What to do this weekend, Austin (6/13-15)

Ciao. Smash here. I’ve prepared a short list of exciting events going on this weekend around Austin just for you.

First of all, the 14th Annual Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker Rally is going down all weekend, which is why you’ve most likely noticed an increase in the number of hogs around town. It started on Thursday with some events like comedians, dancers, contests and demonstrations. More events will be happening and vendors will be exhibiting for the rest of the weekend at the Travis County Expo Center. Tonight, Josh Daniels, Big Brother and the Holding Co., and Molly Hatchet are performing. As an added bonus, on Saturday night you could swing by and listen to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” because Charlie Daniels band is playing with Johnny Winter! It’s an awesome event and find out more at their website: http://www.rotrally.com/

Another big event this weekend is Pride Weekend. The Pride Parade hosted by the AGLCC and presented by Aetna is happening on Saturday, the 14th. The Pride Festival is happening from Noon to 7 on Saturday at Auditorium Shores. The Parade starts promptly at 8:30 PM from Auditorium Shores. For more info visit the website: http://austinprideparade.org

One last thing you might be interested in is going to the opening weekend of “Baghead,” a film by the Duplass Brothers, who attended The University of Texas. They have had three films play at Sundance and their most recent “The Puffy Chair” was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, as well. As far as I know you’ll only find it playing at the Alamo on South Lamar, and Regal Arbor Cinema at Great Hills. Definitely check it out as Jay and Mark Duplass will not let us down. See more here: http://www.sonyclassics.com/baghead/

For the music side of things here are just a few shows you should check out.

• Critical Assembly, Peyton Gin, Dead Haven, In the Trench, Nithera at the Red Eyed Fly
• Furthest From the Star, Oh No Not Stereo, Everyday Tragedy at Red 7  Earlier (5PM) and GFFest is happening at night, for more info on that check out the Red 7 website
• 34th Anniversary Show with Chris Brecht, Leatherbag, The Archibalds at the Hole in the Wall (free show)
• 2 Hoots and a Holler, Tex Rays, Jungle Rockers at Trophy’s

 That’s all I’ve got for you today. Have a great weekend!

 //Smash

Weekly Lineup

Hello all, Smash & Coco here. We’re new at CW and are happy to be updating Pulse Blog bi-weekly. We hope you are all happy about this, too. If you’re not, tell somebody else.

This week’s free shows include:

Wednesday 5PM: Shearwater at Waterloo Records (inside)

Thursday 9PM: Haunting Oboe Music, Red Monroe, and Frank Smith at Hole in the Wall for the 34th Anniversary Show

Friday 10PM: Pataphysics, Silver Pines, The Cari & Jason Band at the Hole in the Wall for the 34th Anniversary Show

Saturday 10PM: Chris Brecht, Leatherbag, The Archibalds at the Hole in the Wall for the 34th Anniversary Show

 Sunday 8PM: Bad Motivators, Al Shire & Henchmen, The Frantic, Heymaker 3 at Red 7

For those of you who have some bucks to blow check out these shows:

Wednesday:

• RZA, and Stone Mecca at Emo’s (Outside)
• DJ Phil at Emo’s (Inside) Doors at 8PM, Show at 10PM
• Ted Hadji, and Chris Toast at Beerland
• Sober Daze, Fight to Die, Combat Shock, Sleezus Fist, and Latter Day Taints at Red 7
• Gary Newcomb Trio at Club Deville 9PM
• Indigo Girls, and Brandi Carlile at Stubb’s

Thursday:

• Joan of Arc, Yellow Fever, Single Frame at the Mohawk (Outside) 9PM
• Chapter of Resistance, For The Most Part, Undying Plague, Anchors of Ariaa, Acoma at Red 7  7PM
• Dash Rip Rock, Back Porch Mary at the Continental Club 10PM
• Thunderosa, Super Crash, Hammerdogs, Cracker Mojo at Rock City Icehouse

Friday:

• Rancid, Lower Class Brats, Ill Spent Youth at La Zona Rosa Doors at 7PM show starts at 8PM
• Mates of State, Headlights, Black Joe Lewis at Emo’s (Outside) Doors at 9PM show starts at 10PM
• Via Audio, Jukebox the Ghost, The Lovely Sparrows at the Mohawk (Outside)
• Loretta Lynn, Sunny Sweeney at Stubb’s
• Corey Smith and Sam Thacker (Indoors after Loretta Lynn) at Stubb’s
• Devola, Warryor, Velvet Brick, Grave Eden, Axle-Wolf at the Red Eyed Fly
• Dawn Over Zero, Litany for the Departed, Withheld, Set Aflame at Rock City Icehouse

These are just a few of the shows this week in the Live Music Capital of the World, and on Friday we’ll give you the skinny for the rest of the weekend.

Enjoy! 

Smash & Coco.

