The Bleet-Up: Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto!

               

So, before I say anything.  Can we please take a moment to appreciate Styx, this song, and this video.

OH MY GOD. That is delightful.

I was searching for "Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto" today because it is my Happy Song and my You Can Do it! Song all rolled into one.  Ross played it on his ukulele for our 3-year-old nephew over Thanksgiving, and I sang the secret secret! I got a secret! parts.

Speaking of which. I want to thank you guys for your kind, candid, and often deeply personal comments on that post I wrote about my nephews and my psychosis about having babies of my own.  I am speechless?  It's encouraging to know I'm not the only one out there with some anxiety around this life stage.

And, it is SUPER encouraging to hear from you cool baby mommas and daddies who have been there, done that, and did it like a badass.

Speaking of badass.  (We're really going to town with these paragraph transitions today, aren't we?) Guess what is THIS FRIDAY.

 Um, I know.  I can't believe it's so soon!

Richard, my co-planner, wrote up a fantastically comprehensive post about The Bleet-Up, our party for bloggers and blog-readers, here.  Are you noting, and loving, his blog's new background? 

That post gives you a rundown of all our goodies, but here are some more places you can go for info.

Facebook Event Page
Facebook Fan Page
Do512 Page (where they are holding a ticket giveaway for clicking "I Like It")

You're probably sick of hearing me talk about it by now, but let's just review three key details:

Prince cover band.

Ice skating rink that looks like Xanadu.

BATTER BLASTER Pancakes.

All of these will be yours at Bleet-Up, plus blogger love, lasers (I'm not kidding, there will be light lasers), and possibly Santa Clause.

Plus so very much more!  For just $7 entry.  So put on your party pants Austin, we'll see you Friday!

rsvp

UPDATE: This just in! Ladies, we know how much you like to shred. So the totally rocking, totally awesome Ladies Rock Camp -- home of famed Girls Rock Camp -- will be at the Bleet-Up too, raffling off a free camp session. That's worth $250!  Just pick your raffle ticket up at the door ladies, and we'll announce a winner during the event.

I've secretly always wanted to do Ladies Rock Camp, so if you win it, we may be "campers" together. And how cool would that be?

Seeing yourself with kids.

Let's say you found him.  Or, her.  The man or woman of your dreams.

Let's say they're good with kids.  The kind who makes your mother say, "you two are going to be wonderful parents someday."

Let's say your sister has a baby.  And then, so do some of your friends.

Let's say it's scary to hold those babies at first, because you are terrified you'll drop them, and then slowly, it gets easier.  You tickle their stomach.  They look up at you.  They smile, in that it-hurts-because-it's-so-perfect kind of baby smile.  You think, "I could get used to this."

Let's say you start acting coy to your parents and in-laws. Beginning conversations with, "well when we have kids of our own ..." when referring to you and your lover.

Let's say that this all really scares you.

*  *  *

Every single time Ross and I get together with his family, I go down this road.  I see my nephews, and I see their parents -- Ross' older sister and her husband -- and how infinitely capable they are.  So capable it feels foreign to me.

This couple has one three year old son, two twin boys, a potty-training system, mommy groups, and an awesome backyard play set.  They have a jungle-themed nursery room that Ross' little sister painted, and a race car bed that the three year old sleeps in.  They have a bright house with cushy furniture, and a TiVo with Toy Story Two taped on it, and action figures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Perhaps this is giving you the impression that this family is rich. They're not.

What they are is selfless.

*  *  *

When I was a teenager, and on into my 20s, most of my jobs involved kids.  I have changed diapers.  I have taught yoga and dance to kids.  I have face-painted at birthday parties and I have told kid-friendly ghost stories during Family Day at Austin Museum of Art.  I met Ross while teaching, and one of the qualities that most attracted me to him was how great he was with children.  Something I had never, ever looked for in a man before. 

Once, while standing inside the main foyer of the school, in front of a big picture window that looked out toward the sand pile, I watched this tiny Indian boy get tackled by a burly, five year old future linebacker.  The latter wanted to play horse.  The tiny one, not wanting to lose face, struggled to bend his body enough to get on his hands and knees. It was really hard. His mouth was twisting, and his eyes were squinting.

Ross ran over out of nowhere, grabbed the bigger one off the small one's back, and placed him on his own back. "I'll be your horse!" he said. "Where would you like to ride?"

I fell completely in love with him.

*  *  *

I have full faith in Ross' ability to parent.  Are you kidding me?  That man was born to make and raise a baby.

But when it comes to me ... 

I know for a fact that I am one of those people who displays a curious mixture of extroverted personality traits with greedy, introverted tendencies.  I hoard my free time.  I may have sharing issues.  I hypothesize that this comes from being an only child, but with two outgoing parents. 

I am extremely spoiled with my job, which allows me to work from home; I am spoiled by my city, which beckons to me with a hundred shows and movies and karaoke bars and Prohibition-era-cocktails; I am spoiled by the house that I rent, a rambling old bungalow in Hyde Park whose charm, for now, outweighs our inability to rip up the carpet or build a fence for the backyard.  I mean, it has a creek for God's sake -- we'll forgive the pink carpeting.

So when I look down at that smiling baby, I feel not wistfulness, but a sort of fear.

That I think I want this eventually, and think I could do it, too.

If only I weren't so damn selfish.

*  *  *

The thing that terrifies me most about having a baby -- besides being pregnant itself, which I still can't quite wrap my head, much less my womb, around -- is somehow giving it the idea that I would rather be someplace else.  I don't know.  Do babies pick up on that?  Do your maternal hormones kick in and actually make it to where hanging out with your baby is the most awesome thing, ever?

