Hips do NOT lie.

Ok Austin. This post is going to start out with a random video from the internet, but will end with you knowing your plans for tonight.

So without further ado: Please allow me, to share with you, one of the best instructional videos in the whole world. Why "best?"

A) It is about hip-rolling,
B) The way this woman moves her hips will blow your mind, and
C) While overtly sexy, she is also so oddly endearing in her communication that I can hardly stand it.


Isn't she mesmerizing on several different levels?   I mean, aside from the obvious -- her alluring, serpentine, nearly not-anatomically-logical hip movement -- it's her funny commentary that gets me, even though I don't think she means to be funny.  "I tried to type it and explain to them how to move," "I don't know how good I'm gonna be in showing you how to do it!" and "Imagine someone is pushing the hips BUT nobody pushing them."

Grin.

Anyway.  I found this video long ago when I was earnestly trying to figure out how to do a hip roll, back when this was more of a dance party blog and I had a vested interest in, well, dancing.  I have since come to peace with the fact that despite years of dance team, abundant enthusiasm regarding dance floors in general, and several proactive attempts to teach myself how to master this key dance move, it simply is not going to happen with my body. Something hasn't quite shaken loose. And by "something" I am referring to my badonkadonk.

But!  When I heard about this edgy dance troupe playing in Austin tonight and tomorrow -- LeeSaar The Company -- I couldn't help but notice the way they moved their hips. And, all their other body parts, for that matter.

This next video is part interview, part performance by the LeeSaar dancers, and reveals intriguing details: Like, the fact that this duo earned their American green cards in 2005 for excellence in performing arts (is first time I've heard of that particular route to legal immigration?), and that Harari, the man, is a former member of the Israeli army.

But if you'd like to skip to hips, vacillating, maniacally moving hips, go directly to moment 2:36.

(And, warning: At around 8:01 it shows boobies!  In an artful way of course.  But depending on your workplace that could perhaps be NSFW.)



Like whoa.

"Formed in 2000 in Israel, with varied life experiences from parachuting in Tel Aviv to directing on Broadway, company members are from Taiwan, Korea, the United States and Israel. LeeSaar’s troupe embraces various disciplines in the arts where dance and choreography collide with theater."

That's a snippet from the press release.  This weekend, LeeSaar The Company is performing outside of New York for the very first time, and they are doing it right here in Austin. That's because "Prima" -- their new show -- was accomplished in part by residences at our Fusebox Festival.

So is that a sexy date night idea or what?  And can we also praise the fact that it is free?

“Prima” by LeeSaar The Company

Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30

Begins at 8pm

The Off Center

2211 Hidalgo Street / Austin, TX 78702

Free

sponsored by testperformancetest, Fusebox Festival, PS 122 and the JCC in Manhattan.

One more thing. I was going to do a big Austin Halloween round-up, but am too lazy!  My top three choices are: Zombie Ball, Le Sang de Gitans: Gypsy Blood (at Justine's), and my friend's house, where there will be a bouncy castle.

What are yours?
...

How do you use social media for event planning?

Well guess what y'all?

Today, I will be speaking on a panel at Texas State University for Mass Comm Week. It is titled "How to Use Social Media in Marketing Your Event."

Now listen. If you are not in the fields of media/publicity/marketing, I understand why -- a mere three sentences in -- you are already beginning to question the benefit of this post, and its potential application to your life and/or career.  Well for you doubters, I have one response to that.


That's right. Who else would post the most non-intentionally hilarious music video of the 1990s for the sole purpose of seizing and retaining your attention?  A considerate blogger. That's who.

Anyway.  Today, I will be joined by a few of Austin's most popular publicists: Jette Momant, Camille Styles, KLRU's Laura Villagran Johnson, as well as tech tools genius, Wesley Faulkner.  We will be talking about events/social media, but what I secretly hope we talk about is offline relationships. Because those are pretty important to me.

See, the further I get along in life, the more I have come to realize that I am kind of an old school gal. Can any of you relate?  I mean, I have a blog. This is true. I post in it and I read other people's blogs and I love my Twitter and my Facebook and etcetera.

But I am a nerd for books (for my 9-to-5, I am a book publicist), I joined MySpace and Facebook relatively late, and -- this is hard to admit! -- I am a Gowalla hold-out. Oh, I'm on there. Checking in about once a year, and to nowhere cool. Unless you think H-E-B is cool. Which I do.

However, for kicks, some friends and I started planning Bleet-Up parties last year. This is an event that relies entirely on social media, because "Bleet-Up" stands for blogger + meet-up, and without social media users ... why, that party shan't exist!

As everyone knows by now, the Bleet-Up is totally magical for me because I really like meeting blogger folk in person. Both those creating the content, and also those reading it. And this gets back to the offline relationships thing.

Bloggers spend A LOT of time in front of their computers.  We are talking hours, every single day.  And while much of the content that flies out of our minds and fingers is worthwhile, quality stuff, some of it is --not. 

We need our fellow human beings, in the flesh.  At least, I do.  To nod when I bring up a good point, to talk to me so that I learn how to listen, to laugh at my attempted witty asides and to make puzzled faces when I say something that doesn't make sense.  Which is often.

Anyway, the reason I get all philosophical about this stuff is that I think young event planner or blogger hopefuls sometimes think that we folks in "the biz" do all of our work online. And it's true -- we jam here a lot. But in my opinion, the more QUALITY work happens offline, in person. Those face-to-face people are eventually going to become your supporters and cheerleaders, who gab about your event/blog in public, and who will hug you at your party and tell you you're doing a good job.

Trust me. More so than a million Twitter followers -- it's the huggers you want.

SO. All of that being said, let me address the original question of this post: How do you use social media for event planning?

I'll go first, and then you guys talk.

1. I create an event page that allows comments. I like blog posts; you may like Facebook or Yelp. Your preference. But commenting is a must, in my opinion, so people can anticipate the event online, and talk to each other about what specifically about the event -- a band, for example -- excites them.

2. I Tweet the shit out of it.  Sorry to be so blunt. But seriously. Twitter is a marketer's DREAM. Encourage your followers to retweet (RT) the event announcement, and always always link to your event page. Use bit.ly to shorten the link.

3. Sometimes I create a Facebook invite. Actually, I always do this. But I think that channel is getting a wee bit crowded now. I may 86 that option altogether.

4. But DO create an invite, and distribute it: Good ole' email can be your friend here.  There's a reason we've had it for 10 years, with few major updates. Because it works, people.