Weekend Choices

Here are some choices for the weekend.

• Friday - White Denim and Tapes N Tapes are at Antone’s tickets are $12.
• Friday & Saturday - Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz, Master Pancake Theater mocks Planet of the Apes.  Get your tickets online they sellout. Shows at 7pm & 10:15.  Owen Egerton is in the guest seat this month. 
• Friday - Iron Man opens in theaters across Austin.  This one has been getting good reviews. 
• Friday & Saturday - The Racontours are at Stubb’s.  If you have tickets, enjoy the show.
• Saturday - Pecan Street Festival - Various food and art vendors invade 6th Street.  There are 4 stages of music too.  www.oldpecanstreetfestival.com
• Sunday - Paulapalooza at the Scoot Inn (E. 7th) from 2 - 10pm.  A benefit for Paul Holman to help with medical expenses.  Silent Auction, Cup Cake Raffle, Games, Food.  Musical acts include:  Pong, Odyssey, Foot Foot, Tumbleweed Racer,  Cedar Fever Pocket Fisherman.  Cup cakes and great music what more do you need?

Weekend Music and Rollergirls

Thursday

{{{Sunset}}} begins night 1 of 2 at the Parish on 6th.  www.theparishroom.com    

Mars Volta at the Austin Music Hall.  There are still tickets available.  www.directevents.net

JesseFest a fundraiser honoring Joe Ely’s former guitarist Jesse “Guitar” Taylor.  Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Reckless Kelly, Terry Allen and Double Trouble will perform at Antone’s.  www.antones.net

Friday

There is a FREE show at Emo’s inside with Lions headlining, A Few Nice Things, Scorpion Child, and PJ and the Bear (great name) open.  www.emosaustin.com

DJ Melee battle/contest at Mohawk.  www.thedjmelee.com

Saturday 

Mash up artist Car Stereo Wars with special guests are at The Beauty Bar.  www.beautybar.com

Sunday 

The 1st Annual Lazy Sunday Bluegrass Mass at the Cactus Cafe starts at 3pm and goes to midnight.  This is a FREE show. See their site for the lineup www.cactus@union.edu

Combo Mahalo are playing their Hawaiian tunes at Central Market.  Grab a drink and some lunch in the store and listen to some tunes out on the deck.

The Lonestar Rollergirls are skating on Sunday at the Convention Center. The Putas del Fuego vs. the Rhinestone Cowgirls are the teams.  If you have never been before it is a great time.  Each team brings passionate fans. There are fun concequences to the girls if they get a penalty from the refs (ex. Long jump, arm wrestling, spank ally, etc.). Advanced tickets are $13 and $15 at the box office.  The match starts at 7pm with doors at 6pm. http://www.txrd.com/  

Weekend Events

Downtown will be crowded this weekend with the Texas Relays and other events.  You have been warned. 

Friday - Oak Hill World’s Fair. Cyril Neville & Tribe 13, Floyd Domino and the Oak Hill All-Stars. A non-profit event benefiting local trails and parks.  www.oakhillworldsfair.org

Friday and Saturday- The Lone Star Rod & Kustom Round Up at Travis County Expo Center.  Weekend passes $10.  Great Rockabilly and custom hot rods during the day.   Plus a swap meet starting at 10am.  At night on South Congress ther are more great Rockabilly at The Continental Club, Trophy’s and Jo’s parking lot.  www.lonestarroundup.com

Saturday- Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfish Festival.  George Clinton and Cowboy Mouth and tons of Zydeco/Swamp music.  MLK and Congress gates open at 10am, $15 entry fee.  Authentic Louisiana Arts, Crafts and Carnival Rides.  www.roadwayevents.com

Sunday- The Grind Action Sports and Music Festival. 11am - 10pm.  MLK and Congress.  $10 at the gate. Wakeboarding and Skateboard Competition plus Street Bike Demos.  Music acts: Mickey Avalon, Eve 6, Fair To Midland, Girl in a Coma, The Vanished and more.  Food and drink for sell all day. www.thegrindseries.com

New Music Tuesday 4/1

No foolin, this is a lot of releases for a Tuesday. 

Annuals/Sunfold – Wet Zoo EP

Anti-Flag – The Bright Lights of America

The Apples in Stereo – Electronic Projects for Musicians

The Black Keys-Attack and Release - Blues Power Duo goes in a slightly different direction.

Blue Man Group – How to Be a Megastar 2.1

Colour Revolt – Plunder, Beg, and Curse

David Ford – Songs for the Road

Jackie Greene – Giving Up the Ghost

Los Campesinos! – Hold on Now, Youngster…

Kylie Minogue – X

Moby – Last Night

Muse – H.A.A.R.P. - Live from UK concert last year (CD + DVD)

Willie Nelson – One Hell of a Ride (4 CD Box Set)

The Proclaimers – Life with You

R.E.M. – Accelerate

Rolling Stones – Shin a Light Soundtrack

Mathew Ryan vs. The Silver State – MRVSS

Joe Satriani – Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock

Sevendust – Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow

South Austin Jug Band – Strange Invitation - On their 3rd album the SAJB went from 5 to 3 band members.  They also wrote most of the songs in NYs famous Chelsea Hotel.  The sound will be a change from their previous releases. 