I ask new moms these questions sometimes, and they say: "You'll be fine!  If you ever have kids, you will just be the best mom ever!  Don't worry.  Your perspective on things begins to change."

But then, we've all seen those parents on TV who really ARE selfish.  Really ARE neglectful.  Really ARE still living out their youth despite the very undeniable existence of their infant.  I may or may not have been reading too many grocery store tabloids lately with reality show teen moms plastered on the front.

I don't think I would ever become one of those moms.

But I do worry that my twentysomething lack of selflessness isn't just a maturity thing, but a deeper independence thing. Ross likes to say that, "we'll know when it feels right," but I honestly do think that I'll never feel "right" when it comes to my own ability to have a baby, that instead it will be like jumping off a cliff into water below, and praying to God you don't hit rocks or a tree branch on the way down, and that it's an adrenaline rush that propels you forward rather than legitimate confidence, and that when you finally plunge in, your legs kicking in explosive awareness that you made it and that you're still alive, it is joy, mixed with residual terror, mixed with relief, mixed with magic.
                           

The Bleet-Up: RSVP's now open!

                                                                             

Hooray!

 RSVP's for The Bleet-Up are now open.  Because we love Whole Foods and respect their fire code, we'll close once we hit capacity.

And hey, speaking of The Bleet-Up, have you voted in the Austin Blogger Awards yet? They are being presented by Republic of Austin, and there are several fun categories: Blogger of the Year, Best Food Blog for Recipes, even Best Blog to find comments/discussion. Winners will be honored at The Bleet-Up!

Also -- warning. This is 100% off-topic and I'm sure plenty of you have seen it already. World, meet Janey Cutler, 80-year-old contestant on Britain's Got Talent.  This will make your day.  I cry every time I watch it.

My favorite scarf.

How kind is this?  One of Austin's new street style blogs -- The Style Co-Op -- stopped me outside of Quack's on Friday to take my picture.  Two cute girls, Sandhya and Amy, run the blog, and Amy also writes pixiespace, a regular smile source for me.

This is probably my favorite scarf that I own, have ever owned. If I could, I think I would wear it every single day.  I wish I could tell you some good story behind it, like, I was all alone in Paris, destitute and penniless, for reasons unknown, but it was hard -- very hard -- on that one winter night, ruminating over the terrible forces that reduced me to this state, with nothing to eat, nay, nowhere to sleep.  When all of a sudden, walking through a nighttime Parisian market, an old woman, a vendor, touched by my fragile livelihood, seized this scarf from her stand, ran out and wrapped it around my shoulders. "Go," she said, "take this garment. It warmed my late mother once, on just such a night."  It was all very surprising, her gesture and also her fluid English, but I humbly accepted the gift and strode to the Eiffel Tower, full of questions but also full of hope.  And I laid down in the soft grass, nothing to my name accept my person and now, this scarf, and for once, so little felt like so much.  So very much. I wrapped this scarf around me like a blanket, and when I awoke the next morning, the blinding sunlight held unforeseen promise.  Beckoning me forth to an unsullied and, dare I say it, bright future.

*  *  *

But actually. I bought that scarf at Urban Outfitters.

So that was Friday, when this picture was snapped, and a lot has happened in between then.  I got my hair did.  Still red, just bright bright bright. I made a new header for the blog, along with some mustache buttons for the categories.  I really think I just need to shell out for a professional to make me a damn template already, because my own, quite limited, site design skills have gone about as far as they can go here.

If you are a website designer, holla at your girl. I like birds and mustaches.  Let's make a deal?

ALSO.  After the tremendous suggestions you all provided in our book discussion on Thursday, I ordered some titles.  As I wait for them to arrive at my doorstep, I picked up one I had lying around the house: The Best Thing I Ever Tasted: A Secret History of Food, by the brilliant Sallie Tisdale.  And it is fabulous!  I am in book heaven again.  The way she writes is so rich.  It's not funny, the way some of the other food memoirs I've read have been funny, but I do feel like I'm getting a solid writer's education here.  Especially in how to describe food.  Because if there is anything Sallie Tisdale can do, it's turn out one hell of a culinary description.

Finally -- Thanksgiving is almost upon us?  Wha-ha-ha?  That totally snuck up on me.  I think I've been so focused on the Bleet-Up that I've had blinders on to other important dates, such as, I don't know, the survival of my European ancestors?

Which reminds me.  What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?   I enjoy all things squash and starch, which means: Pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, plain baked sweet potatoes, stuffed acorn squash, etc.  Mmm.  So comforting.

For a friend's party on Thursday, I'm going to try making a pumpkin cocktail, with thin pumpkin puree, cognac, cream, nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick.  I think I'm going to get ingredients and experiment today.

UPDATED: Amy from The Style Co-Op / pixiespace just wrote to say hi, and I had to post the picture she included.

Love!

A cry for help, in so many ways.

                       
Man. This is one dorky post.

I just finished it, read back through it, and carefully considered whether or not to hit "publish." This post has little (i.e., nothing) to do with Austin.

It has everything to do with being a book nerd.

But -- publish we shall, comrades. Because this is an earnest appeal.  Hopefully I won't bore you to tears here, and hopefully, you are an unapologetic book lover like me.  So I ask you, readers of Austin, readers of the world: To help me.

