrell and Danny McBride are predictable but very fun, entertaining
Back in the ‘70s, brothers Sid and Marty Krofft felt like screwing with the heads of a generation of youngsters bred on Saturday-morning programming.
Tonight will mark the third time Avey Tare, Geologist and Panda Bear get psychedelic on me.
With dozens of frat houses and an entire seven-block stretch of downtown devoted to drunken debauchery, it wouldn’t be surprising if half of Austin had experienced something similar to the plot of “The Hangover.”
Little known Brooklyn band The Antlers surprised even themselves when their sophomore LP Hospice sold out its first pressing. The Antlers self-produced Hospice with modest expectations, it’s an ambitious concept album focused on the themes of loss and desperation. Before the band knew it, they were signed to the boutique recording label Frenchkiss, home of bands like Passion Pit, Les Savy Fav and the DoDos.
David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” whose career roared back to life when he played the assassin-turned-victim in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” was found dead Thursday in Thailand. Police said he appeared to have hanged himself. The officer responsible for investigating the dead that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the suite’s curtains.
Richard Linklater, the Oscar-nominated director who crafted the spectacular visions behind “Waking Life” and “A Scanner Darkly,” is perpetually at work. At any given moment, he’s busy creating novel ideas to bring to the screen, whether it’s the disjointed and surrealist “Slacker” or “Fast Food Nation,” the horrifying exposé of the fast-food industry.
CD releases and music news from the weeks you were at home
While the Texan might go on hiatus at the end of every spring semester, the music industry doesn’t take breaks, and kept chugging along while we laid on the couch watching reruns of “Home Improvement” to celebrate our freedom. Even though we were gone for less than a month, some fairly notable releases hit the shelves during that time off, some are great, most are bad. What kind of entertainment reporters would we be if we didn’t give these new albums a few words?
"Drag Me To Hell" brings back images from movies unrelated to comic heroes
Director Sam Raimi and gooey bodily fluids go together like a hot plate of chicken and waffles.
Steven Soderbergh's "The Girlfriend Experience" delivers highbrow goods
Last spring, rumors of Steven Soderbergh’s latest project, “The Girlfriend Experience,” had film critics and bloggers alike buzzing with energy that can’t really be classified as excitement.
West Campus Books, headed by UT senior, offers alternative to University Co-op prices
Around 4 p.m., electrical engineering sophomore Will Jones’ phone rings. West Campus Books co-owner and engineering senior Scott North is calling to tell him that his textbooks are going to be picked up in 15 minutes.
Sleeping ‘til the crack of 2 p.m., lounging poolside without a care in the world and completely losing your mind (and your dignity) from when the sun goes down until the wee hours of the morning: This is what college summers are for.
Summer is traditionally a time of decadence. Without the constraints of classes and school-year responsibilities, it’s easy to lose all sense of structure and self-discipline.
When you’ve been around as long as The Melvins of Aberdeen, Wash., how do you celebrate? By not only playing your breakout album Houdini live in its entirety, but also bringing back your old drummer, Mike Dillard, for jamming songs from your formative years.
During the semester it’s easy to lose track of what’s going on in the music world. Now that summer’s started, it’s time to stop slacking. Over the next few weeks, keep your eyes peeled for these upcoming releases we think look interesting.
A decade ago, Spoon was just another indie Austin band — playing shows for the drink tickets, giving albums to fans for next to nothing and, most importantly, tirelessly working to master its unique sound. Now, Spoon is a nationally known act recognized in entertainment news sources such as Pitchfork and SPIN magazine, feature films and at the tops of Billboard charts. Making a triumphant return to Austin this summer for three dates at Stubb’s (June 9 to 11), Spoon isn’t playing just for drink tickets anymore. Tickets for any of the Stubb’s dates cost around $30. Not to say they’re not worth it (they are), but don’t you wish you had known about Spoon back in ’94?
The Rev. Karen Thompson sits at her desk with her office door left open. Outside, in the Cowan Hall area of the Metropolitan Community Church of Austin, church members sit at tables and study the Bible.
Kevin Devine’s most recent album, Brother’s Blood, highlights the Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter as a fully matured artist.
Literature; John Vanderslice
Unique Austin event inspires nearly 2,000 clothing donations
On Friday night, hundreds of students got together, stripped down to their undies and ran across the 40 Acres. And no, it wasn’t just a normal weekend night in West Campus.
Cruz Lane shares music by signing, singing, dancing around Austin
Cruz Lane turns up his iPod to near-maximum volume and shoves the buds into his ears. Blaring Eamon’s “I Don’t Want You Back,” one of several hip-hop songs he performs, the fit 19-year-old begins dancing with Usher-like smoothness.
LaBeouf speaks candidly about upcoming movie, college, favorite co-stars
With “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” little more than a month away from its release, Shia LaBeouf revealed in an interview with The Daily Texan that the new Michael Bay action blockbuster is, in fact, not Shakespeare.
Palahniuk’s latest book comments on America with humor, intelligence
One of these days, Chuck Palahniuk is going to run out of gimmicks. The author, known for penning the generation-defining “Fight Club,” structures each of his novels around a certain technique.
