Actors Network SA mixer tonight

Featuring Austin casting director Donise L. Hardy (left). Read the press release below for all the info.

Actors Network SA
July Mixer
Guest Speaker: Casting Director Donise L. Hardy
Thursday, July 1, 2010
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Guest Speaker Q and A: 7:00pm Sharp
C 4 Workspace
108 King William
San Antonio, TX 78205
www.c4workspace.com


Actors Network SA is honored to have Casting Director, Donise L. Hardy, as our guest speaker for the month of July.

She plans to open her casting office in Austin, July 2nd.

All actors are invited to attend!

Come and join our local acting community to gather information about upcoming productions and acting related events in the SA Area.

Our marketing table will be available to display your marketing materials (Headshots/Resumes/Business Cards etc) if you have them.

Break a leg and see ya at the mixer!

Donise L. Hardy, C.S.A., began her casting career in San Francisco in 1991; three years later, she established her Los Angeles firm. In 1999, a move to Austin quickly positioned Donise as the busiest commercial casting director in the State of Texas.

Donise has cast hundreds of commercials, dozens of films and industrials during her 19 – year career.

Before taking her career to new heights, Donise was a high-fashion model, a print model, an extra, an actor, a baby booker, a talent agent and an extras casting director giving her a unique perspective on casting.

Throughout her career, Donise has taught classes, specializing in commercial audition technique. Her classes are in high demand and are recommended by casting directors, agents, coaches, talent and moms throughout the state. Having conducted hundreds of thousands of auditions, gives her a special insight into the process.

http://www.acastingplace.net/

San Antonio's summer soundtrack

We can beat this heat together, guys, with a little love and the sharing of sweet tunes. Enjoy this selection of local songs, and let me know if you want your band's song added to the mix.

Max Attacks Alamo City

The news that Austin/Houston stalwart Max’s Wine Dive is to open in San Antonio in September should come as good news to the diamonds and denim set. “Fried chicken and Champagne? Why the hell not?” is their professed mantra, “gourmet comfort food and extraordinary wines from around the world served in a decidedly unpretentious but upscale ‘dive-bar’ atmosphere” is their claim. And all of this “until the wee hours of the morning,” to boot. We could use some “wee-hours” action.

Menu highlights include Max ‘n Cheese tossed in truffle cream, the cutesy Nacho Mama’s Oysters with garlic aioli, a Texas-raised Wagyu beef “haute” dog on an artisan bun…and the Strube Ranch Kobe Beef Burger that was named “Texas’ 16^th Best Burger by Texas Monthly in 2009.”  The Cove in San Antonio ranked number five that year, so I’m not sure I’d go braggin’ on 16^th best, especially at a $17 price tag. For that matter, the done-to dog (you can have it Texas-style with chili or NY-style with sauerkraut and Dijon) weighs in at $14, a plate of fried chicken with chipotle honey, mashed potatoes and collard greens will set you back $15, and the Max’d out mac and cheese lists at a mere $9.

Owner Jerry Lasco says he’s “excited about the number of Culinary Institute graduates in the area.” As are we—though we hope they might be allowed to key into the wine list a little more than the menu currently appears to do. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with chicken and Champagne (the Bolly Special Cuvée Rosé would be a great sidekick at $149, though we’d likely end up with a $29 prosecco instead), but I’m not convinced about burgers and big Burgundies—say the Grivot Nuit St. George 1er cru Boudots, also at $149. Consider that a lack of imagination—and expense account—on my part.

Yet I do applaud the fact that any bottle of wine will be opened for you if you commit to two glasses. (All wines can also be had to take home as a retail purchase.)  This may be one of the reasons that Bon Appetit called Max’s “one of the ‘Hot Ten” wine bars in the U.S.” I am also looking forward to sampling the Texas Prairie Fire Chili with “Texas bison, venison, seven varieties of roasted seasonal peppers, Lone Star beer and Mexican chocolate.” Somebody in this putative cradle of the brimstone brew should be serving up a serious bowl of red.

But I will also look to see if the comments of the Fearless Critic Austin Restaurant Guide hold true for San Antonio. “The food at Max’s is sometimes quite good, sometimes not bad, but most of the time grossly overpriced,” they say. They’re also not in love with the wine program, claiming it “has no redemption. The list is filled with well-priced, but boring, mid-level wines…There’s no coherent train of thought in the selection.” Harsh words. But we do notice from the Austin list, where $29 is the lowest price point, that there are numerous selections distinguished mainly by their Robert Parker and Wine Spectator scores, including three in the “Bad Ass Reds” category. The BA wines actually look pretty tame, for that matter, but I’ve never had the Mustiguillo Mestizaje Tempranillo. Maybe this Spanish stud will change my mind.