See, I am in a dysfunctional relationship with my current book stack.  I read every night before I go to bed, and just feel like something is missing from my evening ritual.  The contenders:

Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain) 

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry (Kathleen Flinn)

Fever Pitch (Nick Hornby)

The status:

Kitchen Confidential -- FINISHED. Bourdain's brash behind-the-scenes look at culinary culture. The book that made him famous. He wrote it 10 years ago, and with each shocking revelation he shares (like the fact that brunch, our most fetishized meal, is made out of a kitchen's old, old leftovers), you can tell he wants the reader to think, "why, that's just appalling!  I just -- just -- had no idea!"  And I didn't.  But the point is, I don't like feeling manipulated while I'm reading a memoir.  I just want you to be smart, and relateable, and funny without trying too hard (... and, wow. This sounds like I'm talking to a boyfriend, rather than a book, non?).

An older, wiser Bourdain admits in the second edition preface that the text may be just a bit too macho, so ok, he gets it.


The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry -- 3/4 FINISHED. Oh, how I want to love this one. Listen to the set-up, ladies: Girl gets sacked from Microsoft, girl has lifelong dream of going to Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, but girl is practical, girl throws caution to the wind anyway and cashes out her life savings to attend Le Cordon Bleu, IN PARIS.  Everything estrogeny in me says, goodie! for a book like that. And yet ...

Kathleen Flinn, the author, is the type of woman I could see myself being friends with in real life. She's professionally driven, but has a romantic heart. The only thing is, her storytelling feels too much like the former quality.  By which I mean, professional.  It's very thorough reporting, her description of each Le Cordon Bleu class.  But you and me, we're not going to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris anytime soon, are we?  No. Likely not. We want life lessons.  Humor.  Subtleties of wit and observation.  At least, I do.

When it comes right down to it, I think I just want this book to be funnier. I want Kathleen to be a little more bumbling in the kitchen, when in fact, she's very good. I want her to cry big, snotty tears when she fails her Le Cordon Bleu dishes, but she has a supportive boyfriend the entire time!  Le sigh.

To be fair, I also didn't finish Eat, Pray, Love, a similar sort of tale, and whose writing style I loved. I tend to not give these books -- meaning, unlucky-woman-takes-off-on-travel-fantasy books -- a fair shake. I don't know why.  Probably because I am bitter and jealous, at the outset, of their adventure.


Fever Pitch -- JUST STARTED. This one I'll probably stick with. Nick Hornby (A Long Way Down, High Fidelity, How to be Good) never lets me down. This is his memoir about being an obsessive soccer (or his British "football") fan, and while the tears of laughter aren't exactly rolling down my face, as they do early and often in Hornby's novels, I have faith.  I suspect Fever Pitch is especially appealing to the reader who can relate to the culture of spectator sports, and who really understands what it means to be a sports fan, the type who tailgates and takes team losses personally and shares this emotional swell of pride when his or her team does well, as if they themselves were personally responsible for the UT Longhorns (or New Orleans Saints, or Texas Rangers, or whatever your team)' success on the field.

Which is not, admittedly, me.

Still: It's Hornby's sense of humor that gets me. In the chapter I read last night, he described being a boy from the suburbs, and going through a stage where he adopted a working class cockney accent. This, while his sister suddenly started speaking as if she were Princess-In-Waiting to the English throne.  When friends of the family met the two together, no could figure out which one had been adopted?  Giggle.  Thank you, Nick Hornby.

*  *  *

As you can see, I love my memoirs.

But I want to know, what was the last book that made you positively sad when you came to the end, because you wanted to go on reading? Memoir, fiction, non-fiction, etcetera?

I tend to buy all of my books at Half-Price Books on North Lamar, and perhaps that is the problem. I'm not giving new literary talent a chance. Like the freaking girl who wears hornet tattoos and kicked the dragon's nest and blabity-blah -- I feel like I should read those.  Because there has been so much hype. Have any of you gotten into the series?  Is it good?

I read about this freaky, awesome sounding book in O, The Oprah Magazine (another dorky obsession of mine: O), called Room, by Emma Donoghue.  Listen to the description:

In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances.

HOLY SHIT. Right?

This one might have to be the next on my reading list.

But. Before I rush out and order it, tell me:

what books do you love? have you loved? have made you sad when you reached the end?

The last ones that made me clap my hands in delight were Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl, Born Round, by Frank Bruni, and Spoon Fed, by Kim Severson. All food memoirs. All by New York Times food critics. I know. I think there may be an unhealthy obsession at work here, one that runs far deeper than memoirs.
                       

TONIGHT: Get your knit on.

Ok.  How fun is this?

If you're in Austin, perhaps you have hit up EAST already -- i.e., the East Austin Studio Tour.  It started last Saturday, and runs through next weekend.  We touched on the opening party last Friday, and tonight, there's a party just for knitters -- or, anyone wanting to learn.

(Psst. Before we go any further, can I share something?  

So last year, I went to the Drafthouse Ritz to see John Krasinski screen the film he directed, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.  He was, predictably, smart, kind, witty, self-deprecating ... what I'm saying is, all the girls in the audience were fainting.  And with all that abundant charm, you could see why.

Anyway, on TOP of John Krasinski's smarts, his kindness, his everything -- he told us during his presentation that the day before, he had just gone on the East Austin Studio Tour!  He was like, "wow, I really need to get out of LA and move here. What city is so badass that it does STUDIO ART tours?"  And at the suggestion of moving to Austin, the girls pretty much went into full cardiac arrest.)

SO. Tonight is Eastside Knit Night, co-hosted by The Wonder Craft, one of my favorite local companies, period (they drive around in an Airstream trailer, teaching craft classes!), and Yarn Harvest, Austin's only sweater recycling yarn company.

It starts at 5:30, with Gauge Knit giveaways to the first 30 arrivals, with complimentary beer by St. Arnolds, and complimentary drinks by Treaty Oak Rum with Graham's Texas Tea.  You can knit, drink (or learn how to knit while drinking), and at 8:30, there will be a screening of Handmade Nation -- the documentary about DIY's current sweep across the country.  It stars our very own Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching and Magda Sayeg, of Knitta, Please.