There’s a reason why Flight of the Conchords sold out last night’s performance at Bass Concert Hall — with nearly 3,000 seats at $38.50 a piece — in only 10 minutes. They’re simply hilarious.
The Brothers Grimm brought their tales into a dark world of grotesquerie. Sergei Prokofiev transformed it into an enchanting macabre waltz with his ballet score. Stephen Sondheim transported it into a farcical musical comedy with “Into the Woods.”
Return to the ‘Star Trek’ franchise to suit diehards and newcomers alike
Like Spock, the half-human, half-Vulcan crew member of the U.S.S. Enterprise, J.J. Abrams’ story of “Star Trek” is born of two worlds: the summer blockbuster and the mythology of the series.
Saturday night, Three 6 Mafia and Gorilla Zoe will pack Austin Music Hall and perform for both die-hard fans and new followers who feel the rappers’ latest singles.
The Note celebrates its last column with future assessments
When I started writing this column, I had no idea it would stir up so much controversy.
In times of economic hardship, finding useful items at discount shops becoming easier
When I was young, my family took frequent vacations to our hometown of Montreal to visit relatives
New Zealand’s fourth-most- popular comedy duo — Flight of the Conchords — will make a stop in Austin tonight to perform its signature sub pop set at the newly renovated Bass Concert Hall for those who were lucky enough to snag a ticket in the few minutes before they sold out.
Kurtiss Colvin is on his way to becoming a nationally ranked amateur boxing champion this week
After 13 years of providing therapy to children with autism, the Moore-Weis Children’s Center of Austin is closing. The school, currently in the process of donating furniture, books and even construction paper to fellow nonprofit institutions, has fallen under the weight of financial difficulties.
Local chain provides entertainment, ambiance and free beer to eclectic customer base
Haircuts are a pain. I’m either shelling out a month’s allowance to trim off a few inches or paying $10 for bad results. Through the years, I convinced myself that there was no place that offered affordable hair maintenance that wouldn’t hack my ’do to pieces.
It’s 2 a.m., and despite your best efforts, you returned from a night downtown only to crawl into bed alone. You wore very nice underwear, you shaved and you even hid a condom in your pocket. Nevertheless, here you are, with no one but yourself. So you bite your lip and close your eyes, and …
The world became acquainted, or rather bombarded, with Lady Gaga last year when the singer’s infectious hit “Just Dance” hit radios. Since then, the native New Yorker has dazzled paparazzi and teenagers alike with her thumping techno beats, unique fashion sense and hair color ranging from lilac to platinum blond almost overnight.
One hundred and forty-seven years ago today, a vastly outnumbered Mexican army defeated the French for control of the Republic of Mexico.
Between the popular extremes of indie music — where reverb-heavy garage rock reigns supreme — at one end and electro-pop dominates the other, a wide void has emerged where post-punk bands like Joy Division and The Libertines used to be.
Intelligence; Isis; Hatebreed
Director honors Trekkies’ standards, expands film’s appeal to broad audience
Since leaving “Lost” in 2005, J.J. Abrams has worked on films like “Mission Impossible 3” and “Cloverfield.” The producer and director is now preparing for the release of a new, updated version of the classic film “Star Trek,” which opens Friday.
After-school program offers young musicians tools, advice to create hip-hop
Twelve-year-old Zechariah rehearses his opening lines with enthusiasm and confidence.
Handwritten messages revive correspondence as art form, recreation
It’s 6 p.m on Monday. Rather than hacking away at a research paper, I’m contemplating my next Tweet.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m at a crossroads.
Serendipitous accident creates one of Austin’s most-watched bands
Since the January release of Built By Snow’s debut LP Mega, the local band’s steady ascent to prominence in the Austin music scene has been defined by its infectious brand of indie rock, as well as a love for all things nerdy.
Last Friday, I took out my belly button ring, did my best to camouflage my tattoo and reluctantly shaved off two weeks of pit hair that I had been working on for Eeyore’s Birthday Party — all to better my chances of making the UT Pom Squad.
Guitarist dismisses swine flu, Lil Wayne’s rock ’n’ roll record
The last time New Jersey hard rock quintet The Parlor Mob was in Austin, The Daily Texan spoke with lead singer Mark Melicia about his approach to rock ’n’ roll and how he handles the pressure of being compared to legendary artists like Robert Plant because of the group’s ballsy retro-rock tunes. So what’s there to talk about this time around?
Student musician adapts music, material to adapt his outlook
Chewing gum and dressed casually in the college uniform of a T-shirt and jeans, Andrew Boze speaks with the comfortable ease and introspectiveness of a man who has become more carefree since moving to Austin.
What’s better than taking advantage of free UT resources? Taking advantage of free UT resources that can actually improve the quality of your life.
My boyfriend is in love with Colin Firth. He is in love with his British solidness, his strong silences and his ability to always come through in the end despite being terribly misunderstood.
A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with Ananth Krishnan, a former colleague at an Indian newspaper.
Putting on a show by Stephen Sondheim is never an easy thing to do, but of all his musicals, the toughest may be “Into the Woods,” a retelling of the classic Grimm fairy tales. Foot in the Door, a troupe of mostly UT liberal arts honors students, is putting on an enjoyable, though occasionally frustrating, performance of the show.
