Daily - The Austin Chronicle (2024)

Who Wants the Mansion?

Start your online contribution meters, because gubernatorial primary season is ramping up.July 15 is the next deadline for filing statewide campaign finance reports, so the serious candidates are checking their totals, and Democrats are starting to ponder the impact of the Draft Ronnie Earle movement. The former Travis County DA has filed the paperwork for a statewide run, but is coy about which office. He has the big plus of name recognition but the big minus of Republican strategists rubbing their hands in glee about having their arch-nemesis back in the ring.Speaking GOP, both Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-TX, are touting their fundraising powers (Hutchison in video format). Everyone's still waiting to see when she steps down from Senate (smart money is on "in time to avoid having to vote on the Justice Sonia Sotomayor nomination") and gets in the race properly.See below the fold for the list of big names and solid rumors about who is, isn't, or may be running for governor.

MP3: Sweet Tea, “If I Were a Carpenter”

As mentioned in OTR back in June, Sweet Tea, the old-fashioned, cosmic country side-project from the Black Angels’ Alex Maas and Heartless Bastards' Erika Wennerstrom, debuted during the Bastards’ Austin City Limits taping. The group’s debut single, a cover of Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter,” modeled after the classic June and Johnny Cash duet, drops digitally from Fat Possum later this month, along with a retread of Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms.” A limited edition 7-inch on white vinyl is scheduled to follow in early September.[audio-1]

Michael Jackson Memorial Simulcasts Today in Austin at High Noon

Disappointed that you were shut out of the lottery for free tix to MJ's funeral? Sad that you don't live in L.A. and have no huddled masses to join with in your outpouring of sorrow? Frustrated that you're deep in the heart of Texas when all the public display of grief is centered in L.A.? Well then, get thee right now to the cinema – specifically the Galaxy Highland or the Alamo Drafthouse South where the memorial service will be simulcast live. Both locations have a limited number of free tickets to the simulcast, which begins at 12 noon (CST). Doors at the Highland open at 11:30am and at 11am at the Alamo. Tickets will be deciminated on a first come, first serve basis, but you may reserve a seat in advance at the Alamo by purchasing a $5 food/beverage voucher online.

On the Radio!

So it's no secret we're big fans of Heath Riddles' Outcast on KOOP radio 91.7, and so we're almost peeing our PanTzies because we're (as in, I'm, as in Andy is) going to be blabbering on about something or other today (Tuesday), at 6pm!Topics we might talk about:Gay Place goodness;Fort Worth bar raids;Leather history;Tyra Banks' gifting of bedazzled Vaseline containers…and the list goes on… and on…

Ghostbusters Game Review (Xbox 360 / Playstation 3)

Ghostbusters is a delightful little one-off. It's the sort of game that's desperately welcome during the dog-days of gaming summer, particularly if your platform of choice hasn't had copious amounts of Fallout 3 DLC to pass the time. Unfortunately, it's also the sort of game you get about a third of the way through before understanding how it wants to be played.

Tickled Pink

I was bugging my brother Stephen to write about Pink Salon closing in his column when it occurred to me I could write about it in mine. After all, he became a client of theirs because I was. And for me, Pink was always so much more than a salon.South Congress hardly looks like what it did when Deborah Carter opened Pink Salon and Gallery in the strip of buildings next to the Austin Motel in the late 1990s. There was no SoCo scene, though the Continental always rocked, and Deborah was smart enough to see what it could be and, with the help of her father and family, built the shop at 1204 S. Congress.I’d already followed Deborah from at least two salons by that point. Dayna Blackwell, my longtime girlfriend and intrepid sidekick on the Music Awards, brought Deborah to the hotel room before the Music Awards in 1991 to do my hair and makeup and I was hooked. She made me look like a million bucks and feel like a billion. She was savvy enough to tell me she didn’t care who styled me as long as I stayed in her salon. Taking her at her word, I got to flit around in the expert hands of Tisa Bean Watson, Georgia Bramhall, and Brandi Cowley, my current stylist now at Bo Salon.

Developing Story

The Austin Film Festival announced today that the recipient of this year's Outstanding TV Award will be Mitchell Hurwitz. If you're a fan of smart, funny, groundbreaking, dead-before-its-time TV, then you know the name: Hurwitz created Arrested Development. Remember Arrested Development? Here's a refresher course:Doesn't Monday feel not so bad now?Full press release after the jump.

Independent (Roller) Women

There's nothing to finish off the Fourth of July weekend like some flat track roller derby, courtesy of the Texas Rollergirls.Sunday night's season closer will effectively be a preview of August's championship bouts, with this season's breakout successes The Hustlers taking on touted favorites the Hotrod Honeys. Both teams are 2-0 for the regular season and head to the title bout, but on paper the Hotrods have the advantage. Back in March's pre-main season round robin, they gave the Hustlers their only home defeat of the year in a mini-bout. So taking out the reigning champs could be a real momentum-builder for the ladies in purple and silver.There's as much on the line in the second bout, as the Honky Tonk Heartbreakers go up against the Hell Marys. The Heartbreakers came out of the Round Robin looking strong, but they haven't been able to capitalize on that strength for a championship position. Like the Marys, they'll be fighting to break their 0-2 season record and put at least one in the win column.The action starts Sunday, July 5 at 7pm (doors 6.30pm) at Playland Skate Center (8822 McCann), tickets $12 advance or $15 on the door.

Off the Record - 33 RPM

In this edition of Off the Record’s 33 RPM, we’ll float down to Whitewater on the Horseshoe, score some of Harlem’s Free Drugs, and pay tribute to Sky Sunlight Saxon and the King of Pop.