Birds Barbershop even threw a party last year using paper invitations. And the turnout was ridonkulous.

5. Cross-promote. If there is a huge event we can piggy-back on for online publicity, I'm shameless. Last year at the Bleet-Up, we gave away tickets to Fun Fun Fun Fest. Did some people show up just for a chance to win those tickets? Perhaps! Did I care? No I did not! As long as they were there, in the door, and having a good time, there was a smile on my face.

So these are some pretty basic tips. But what do you guys do to get the word out about an event?  Using social media, I mean?

(PS.  P, freaking, S! With all of this Bleet-Up talk, I feel compelled to tell you that we will be announcing the next Bleet-Up very soon here.  Gah!  Am so excited!! Stay tuned.)

GUEST POST: Intern Jeronimo reviews Fox Royal!

Happy Wednesday, all!

So, a few weeks ago, you might remember me mentioning that Austin Eavesdropper now has an intern. That was totally true. And if you are a publicist and have been following instructions (pitching austineavesdropper [a] gmail.com instead of the old Hotmail address) then you have probably even heard from Jeronimo!

Basically, Jeronimo is awesome. He is utilizing this as a writing internship, so, I invited him to do a couple of guest posts for AE.

Today, Jeronimo is reviewing the new EP, Us Against Us Again, from Austin band, Fox Royal. They have an upcoming show on Tuesday, November 9 at Mohawk.

Thank you to Jeronimo for this post, and please tell us what you think of this review in the comment section! (Constructive criticism only, please).

from jeronimo:

Fox Royal has just released their debut EP, and I’m here to say a few words about it. But before we get into that, let me give y’all a little background on this new group.

The band was started in Lubbock in 2008, when brothers Benjamin Bloom (bass/vocals) and Doug Bloom (guitar/vocals) met Justin Olejnik (drums/ vocals). The band played shows around Lubbock for about a year and a half, until they moved to Austin, where they would meet their fourth member, Lance Logan (guitar/percussion/vocals). A year later the band began recording their first EP Us Against Us Again, and released it in September of 2010.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the music.


For the sake of ending with the good, let’s start with the not so great.

After listening to Us Against Us Again from Fox Royal, I had (and still have) mixed feelings. The instrumentation on this project is actually pretty well done, and is probably the album’s biggest saving grace, but there’s still something left to be desired. The singing style on most of the songs falls pretty flat. I don’t want to call it whiny, because that’s not really the right description, but it just doesn’t feel like there’s any real passion. This makes most tracks feel routine, bordering on mundane. It’s not as if they can’t sing, quite the opposite in fact, but it just seems like they’re still searching for a voice to complement their other talents. That said, there are still some tracks that are worthwhile.

One song in particular really seems to showcase both the instrumental abilities and vocal potential of these young artists: "Across the Room." This track brings together both talents in a way that, I think, shows a lot of future potential. The main problem with the vocals in other tracks is that it sounds like they’re just trying too hard, instead of letting the lyrics flow in a way that would be as melodically pleasing as the instruments. However, on "Across the Room," the lyrics flow right along with the beat and bass line, giving this song a near-perfect feel.

All in all, the group’s debut actually shows quite a lot of talent and potential. The main thing to consider is that artists are always growing, developing and getting better at their art. With that in mind, I think we can look forward to seeing better and better things from Fox Royal.

If you would like to listen to Fox Royal’s new EP, Us Against Us Again you can visit their page at ReverbNation.

Austin invades Vienna!

You guys! Check out what our beautiful Austinites just did in Vienna!


Jewelry artist/designer Jennifer Ayers, hair prodigy Ana Castro (remember her buzzy Austin Fashion Week show?), music lush Shane O. Madden (better known as Govinda), and my beautiful bestie Rene Geneva put on the eco-friendly fashion show, Grüne Mode - American Style, at Vienna Völkerkundemuseum this month.

As you can see in this interview, Rene was invited by the United States Embassy of Vienna to go on a green fashion speaking tour to university students over there, and to launch her Spring 2011 line. Some of these pieces were previewed at the Austin Fashion Week Awards this year, and if you went to Ana Castro's "A Hair Affair" show during fashion week, I know you recognize the ship on top of that one model's head.  (Which begs the question: How did that ship not get absolutely destroyed in-flight?  I am amazed by how well it held up!)

Rene, I am now kicking myself for not going along!  I am so incredibly proud of you!  I remember when you told me about this show last year, and how excited you were.  I just want to squeeze you and tell you what an amazing job you did.

Thanks to that whole creative crew for taking Austin abroad, and showing another corner of the world just how badass and talented our locals are!

Help one of our own get her dream job.

Informal poll.

If there was one place on the entire Earth where you could visit, for as long as you wanted, and money was no option -- where would it be?

It's almost impossible for me to answer that question. There are so many! But, here are my top 5:

5. A cross-country tour of major American cities I haven't visited yet: Seattle, Portland, Sante Fe, Chicago, Boston

4. Montreal

3. Eastern Europe (Hungary, Czech Republic, etc.)

2. Nepal

1. Brazil OR Costa Rica

That only scratches the surface.

Before I took my first major out-of-the-country trip, to Italy, I basically thought everyone dressed like they worked on a vineyard.  I remember buying a long, black, flowy peasant skirt, thinking, "This will help me blend in with The Italians."

I soon realized that in MILAN, where I was living, and where there is nary a vineyard in sight, slacks and functional (but stylish) sneakers were the order of the day. Long, romantic skirts get caught in subway doors, and their hems drag through disease-laden street puddles. Plus, it was harder to shop when you had a big unwieldy skirt to deal with, forcing you to ultimately try less things on, and nobody wanted that!

I think about Milan almost daily.  I sincerely hope I get to go back someday.

Maybe the next best thing will happen, though.

An Austinite named Jennifer Parker emailed me last week about her dream job: Becoming a TV travel gal. She entered a contest to host "Paradise Hunter," and wants all of us to vote for her.


I told her I was absolutely in. Provided she bring me along on one of her fabulous trips, of course!  (Just kidding). Not really.

We can vote for Jennifer once daily, up until November 5. She currently stands at roughly 5,000 votes, and has been fluctuating in the Top 10. But just like we rallied for Trash Dance a few weeks ago, I say we go vote for her!  The top contender right now has between 9,000 - 10,000. We can totally beat that. Especially since we're allowed to vote every day.