LOS ANGELES — Michael Douglas and Oliver Stone may try to tell us that greed is still good with a sequel to their 1987 hit “Wall Street.”
NEW ORLEANS — Rapper Lil Wayne is suing the producer of a song he performed that allegedly sampled another singer’s work without permission.
The picture can’t be gone.
Old, new to please fans of all genres; Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon among surprises
The weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival is a weekend of its own, separated from the rest by a rush of people and excitement gathered at Zilker Park to watch a myriad of bands rock the city. Even before the 2009 lineup was released yesterday, it was well-known that Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth were going to be in the mix. But yesterday’s announcement of Dave Matthews Band and the Beastie Boys as additional headliners caused a few gasps and many sighs. These bands may seem like dated choices, but they fall in line with Lollapalooza’s choice of Tool and Beastie Boys as headliners. Nonetheless, the lineup revealed many surprises as well as a variety of musical genres for all music-loving crowds to enjoy.
Casey Spooner wants to see bats. Yes, this half of the Fischerspooner duo wants to see the famous Austin bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Back in 2003, Fischerspooner pulled in a great audience in Austin — but alas, no bats.
A few weeks ago, I happened to watch “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and to my surprise, Oprah was not giving away 500 brand new cars or incredibly unnecessary bath products. Instead, she was discussing teen sexuality.
Owners optimistic after Nestle announces it will invest millions into Sweet Leaf Tea
As I sat in a class last week, I watched a classmate pop open a glass bottle of Sweet Leaf Mint & Honey iced green tea.
You’re driving along the highway with your best friend on a carefree Sunday afternoon. With your windows rolled down, a cool breeze strolls through your hair. From the car’s speakers you can hear Mates of State’s Re-Arrange Us, and it fits the scene perfectly.
Bob Dylan; Blank Dogs; Heaven and Hell
Here’s a partial list of the most promising titles you’ll be playing this month.
Snoop Dogg takes stand, denies hitting fan in Seattle
As you strolled around the shores of Lady Bird Lake this weekend at Art City Austin, it was hard not to let your senses become overwhelmed.
Textiles and apparel seniors display talent, unveil collections in annual fashion show
The showroom was bustling with crowds of people dressed fashionably, from the classic all-black ensemble to the current trend of head-to-toe neutrals. All were eagerly awaiting the night’s equivalent of graduation, in which, instead of the students in their cap and gown, models would be displaying their diplomas on a catwalk.
“Not Forgotten” is not a typical crime thriller. Plunging into the mysteries of the occult on the Texas-Mexico border, it pulls the audience into a world of seedy streets, whorehouses and death-worshipping rituals.
The designs are complete. The models are chosen. The garments are fitted. The runway is set.
Artist hits a foul note with disappointing album that fails like a ‘futher mucker’
My freshman year, I ran across that song “Love Me or Hate Me” by Lady Sovereign. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but the horribly catchy nature of the tune ensured that it would take up residence in my head and never leave.
It’s Sunday afternoon, and you wake up with a headache. The previous night is just a blur.
Ah, the summer film season is swiftly approaching, and what’s one to do but prep for three months of consuming blockbuster action spectaculars and countless buckets of buttery popcorn?
Metal band makes epic changes to create the hard grindcore genre
“Multinational Corporations,” the first song on Napalm Death’s groundbreaking debut, Scum, only had two simple lyrics: “Multinational corporations/genocide of the starving nations.”
At 5 foot 10 inches, Textiles & Apparel senior Petra Lampertz is taller than the model wearing her designs. She said her height, combined with a passion for art motivated her to choose a career in fashion.
Miss USA contestant defends anti-gay-marriage comments
LOS ANGELES — Miss California says she stands by her anti-gay-marriage comments, even if they may have cost her the Miss USA crown.
Theater lovers, rejoice!
1. ‘Skate 2’: Time Is Money pack;
2. ‘Street Fighter IV’: Shadaloo, Classic, Shoryuken, Femme Fatale and Brawler packs;
3. ‘Prince of Persia’: Epilogue;
4. ‘Resident Evil 5’: Versus Mode;
5. ‘The Elder Scrolls IV’: Oblivion Horse Armor
“Her fingers opened his suit, and he sprang out at her like an angry lion from its cage.”
This lusty sex-scene opener from Harold Robbins’s 1978 novel “The Betsy” is an appropriate introduction to an age-old phallus fallacy that plagues modern misconceptions of male sexuality.
Austin Entertainment United aims to jump-start careers of aspiring UT musicians
Graduating seniors preparing for careers in the music business may feel their future is a bit bleak these days.
A lynx appears prowling in the frozen conifers of the tundra. Then a voiceover comes on from Mufasa himself, James Earl Jones, calling this lynx the essence of
wilderness.
Ladytron is not an explicit band. Its lyrics don’t come in the sleeves of its albums (if you still buy the physical ones, anyway), and the band’s album covers always feature abstract pieces of art. But Ladytron’s deep, electronica-infused sound, tinged with whimsical vocals, is impossible to miss.
