SXSW Highlights

Got this list from my friends Holly and Deb and then added to it, feel free to add to it by commenting below:
Highlights old and new.. In no particular order:

King Khan & The Shrines (Canada/Berlin) http://www.myspace.com/thekingkhanbbqshow

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (New York, USA) http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart

Janelle Monae (Atlanta, USA) http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae

Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band (Denmark) http://www.myspace.com/snakeandjet

Micachu (London, UK) http://www.myspace.com/micayomusic

Chairlift (New York, USA) http://www.myspace.com/chairlift

The Bird and the Bee (LA, USA) http://www.myspace.com/thebirdandthebee

Post War Years (London, UK) http://www.myspace.com/thempostwaryears

Rye Rye (Baltimore, USA) http://www.myspace.com/tharealryerye

Drink Up Buttercup (Philadelphia, USA) http://www.myspace.com/drinkupbuttercupband

Beach House (Baltimore, USA) http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic

Casiokids (Norway) http://www.myspace.com/casiokids

Hockey (Portland, USA) http://www.myspace.com/hockey

Yelle (France) http://www.myspace.com/iloveyelle

Easy All Stars (New York, USA) http://www.myspace.com/easystar

N.A.S.A (California, USA) http://www.myspace.com/nasa

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head (Seattle, USA) http://www.myspace.com/natalieportmansshavedhead

Black Lips (Atlanta, USA) http://www.myspace.com/theblacklips

Max Tundra (London, UK) http://www.myspace.com/maxtundra

Late of the Pier (Nottingham, UK) http://www.myspace.com/lateofthepier

Box Elders (Nebraska, USA) http://www.myspace.com/boxelders

The Strange Boys (Austin USA) http://www.myspace.com/thestrangeboys

Blitzen Trapper (Portland, USA) http://www.myspace.com/blitzentrapper

Bishop Allen (New York, USA) http://www.myspace.com/bishopallen

Au Revoir Simone (New York, USA) http://www.myspace.com/aurevoirsimone

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (Denmark) http://www.myspace.com/theasteroidsgalaxytour

Flosstradamus (Chicago, USA) http://www.myspace.com/flosstradamus

PRIMAL SCREAM
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
Gomez
The Proclaimers
M. Ward
Razorlight
Aqualung
Nacional
Maserati
Explosions in the Sky

Pictures From Lofty Dog Fashound Show

http://saketini.blogspot.com/2009/03/pictures-from-lofty-dog-fashound-show.html

BLANTON MUSEUM TO COLLABORATE WITH OVER 20 AUSTIN ORGANIZATIONS IN A CELEBRATION OF "COOL"

On February 22^nd the Blanton Museum of Art opens Birth of Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury. This exhibition incorporates the painting, architecture, furniture design, decorative and graphic arts, film, and music that set in to motion midcentury modernism in the United States and established Los Angeles as a major American cultural center.

In celebration of this multi–layered exhibition, the Blanton has joined forces with many local organizations to create a variety of public programs and special incentives, including a film series sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse/Austin Film Society and a special music series at The Elephant Room. Discounts will be offered by Waterloo Records, Design Within Reach and many others.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS:

Alamo Drafthouse/Austin Film Society
Don't miss a special Birth of the Cool film series sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse and Austin Film Society. Starting in late March, the Alamo Ritz downtown will screen unique films from this period. Film dates: March 25, April 1, April 8, and April 15. Shows begin at 7PM and are $8.50 adults / $6.25 for students. For film titles please visit our calendar.

Austin Modern
15% off selected merchandise with your museum admission receipt

American Institute of Architects (Austin)
The Austin Chapter of The American Institute of Architects will host an exhibition entitled COOL AUSTIN! Midcentury Modernism in the Capitol City and will produce a self–guided tour of Austin's mid–century architecture.

The Belmont
Complimentary appetizer with museum admission receipt

Lorser Feitelson, Dichotomic Organization, 1959, oil on canvas, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State

Design Within Reach
$50 off every purchase off $500 or more to those who bring in their museum admission receipt. Offer Code: DWR COOL, Effective through 7/1/09.

The Elephant Room
Visit Austin's premier jazz club for a special music series highlighting music from this period. Performances by Jeff Lofton (2/28), Kat Edmondson (3/28), Ephraim Owens (4/18) and Pamela Hart (5/16). Each show begins at 9:30PM with a $5 cover charge.