Good luck, Jennifer!  Just voted for you again, girl.

Thankfulness and thank you.

 
 


Don't we all need a little bit of Jessica's confidence sometimes?

Today is Friday, today is also October, and it's about this time of year when I typically begin feeling like: "I'm not doing enough!  I'm not blogging about enough things!  There are so many great people and places and parties in Austin that I forgot to post about!!"

I've written about blogging and ego before, so I know how to recognize the signs.  Signs of what?  Signs that I'm forgetting all the reasons I am so damn lucky.

See this man?  That is Ross, and that is me, in my parents' backyard in San Antonio.  This is right before my 10-year high school reunion last weekend.

I was nervous about the reunion - because who isn't? - but I went anyway.

Ross was man of the hour, shaking hands and introducing himself and engaging strangers in conversation, and generally making me feel like a badass.  My high school never misses an opportunity to vote for superlatives -- Friendliest, Cutest Couple, etc. -- truly, there is no occasion too small.  So when they voted at the reunion, and I was announced "Most Changed," he looked over at me and grinned.

I giggled back at him. It felt conspiratorial.

Anyway, for some reason, that night, and that award, got me thinking about Austin. And about this blog, too.

Are you ready? Because this is about to get cheesy.

See, every time I read comments from the readers of this blog, it strikes me how funny, intriguing, smart, and kind everyone is.

Now, not everyone who reads blogs is a commenter - I am a lurker on many, many sites myself. But whether you comment or not, I am convinced that Austin Eavesdropper readers are just honest-to-God cool people. The kind I want to be friends with in real life!

And the very comment section of this blog is, in fact, where I've gotten to know some of you. Both online and off.

So rather than allowing my neuroses to get the best of me during this time of year, I think I'd rather just say thank you. 

Next month, this blog will be three years old!  Can you believe it?  I feel like Austin Eavesdropper started out as a teen, went through puberty, and has just recently gotten its shit fully together.  Now it's applying to college and being responsible, scouting out internships, and wanting to do a good job. I'm not sure where this analogy is going but I think you see what I'm getting at here.

Thank you guys for being hands-down awesome. I'm really, really fortunate to have readers like you.

Awesome photo by Kate Pulley.

happy friday and have an amazing weekend!

What are you up to? We are going CAMPING!

La Dolce Vita Austin: Or, Attack of the Awesome Colored Suit People.

Last week, Ross and I went to the annual fundraiser for Austin Museum of Art, La Dolce Vita.  Perhaps you've heard of it.  La Dolce Vita is a food and wine event where all of Austin's fancy restaurants, regional vineyards, homespun bakeries, and close-to-home spirits line the perimeter of Laguna Gloria in booths, and bring their sampling A-game.

East Side Show Room

Cuatro's

At La Dolce Vita, it's never just, "here, try our tacos!"  It's, "here, try our pork belly tacos. Smothered in fresh avocado and tangy chimichurri sauce, wrapped in this flavorful corn tortilla."  Well ok, I guess I can do that.

Every year, La Dolce Vita plays on -- as one might expect -- an Italian theme. Last year, it was all very Federico Fellini. Sexy, 1950s Italy, with special parking for Vespas.

But this year? The theme was Italian Futurism.

Maybe this gives you a clue as to what Italian Futurism is?

Me neither. Friends, my art history background is patchy.

But the moment he stepped foot on the grounds, I was fascinated by this guy.

As soon as Ross and I got there, he made a break for the fountain.

Then, his friends joined him:

I said to Ross, "quick -- take a picture of me."

This clearly has 'Facebook profile pic' written all over it.

Ross eventually dragged me away from the color-suited men, and insisted we go try some food.

Sao Paulo's

Spicewood Vineyards

La Condesa

Word of Mouth Catering

All the little bites were, of course, impossibly delicious.

... But I kept getting distracted.

"Those people are scaring me," I heard several guests say.  Look at the guy above.  Manning the portable grill.  That is a face of concern.

But the more they kept running around, performing their colored suit people histrionics, the more I became OBSESSED them. I couldn't get enough! Who were they? Who hired them?

"Tolly, I think you're more into the colored people than the food," said Ross.

"You're right," I said. "Back to work."

Cake Ball

Cuvee Coffee (both)

Dusted chocolate truffle?  With salted caramel macchiato?  Don't mind if I do!

BUT THEN, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this little spectacle start to unfold.

It was like a dance, only the purple one was more sedate, and the blue one was more joyous.

Diva! The blue one is such a diva.

This is where things started to get weird. By which I mean, fantastic.

Don't you love how the guests are all, "what the f--?" They just don't know what to make of this!

I turned back around with my camera, just in time to capture his friend.

Stroke of genius, La Dolce Vita.

NOTE to Austin party planners of formal events: Please hire the colored suit people for your next affair. I highly recommend them.
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Learning how to drink.

The very first time I drank too much, I told the people I was with that I needed to be taken to the hospital.

"No, you don't," they said.

"But this is serious," I explained. "I feel like I am going to die."

I was 20, and unlike many 20-year-olds, I didn't really know how to consume alcohol yet.  I was out of the country, and also, I didn't know these people. These heartless, terrible people.

"You're not going to die," one of them said. "What you need to do is chill the fuck out."

It was the first weekend of my study abroad semester in college. I was in Italy. Prior to that, I had hardly stepped foot outside of Texas.

Three days into our orientation, at a quaint, sequestered nunnery-turned-vineyard in Tuscany, someone proposed taking a train to Cinque Terre that weekend. If you've never been to Cinque Terre, it's kind of like Italy's version of Cancun.

At the time, I thought it sounded like a great idea.

"Please, someone, just carry me to a bed," I whimpered, very near tears.

It was during a phase in my life when I was particularly carbo-phobic, and moreover, food-phobic. I don't even remember dinner that night, but miraculously, I do remember drinking three margaritas exactly.

I remember because I was so pleased with myself for holding my liquor.

After dinner, then drinks, at the Italian version of a Carlos N' Charlies bar, we stood up to walk from the bar down to the beach. As it turned out, I was not holding my liquor.

"Just play it cool," I thought to myself, head swaying. "Pretend you are a normal college student and you drink ALL THE TIME. You totally have this."

That's the tidied-up version of my thoughts, anyway. Something closer to the actual, internal dialogue was probably:

"Cool you must playing very.  Student TIME THE ALL drink so much.  Totally. This. Have."

So.