If you live in Austin, you may have seen Magda's work around town ... such as, covering those weird blue signs on South Lamar.

If you can't make it tonight, never fear!  There's more crafty fun going on this weekend, too: Austin Craft Riot.  It is ginormous.  It is put on by the EtsyAustin street team.  And trust me when I say it is holiday shopping heaven.
              
              

Tomorrow night, it's wine o' clock.

It's a lushy week so far on Austin Eavesdropper, non?

Yesterday we were discussing cocktails, but today let's talk about wine.  A) Because it's the most universally accepted alcohol at Thanksgiving, and B) because wine is fantastic.  No argument there.

I have been a wino-in-training for years now, and for this I blame my educational path.  In college, I studied abroad in Italy, and in grad school, I lived just a few miles away from Napa Valley. This was all very fortunate, because unlike the majority of twentysomethings, I don't like beer.  How snobby is that?  My taste buds find most beer, even quality beer -- the kind made from wheat that's been delicately massaged and blessed by Belgian monks -- repulsive.  Historically I have been that girl at parties, the cupless one staring at the keg, a little too sober and a little too, "hey guys! Wanna hear something I heard on NPR?? Snort!" for everyone's taste.

But in Italy and Napa, my finicky wine preferences and I fit right in!  And increasingly, I'm finding my fellow wine flock here in Austin, too.  Ross likes wine.  So do our friends. And wine bars are becoming a rather trendy thing here, it seems: Vino Vino (my favorite), House Wine, Uncorked.

So for us -- the wine lovers of Austin -- there is something fun tomorrow night.  A tasting at Four Seasons' TRIO, with food pairings and tips for weaving wines into a Thanksgiving menu.  (Oh Four Seasons, my thanks will heartily given).

four seasons' first-ever virtual wine tasting
Wednesday, November 17
6:00pm

Wait, "virtual?" Allow me to explain. Four Seasons Austin is big on social media -- they've hosted two of our Bleet-Ups, including the very first one! And, for this event, they are conducting both a live tasting with participants, and Tweeting the session using this hashtag: #FSWine.

Twitter winos ("Twinos?") can pre-purchase the wines ahead of time (see bottles below), and Tweet along with the lesson, learning how to organize a wine tasting at home.

Or ... you can join me!  Meaning, live.  We'll do it live!

The in-person session at TRIO will feature Mark Sayre, one of Wine & Spirits Magazine's "7 Best New Sommeliers of 2010," James Tidwell, head of the Texas Sommelier Association, and Dana Farner, Beverage Director of CUT Beverly Hills. They will lead a tasting of ...

Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling

Paraiso Syrah

Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 

... and teach us the flavor profiles of each, and how to pair them with seasonal dishes. Dishes that TRIO's Chef de Cuisine, Todd Duplechan, will ALSO be sampling.

My gluttonous little heart just skipped a beat!

Tickets are a steal at $18. To get 'em, email Kerri Holden at kerri.holden@fourseasons.com or call 512-685-8048.

Also?  While we're on the subject, what's your favorite wine?  Because I can't stop buying Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel.  It's getting a little out of control.

Thanks to Lee for above photo.

Would you do a mixology date?

Last Friday, I heard Richard Florida speak. Saturday, I saw Waiting for Superman. And on Sunday, folks, I watched The Millionare Matchmaker.

Now.  For those of you reading, I hope you'll come back again this week, because I have more to say on both Richard Florida and especially Waiting for Superman. About creativity and innovation in Austin, about the way gender resonates in the professional creative sector, and about nurturing creative and confident minds in the largely broken American public education system.

But today ... well today, I would like to talk about cocktails.

This is where The Millionaire Matchmaker comes in. Note the deliberate non-linking here. I'm a little embarrassed as it is to admit watching that show, so I'll hold off on sending you there directly. However, last Sunday, The Millionaire Matchmaker featured A) a hot mess millionaire, B) more hot mess millionaire-marrying hopefuls, and C) all of them together on a mixology date.

Now that last part, the mixology date, is truly genius. And it's an idea I want to float to Austin, in hopes that one of our bars or restaurants will invent this.

Whenever Ross and I go on Date Night, we usually go out to eat somewhere, and if we are feeling truly adventurous, we might also go see a movie. Wow! We've also taken cooking classes together at Central Market, but just for special occasions, since those are a bit pricey.

But I long to mix things up. A little change of pace, non?

Enter the mixology date.

Basically, a bartender / mixologist hosts a handful of people -- say, 10 max -- at their establishment, and shows them a few basics.  Each person or couple has a shaker and a mini-station of spirits and mixers, where they are taught how to balance and ratio ingredients.  So for the first hour, you learn how to make the classics: A Margarita, a Dirty Martini, a Whiskey Sour.  Depending on the skill level of the class, this hour could also be devoted to more involved drinks: A French 75, a Dark and Stormy, a Sidecar.

Also -- I lied. We're watching The Millionaire Matchmaker.


Alright, so that's the group part. You're learning together from the mixologist. The way this is set up on the show is kind of like elimiDATE, but ignore the guy / girl ratio: You could do this with fellow couples, as a bachelorette, or with a group of friendly strangers.

The second hour is devoted to you breaking off into small groups or pairs, then inventing some drinks on your own.  You have cards where you can write down ingredients and the name of your cocktail when you invent a winner.

And FINALLY -- this part I made up entirely -- you make samples of your winning drink, in shot glasses, and pass them around for the rest of the participants to try. Everyone votes on the winner, and for that week, the winning drink gets served at the establishment!