George Strait – Troubadour

Sun Kil Moon – April

The Sword – Gods of the Earth - Heavy Doom Metal from Austin who keeps blowing up. 

Various Artists – The Very Best of Outlaw Country

Aaron Watson – Angels and Outlaws

Cece Winans – Thy Kingdom Come

The Wood Brothers - Loaded

Rolling Stones Doc. Shine A Light

I just saw Shine A Light, the Rolling Stones documentary by Martin Scorsese at the Bullock State History Museum.  The concert was shot with IMAX cameras last year in New York City.  If you have never seen the Stones, this might be the next best thing to being there live.  You still get all the energy and great sound with some fabulous camera shots.  Mixed in-between some of the songs are interviews from the 60’s to present day.  These sound bites are quite funny.  During the concert there are 3 special guests who come on to sing with the band: Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera.  They all did an amazing job.  One of the only problems is the camera gets too close several times to Mick and Kieth’s face.  I really like the Stones but I don’t want to see a 4 story shot of these guys faces.  Scorsese kept a great pace to the film and poked fun at himself in the beginning of the film.  He was trying to plan where the cameras are going to be and all the logistics of capturing their show.  All he wants is a set list from Mick.  I won’t give away the punchline but it made me laugh.  These 60 year old legends know how to entertain an audience live or on film and I think you’ll agree.   

Weekend Movies

Here are the movies opening this weekend: 

Run, Fat Boy, Run- Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria set in London.  Guy loses girl because of stupidity, guy spends movie trying to get girl back by becoming fit and running a marathon.  David Schwimer makes his feature film directorial debut.  He did do some TV direction of Friends and the Joey spin off so he’s not a total newbie.  I have heard this isn’t great.  Mostly in the 2 to 2.5 stars or C+ range. 

Stop-Loss- Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant and other youngish actors.  With his enlistment up Brandon King (Phillippe) gets home from the Iraq war but receives orders that they want him to return.  This measure, where the Army indefinitely extends enlistment, is called Stop-Loss and has affected 80,000 soldiers.  King goes AWOL across the country as a result of the order.  The movies about the current war have tanked at the box office.  I have feeling this one might too.  We shall see. 

The best reviewed movie of the weekend is 21.  Based on the true story of Ivy league students who are trained as card counters to take Las Vegas for as much as they can in the game of black jack.  Virtual unknown actors as the students with Kevin Spacey as the professor and Lawrence Fishburne as the Vegas heavy.

Superhero Movie - From the idiots who brought you Scary movie and other spoofs. Please don’t encourage the producers to make more of these type of movies by going to see this unfunny stuff.       

Some Weekend Recomendations

• Check out the 20 To Watch: New Art In Austin at the Austin Museum of Art http://amoa.org
• Funny man, Eddie Gosiling is at the Cap City Comedy Club all weekend.  http://www.capcitycomedy.com
• The country music of Split Lip Rayfield is on for two nights at The Continental Club.  http://www.continentalclub.com/Austin.html
• Popular local alt-rockers Voxtrot at Emo’s.  Yellow Fever and Ringo Deathstarr open. http://www.emosaustin.com
• Saturday, 8:30 am is the 14th annual Rosedale Ride benefiting the Rosedale school for disabled children.  Get there at 7 am if you are riding.  If you haven’t registered or want to http://rosedaleride.org
• DJ Mel is doing his 80’s party, “Rock The Casbah” at The Parish on Saturday night always a good time. http://www.theparishroom.com
• At Antone’s dance out to some funky grooves at Bassnecter with DJ Manny and DJ Big Face.  Tiger Liu is master of ceremonies.  If you haven’t been to a show with these 3 you should.  There might be people in costumes, crazy videos or who knows what they have planned for this show. http://www.antones.net    

Have a great weekend everyone!

Raconteurs & Gnarls

Consolers of the Lonely, is the 2nd offering from The Raconteurs.  It is decent album.  Definitely not as a good as their first release Broken Boy Soldiers.  Brenden and Jack produced/arranged the music which might be the problem.  Sometimes the outside influence a producer helps to focus a group.  It sounds a little boring in some spots.  Consolers is growing on me with each listen. 

Gnarls Barkley also give us their 2nd release, The Odd Couple.  There a couple fun highlights such as, Going On and A Little Better.  The whole album feels like an old school R & B album.  This one doesn’t feel as fun as their first, St. Elsewhere. 

UnderwhelmednATX