We walked a short distance, and soon, plopped down on the beach, facing the ocean.  Everyone else talked and laughed, the lilt in their voices indicating general enjoyment of the evening.

That was when I, like a miserable buzzkill, brought up hospitals.

Shockingly enough, no one took me.

Eventually, I stumbled my way to bed.  I didn't die on the way there.  In fact I felt perfectly fine the next morning.

But I had just learned a very significant lesson of my 20s.  And that was: I was a pathetic drinker.

Over the next few months, Italy taught me how to drink wine.  Because of course it did.  As one might suspect, "margarita" is not a part of the Italians' everyday lexicon.

But it would be Austin that taught me about drinking spirits, and that education didn't happen until very recently.

Ladies, do any of you think you are a "vodka girl?"  I've got news for you.  You can handle more spirits than vodka. It's not a matter of mixing down a rum, or a tequila, or a whiskey until you can't taste it anymore - it's a matter of exposing your tongue to that alcohol with complementary flavors.

(It's also a matter of soldiering through straight spirits, until you get to know the nuances of your palate.  My favorites: Bourbon, cognac, malty aged rums.  I prefer rich, but that's because I'm a young drinker.  There are some scotches I can appreciate, and some aged tequilas.  But typically, the more advanced your palate, the more you can handle the sharp bite of non-aged spirits.)

Last year, I started writing a column for Austinist called The Informed Drinker. It was terribly fun to write, especially since Austin is rather having a mixology moment right now. Think East Side Show Room, FINO, The Good Knight.  Through that column, I got to meet David Alan, the man behind Tipsy Texan, and through his spirit classes last spring at Twin Liquors, I met Pam Pritchard, who handed me a card for The Tigress at our first meeting.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's my future pub, on North Loop," said Pam. "But instead of just beers, it's cocktails, too."

The Tigress is a candle-lit matchbox of a bar. My friend Addie and I tried it out last week. It's tiny, with one single, high-backed wooden booth, and a patterned tin ceiling. The drink menu is an education in Prohibition-era cocktails, and those cocktails - for which we're accustomed to paying as much as meals elsewhere - are just $7 a pop.

The Ward Eight, pictured above, is lemony and tart.  And girls, it's a whiskey drink.

North Loop is kind of magical to me.  Such a nondescript street name, non?  But my beloved Ararat used to be there (where Phara's is now), with Room Service Vintage next door (which furnished my first Austin apartment), and a handful of other vintage, coffee, and food shops scattered along the block.

Why don't more people frequent North Loop?  Maybe it's because of the cemetery.

But I like that every time I visit, it feels like a little secret.

What places matter to you?

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I'll tell you mine.

Quack's 43rd Street Bakery. That place matters to me a lot.

Have you ever been to Quack's?  It's a coffee shop / decorated cookie and cupcake haven in Hyde Park, and it was the very first place in Austin where I became a regular.

Five years ago, I used to be a teacher. I taught yoga to kids at a private school in Hyde Park, then got on Mopac, and taught at an after-school art program at Oak Hill Elementary.

But I wasn't even living in Austin. I was living in Georgetown, 30 minutes and several tanks of commuter gas away, where I had just graduated college (Southwestern). My morning and afternoon commutes were totally miserable, but I did listen to a lot of NPR that year.  I was shockingly well-informed.

*  *  *

The first time I asked someone at work where there was a nearby coffee shop where I could chill out each day between teaching jobs, someone suggested Quack's.

"Cracks?" I said.

"No - QUACK'S," he said. "Like a duck. It's on 43rd, next to the laundromat."

Oh, I knew the laundromat.

Every time I drove by the laundromat from Hyde Park to Oak Hill, a parade of characters passed in and out, hanging out on the sidewalk fronting it, a social club of various Austin factions. From my car window, I saw paint-splotched carpenters, backpack-burdened grad students, homeless people, beautiful bohemian girls, kids from Concordia, tied-up mutts and parked - but functional - art cars in front of that laundromat.

One time, a man completely covered in white powder, from head to toe, casually stood outside, and he appeared to be asking people for bus money.

It was completely fascinating.

Georgetown, Texas had nothing like this.

So I went to Quack's, which shared a wall with the laundromat.  And as it turned out, all of those laundromat folks, the carpenters, the homeless people, the kids and the girls and the pets, all came inside while their clothes were washing to get coffee.  Each day, they were joined by mumbling conspiracy theorists, and a church lady or two.

Quack's doesn't have this anymore, but there used to be a long wooden bar running against its front picture window, facing 43rd street. Every day, I would get my coffee, go sit at the bar, and watch the parade pass by.

It was better than TV.

*  *  *

One day, during a particularly hellish, trafficky drive between Georgetown and Austin, I got pulled over for speeding. I was making roughly $9/hr at my jobs, so, I cried when I got the ticket.

That day, I skipped Quack's.

Instead, I looked for an apartment.

I wrote down a phone number for a studio exactly three blocks from Quack's. Its other advantage was its proximity to my new boyfriend, a music teacher at the Hyde Park school named Ross.

I broke my sorry lease in Georgetown. I moved in two weeks later.

*  *  *
Quack's is a fine, award-winning bakery. Its coffee is ok, too. But that's not really why I'm so damn sentimental about it.

Quack's taught me how to be an Austinite.

Anyone who moved here from someplace else, like I did, has that one place that announced to them: "THIS is how we do things in Austin. THIS is the culture." I noticed that everyone at Quacks, crossword puzzler or Hyde Park Baptist congregant or hippie dread-locked father of baby, was also, secretly or not, an artist. They talked about their art with their friends. They moaned over broken instruments. They helped animate A Scanner Darkly. They went shopping at Goodwill, took everything apart, and bragged about their new, reconstructed outfit.

Every city has a currency.  In New York, it is money.  In L.A., it is fame. Washington, power, and here in Austin?  I really do think it's creativity.

For some reason, Quack's attracts these creative souls. Maybe it's because they make cookies shaped and decorated like mustaches. Maybe it's because they'd rather stab themselves than play Muzak. Maybe it's because - fact -  they were the first coffeehouse in Austin, and introduced "salon" type coffee and conversation to Austinites in the 80s.

I have no idea.  All I know is, Quack's was my very first Austin education. When I discovered it, I knew I wasn't an artist -- not really. But I knew I could kind of write. So out came my then ginormous laptop, and amongst math students-cum-painters, waitresses-cum-fashion designers, and plumbers-cum-art car creators, I started typing.  Almost every day.