If some bar in Austin hosted this type of class on Friday nights -- Peche? FINO? -- I would be all over it.  I'm not the most creative cook in the world, but I do enjoy mixing drinks.  It was a revelation to me that one could appreciate a spirit's character all on its own, rather than mixing it down into oblivion. The science experiment aspect of drink-making really appeals to me for some reason, and when I get right down to it, I think I'm just a little impatient. It takes forever to cook a good meal, but just a few seconds to mix a fabulous cocktail.

A few of the "Mad Men"-themed cocktails Peche was preparing for a while. Drinks I would love to learn how to make!

who else is into this idea?

                          

TONIGHT: Black and White Years debut their AMAZING new LP, Patterns.

So, this is probably the most self-serving item I have ever posted on Austin Eavesdropper.

Why?  Well, it's written by GARY!, and this is the story of how GARY! and I met. So in that way, it's also one of the most sentimental items I've ever posted on Austin Eavesdropper.  

Grin.

Anyway. Basically, what you need to know is, The Black and White Years, Austin's electro-dance-music-with-smart-lyrics-band, is releasing their new LP Patterns tonight at The ND.  It is incredibly catchy, the Internet is freaking out about it, and I have been listening to the whole album on repeat this past week. Sample one of the singles, "Up!" here.

Here's GARY! to tell you the rest. Remember -- I'm warning you -- the first part is straight-up flattery, and I'm a bit of an ego maniac just for posting it.

*  *  *
from gary!:

About two years ago, I was at The Mohawk for the YELLE show, when a friend of mine ran up to me and said, “I just met the cutest girl, and the two of you just HAVE to meet! You are going to LOVE her!”

If it sounds like he was gushing, it’s because he was, not to mention that’s just how gay folk talk when they get excited. I must have looked a little puzzled because he went on to explain, “She writes for this new blog in town called “That Austin Girl.” Now at this point in time I had never heard of a blog called “That Austin Girl,” nor had I ever met the pocket-sized blond girl behind it.

We did actually end up meeting that night in October, if only in passing, but my friend was right.  I was immediately taken by this HUGE personality trapped inside such a compact frame. We ran into each other a few other times after that, and we finally decided that if we were both going to inadvertently stalk each other’s social calendars, that we should probably exchange number.  God forbid, we both showed up at an event wearing the same thing.

Fast forward to the middle of November 2008.  I had heard about a show taking place at The Compound called “The Black and White Years: The East Side Remix.”  Tolly and I had previously bonded over the fact that we thought The Black and White Years were one of the most exciting things happening in the Austin music scene.  I mean, it’s not every day a local up and coming band is approached at SXSW by Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison, and are asked if they’d like help in producing a debut album, right?  So, I rang Tolly.

It was an awesome night, and the start of a great friendship. Did I mention it was something like 35 degrees that night?  I think that officially makes us hardcore fans.

So!  It turns out that history will kind of be repeating itself tonight. The Black and White Years have a show tonight at The ND at 501 Studios.  This is their official album release party for Patterns, and their first single “Up!” has been garnering some heavy play on both 101x and KUT, as well as another favorite track of mine called “Everything’s Eventual.”

The first three times I heard the new songs on the radio I whipped out my phone and tried to SoundHound/Shazam it, only to end up feeling a little defeated when nothing pulled up. I actually found myself sitting in my car, praying the DJ would tell me who was behind the awesomeness (Praise Jesus for Andy Langer and Matt Riley!).  Since then, I’ve wised up and learned that they are actually streaming all of Patterns from their MySpace page, and I'm happy to report that this band has no idea what a sophomore slump is. The album is chocked full of danceable beats and catchy choruses, and I think our friend Happy put it best when he said, “Holy ish. This album is fun. Like REALLY fun.”

Here is a little taste of what you can expect tonight. From Patterns: The song “Animal Behaviors.”

And from Sip Sip -- opening for The Black and White Years -- “Continental Breakfast."

What I am trying to say is: You should seriously come out tonight and get your dance on.  (And to help two Austin Eavesdroppers celebrate their 2nd Friendaversary).

details:

101X Homegrown Live Presents: The Black and White Years CD Release Party with Sip Sip and MoTel Aviv

When: Doors – 9pm, MoTel Aviv - 10 pm, Sip Sip - 11 pm, B&WY’s – 12am

Where: THE ND @ 501 STUDIOS // 512.485.3001

Tickets: $8 at the door, Get there early for $3 Shiner’s and free pizza from Mr Gatti’s (while it lasts)

Love,

GARY!

Instant Date Night: Art Night Austin E.A.S.T.

So, I'm thinking of starting a feature on this blog, to run each (or, mostly on) Friday, called "Instant Date Night." Do we like that idea, Austinites?  Yes?  No?

Remember: Dating yourself is 100% ok, and when Ross is out of town or can't join me for whatever reason on Date Night -- which for us, is Friday -- I take myself to movies, or out to dinner, quite often.  Maybe this is the inner only child talking, but I find myself to be more than enough company.  Honestly a handful sometimes.

Anyway.  On a different note, do you creative types -- musicians, computer code writers, regular writers, Etsy-ettes -- feel as though you need to balance your art production, with art consumption?

I certainly do. Let's be honest: Sometimes, Austin Eavesdropper posts are not remotely "artful" by any stretch of the imagination. A lot of the time it's, "hey, this is going on this weekend, so, yay." 

However ...

Even those utilitarian blog posts require the help of my right brain. To arrange sentences in a coherent (and hopefully engaging) way, to incorporate images in a manner that enhances the information, to make the toss-off witty aside that -- trust me -- I thought long and hard about.