IF+D Austin
20% off all accessories, excluding art, for those who present a museum admission receipt. For any purchases over $300, customers will receive a free gift.

KOOP Radio
Listen to KOOP 91.7 for Birth of the Cool themed music and a chance to win free tickets to the exhibition and B scene

KLRU " In Context "
Look for Birth of the Cool to be profiled on public television's IN CONTEXT program this spring. Produced by Dutch Rall.

KUT
Listen to KUT 90.5 for special Birth of the Cool giveaways.

The Odyssey Continuing Education Program at UT
The Odyssey Continuing Education Program has organized a series of classes examining mid–century modernist architecture. Running five Thursdays from Feb 19 – March 26, 2009.

The Paramount Theatre
The Paramount will offer free parking and one free drink to Blanton members for the RAMSEY LEWIS & ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY concert on Saturday, February 14, 2009. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Paramount Theatre Box Office or call (512) 472–5470, option 2, use the code "Cool" to Offer begins 12/1/09

Performing Arts Center of the University of Texas
Blanton members will receive a 15% discount off tickets to see the legendary Sonny Rollins on May 3rd. Use code "tenor" when purchasing tickets online.

Uncorked Tasting Room and Wine Bar
50% discount on the first glass of wine or a 50% discount off the first wine flight for those who bring in a museum admission receipt.

Waterloo
Take advantage of special 10% discount off any regularly priced jazz CD, LP, or DVD, including Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis at Waterloo Records & Video with your museum admission receipt.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS AT THE BLANTON MUSEUM:

B Scene: B Cool
Friday, March 6, 6 PM
Celebrate the opening of Birth of the Cool with an evening of music and art devoted to West Coast Style

Album cover for Miles Davis–s Birth of the Cool (Capitol Records, 1957). Courtesy Blue Note Records

Curatorial Connection
Wednesday, March 11, 6–7:30 PM
Enjoy a glass of wine and special tour of Birth of the Cool with Annette Carlozzi, curator of American and contemporary art. For Contributor, Patron, and Contemporary Salon members only.

Third Thursday
Thursday, March 19, 5:30–9:00 PM
Enjoy an afternoon of cool jazz, yoga in the galleries, and a Blanton Book Club meeting followed by a tour of the exhibition.

Expert Perspective
Thursday, March 26, 12:30 PM
Ronald Westry, Assistant Professor of Jazz Trombone, Jazz Studies, and Music Industry in the UT's Butler School of Music, discusses music related to the exhibition

Symposium: Living Cool
Saturday, March 28, 2009, 1:00 PM
Blanton Auditorium
Blanton curator Annette Carlozzi and Kevin Alter, Associate Dean of UT's School of Architecture, moderate a panel discussion with Austin design experts on how Midcentury Modernism informs Austin's lifestyle today.

Expert Perspective Series

Thursday, April 2, 12:30 PM
Nancy Kwallek, Director of the UT Interior Design Program, discusses mid–century design and architecture

Thursday, April 9, 12:30 PM
Curator's Tour by Annette Carlozzi, curator of American and Contemporary Art at the Blanton

Thursday, April 16, 12:30 PM
Monica Penick from the University's School of Architecture addresses the "image" of architecture in Julius Shulman's photographs

*Third Thursday, April 16, 7 PM
Bruce Jenkins, Professor in Film, Video, and New Media at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago presents "From Bauhaus to the Mouse House: Art, Innovation and the Movies"

Saturday, April 23, 12:30 PM
Caitlin Topham graduate student in art history at UT and curatorial intern in the American and Contemporary Art Department at the Blanton, talks about Birth of the Cool.

*Thursday, April 30, 12:30 PM
Frances Colpitt, Chair of Art and Art History, and professor, at Texas Christian University, discusses the hard–edge style painting of the 1950s West Coast

Museum Shop Trunk Show
May 1 – 2, 2009
The newly expanded Blanton Museum Shop will host a trunk show featuring exquisite jewelry, glassware and other items with a mid–century look. Discounts for Blanton members!

*Funding for these programs is provided by the Carolyn Harris-Hynson Centennial Visiting Professorship in Fine Arts.