Buzzcocks show at the White Rabbit

In a hot and sweaty room full of punk rockers, The Buzzcocks take to the stage with “Boredom” highlighting their dissatisfaction with the status quo, and the crowd boils into a frenzied sing along that could be mistook for a riot. Only this time you’re not watching in Manchester July 1976 opening up for the Sex Pistols, you’re watching them 34 years later in San Antonio, Texas at the White Rabbit, June 2010, which was the bands’ last US stop. And let me tell you, just because they look like they could be anybody’s grandfather passing time in a nursing home, but they still got it! Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle haven’t lost their punk rock sensibilities, nor have they slowed down long enough to let their age stop them from bring their attitude and their entire first two albums “Another Music in Another Kitchen” and “Love Bites” to a whole new generation of fans. They left everyone rumbling as they fiercely belted out tunes like “You Tear Me Up” and “Sixteen Again”. The crowd burst into a big ball of fire as they closed their set out with “Orgasm Addict”, and left the crowd chanting “Otra, Otra, Otra”. San Antonio’s appetite for punk rock pioneers the Buzzcocks is insatiable, and it showed as the sweaty crowd embarked with the spirit of punk rock flowing through their veins.

United Tejano Artists to cast independent film

Chicanos Unidos: a hip-hop roundtable

See the flyer below for more information, and check out our story in Wednesday's Current.

Fall Creek Family Fun

You gotta hand it to Fall Creek; they’re not content just to produce one of Texas’s better portfolios of wines. For the rest of June, on Saturday, they are offering afternoons of wine tasting, lunch and music on “the mist-cooled patio” of the winery on Lake Buchanan near Tow. For the under-age element, there’s also a new kids’ area with playhouse, bocce court and “other yard games.” Lunch is simple: sandwiches, pasta salad and a cookie—with wine tasting for adults. From 11-2, there’s also a free sampling of their Rosé Ritas. (They often put on programs with more ambitious food, it should be noted.) Prices are $15 for adults, $10 for children, and reservations should be made for this outing in the atmospheric Hill Country by calling the winery at 325-3739-5361.

Other upcoming events are Burgers and Blues on July 3 and the annual grape stomp on August 21 and 28. Get down or get purple. Or both. For more information log on to www.fcv.com.

Kabernet Kid

You might be forgiven for imagining that there’s no connection whatsoever between the Karate Kid and a bottle of expensive cabernet sauvignon—forgiven but wrong. Don’t worry; you’re not the only one.

Screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen, who was in town a while back (I have lunch with screenwriters all the time, of course), actually began his professional life as a cultural anthropologist with a Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania. The anthropology took him to Afghanistan, the stay resulted in a novel, then a screenplay (it was purchased but never made), and apparently the hook was set. (“It beat lecturing freshman girls,” he said.) He next sold the idea for the movie “Taps” for a cool quarter of a million, then developed the story and screenplay for “The Karate Kid” series, a project that instantly elevated him to “fucking genius status.” Kamen, as you can see, is not exactly shy and retiring.

Nor does he have any need to be. His string of movie credits now extends to 19, including  “The Fifth Element”, “A Walk in the Clouds,” the “Transporter” series and, recently, “Taken” with Liam Neeson. Many of the films, including the Transporter franchise, were made with French writer, director, producer Luc Besson, and so tight is their working relationship that they have pet names for one another. Besson is Shreck (he’s a tad portly) and Kamen is Donkey (no more need be said).

“A Walk in the Clouds,” a misty/mystical movie about wine and winemaking, made in 1995 and starring Keanu Reaves, might be imagined as the catalyst for Kamen’s winemaking interest (aha! a plot point being revealed), but it all began earlier than that. In 1980, with the proceeds from screenplays, he bought 280 acres of rocky and remote land in the Mayacamas Range in Sonoma County—with the intent of making wine. Cabernet sauvignon, to be specific.

Initially, Kamen, with the aid of Phil Coturri, farmed grapes organically on slopes sometimes greater than 40% and sold them to local vintners. Yields were, and remain, at a scarce 1.5 tons per acre level. But with the 1999 vintage, Kamen, Coturri and his winemaker, Mark Herold (who also consults for Joseph Phelps and Merus), began creating, directing and producing their own product—to reviews often more favorable than those of many of the movies that allowed Kamen to pursue this passion. The team now does both cabernet and syrah, and it was the 2006 vintage that was presented at lunch at Ounce. No more surprises. Voicí le dénoument.