Meek-looking woman sings her heart out; critics contend it may be staged
There is in this world perhaps one person who cringes in horror every time the name Susan Boyle crops up in conversation.
Ursula Le Guin tells story of heroine, Lavinia, who struggles with patriarchy
Virgil’s “Aeneid” is incontestably one of the greatest works of literature in the Western cannon. Beautifully lyrical, meticulously constructed, epic poetry that evokes emotion during even the most gruesome of war scenes, Virgil captures Aeneas’ tragic adventures of almost 3,000 years ago in a voice that, to this day, inspires awe in each new generation of readers.
Oh No Not Stereo; Ruby Coast; Magik Markers; Tinted Windows
Oprah pulls show marking Columbine anniversary; ‘Today’ anchor will soon visit Iraq, Afghanistan war zones
Long-running reggae festival brings so-so music, quality products, plenty of pot to Austin
The sticky smell of good marijuana mingled with dust on a beautiful Sunday afternoon as hippies of all varieties hit their pipes in plain sight. I donned a sundress and spent the day at the Austin Reggae Festival as the weekend’s rainy weather came to an end.
Firing up: top tracks to enhance experience
Marleyfest may have passed this weekend, but the stench of third-rate reggae still lingers. Unless you’re Frank Zappa, marijuana consumption and music-making have always gone hand in hand. For some tokes, though, you need a change from the typical Bob Marley and Incubus. Here are some choice cuts to enjoy with your friend Mary Jane.
Frankly, this summer can’t hold up to those of years past. A couple summers ago, audiences were treated to six movies that formed the third part in six series. Although some of these threequels, like “Spiderman 3,” were disappointing to say the least, the behemoth blockbusters kept people going to theaters in droves.
Wilco is from Chicago. It formed there, it practices there, it calls Chicago home.
Story of boy's early sexual prowess meant to jolt audience 'out of complacency'
Frank Wedekind’s “Fruhlings Erwachen” (“Spring Awakening”) has a history of provocation.
Del The Funky Homosapien to rely on sponsorships, concert profits to compensate for gift to fans
Del The Funky Homosapien thinks he has a plan to overcome a music industry struggling to sell records.
Despite vocal talent, Lambert's bizarre renditions and strange style don't quite seem to click
I won’t lie to you: I’ve been watching this season of “American Idol.”
Show may permanently affect the way audiences look at the Muppets
As the first act closed, the audience continued laughing through the end of the last song into intermission.
Zac Efron must have been caught shoplifting or gotten several girls pregnant.
“State of Play” has all the ingredients of an awful movie.
Jessica Collado isn’t afraid of a challenge. Despite being a textiles and apparel senior, Collado has never been taught how to design clothing for men. That’s goal she has taken on for her collection, which will be shown at the end-of-the-semester fashion show starring the collections of graduating textile and apparel seniors.
Easy single-pan recipes such as Thai curry allow for ready-made dinners
I refuse to let budget and time constraints force me into eating microwavable macaroni and cheese. Instead, I try to set aside an hour each Monday to cook dishes that I can heat up throughout the week. It’s healthier, sometimes cheaper and always more satisfying than the Easy Mac alternative.
Lymbyc System changes set lists, instrumentation to accommodate venues
It’s April now — only four months into 2009 and we’ve already lost our commitment to resolutions and are praying for next year to come. But there was a time when 2009 seemed exciting, and Lymbyc Systym remembers that time.
Any attempt to pin down Hollywood in the 2000s and attach to it a definitive identity is fraught with risk, since identities are fluid, messy and contestable.
Kutcher, CNN wage Internet war for 1 million tweet followers; Blagojevich seeking to leave country, star in reality show
Neil Young, Fork in the Road; Metric, Fantasies
‘Harry Potter’ movie to head to big screen 2 days early;
NASA names treadmill in space station for ‘Colbert Report’ star
After four-round cultural competition, junior wins Miss Congeniality, $500 scholarship
Enthusiastic cheers and applause erupted from the audience when Sonam Shahani was crowned winner of the Miss UT Asia culture pageant Tuesday night.
This past week, my work was cut out for me as I scoured campus in search of people willing to talk about anal sex.
More than two years after diagnosis, survivor to don lingerie to mark successes
Two and a half years ago, Amy Huss described herself as a boring soccer mom with a 3-year-old son and a baby girl on the way. Today, the housewife will prepare to take the runway in her bra.
In the taping of “College Life,” MTV’s new non-reality reality show, four University of Wisconsin freshmen were equipped with hand-held cameras and instructed to tape what they thought would make good TV.
Sonam Shahani says she is not “high heels or pageant girl” material.
In rough economic times like these, students often cut back on the nonessentials in life.
The Ettes; Fastball; Death Cab For Cutie; Silversun Pickups; Wooden Shjips
Dance performances, food stalls attract South Asian community to new-year festivities
Ethnic dancing, vegetarian samosas and colorful saris were on display at the Bengali and South Asian New Year Festival on Saturday.