And I became a teacher-cum-writer.

*  *  *

This is my very long way of introducing you guys to a documentary project happening in Austin this month, about beloved places in town. They are asking locals to be in the documentary, and tell stories about their favorite places on camera.

Austin Unscripted is, according to the press release, a "documentary project designed to capture Austinites’ thoughts about what it really means to keep Austin weird in a time of rapid growth and development."

They will be filming at meet-up locations all around town from Oct 22 – Oct 25, leading up to the National Preservation Conference in Austin from Oct 26 - 30.

Short videos from the project will appear online, and they are also going to Tweet and blog throughout.


I obviously think this is completely awesome, and plan to participate.

what is your favorite place in austin? would you talk about it on camera?
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Gay teens: It gets better.

Oh my gosh!

This video doesn't even come from Austin. But it DOES come from Fort Worth.

I am just so happy this comes from Texas.

When you look around, it's pretty clear that gay rights are the civil rights of our generation. Marriage. Tax breaks.  Don't Ask Don't Tell.  These are the big gay rights issues, the kind you hear about in the media, from both sides of the political spectrum.

But when he talks about being a gay teen, and the bullying he faced back then, Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns addresses something that all of those hot button political issues don't touch.

How much it sucks, as a kid, to have people hate you for no reason.


Isn't that the most moving thing you've ever seen?

Can I tell you guys something?

This is hard to admit.

When I was a Christian in high school, a girl asked me if I thought homosexuality was a sin. And I said yes.

And then, I outlined why.

I wish I could go back in time, and shake my stupid 16-year-old self, and knock some sense into her. I wish I could tell her: "Hey. Guess what. In a few years, half your friends will be gay."

It didn't take long for me to revise my opinion on that whole thing. Christianity and homosexuality, I mean.

But I think those subtle "tsk tsk" attitudes, those under-the-breath comments of disapproval about gay people, those calm, rational arguments from Christians (or, any religion for that matter) against homosexuality -- are far more dangerous than any "GOD HATES FAGS" sign-wielder.

Because we all know those people are clowns. But a supposedly smart 16-year-old, gently telling her friend why gay people are sinners? What if a gay guy or girl at my school overheard me saying that?

That's the kind of thing that'll drive you crazy at night if you're young and gay. "What if she's right? What if I'm evil?"

I'm not a Christian anymore, but I have the utmost respect in the world for straight Christian allies, who rally for gay rights. Oh my God, do we need more of those out there.

If you are one of them, I love you.  I am serious. I think you are about the coolest person in the world, for being something I never could be: A Christian, and a gay rights supporter/activist, simultaneously.

And I love you too, Joel Burns. I love you so much! Thank you for your brave speech, thank you for being from TEXAS and being so vocal about this, thank you for your loving and heartfelt message to gay teenagers. I am so proud of my state right now because of you.

PS. Austinites, here is an awesome list of local resources on this issue, if you'd like to get involved.

ACL Download: Day 3. Flaming Lips eclipse.

I wish I could tell you that I used my last day at ACL productively. That I went to as many shows as I possibly could. That I broke through my four-a-day limit and went to, like, 13.

But for me, Sunday was all about The Flaming Lips.

Maybe The Flaming Lips is a generational thing. I read an interview with Wayne Coyne recently, where he talked about being 12 or 13, and how significant a time that was in his life.

"You know, those things that you do when you're 12 or 13, that really is a strange, powerful moment in your life. There's a lot of people I talk to who, you know, what they're doing when they're 12 and 13 years old is almost who they are now. And so I've always been strangely aware of the power of that time in my life."

I was 12 or 13 when "Vaseline" came out. I remember being in PE, and some girl giggling and nodding with her Walkman. I said, "what are you listening to?"

She smiled, took off the headphones, and handed them to me.

This was the same year that Kurt Cobain killed himself, as had a sweet, trouble-making, roundly beloved boy in our grade.  A few days earlier, that boy had hugged me, picked me up and spun me around off the ground.  I was a complete dork and he was kind of popular, so it felt pretty special.

His was the first funeral I went to.

Anyway, I think all pre-teens and early teenagers fancy themselves dark, but 7th grade really was a dark time for my particular class. We had all the grunge music in the world to indulge it, too, and then this girl handed me "Vaseline," and it sounded so happy and incongruous with the whole general mood.


I eventually forgot all about Flaming Lips, until Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots came out some seven years later.

It was around this time that I began to consider myself a Proper Fan of the Flaming Lips, and not just a casual appreciator of "Vaseline" every time it played on VH1's I Love the 90's or whatever.  I was listening to "Do You Realize??" in Ross's bedroom when I was 22, and he told me about going to the Flaming Lips/Beck show here in Austin.  He said that they used streamers, laser lights, a huge hand, dancing Santas, etc. during their performance.

"Was this a one-time thing?" I asked.

"I'm pretty sure they use that stuff every chance they get," Ross said.

I vowed to see the Flaming Lips every chance I got.

*   *   *
I saw Flaming Lips at ACL back in 2008, and witnessed the streamers / the lights / the everything. But this year, I actually arrived early, and got to stand kind of close to the stage.

Are you wondering about that picture on top, that bubble Wayne Coyne is walking around in? For anyone who's been to a Flaming Lips show, that space bubble is old news -- but I still love it.  It's so P.T. Barnum.  And I'm not above gags.

Here's an awesome video of that moment, captured by this person:


Anyway, here is my big theory on Wayne Coyne / Flaming Lips. 

I think that band has lasted so long because Wayne and his fellow bandmates/artists genuinely love people. Wayne Coyne is not one of these disenchanted, angry-at-the-world artists, and never has been.  He has this ability to make a park full of people feel like a silly, intimate group of friends, and regularly says stuff in between songs like, "Isn't this the most beautiful night? Can you believe we get to do this together??"

It just blows my mind that someone that ridiculously famous is, after 15+ years of touring, still so tickled to hang out with everybody. "Well Tolly, that's clearly a shtick," you might be saying.  But I really don't think so. Look at this face. This is the face of a HAPPY MAN.


He looks like a baby, but in that video, Wayne Coyne is roughly 34. Now I want to point something out here.  Have you ever seen Jon Hamm interviewed?  Badass.  How about George Clooney?  Oh, he's a lothario and we all know it, but he gives one hell of an interview. He could be in politics if he weren't in Hollywood.