Because of all that, I try to make an effort to take in more art that I produce.  To stay inspired, you know.  Doesn't matter what the medium is (though I am nerdily partial to books), and, I suspect some of you are the same way.

So!  For us, for anyone who expends creative energy throughout their day, and wants to get a little more of it back, I have a solution.

art night austin e.a.s.t.

the official preview party of the east austin studio tour

This is the kick-off party for E.A.S.T., one of the coolest art events in the city.  And it is tonight!

E.A.S.T. is a walking tour of all the studios on Austin's east side, big and small. Last year, my friend Kelly and I went, and ended up sharing a meal with one of the artists -- this incredible painter with an apartment next door to Solid Gold boutique, who had a huge, Virgin Mary-style portrait of Willie Nelson hanging over her bed. She served us mini pizzas.

This evening, Art Night Austin is hosting a chauffeured culinary kick-off party of several E.A.S.T. spaces.  It runs from 7:00 - 10:30pm, beginning at Domy Books, and hits up Bearded Lady Screen Printing Studio, Big Medium, Blue Genie (!), Brocca Gallery, Co-Lab (all collaborative artwork -- COOL) and Fisterra Studios.  Along the way, bites from East Side King, Cote Catering, Miles of Chocolate (drool) and Lucky J's Chicken and Waffles are served.

Tickets are $45 for Art Alliance members, $55 for non-members. You can buy those here.

The tour ends with an after-party ($10 tickets) at Hope Farmer's Market.

Here are a few art pieces you'll see along the way.

From top to bottom: Artists Bonnie Brenda Scott, Edie Fake, Chad Hopper, and Mel Kadel. All images courtesy of Domy Books.

I'm getting over a cold, but I am definitely going to try and check this out tonight.

Have you guys ever done e.a.s.t. before?

Those three little words you long to hear: THE BLEET-UP

Attention bloggers, blog readers, and individuals who spend any length of time whatsoever behind a computer screen:

Do you suffer from mouse-clicking-induced finger soreness?  Do you feel frequent urges to walk away from your computer? Do you long to stop LOLing, and actually laugh out loud, with your fellow humans?

If so, you may be a candidate for a safe and proven treatment called The Bleet-Up.  The Bleet-Up is the natural way to boost real-life social interactions, and increase feelings of joy and connection.

Note: The Bleet-Up is to be administered with delicious food samples. The interaction of The Bleet-Up with alcohol enhances its side effects, namely: Partying, hugging, and potential photo-taking. 

Some individuals may not be suitable for The Bleet-Up. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about partying and/or hugging. The Bleet-Up is available to adults of all ages, and studies have shown that participants in medical trials of The Bleet-Up have felt happier, more confident, and more excited about life following treatment.

THE BLEET-UP

A meet-up for Austin bloggers, blog readers, and everyone in between

Presented by Austin Eavesdropper and Ultra8201

Friday, December 3 

7:00pm

Rooftop terrace of Whole Foods Downtown

With live music provided by:

uLOVEi

Motel Aviv

The Lennings

Politics

23 Positions (Prince cover band)

 *  *  * 

Drink local beer, and taste samples by:

Green Cart

Kohana Coffee

Buddha's Brew Kombucha Tea

Mary Louise Butters Brownies

*  *  * 

Go holiday shopping at our rad boutique pop-up shops:

Magnolia Family Vintage

Rene Geneva Designs

Wonder Craft

*  *  *

Commemorate the best night of your life with a photo booth by:

Cory Ryan

Make Christmas tree ornaments with The Wonder Craft,  and get seeds for your garden from Yard Farm Austin

For the first time ever, witness the Austin Blogger Awards, presented by...

Republic Of Austin

Go ice skating on the roof of Whole Foods on their freaking ice skating rink!

 

Proceeds benefiting...

Art From the Streets, providing twice-weekly art classes for homeless people, and an annual art show where they can sell their work.

Stay connected with Austin bloggers, and get more Bleet-Up announcements at our brand new

¡¡ facebook page !!

CAN YOU GUYS TELL I'M EXCITED?  Because I'm very excited!!

Richard and I have been planning this one, Bleet-Up #4, for a little while now.  If you've never been to a Bleet-Up before, and are confused as to what I'm talking about, just click here.

"Bleet-up" stands for "blogger" + "meet-up," and we throw these parties twice a year.  The Summer one is small, the Fall one, which we are obviously promo-ing right now, is MUY GRANDE.

It's an opportunity for any blogger, blog reader, publicist who would like to know more bloggers, musicians who would like to meet music bloggers, restaurant/food cart operator who would like to meet food bloggers, designers who would like to meet fashion bloggers, or just plain people who like to par-tay to come hang out!

We are doing so much this year that I am pumped about. Chris Apollo of the famed Republic of Austin has teamed up with us to host the first-ever Austin Blogger Awards, with winners honored at The Bleet-Up.  Whole Foods, which is totally wheelchair accessible (kinda super important to me), has been so awesome in providing their gorgeous rooftop terrace.  Our triumphant party at Mohawk last year was exciting enough, but the fact that we will have an ICE SKATING RINK THIS YEAR?  Are you kidding me?! 

So, you know what this means.  Until we launch the RSVP site in a few weeks, mark your calendars!  Please tell your friends, and "like" us on Facebook!  Please feel free to check back here or Ultra8201 for updates, as Richard and I will certainly have some later this month.

Speaking of which. I'd just like to publicly express my admiration of Richard, and my delight about having him as a co-planner. I told him last night that he was my Fairy Godfather, which is kind of like having magic, plus the Mafia, combined.  And I think you and I both know how serious that is.