Service-dogs group hosts 3-mile event, looks to take back title
Not even the largest dog park in Austin could accommodate the thousands of canines that crowded streets downtown over the weekend. Dalmatians, Schnoodles and golden retrievers, among a plethora of other dogs, large and small, met for a good cause and an attempt to win back a world record Saturday morning.
You have to give Disney credit for doing the seemingly impossible — “Hannah Montana: The Movie” was the No. 1 movie this weekend, despite its unlikable and mediocre main character.
Co-creator of popular board game dies of cancer at 61
A book might not be as exciting as your handheld – it doesn’t have a touch screen, vibrant colors or sound effects.
Justin Furstenfeld seems happier. Maybe it’s because he recently became a father. Maybe it’s because his band, the San Marcos-based alt-rock outfit Blue October, is riding a wave of success following 2006’s platinum-selling Foiled, an album anchored by hits like “Into the Ocean” and “Hate Me.”
Rogen scoffs at acting methods; writer fears for first major movie
The Daily Texan talked to actor Seth Rogen and director Jody Hill via conference call about their new movie “Observe and Report,” which opens today.
A couple of years ago, I heard about a social networking Web site called Twitter via some tiny blurb I read in Wired magazine.
A couple of years ago, I heard about a social networking Web site called Twitter via some tiny blurb I read in Wired magazine.
Ab Baars Trio teams up with Ken Vandermark for inventive concert
When two different artists collaborate, the result can either be bountiful or a mess of half-baked ideas. Luckily, the pairing of Amsterdam’s Ab Baars Trio and Chicago’s Ken Vandermark is definitely the former.
Editor’s note: This is the fifth part in a series about textiles and apparel seniors and their fashion show held at the end of the semester.
Makers of MiKo instrument donate products to UT School of Music
Happy Perez has been making beats since his high school days.
Britney Spears halts Vancouver concert for excessive smoke; ‘South Park’ ridicules Kanye West for boundless hubris
Gavin Degraw is not superstitious. He doesn’t believe pre-show rituals, or that eating only one color of Skittle will guarantee a good performance.
Textile seniors invest $1,000 on average in pricey fabrics to create quality garments
Editor’s note: This is the fourth part in a series of stories about the textiles and apparel seniors and their fashion show held at the end of the semester.
When Alyssa Potasznik was a high school freshman, her theater department put on a one-act production of “Alice in Wonderland.”
In the March 5 edition of the Prudent Student, I bemoaned the lack of frugal blogs tailored specifically to the college demographic.
Sri Atmananda School practices hands-on teaching methods, hosts creative events
Behind the decorative iron fences that enclose a 9-acre historic property sprinkled with mansions and play areas, students of Austin’s nonprofit Sri Atmananda Memorial School perused the inflatable playgrounds and local vendor stands are listened to the school’s musicians as they waited for dusk to come and LanternFest to begin Saturday.
Virginity is a touchy subject. In fact, for young people in America, virginity is one of the touchiest subjects.
Due to code violations, Rhizome Collective forced to find new home
Piles of trash now line the sidewalk along 300 Allen St., where the quaint entrance to the Rhizome Collective’s warehouse was once dotted with plants.
Texas Cultural Trust recognizes former first lady, University alumni
As the sun was setting west of the Long Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday evening, the patio area was filled with laughter and chatter coming from elegant women in long gowns and men in suits.
LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown pleaded not guilty Monday to threatening and assaulting his girlfriend, fellow music superstar Rihanna.
Author Grahame-Smith gives a nod to fan fiction in his Jane Austen spinoff
Imagine Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice” — with zombies.
In the beginning, there were beats.
The Strange Boys; Hotel Brotherhood; Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Black Dice; Amesoeurs
Dobie's Sushi Caliente combines Mexican spices with classic Asian cuisine
Two chopsticks hold a jalapeno pepper. Underneath, the words Sushi Caliente on a banner look like heat waves, as if they’re about to catch fire.
After Shameless McFatty and Miss Songbird discussed (with much enthusiasm) the merit of such words as “masturbational,” six burlesque dancers strutted onstage with high kicks, cheeky grins and, beneath those ruffled frocks, matching underwear, which they flashed often.
Some friends and I were waiting to make a left turn exiting Robert Dedman Drive on Friday night after Jerry Seinfeld’s gig at Bass Concert Hall when four young men dressed in coordinated colors, like members of a ballet troupe, came jogging in our direction.
The warm, inviting tones of his violin coupled with Itzhak Perlman’s undeniable charm and humor transformed the daunting expanse of Bass Concert Hall on Sunday night into an intimate gathering of old friends united by the joy of classical music.
The movie “Monsters vs Aliens” has continually advertised that it can be seen in 3-D, almost using the new technology as its only selling point. But after long anticipation, I was let down when the screening I saw didn’t even feature 3-D — Dreamworks had sunk countless millions into the new technology and used 15 of the most powerful computers on the planet to bring the movie to a new dimension, but the movie theater I chose was not properly equipped with digital projectors.
Mentor program brings in big names to influence, interact with students
The annual Texas Relays weekend is well-known for the excitement of the track meets and its notorious after-parties.
“Do you or someone you love have a vagina?”