I think it's better for people when fame comes late.  Not that I would know, but, when you get a lot of media attention in your 20s, and then at some point it drops off (as it eventually does for everyone), I think it's a hard blow to recover from. Your core hasn't fully developed yet, because you've had to tap-dance for the public for so long.

But when you're older, you're a little more whole and resilient.  Fame - and its fade - doesn't make you crazy.

Wayne Coyne is 49 this year, and I am 28. I hope I am as generous a spirit as he is in 20 years. He is an atheist I believe, but if Wayne Coyne had a church, I would be a congregant.

Photo: J. Dennis Thomas.

(In my dreams, I would also totally be one of those stage dancers!)

Their show Sunday night at ACL was far and away my favorite of the festival. They have a new album out - it's called Embryonic - and I'm sure it's great.  But a Flaming Lips show is really about the experience, and that's another reason they are doing so well in an unpredictable music industry. Recorded music is no longer a viable money-maker for bands; these days, it's all about the live show.  Bands have to think much more three-dimensionally now, whether it's laser beams, or crazy inflatable balls, or even just the way a lead singer moves his or her hips.

Because increasingly, we're giving bands our eyes, and not just our ears.

And I think The Flaming Lips will have my eyes for a while.

ACL Download: Day 2. This is probably why I'm not a professional music journalist.

Hello, I am 13 years old. A 13 year-old boy.

While watching The XX yesterday, I took 17 pictures of this naked inflatable blow-up doll.  It was acting as a place-marker for a group of friends, and according to my photos, commanded a little more attention from my camera than the band itself.

Heh.  That one is my favorite.

Anyway.  In the middle of The XX's set, I squeezed my way out of the crowd with my buddy Dan. He needed a beer, and I needed to catch the last few songs of The Temper Trap's set.

Now: A word on The Temper Trap. I'd like to share with you a photo I took at SXSW 2009, right before the band popped. This was pre-Diet Coke commercial, pre-500 Days of Summer soundtrack.

(I'm sorry the photo is so crooked. I went through this phase in 2009 where I thought tilted pictures looked really cool, but now I see they just force you to tilt your head sideways).

Note how close I am to the stage in this picture. I took this with no zoom, inside the diviest of 6th St. dive bars, Dirty Dog. Note also the discernible amount of physical space between each audience member.

At that show, I remember turning to Ross and saying, "I feel like I'm part of something important right now." Because it's true, I was completely blown away by them. Dougy Mandagi, the lead singer, turned around and played the drums at one point along WITH the real drummer, and I thought: "Dear God. Who are these guys?"

THIS was their audience yesterday.

My, how times have changed for The Temper Trap!

I ran into them at the Rock the Vote Nights party last night, and congratulated them on how far they've come in just a year and a half.  Somehow, this devolved into a discussion about haggis. That Scottish dish made out of a sheep's heart and lungs. It was a pretty solid interview.

Speaking of bands who popped at SXSW 2009, Local Natives were also at last night's Rock the Vote party - and put on one of my favorite performances of the whole weekend.

I'm quickly beginning to latch onto these intimate small-venue parties that have risen up around ACL proper. Austin is a little city, mind you, so there's really only a limited number of places you can do stuff like this - and American Legion Hall, in the very second story room where Local Natives played last night, was the exact same room where two friends of got married last summer. Back in July, I stood in a quiet, reverent circle in the room's perimeter, watching Karl and Rendi sway to the beat of their first married couple dance; last night, I jumped up and down in that room with a hundred sweaty bodies to the frenetic drumming of Local Natives.

In all of Austin, this one room, in this one house, is a very sacred spot for me.

Local Natives were so thankful during their set, repeating over and over again how much they loved Austin. We were drunk with flattery.

Outside, Megan saw one of them, and insisted I interview him. She tapped him on the shoulder.

"HEY. DO YOU READ BLOGS." (This was her opener).

"...yes?" he responded politely.

"THIS GIRL HAS A BLOG!" (Now pointing in my general direction).

"Hello," he said.

"Hi. Your set. It was really good!!" (Last two words pronounced in high-pitched squeal).

"Thank you!" he said.

"How does it feel to be a rockstar?" (Pause while I considered a point of clarification)--

"A curly-headed rockstar?"

Quickly realize that qualifier was a mistake.

"Um...I guess it feels pretty great!"

"HEY. WILL YOU TAKE A PICTURE WITH US." (Megan again).

From left: Ari from Republic of Austin, Megan, Ryan Hahn from Local Natives, me.

Thank you, Ryan, for not punching us in the face. And being generally lovely.

Last day of ACL is today! Off to go get ready for that. Step One is changing out of pajamas.

ACL Download: Day 1. Began with the heart, ended with the loins.

Whenever I start a post with a title like the one above, I always feel compelled to assure my family and in-laws and husband: Don't worry!  I'm not going to talk about sex.

What I AM going to talk about is drugs.

Just kidding.

So Day 1 of ACL began and ended with two phenomenal female talents, both up-close and personal.  But each of these women I'm about to tell you about - Sahara Smith and Amanda Blank - come from two completely different planets in the musical solar system.

Early in the afternoon yesterday, I got to steal a couple of minutes with lovely Sahara, who we talked about on Austin Eavesdropper a few days ago. I knew she was from Austin, and I also knew she had been playing music since she was a little girl.  But exactly how young was she, when she first strode up to a public microphone?

"I started playing in public when I was 13, at open mike nights and coffee shops," said Sahara. "Nothing too fancy."

At age 15, she won second place on A Prairie Home Companion's Talent from 12-20 Content, and quietly gathered a professional management team thereafter. On a whim, that team sent her demos to Oscar-winning producer T. Bone Burnett last year, and to Saraha's surprise - he wrote back.

"He invited us up to L.A. so we could work together," said Sahara. "We were completely thrilled and a tiny bit shocked."

But anyone who's listened to her debut album, Myth of the Heart, probably isn't. Sahara's voice and poetic songwriting is by turns sultry and ghostly, at times a simmering, lusty whisper, other times a passionate fit. She loves Townes Van Sandt and Leonard Cohen, but her song "Train Man" made me wonder if she fancied Chris Isaak, too - another country-laden crooner.

"You know, it's funny! Someone else heard 'Train Man,' and said that I had clearly been listening to too much Chris Isaak ... but I've only heard one song, Blue Hotel!"

Sahara laughed as she told me, and I have to admit, it was refreshing to discover how sweet-natured she was. Her lyrics give you the impression that she's wise beyond her years (far, far wiser than I was at her age), so I half-expected to speak with one of those young twenty-somethings who grew up too fast "on the road," forced to become an adult before she was ready. But that is not at all the case.