       

Fun Fun Fun Fest: Transmission Entertainment Q&A [VIDEO INTERVIEW]

            


The brains behind Fun Fun Fun Fest, Graham Williams and James Moody, sat down with Austin Eavesdropper at the fest last Sunday to talk turkey.  (NOTE: The volume on this particular vid is a little quiet at first, then turns up about 20 seconds in.)

I hope you find these guys as delightful and down-to-earth as I do.  To hear Graham, a born-and-raised Austinite, and Moody, an Austin-by-way-of-LA transplant, talk about Fun Fun, you get the impression that these are perhaps the most zen musical festival planners in existence.  There's no out-pulling of hair.  No smashing things when a headliner (Devo) has to cancel.  No drama at all, really -- just two dudes!  Having a party!  Except we know there's probably more blood, more sweat, more tears to Fun Fun than that.  Graham, Moody, and their music lover foot soldiers have just found a way to throw the kind of party I imagine most festival organizers dream about: Large enough to command national attention, small enough to feel intimate, and even -- dare I say it? -- relaxed.

A few highlights from the interview:

*on having live comedy at fun fun:

"I think that it's just as vital and progressive of an art form as hip hop, punk, indie, electronica, DJ's. When you go to those [comedy] shows ... it's the same audience." [Graham Williams]

*on why bands and comics want to perform in austin:

"There's a lot of credibility associated with impressing people [in Austin.] Every fan is also an artist here. I think Austin holds this court to some degree, on blessing these acts, on whether they're alright or not. And if they're shitty, we'll say they're shitty." [James Moody]

*on getting involved in the music scene:

"I've always been a little bit of a music critic. Knowing I was really bad at the drums, [but thinking] how could I be involved? I'm just gonna listen to a lot of it, and then be a critic of it." [James Moody]

*on single-handedly reuniting the descendants, and convincing them last-minute to be fun fun's new headliner:

"The singer is a biochemist for I think DuPont ... and is really really committed to his job. The fact that is was on a Sunday was the only reason it happened. He actually wanted to fly in today, play the show, fly back on a red eye, and make a meeting on Monday morning. But he could not find a flight anywhere. Luckily, he was able to get with his team, a small group of experts, and do the meeting with a camera, over a laptop. Conduct the meeting that way." [Graham Williams]

*on musical guilty pleasures:

"Bad Religion." [James Moody]

"Yelle." [Graham Williams]

"Chumbawamba." [Both]

Special thanks to Amy Haley for taping!

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010: Yelle is kind of adorable. [LIVE VIDEO]

              
Per the post title above: Yes, Yelle is adorable. This is a universally accepted truth, much like humans need oxygen, the Earth is round, I, Tolly, laugh too much, etc. etc.

We got some shots of her beginning the show in her signature sparkly tights, topped with -- what do we have here?  An Oscar the Grouch ensemble?

Teehee.  She is like a pretty, French version of Swamp Thing.

Can you believe the photo above is sans effects, people?  Just the fun purple show lights!  Sometimes I wish colored show lights followed me around, highlighting significant portions of my day.

Here is Yelle, greeting her fans in "AUSTEEN!"

Then, we caught a video of one the band's new songs, "La Musique."  The visuals on this clip are ok (and I mean just ok), but if I do say so myself the sound is pretty awesome.

Not bad, eh?

Two things:

A) What you can't see in this video are me, and my friend Amy, visibly geeking out for 99% of the show. I had to force myself to stop trembling and shrieking like a smitten schoolgirl just to shoot these vids, but trust me, there's one huge dork operating this camera.

B) May I paste a direct quote from Yelle's Wikipedia page? It shows, beyond the shadow of a doubt, ample proof of Yelle's adorableness:

"Olivia Mandell is Yelle's best friend, They have know each other for many years but now Olivia is marrying yelle's brother. Tres chouette!"

On no other band's Wikipedia page have I ever seen mention of a BFF. Tres chouette ("how cute") indeed!
               

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010: Delorean performs "Real Love." [LIVE VIDEO]

Delorean may just be Fun Fun Fun Fest's dreamiest band selection.

I first discovered Delorean last summer with the song "Deli," and immediately latched onto their dancey love songs. It was Passion Pit by way of Arcade Fire, with the subdued coolness one associates with their corner of the world (Basque country). 

Here are some shots of the band, with lead singer Ekhi Lopetegi looking quite Orlando Bloomish.  

And ... check out this VIDEO we shot of "Real Love!"  This song inserts my right back into the thick of the festival.  It hasn't even been 24 hours (as of post publishing) since I shot it, but already I can it quickly becoming one of my personal Fun Fun 2010 high points.

The crowd during "Real Love."

I adore this shot.

EAVESDROPPER INTERVIEW: Fun Fun Fun Fest's CHRIS TREW talks Air Sex.

Fact: It is Sunday.

Fact: Fun Fun Fun Fest is currently blowing my mind.

Fact: We are doing a handful of Fun Fun Fest posts this weekend / forthcoming week on Austin Eavesdropper, and our first comes courtesy of local comedy hero, Chris Trew.

Fact: Chris and I are about to talk about Air Sex, a live comedy show invented in Japan, and arguably perfected here in Austin, Texas.

Fact: I feel a little bit dirty / sinful posting about Air Sex on the Lord's Day.

Fact: Chris Trew's delightful personality cancels out 99.9% of my guilt, and when you listen to our interview below, I think you (and possibly the Lord) will understand why. 