Except for one thing: There are lots of filmmaking notes on my technical sheet, but damned if I can find any relating to the wine in the glass. I do recall that the cabernet especially was incredibly deep and intense, and that fruits ran to the blackberry and black plum side of the spectrum. Tannins, as might be expected, were still unwinding. But I do have notes on this: wild turkeys, introduced into the Mayacamas, are the vineyard’s biggest pest. Does that help?

I can also tell you that Kamen suggest that everybody should plant a vineyard since “it’s a very humbling experience.” He then adds “of course you have to be rich…” since the winery, at least, is not yet making money. (It would have last year, but “the economy went off the cliff.”) Karate Kid residuals must still be coming in it’s tempting to imagine—if that’s how it works, and Kamen is credited with the story (but not the “updated” screenplay) for the revamped KK that just hit the market. But “I worry about when I’m no longer in fashion,” he says of the writing career that has served him so well for so long. Wine will last longer, though; he does have a point there. Look for Kamen Estate Wines at a high-end restaurant or on a specialty retailer’s shelf near you.

Provence for the Impecunious

Sure, I’d like to spend the summer in Provence; who wouldn’t? Sipping a dry rosé somewhere along Aix’s Cours Mirabeau, a sparkling fountain always in sight, is my idea of an afternoon well-spent, but alas, not this year. By way of compensation, there is, however, the Fig Tree’s “A Taste of Provence” summer menu available until July 31^st. As the Fig has become the city’s premier classic-French restaurant, opportunities such as this are not to be dismissed lightly. $48 dollars (plus $12 for a recommended wine pairing) will get you a trip to the south of France that doesn’t require language lessons. You should take them anyway, of course.

The menu begins with a choice between beignets de fleurs de courgette farcies or the terrine de legumes. Ok, they’re translated as zucchini blossom beignets (or fritters) and vegetable terrine, but I still think French classes are a good idea. You just never know…With your choice, if you have elected the wine pairing, comes the exquisitely fragrant but elegantly restrained Chateau Routas Rosé Var, 2008. Crevette bleue a la provençale and loup de mer grillée are the next options. If it were up to me, the sea bass would beat out the shrimp, but it would be hard to trump the Mas de la Dame Rosé du Mas 2008 from one of the region’s legendary producers.

Moving on to a deeper wine from Mas de la Dame, the Rouge 2006, one finds its partners in either pan-seared, marinated lamb tenderloin or grilled lamb chops with roasted garlic cream—a toss-up, if you ask me. Dessert consists of a Hill Country peach croustade or the poached fruit of the day a la mode. There’s no paired wine, but the Fig Tree’s list can surely come up with a honeyed Sauternes or Banyuls should you be so inspired. It’s not necessary to wear linen or read Peter Mayle beforehand, but just like French lessons, it can’t hurt.

I Want to Thank Everybody I've Ever Met...

Having just watched the Tony Awards (ok, I admit it) I’m in the mood to thank people. First, I want to thank mom who set the stage for my becoming a writer by teaching me to read at an improbably early age, then…oh, wait, I got carried away by the laundry lists of shocked and humbled winners. Whom I really want to thank on this occasion are the wine distributors, local and national, that make possible columns such as Omniboire. There’s also an element of guilt.

The guilt derives from the fact, first, that the contributors rarely get mentioned, the exposure (presumably positive) accorded the wines being considered reward enough.  And second, such is occasionally the generosity of said suppliers that I’m forced to perform a triage to avoid tasting more than ten wines in any given Omniboire panel. (You may think we protest too much, but this is both fun and work, I swear.)  Sometimes held-back wines come in handy if there are flawed bottles in the lineup. But occasionally they simply get shelved away against another occasion.

Wines for the recent Southern Hemisphere Sauvignon Blanc panel (look for results on June 23) were supplied by Republic National Distributing, Glazer’s Domaines & Estates, Serendipity Wine Imports and Maritime Wine Trading Collective. (Other frequent contributors are Prestige Wine Cellars, Avante Beverages, WD3, Pioneer…and, in true Tony fashion, I’m probably forgetting others. Forgive me.) All but one were under screwcap, and not a single one was flawed. No backup was needed. (Let’s hear it for screwcaps.)

But there was an opportunity to taste two of the understudy wines that never made it out of the wings, and that was as the runup to a review of a Pakistani restaurant. (It seemed imprudent to attempt to take the wines into the restaurant, as they are 100% halal and won’t even cook catfish.) The 2008 Beyond “Buitenverwachting” Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa ($13) would have been perfect with the cuisine’s earthy spiciness. Lots of green bell pepper was balanced by lime peel and maybe some gooseberry, all to be expected, but the surprise was the mouth feel: it seemed almost creamy on the palate, taking the wine well beyond expectations—which is what buitenverwachting means, in case you didn’t already know.

