Berlin-based conceptual artist Florian Slotawa brings his method of
using found and existing objects to the Arthouse at the Jones Center
for "Florian Slotawa: One After the Other," opening today. Slotawa, who
was invited by new Arthouse curator Elizabeth Dunbar, creates
sculptures that aim to test the physical boundaries of public and
private space. The artist often uses his own personal possessions (from
photographing his clothing in a catalog to constructing large-scale
sculptures from his furniture) within his work and has even sold the
entire inventory of his belongings to a collector. "One After the
Other" is intended to be a site-specific, temporary exhibition that
draws upon the Jones Center's history as a theater, department store
and art space. This exhibit runs through Sunday, January 13.
— Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
Florian Slotawa, courtesy of 826NYC.com
If you thought you were done with holiday parties, the folks at Emo's
want you to think again. Tonight's all-local "Red & White Winter
Party," featuring the Black alongside Red Leaves, Christmas Special
(featuring members of Voxtrot) and School Police, is sure to make the
post-holiday effort well worth your while. The Black, who emerged with
their first full-length album, "Tanglewood," a blend of unrefined
country balladry and doo-wop swagger in 2005, embark on West Coast tour
with fellow country throwbacks the Golden Boys in late February of next
year.
— Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
Just when you thought that Austin couldn’t get any “naughtier,” Naughty Austin Productions, the same folks who produced such gay camp classics as “Pageant,” “Cellbloq” and “Psycho Beach Party,” present Howard Crabtree’s “When (More) Pigs Fly,” running every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Jan. 26.
“When (More) Pigs Fly” is a consummation of two Crabtree plays, “When Pigs Fly” and “Whoop Dee Doo,” fused together by director Blake Yelavich. Loosely based on Crabtree’s early life, the play follows the young playwright as he struggles to transcend the nay-saying perceptions of his high school guidance counselor (Ms. Roundhole), who says that Crabtree will never amount to anything if he doesn’t become either a plumber, gardener, watch repair man or chicken farmer. Crabtree, destined to overcome such judgments, recruits the help of friends to produce a wildly imaginative show — complete with glittery costumes, diva actors and ornate set design — that soon threatens to become too zany and over the top.
Just as the playwright almost buckles with defeat, an epiphany strikes and Crabtree decides to “Take it even higher!”
— Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
I was looking for photos from the 1979 film "Tourist Trap," playing at the Alamo Ritz Terror Thursday installment next week. Instead, I found Tommy Chong and his "Evil Bong." Perhaps this trannie-looking bong was the bong that sent Chong to the big house. Just look at Chong's face. The malice is undeniable.
Over the weekend I received a blog comment from a certain "josepedrocarlos" on my Vincent Gallo RRIICCEE review which read: "Clearly this bitter talentless writer/critic has a personal problem with Gallo." Naturally, my first impulse deleted the post until the better half of my curiosity led me to backtrack and Google the poster's handle.
When I searched "josepedrocarlos," surprisingly, only Vincent Gallo-related hits popped up — the majority pontificating the brilliance of the actor-musician and bashing any point of contention. Most, if not all of these posts, appeared on IMDb and were all in response to Vincent Gallo -written, -directed or -acted films, with the exception of an odd diatribe on "Marie Antoinette" and Sofia Coppola that included the eloquent "Boo Boo to Sofia Boo to the Oscars and Boo to you if you go see this." Nice.
Commentary on "the Brown Bunny" proclaimed Gallo "...a brilliant filmmaker [that has] more talent and energy than most other humans," and went on to "...PRAY FOR GALLO TO HAVE A LONG LIFE AND MAKE MORE BEAUTIFUL AND ORIGINAL FILMS IN SPITE OF THE LOW CLASS COMMENTS POSTED [on IMDb]." The commentary then reaches a delusional high as "josepedrocarlos" pretends to be a 54-year-old immigrant who cannot understand "how ["Buffalo '66"] did not win an Oscar [and how] Vincent Gallo did not become the biggest star in the world." Hmm... strange, though surprisingly, not the strangest.
It is the comment by "josepedrocarlos" on one of the Gallo's newest works, "Moscow Zero," that plummets the aforementioned narcissism into a different realm of underworld creepiness. While congratulating Val Kilmer's acting prowess (which should further prove Gallo's delusion), "carlos" outs himself as a cast member of the film stating "Having [Kilmer's] name in the cast as the lead is an insult to my intelligence and to the rest of the cast" and later urges real Gallo fans to "see this film regardless of how bad it is."
After reviewing the comments for "Moscow Zero," it became slowly apparent that this "josepedrocarlos" fellow is not just any Gallo enthusiast, but the Gallo-enthusiast — Vincent Gallo himself. To further underscore this accusation, in 2000 actor-director Sofia Coppola was rumored to be working on a documentary about Gallo's bisexual love life, as cited in a Salon.com interview, which never came to fruition. What's more, Gallo's panned fellatia-baby, "the Brown Bunny," was released in 2003, the same year that "Lost In Translation" debuted to critical acclaim and subsequently won an Oscar. Given that this man is known for his often unpredictable and incoherent outbursts ("disease free" sperm-selling, among other novel ideas), he has all the reason to hate Coppola, calling her a "daughter of" and making reference to this in the IMDb commentary on "Marie Antoinette."