Designer explains how Troll dolls and Girl Scouts inspired her
Stephanie Wagenman can take a break when she’s older. As a textiles and apparel senior at the University, Wagenman must complete a collection of four outfits for the department’s fashion show in April while also being a full-time student, ballet instructor and intern for a local designer.
Book provides helpful tips on surviving in the confusing world of dating
Most books written with the intent of helping young women in the difficult terrain that is modern dating are very poorly done and usually deeply entrenched in old-fashioned stereotypes.
Mike Smith admits his lack of new metal savvy helps make music unique
Is it possible to be completely involved and uninvolved in a music scene at the same time? Mike Smith, drummer for renowned New York death metal quintet Suffocation, just might be.
Considering the avalanche of great games that were released in February and March, April kind of sucks.
“Adventureland” opens with a close-up of Jesse Eisenberg’s sincere face and doting grey-blue eyes. It hold this shot and tells us immediately that this film is different.
The Austin blogosphere is incredibly vast, covering niche topics like fixed gear bikes to the broad subject of politics.
NEW YORK — Two new works, the Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” and the new Greg Mottola film “Adventureland,” present opposite soundtracks for the Reagan era: While the stage production revels in hair-band kitsch, the more indie-minded “Adventureland” is nostalgic for the sounds of ‘80s underground.
Man with plan to crash ‘Stars’ was ticketed in Alabama MOBILE, Ala. — A man who authorities say tried to break onto the set of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” was ticketed on his way to California and let go, despite telling a police officer in Alabama that his plan to meet contestant Shawn Johnson was “a little bit crazy.
Naked get-together among friends, couples is 'safer than going out to a bar'
As I head down the winding, tree-lined Highway 71 on Saturday evening, I can’t help but feel butterflies in my stomach. I am going to the home of John and Connie, who withhold their last names, to have my first social nude experience.
If you want to save money, the obvious first step is to figure out what you’re currently spending.
When my dad visited recently, I placed American modern artist Ed Ruscha’s retrospective (titled “I Don’t Want No Retro Spective”) within reach of the toilet.
If you’ve never heard of him before, you might not pay much attention to the beginning of the title track from Stephen Lynch’s new album 3 Balloons.
A horrifying blast came from Knoxville, Tenn., a couple of years ago, and it can be said that the deathcore genre was forever changed.
Owner of snowball store keeps customers coming back each summer for icy-cold treats
On the corner of Airport Boulevard and 51st Street, a little white house stood dormant and abandoned for six months. That is, until a stream of visitors broke the silence Monday
afternoon.
Whether narrating or directing, filthy phrases worth the discussion
A few weeks ago I attended a sex-technique workshop at Forbidden Fruit, an intimate boutique specializing in creating erotic awareness.
Strutting in front of the table, English professor Susan Somers-Willett rhythmically swayed her hips as she proclaimed in her slam poem about Tina Turner, “You have tried to kill me, and you have failed.”
Picture hell as Mardi Gras, and it doesn’t look that bad.
From the first floor, nothing seems different about the roof of the F. Loren Winship Drama Building’s theater area.
St. John’s College Choir from Cambridge, England, didn’t just entertain an Austin audience Tuesday evening.
Band's guitarist showcases solo project to Austin
In between the numerous South by Southwest shows lined up for Harlem Shakes, guitarist Todd Goldstein found time to showcase his solo project Arms.
Works of art, ranging from plays to poetry, showcase campus creativity throughout week
Students will add intrigue to the usual university scene throughout the week as some dress in elaborate costumes and perform improvised sketches around campus as part of the Cohen New Works Festival.
One of the coolest aspects of the Cohen New Works Festival is that students are allowed a glimpse into the creation of plays and other works of art.
From the Beatles on, secret song tradition enriches music history
As I was listening to Okkervil River in my car a couple of weeks ago, the song “No Hidden Track” from the album Sleep and Wake Up Songs started to play. The title is not ironic.
At the end of “Slumdog Millionaire” — a movie that The Wall Street Journal has hailed as the world’s first globalized masterpiece — the viewer is treated to a dance sequence that purports to be both a Bollywood-style homage and a pastiche of attraction.
Austin to shut off residential, business electricity for hour-long global initiative
For one hour Saturday night, downtown Austin will not shine as bright.
Siegelstein is a radio-television-film senior, trying to survive his senior year in college. Clark is a successful writer and a former editor at the high-brow publication The Paris Review. However, they both have one thing in common: They’re trying to make their first film.
Nine fixed-gear bicyclists circled the paved area behind the Palmer Events Center like sharks surrounding a school of guppies, the tension thick and palpable. All of a sudden, one jutted out his leg against a fellow bicyclist, forcing him to fall off.
Indigo Girls record fails to achieve past songs’
The Indigo Girls are famous for coupling catchy melodies with emotionally poignant and intellectually deep lyrics.
A few years ago, the WWE blew my mind.
“Monsters vs. Aliens” is one of many new movies to get the digital 3-D treatment.
A bright flower pattern adorns the cover. The inside is filled with sketches, magazine pages, swatches and collages of color and patterns.
The Paggi House, an historic Austin landmark dating back to the 1840s is nestled on a lofty hilltop in a newly gentrified alcove of overpriced condos.