Tonight Free Show Butcher Bear and Charlie 10:00 @ Scoot In, Do it!

Tonight

Body Mechanic Wellness Center is hosting a wine tasting starting at 7:00pm. 

The location is 3110 Guadalupe. It's completely free to attend, and there will be a plethora of wine, local artists exhibitits, and live music. Tim, the owner of Wiggy's Liquors, is putting together a selection of South American wines.

All you need to do is email promo@mybodymechanic.com with an RSVP and you can go! It's free! Free wine!

AIA Austin's Design Ranch

AIGA Austin's DESIGN RANCH is a three-day, swiss army knife of a design experience in the heart of the Texas hill country. This isn't one of those slide-and-lecture-blah-blah conferences, so ditch the computer and iPhone and come get your hands dirty and your spirit cleansed.  Our hands-on workshops rekindle the imagination, taught by Den Leaders with plenty of merit badges of their own: JAMES VICTORE, STEVE SIKORA, THE BIRD MACHINE, THOMAS ALLEN, DIANA SUDYKA, JAN HEATON AND READYMADE MAGAZINE, for starters. Plus enough live music, entertainment and campfire shenanigans to keep you out of trouble, Scout's Honor.  This intimate 150-person weekend has a bad habit of selling out, so the sooner you register at WWW.DESIGNRANCH.ORG the better.

Tomorrow BvB Happy Hour Recruitment Party

BvB Leadership Planning Committee invites you to The Ranch for the Happy Hour Recruitment Party. Join us for drinks and team sign-up.

Date: Thursday, January 22nd, 2009, 6pm

Location: The Ranch

Address: 710 W 6th Street  Austin, TX 78701

Lunch With Jeffrey Toobin

Today my friend Lara and I, had lunch with Jeffrey Toobin at the Riverwalk Westin in San Antonio.  The lunch was amazing.  It was very intimate, just a small group of litigation attorneys.  The lunch lasted a couple hours and we were able to talk to him about all sorts of things from growing up with parents who were both journalists, to his experiences as a pioneer legal correspondent in the OJ trial (1st one ;) ) to different things he learned while writing his books.  I find him particularly fascinating, because so many of the reasons why he went into law are the same reasons why I did.  I never thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but I loved history and I loved studying about the government and current events.  For a long time I considered going into journalism.  In fact, my original major was communications, and then I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get a job with a communications degree, so I switched to business.  Watching people like Jeffrey Toobin cover major current events such as the OJ Simpson trial and Bush v. Gore, made me realize the different opportunities that going to law school could open up for me.  It wasn't just working at Fulbright or being a district attorney, neither of which ever seemed appealing to me.  It refreshing to be surrounded by people that were dorks like me today that love history, especially things like how supreme court cases have affected American History.  It was neat to talk to him about his encounters with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in the months leading up to her resignation due to her husband's illness, and how similar his encounters were to what I had experienced when studying under her in Innsbruch, just a couple years prior to that.  The summer I spent with Justice O'Connor was shortly after her husband was diagnosed and it was not yet public knowledge.  However, because I was good friends with the daughter and the wife of two of my law professors, I had spent some significant time where the professors, including Justice O'Connor, were staying, and little actions showed the manifestation of this disease.  Justice O'Connor had told me that she loved Austria and Germany, because she and her husband had spent an extensive period of time in that part of the world when they were newly weds and that she loved the Innsbruch program, because every time she returned, she would become very nostalgic.  In their younger days they had done a lot of skiing, and hiking.  I was actually fortunate enough to go on a lantern hike with them, and even heard her yodle (sp?) She said that this trip would probably be the last big trip she and her husband took. It was amazing to see the love between the two of them.  And it was amazing to hear Toobin speak about his experiences with the O'Connors and similar they were to mine; that such a tragedy can bring out some of the most beautiful expressions of love one can imagine.  Toobin will be covering the Inauguration from the same spot that his mother and Peter Jennings covered LBJ's inauguration.  Toobin said that he was only 4 at the time and remembers going with his mother to the inauguration.  From his expression you could tell that the kid who "wanted to be anything other than a journalist" found it special to be able to follow in his mother's footprints at such an important time in our country's history.  As I left San Antonio, I felt a renewed feeling of inspiration not only regarding my career goals, but about life in general.