Both posts mentioning Kilmer, the articulate "Val Kilmer's name up top ??? WHY ????????????" and the aforementioned separate post in which Gallo pretends to be a 54-year-old immigrant, makes reference to Kilmer's undeserved top billing in "Moscow Zero." Why would anyone but a self-obsessed, narcissistic, and under-recognized actor care in what order his name is credited, right?
Honestly, personality disorder and narcissism aside, I can't blame the guy. If I were ego-surfing and found a critique of my work that didn't particularly boost my self-esteem, I would admittedly be a bit sore too. That said, the madness must have a leash and limit! Posing under a pseudonym and writing positive reviews of your own work in which you promote yourself as a god and bash your costars as undeserving and untalented is just plain pathetic, though I can definitely understand the impulse. However, if you're going to engage in these types of activities (Vincent Gallo), at least learn to cover your tracks!
Early last Wednesday morning, Chris' humorously stoic and accent-laden tailor and launderer Mei Wong, owner and operator of the Ace Expert Alterations and Cleaners on S. Congress Ave., was found dead in her shop in an apparent industrial accident. Wong, who stitched many a patch in the crotch of Chris' jeans and who I recommended to any friend that needed a cheap sew or an alteration, emigrated from Hong Kong in the mid '70s. Police believe that Wong's hair got caught within machinery and that it eventually severed her head. She is survived by her only child, David Wong, of Los Angeles, Ca.
San Antonio punk rock veterans (and I do mean veterans) Sons of
Hercules descend on the Mohawk for a sonic showdown with local garage
act the Jungle Rockers and Shapes Have Fangs. The Sons of Hercules, who
share their name with the 1960s syndicated sword-and-sandals television
show, is fronted by Frank Pugliese, the slow and sneering vocalist.
Pugliese, who is considered by many to be an icon within the Texas
music scene, once opened (with his former band the Vamps) for the Sex
Pistols on the San Antonio stop of their famous 1978 tour. Now well
into his 50s, Pugliese is as punk rock as ever with the rest of his
"family" of Sons.
— Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
Courtesy of Fall Out Records
What's better than celebrating the holidays? Desecrating the holidays,
Master Pancake Theatre style! Beginning tonight and running on selected
dates through Dec. 29, Master Pancake Theatre resurrects the beloved
1990 holiday hit "Home Alone," starring the child acting phenom
Macaulay Culkin with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. John Erler and Joe
Parsons, of the now-defunct Mister Sinus Theatre fame, comprise the
Pancake duo and further propagate the Alamo's tradition of
less-than-stellar movies paired with live comedy.
— Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
In the mid-1990s, the melodic post-grunge outfit the Toadies were at the top of their game. In '93 the Fort Worth four-piece signed to Interscope Records, just three years after forming, and in the summer of '94 the Toadies released "Rubberneck," the band's most well-received and critically acclaimed album. "Rubberneck" yielded several radio-friendly singles, including the epic "Possum Kingdom" (a reference to Possum Kingdom State Park located an hour's drive outside Fort Worth), "I Come From the Water" and "Tyler," and subsequently attained industry gold and platinum status in the years following its release.
At the height of their success, the Toadies toured with
bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Zombie, Bush and
Butthole Surfers, but after Interscope rejected its sophomore effort,
"Feeler," the band stalled until the release of "Hell Below/Stars
Above," which included some salvaged songs from "Feeler" in 2001.
Shortly after the release of "Hell Below/Stars Above," bassist Lisa
Umbarger left the band and vocalist Todd Lewis decided to call it
quits. Lewis went on to form the Burden Brothers with Reverend Horton
Heat drummer Patrick "Taz" Bentley, though it never came close to
rivaling the success or popularity of Lewis' former band. It is
presumably because of this popularity that the Toadies have reunited
(sans Umbarger) for a southern tour, making all the major stops in
Texas, including a recently added second date in San Antonio. "Rock
Show," a live album recorded at the St. Patrick's Day final performance
of the Toadies' "Second Coming" reunion tour earlier this year, was
distributed immediately after the show and marks the band's first
release since 2002's "Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise."
— Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
Sure, we all remember the cultural highlights and, uh, lowlights of the 1990s: grunge, O.J. Simpson, the rise of reality TV — but do you still remember the music? Get a refresher course of sorts on the decade that supplied us with enough one-hit wonders to warrant a sing-along, Drafthouse style. For one night, the Alamo Ritz coaxes '90s enthusiasts and wannabe singers out of the woodwork and onto the figurative stage for a montage of music videos from Los del Río ("Macarena") to Brian Setzer ("Jump, Jive & Wail") in the '90s One Hit Wonder Sing Along. — Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured on Austin360.com)