Sahara is a good storyteller, and an avid reader (think Faulkner and Joyce), so she channels those characters into her songs. But I sense the real Sahara is a nice girl from Texas, who genuinely wants to please.  When we discovered our mutual obsession with Mad Men, she even indulged me in some Betty Draper-bashing.

"Oh she's just awful," said Sahara.

"I KNOW," I agreed. "What is the matter with Betty? And the way she treats Sally??"

We decided that Mad Men was basically the best show on television, which made me like her even more.

(PS, in the picture of us above - Sahara on left - once again, I appear to be naked. I know. It's like I can't write a full blog post these days without some reference to nudity, which I swear is not deliberate. I just happen to be a fan of strapless tops.)

Let's skip ahead, then, to another one of my girl music crushes: Amanda Blank.

First of all, if you aren't familiar with Amanda Blank, may I recommend this cute phone interview Chris Apollo over at Republic of Austin did with her yesterday? It gives you an idea of how down-to-earth this woman is, despite the fact that she is a PRETTY BIG FREAKING DEAL in the female MC world.

Now Sahara Smith may sing about the heart, but Amanda Blank sings about sex. Love, too.  But mostly sex.

Amanda played at Scoot Inn last night after a mind-blowing set by God-Des and She, whose act I am still processing. (In a good way). I suspect I'll have some more to say about them in the near future.

Now - when I first heard Amanda Blank last year, I was on a mini-campaign to get her to ACL after Lily Allen bowed out.  AND THEN MY DREAM CAME TRUE, last night.

It's difficult to describe Amanda's set, because I was dancing so hard that I didn't have my "thinking cap" on, so to speak. It flew off somewhere between "Shame On Me" and "Might Like You Better."

Suffice it to say, Amanda knows how to put on a killer show. She grooves, she strips, she raps. I don't even LIKE rap. But coming out of Amanda's mouth, it's sassy and dance-able. And dance I did.

The biggest take-away of Amanda's show, however - and I think most of my fellow audience members can agree - was how fun she was in between songs. She talked to the audience. She loves her gays. She grins like a maniac and laughs at herself.

I was completely star-struck.

Because we Austinites see so many quality performers in this town - during ACL and SXSW, the musical talent begins to run together at some point. At least it does for me.

But kind people? That stands out to me.

It's easy to be a diva.  It's so much harder to be generous.

And that is why Sahara and Amanda are unbelievably successful in the blush of their 20s: Because underneath their obvious talent, they are generous spirits. And that goes a long way in this town.

Off to Day 2 of my ACL adventure!

A post from GARY! Amanda Blank brings her fast, filthy mouth to Austin tonight.

Something strange is happening.

I slowly but surely am edging toward O, The Oprah Magazine territory.

"Why Tolly, you're only 28!" you protest.

"Yes," I nod solemnly. "It's true."

But the fact remains that I truly enjoy 'remembering my spirit,' as Oprah says. And, sometimes, when Oprah or 'O,' as I affectionately call her, knows something for sure, I know that same thing deep in my heart too.

Is anyone else willing to confess that they enjoy - and perhaps purchase - O Magazine from time to time?

It's like my dirty little hip Austinite secret. In a town of cool irony, I enjoy it's earnest, yet upbeat pages. I love to read it in airports especially, and chuckle along to myself in the Books-A-Million. "You said it, Martha Beck!" I'll cry.  "Amen girlfriend!"

Anyway, two weekends ago, my beloved O was nowhere to be found in the Houston airport, so I settled for Elle. And whom did I spy in its pages? Why, indie rapper / hip-hop darling, Amanda Blank.

The magazine was doing a "25 Under 25" feature or something, and trotted out the photogenic usuals - Megan Fox, Lauren Conrad, blah blah - BUT.  They also included a few offbeat visionaries, such as Austin's very own Greta Gerwig. How awesome is that.

Well, I was Googling around trying to find it for you, and stumbled on this video they did of the shoot, interviewing all of the girls.

Amanda appears a few times, but the best part is at moment 9:24, when they ask her where she sees herself at age 50:

"I would like to think at 50s I'm a mom. Have babies. And a man."

And THEN, continues at moment 9:42:

"Please do not have me, like, wearing a g-string on stage, rapping sassy-ass little girl lyrics...'cause that's just not cute.

Love her!

It's so endearing, because if you know any of Amanda Blank's music, you know she dirty. But. As is turns out, she has this sensible, domestic side too.

MAYBE AMANDA BLANK ALSO READS O THE OPRAH MAGAZINE!

Anyway. This is a very long introduction to GARY!'s post about a party tomorrow night, where Amanda Blank shall be, reader. Enjoy!:

If you’ve been in Austin for at least a year then chances are you’ve heard the name Knuckle Rumbler mentioned before; either on our site, the pages of Tribeza, or on one of AE’s fav sites, Republic of Austin.

These guys have come a long way in the almost 2 years they’ve been in existence, from throwing the occasional monthly mash-up party at the Scoot Inn, hosting the KR Lounge during SXSW, to bringing acts like Questlove and Janelle Monae to town. They are now booking bigger names and throwing more parties than they ever have before, which brings me to the reason of this love letter post.

It was around a year ago that co-founder Jill Sorrels mentioned to me that she really wanted to bring Amanda Blank back to Austin. Blank, to my knowledge had only been here twice before; at SXSW in 2009 and then later that year when she opened up for Santigold at Stubbs. Hearing Jill talk about it gave me the impression that this would be her dream gig to book, which is why I'm extremely happy to report that Ms. Blank will be returning to the ATX tomorrow to play an unofficial ACL After Party on Friday night at The Scoot Inn.

Blank first blew up when her song “Might Like You Better” lit the blogosphere on fire, and then later again with a Diplo rework of Santigold’s "I'm a Lady." Probably best known for her fast and often luxuriously filthy mouth, Blank’s music, at least to me, is the equivalent of watching that scene from Pretty Woman with your mom when you were 12, where Julia Roberts starts talking about why she doesn’t kiss johns on the lips.  Basically: What I'm trying to say is that you’ll never see Blank open for Miley Cyrus or Jars of Clay.

Blank's music is a blend of sultry singing and acrobatic rap, laced with the appropriate amount of wit and humor. I dig the hell out of her, and am definitely looking forward to this show.