On-campus markets present an identity crisis for me as a prudent student.
Scholar uses Darwinian theory to explain how humans began speaking
Many species are able to communicate simple messages, but only humans have developed a system of verbal communication (i.e. language) with the unique ability to exchange ideas about abstract concepts.
‘Spirit Tracks’ to come out later this year, company’s president announces
At Nintendo’s Game Developers Conference 2009 keynote Wednesday, Satoru Iwata, the company’s president, announced that “The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” will be released for the Nintendo DS later this year.
Bad Credit No Credit’s frontwomen take a stand for female rockers
Thousands of bands performed in Austin last week during the South by Southwest music festival, yet only 388 of them had female members in their group
Austin Rodeo earns respect as more than Houston's little brother
As I stepped out of the portable toilet by the cattle stalls, I was hit by yet another unpleasant smell, worse than what the plastic prison provided.
College is a time for all kinds of personal exploration, and sexuality is indubitably one of our age group’s favorite exploratory topics.
There is a cancer eating away at the heart of the entertainment industry.
High School Musical’ star ditches ‘Footloose’ remake; Colbert Nation wins contest to name space station room
‘500 Days of Summer’ stars, director note importance of songs to movie plot, their lives
“500 Days of Summer” is a romantic comedy that doesn’t want to be. Detailing the 500-day relationship between Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel, the movie takes a hard look at relationships and our archetypes of love, especially the idealized way we approach it. Most importantly, it’s real.
Last year a posse of Indian actresses — major celebrities — were observed behaving like hyperactive teenage fans at the Venice International Film Festival. The object of their attention? George Clooney. Bollywood celebrities who would ordinarily be mobbed by their adoring fans at a coffee shop in downtown Mumbai certainly know their place in the pecking order.
Artist recalls early interest in video art, reminisces
After performing at End of an Ear records Thursday during South by Southwest, Lesser Gonzalez — a visual artist, poet and troubadour rolled into one — sat down with The Daily Texan at a coffee shop and swigged his Jumex strawberry-banana juice.
NEW YORK — Robin Williams was recovering at the Cleveland Clinic after heart surgery that his doctors deemed successful, his publicists said Monday.
Look at the new Blue October album, Approaching Normal, this way: Rolling Stone gave it two stars. Keep in mind, this is the same publication that’s been pleasuring itself to U2’s latest flop, so let’s recognize the magazine as the irrelevant trash it’s quickly becoming and give Approaching Normal a chance.
If it’s possible to make a progressive folk record, one loosely structured around a single concept, with seamless track transitions and multiple recurring musical motifs, The Decemberists are the band to do it.
After treating Austin audiences to a packed week of shows at South by Southwest, Brooklyn’s Harlem Shakes are finally back home to continue the celebration with today’s release of their debut album, Technicolor Health.
The bright spot of South-by is often the experience itself
South by Southwest was one hell of a time. Here are my top five experiences from the past five days. See you again next year.
Fantastic Fest makes its own appearance at SXSW with ‘Horseman,’ ‘Ong Bak’
With more than 100 films shown at South by Southwest, the odds of a complete movie-going experience were stacked against even the most ambitious theater-hopper. Intentionally avoiding the “soon-to-hit-theaters” category, the following are some of the highlights from three of the festival’s showcases.
Tori Amos, Amanda Palmer and Primal Scream serenade SXSW attendees.
Food, fun and fandango excite and overwhelm fans at mammoth music festival
South by Southwest is a complicated beast. Changing set times, $4 Lone Stars, hype that could crush an elephant and living on a diet of street vendor food are all part of the fest: It is not for the faint of heart.
Fastball and Explosions in the Sky rock Auditorium Shores.
Musicians rock in cozy spaces for community vibe
Behind the scenes of the official South by Southwest venues, a phenomenon called DIY (the catchy acronym for “do it yourself”) brews.
Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore didn’t intend to make a road-trip, sex-oriented comedy.
I have never personally taken part in the SXSW day-party mayhem, but I hear it’s a blast.
Top 5 free SXSW day shows
As night settles on SXSW and all of the lucky badge holders stand in line to see Devo or the New York Dolls, the cool kids hit up some more unconventional venues.
In many ways, the Marc Webb-directed “500 Days of Summer” is your typical indie romantic comedy. Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a sharply dressed (seriously, wool ties with every outfit) architecture student-turned-greeting card writer who meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel), a quirky, strong-willed woman just hired to be Tom’s boss’ new assistant.
Professional filmmakers from around the globe work exhaustively to attain coveted screening time at the SXSW film festival.
Performance artist incorporates props, interpretive dance into acts
Deena Hyatt, an Austin performance artist, does many things during a show.
Here are my top picks for movies premiering at the SXSW film fest.
European and English-speaking films dominate the foreign films at this year’s festival, with the exception of a few documentaries and a couple of films here and there. Movies from the non-Caucasian-dominated parts of the world make up a bleakly small number, but here, nevertheless, are my top picks:
Top 5 SXSW Documentaries to watch
Somewhere in a land far away, there is an anomaly lurking behind the velvet curtains.