But before we begin. It should be said that, as a music festival, one of Fun Fun's many unique qualities is its embrace of live comedy. In just its fourth year, Fun Fun has grown from an underground, primarily punk rock/electro music festival, to a large - and almost always sold-out - festival of multiple music stripes.  Transmission Entertainment, who hosts Fun Fun, likes to mix up-and-comers (such as MGMT in 2007, who played to a then-tiny crowd) with nostalgic hardcore rock (Danzig in 2009, Gwar in 2010).  And every year, they also manage to lasso some outstanding stand-up comics for the weekend line-up.

The guiding logic being: Next to dancing your ass off, what is better than laughing it off?

Chris is a buddy of mine, and has graciously involved me in a few of his shows at the New Movement Theater.  Now, I am way too dorky/Pollyanna to enter his now-famous Air Sex Competition at Alamo Drafthouse, the ballsier, more inappropriate sibling of Alamo's Air Guitar Competition.

But, I am IN AWE of the contestants.

 Photo courtesy Alamo Drafthouse.

Because Air Sex is hilarious, irreverent, and pokes some much-needed fun at a topic we all probably take a little too seriously, Chris and his crew will be performing TONIGHT at Fun Fun Fun Fest, 7:05pm on the Yellow Stage. They are fresh off their second U.S. tour, judging faux thrusters all over this great nation.

Chris kindly spoke to me by phone last week about Air Sex, and I asked him:

How did you get involved in Air Sex?
What makes an Air Sex performer successful?
Do they "do it" differently in different parts of the country?

[ALSO:  "HALF MAN, HALF BEARD" -- the new album by Chris Trew's alter ego Terp 2 It -- will be also be on-sale at Fun Fun.]

enjoy!   Note: This is an experiment for audio interviews on Austin Eavesdropper, and our very first one, so be kind!  The sound quality will improve, as will the ratio of my own laughter to actual question-asking.



Fellow Eavesdroppers:

What do you think of Air Sex?
What do you think of this interview?
Who else would you like us to speak with, audio-style, on Austin Eavesdropper?

UPDATE: How embarrassing! The site where we store audio files is down, down, down until further notice, hence the silent, non-working clip. 

Who else thinks the Lord may have very well smote this interview?

Austin's currency is creativity.

About a week and a half ago, I participated in Austin Unscripted, a documentary project by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

When they wrote and said we were coming to Austin, I got a little bit excited, and was inspired to write a really long post.  It was about my continuing love affair with Quack's, my favorite coffee shop/bakery in the whole world.

Now it wasn't the best hair day, and I do say the word "special" about 38 times in the last few minutes of the interview ... but oh well.  I think I got some good points in.

This was such a cool project in general, and I am pretty thrilled that NTHP targeted Austin. Because our city hasn't been a CITY for all that long, and in some ways, I feel like it's only just gotten on the national radar. We all have this collective notion of Washington D.C., or Boston, or Los Angeles -- but Austin?  I'd say it's in the nascent stages of that.

We're still pretty "underground" as far as the rest of the country is concerned. That's why I feel so lucky to be a blogger right now. To document this time not only in my life, but in Austin's life -- because I think we're in the middle of a truly fascinating chapter.

To see more Austinites talking about their beloved city, the changes it's gone through, and the places they'd like to save, click here.

(Implied shout-outs in interview above to Gourdough's, Banarchy, Hey Cupcake, and all the many wonderful Austin taco trailers).

Are you listening to The Jungle Rockers?

Because if not, I think it's time to change that.

My friend Katelynn turned me onto this local band, knowing that in between synthesizers and dance party bands, I have a special weakness for down-n-dirty, greasy rock n' roll (hello, The Happen-Ins).

So, I drove around for a week or so listening to The Jungle Rockers' new EP, Guns and Gold, and told Katelynn:

"They make me feel like I'm a kid in the '50s, listening to naughty music in my bedroom, the kind my parents don't allow."

Do you see (er, hear) what I mean?

The Jungle Rockers formed in Cleveland, but they're all ours in Austin now.  Their sound is like a rockabilly version of Talking Heads, mixed with a little Marty McFly-scooting-across-the-floor-in-the-Johnny-B.-Goode-scene of Back to the Future.

I'm particularly partial to the songs "Shake It" and "Jungle Man."  Perhaps these songs sound a little bit similar to you. And in fact, that is the only criticism I have for The Jungle Rockers, and their EP Guns and Gold.

The production on this album is incredibly polished, and sounds just like a make-out session in a '58 T-Bird.  It's super consistent, and in fact, maybe a tad too consistent.

Going back to my favorite throwback band, The Happen-Ins - whose sound is at '70s as The Jungle Rockers' is '50s - the songs are varied enough both in composition and production to render distinct "hit" singles. (Like "Do It," which has gotten tons of play on KUT).

But Jungle Rockers' album is a cohesive package, with a perfect Levi's denim thread running through it. I love the fact that I can pop it in during a party (even if it's a party of one, in my car), and play it through with no hiccups.  I know what I'm getting here: Retro, garage-y goodness, with the occasional lead singer screech and abundant electric guitar solos.

I do crave a few surprises, though.

Going back to the naughty kid in the bedroom thing, let's end with my favorite song from the entire album: "Lies." This song does sound different than the rest, gesturing toward the Beach Boys, with a gorgeous, sexy drum beat that reminds me of old Yo La Tengo.

Now that you've given it a listen: I think this one mixes up The Jungle Rockers' repertoire the best, non? 

The Jungle Rockers have four shows coming up this month, and some during Fun Fun Fun Fest. I definitely plan on catching one, and seeing what these guys can do it person.

11/05/2010 Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

11/06/2010 Emo’s

11/07/2010 Jovita’s

11/20/2010 Hot Rod Revolution, at Seaholm Power Plant

Thank you for reading this review!