Details for the party:

KNUCKLE RUMBLER PROUDLY PRESENTS: THE RUMBLER LOUNGE DAY 1

AMANDA BLANK

w/ God-Des And She, Dubb Sicks, and Darko

OCTOBER 8, 2010 AT THE SCOOT INN

$12 ADVANCED TICKETS / $15 DAY OF SHOW

Tickets are available online.

Hard tickets (no fees) are available at all three STRUT locations, End of an Ear on South First, and Downstairs Apparel on South Lamar.

18 AND UP WELCOME (*$3 SURCHARGE AT DOOR FOR UNDER 21*)

You can also check out the full list of other Knuckle Rumbler events here.

--GARY!

My rockstar doctor, and, The Official XX After Party on Saturday.

SO. Before we begin this blog post -- a preamble.

I was at the doctor yesterday, who, as far as doctors go, is unusually hip and cool. Dr. Dickey is one of the "Rock Docs" at ACL every year, which technically means he's on-call to take care of any band members who start to feel whoozy.

Which basically means he's watching shows from the absolute best seats in the house, i.e. those little bleachers ON-STAGE you see at each performance.

So we're talking yesterday about bands, when Dr. Dickey casually mentions he's also the doctor for The XX. "Have you heard of them?" He asks.

"YES," I bellowed. Only flew to San Francisco to see them!

"Well, Jamie got a cold last time he was in town...but hopefully he'll be fine this weekend. We're gonna hang out."

How cool is my doctor?

I guess this means there is a good chance I'll see my rockstar doctor at this party that GARY! is about to tell you about.

Reader, you are familiar with GARY!, yes?  He wrote yesterday explaining he kind of missed telling people what to do blogging. And with that, wrote up a little post.

Here he is then, GARY! with a weekend party preview:

From GARY!:

So leave it to something like ACL to drag me out of whatever it was I was doing that prohibited me from blogging on this wonderful site for so long.  I'd like to tell you that I've been away at Encyclopedia Brown Private Investigator Camp (it's just down the road from Hogwarts), but really I just haven’t been my usual socially lubricated self.  This is probably just the logical progression of me becoming a crotchety old man who yells things like, "And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" *yanks rubber mask from head* but for whatever reason I guess I got caught up in the ACL madness, and decided to try and make a return to form.

So it's common knowledge that ACL comes with its fair share of pre-parties and after-parties, but it's also common knowledge that most of those shows sold out the moment the interwebs mentioned their very existence. Sucks right? Well fear not.  Over the next few days we are going to do our best to keep you in the know on where to go, so let's get down to business shall we?

First up our friends over at Giant Noise dropped us a line to let us know that Dubfrequency and Malverde are teaming up this Saturday to present THE OFFICIAL XX AFTER PARTY.  Basically, we have a pair of DJ sets from Jaime (of XX fame) and his frequent collaborator Fantastic Mr. Fox. Take note that the first 10 folks in line are also going to receive free tickets to the October 28th Ghostland Observatory show in Cedar Park.

So here are the basics:

THE OFFICIAL XX AFTER PARTY

From 10pm - 2am

Where: Malverde

400 West 2nd St

Austin, TX 78701

COVER: $10

Arrive early as space is extremely limited.

For now that's all I got, but keep an eye out for a few more parties to be posted throughout the week

GARY!

UPDATE 10/7/10: We've just been informed there is now a $10 cover for the party.  So.  Bring yer wallet.

ACL EAVESDROPPER GIVEAWAY: Your very own private performance by Matt & Kim and Local Natives.

YOU GUYS.

Would you like to attend a free, private show this weekend to see these people?

matt & kim

local natives

Yes? Well ok then.

We are giving away 5 passes to The Music Lounge and Rock the Vote Nights, both held at the American Legion Hall (2201 Veterans Dr) during ACL.

These are private events (no entry allowed unless you're on the guest list), and offer a delicious, free alcohol-fueled, air-conditioned reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Zilker park.

Perhaps you are wondering who the "special guest" at the Rock the Vote party is? Well I will tell you.

two door cinema club

And, if these are the bands for the night party...something tells me the "special performances" teased on the day party poster will be equally awesome.

HERE'S THE DEAL. To enter, you must:

1. Follow Austin Eavesdropper on Twitter. This is not because we're trying to be assy but because I haven't decided how I'm going to announce the winner yet. It might be on Twitter. It might be on this blog. It might be on a carrier pigeon. But cover your bases and follow AE if you aren't already. My Twitter name is TollyM.

2. Leave a comment on this post.  Preferably saying something awesome. Examples: "I am writing this comment to you underwater because - as it turns out - I have been adopted by octupii." Or: "Remember that time I saved you from that rabid shark?  Umm yeah, I think we all know who gets these tix." --Actual hilarious comment left by Jake Holt, on this giveaway, a few months ago.

3. Be available at noon on Friday or Saturday.  In order to gain entry into the night party - Rock the Vote Nights - winners must show up at NOON, Friday or Saturday (right when the Music Lounge opens each day) to claim their spot on that guestlist. Winners who show up late will not get into the night party happening Saturday.

Winners will be selected by Thursday night, at 8:00pm, at random.  Funny comments may give you a little advantage! Just sayin'!

Oh, and! Each winner will be granted a +1, so you can bring a friend or even a lover.

good luck!

**Thanks to Giant Noise, BEHRINGER, popchips, Alternative Apparel, Revel Stoke Whisky, AriZona Beverages and SESAC for making these parties and this giveaway possible!

CONTEST UPDATE:  Ok first of all, YOU PEOPLE ARE SO FREAKING FUNNY. I want you to know I pretty much laughed myself to sleep each night reading your comments, and if I had more time, would post some of the best individually here.  The one about the stop-motion animation cat was so good that I had to stop, walk away, take a lap around the living room, catch my breath, sit back down, and attempt to continue scrolling.

Anyway.  Now for the news.  The five winners of this giveaway are...(selected by my husband at random while I closed my eyes):

1. Natalie ("natalienicolenelson")
2. Oneincamillion ("cvwoods")
3. Cassiday Proctor ("Cassiday P")
4. Erik ("Philip Eno" --confusing? Oh well)
5. Katherine ("Katherine Loiry")

I will be emailing you five shortly with information.

THANK YOU guys, everyone, for playing!  I love you all so much I want to mail you cards with a baboon kissing a kitten on the front that plays Randy Newman when you open it up.  Or something.