Colors, cocks, curse words and comas inspire groups’ quirky monikers
We dug through the South by Southwest line up and found some of the most creative, interesting and funny band names. Here they are.
Some are drawn to South by Southwest for the music. Some are drawn for the film. But for others, it’s all about the free food.
With spring break just around the corner, I’m sure you’re sitting in class counting down the minutes until your next nefarious trip to some haven of debauchery.
Forget Facebook, forget MySpace. People nowadays only care to read about your life in 140-character bursts.
Jay Leno to perform free show for Michigan’s unemployed; Colbert leads poll of potential names for room in space station
Artist pursues music after deciding between passions of beats, basketball
Is musical talent learned, or is a predisposition to tempos, chords and scales, a trait written in permanent marker onto DNA? Hidden inside years of training, touring and the genes of Austin native Warren Hood lies the answer — both.
Mary Lingwall talks about “Humpday,” the movie!, Brooklyn punk invasion!, Local bands stealing the limelight from nationally over-hyped artists!, Second annual KVRXplosion and Slumberland/Cake Shop and VICE Records official showcases.
There are a select few bands, having weathered the roads and cranky record executives, that love to discuss their legacies, their overall greater importance in society.
A U.K.-based, club-night label that combines classical with electronic dance music, Nonclassical breaks out of the constraints of a traditional classical setting, uniting strings with turntables in clubs and sparking a new music scene in London.
Pageant participants devote time, energy to preparing for three-round competition
Miss Austin Texas USA contestant Amber Calderon thought her makeup was set Saturday evening. But 20 minutes before the pageant’s opening number, she experienced a makeup meltdown.
Von Bondies lead singer discusses band’s origins, upcoming festival goals
As the Von Bondies creep up on their 10-year anniversary as a band, they are over the showcase jitters and anxiety of “getting discovered” that hover over the younger bands coming to the South by Southwest music festival for the first time.
Photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams once said, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”
Elliott Hostetter was unemployed for four months last year.
Celebrated local band’s latest work helps to finally transcend the fringe
“On the cusp” is a phrase that has defined Corto Maltese since the band formed in Austin toward the end of 2006. Despite gaining a loyal underground fan base, receiving praise from just about every media outlet in Austin and being featured in two films, Corto Maltese has remained a band on the fringe.
At about 8 p.m. on most nights, dancers shuffle in and out of Austin Classical Ballet.
Lil Wayne has gone insane (rhyme unintentional). After releasing the controversial but generally acclaimed Tha Carter III, Wayne, believed by many to be the best rapper alive today, decided he was going to make a rock album.
The beginning of “Watchmen” takes a unique look at American history. In what could be described as “Forrest Gump” meets “Dick Tracy,” the film starts with a montage of dozens of graphic influences competing on the screen while Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” plays in the background.
Blogs are to frugal culture what Shakespeare is to English literature. No one has embraced the frugal revolution quite like bloggers, and that makes sense: Blogs are free to write and free to read. Who would want to spend money on a book about saving money? There is actually a market for that, which Suze Orman has successfully tapped, but I prefer my personal finance advice to come for free and feed directly into my Google Reader.
Students finish their degrees by presenting clothing line to judges on the runway
Within the halls of the School of Human Ecology lies the University’s very own Project Runway. But despite being an extensive branch on campus, the textiles and apparel program remains unknown to many.
Metal is chiefly about conquering something — women, distant lands or even your emo-obsessed neighbor.
The comic book world is diverse, ranging from superhero and love stories to horror and comedy. The dynamic nature of this medium is reflected in the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” which just recently began filming.
Chris Brown to face charges of making criminal threats. 'The Bachelor' claims his change of heart is genuine.
With great care for his craft, live-music matchmaker pairs bands with city venues
On an unusually cold March night in Central Texas, a handful of strangers hovers patiently by the window at Home Slice Pizza. The bars are closed and the taxicabs are thinning out — only a dedicated few endure these temperatures for an early-morning snack.
The notion of a woman doing a strip tease for a man has always disturbed me.
MSTRKRFT didn’t enjoy South by Southwest enough last year, so this year, the band plans to give it another go.
Three titles hit shelves that are worthy of note — for three completely different reasons.
The Good: ‘I’ve Loved You So Long’; The Bad: ‘Australia’; The Ugly: ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’
Good real-time strategy games have long been nearly impossible to make playable without the classic combination of a mouse and keyboard.
Dublin band Guggenheim Grotto escapes into the fanciful poetics of a dreamer and a romantic in its sophomoric release Happy the Man.
Brothers surprise the audience at movie theater with in-person appearance, answer questions
If kids paid as much attention to math and science as they do to the Jonas Brothers, this global warming thing wouldn’t be an issue. Plummeting economy? No problem.
Kites are the universal symbol of childhood — they span generations, countries and economic striations — and the hundreds of distinctive kites that floated across the sky at the 81st annual Zilker Park Kite Festival on Sunday showed the beauty of these uncomplicated delights.
Alumna returns to UT to describe experience to engineering students
Her legs feeling heavy with each step, Stephanie Wilson found herself stumbling more than usual. Even walking in a straight line proved to be a difficult task.