An equally good partner to Indian, Pakistani or Thai also would have been made with a New Zealand wine, the 2009 Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($15). Despite the less-than-mellifluous name, the wine had a stunning nose of passionfruit. The winemaker also claims nettles, but who knows what nettles smell like? (Actually, I do, having grown up picking them—carefully--but that’s another story.) On the palate, this wine plays to the back of the house with vibrant citrus, grass and a hint of gooseberry plus faint suggestions of tropical shores—emphasis on the briny aspect.

Try them both; you’ll be helping me with the guilt issue as well as having a worthwhile new experience.

Chaléwood No. 31: Yul Vazquez

Yul Vazquez - The A-Team
By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

In the film adaptation of the 80s TV show The A-Team, Cuban actor Yul Vazquez plays Gen. Javier Tuco, a character he describes as “off his rocker.”

Vazquez, who started his career playing a band member in the 1992 film The Mambo Kings, has starred in a number of movies and TV shows including Runaway Bride, Traffic, American Gangster, and TV’s Seinfeld.

During our interview, Vazquez talked about working with director Joe Carnahan, why he is not in favor of censorship in movies, and what he thinks about Mr. T recently stating that he thought the new A-Team was too violent.

What was it about the role of Gen. Javier Tuco in The A-Team that made you want to take it on?

I don’t think I’ve ever played a guy who is so unhinged. That’s always attractive to an actor because it automatically gives you a tremendous amount of freedom. I didn’t know what [director] Joe [Carnahan] wanted me to do. I was pleasantly surprised when he very generously allowed all the actors to freely explore what they wanted to explore without real restrictions. I think he got amazing performances because he encouraged and allowed that. His hand is all over this film. I can’t stress that enough.

What in Joe’s past work have you seen that put him on the list of directors you’d like to work with? I’m guessing Narc, which is my personal favorite of his.

I had seen Narc. It was a tremendous and revolutionary film. I had seen Smokin’ Aces. I was already a fan of Joe’s work. Working with Joe is like working with your best buddy. He is so excited to be making a movie. He’s blasting AC/DC on the set. The only thing that was missing was tequila.

The violence in The A-Team plays a big role in the film. Can you talk to me about how you view violence in the entertainment industry? I ask this because I know you’ve done voice work for video games like Grand Theft Auto and other films like Bad Boys 2, where the violence was pretty heavy.

(Laughs) You think? We’re going to get into a tricky area with this because I personally am not an advocate of any type of censorship. I’m not a role model. I say parents should parent and monitor their kids. When I was a child it was very clear what I was allowed to see and what I was not allowed to see and there was no discussion or option or negotiation. Whatever my mom said, that’s what went down. I think anything that is gratuitous is not good, but it’s fine if it’s warranted and justified and moves the story forward whether it’s violence or sexual situations.

I completely agree with you on that, but let’s talk about some of the people who don’t. One of them is original TV star of the A-Team Mr. T, who came out recently chastising the violence of the new film. What do you think about that criticism from someone who I’m sure everyone involved in the new film wanted the support of?

I don’t know man. (Laughs) That’s a tough one to say. I don’t know what’s going on inside Mr. T’s head. All I got to say is, “I pity the fool.” Nah. I but I really don’t know what to say about that.

Your fellow cast member and UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson came out and said the entire profession of acting “makes you soft.” Do you agree with that sentiment?

I spent some time with that guy and – he probably wouldn’t want me to say this – he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. There’s nothing scary about that dude when you’re sitting next to him. He’s a sweetheart. (Laughs) I mean, he’s a very powerful and strong fighter, but he’s a really lovely guy.

Ah, so he was already soft when he got on set?

Yeah, he was already a nice guy when he got here. He just happened to be a great fighter. Here’s what I have to say about acting: it’s for the brave, period.

Well, you know Quinton lost his most recent fight, right? He said the reason he lost was because he was focused on The A-Team and didn’t have time to train.

You know, this might shock you, but I don’t follow any sports. I didn’t even know he had a fight.

Were you a fan of the original TV show?

I watched the show, but I was actually more of a fan of Mr. T. I had a bunch of Mr. T stuff at my house. I had the doll and some stickers. So, I wouldn’t say I was actually a fan of the show, but I liked him. I’m sorry to hear that he thinks the film is so violent.

Are there any other TV shows you grew up with that you might like to see get their own film adaptations?

I think I’d like to see a film about [Steve] Urkel [from Family Matters]. I like that dude. There are so many incredible shows it’s hard to say. You know, I’d like to see a Seinfeld movie.

Would you like to go back and reprise your role again? (Vazquez was in three episodes of Seinfeld between 1995-1998. He played a character named Bob. Many fans will remember Bob as the Puerto Rican who becomes angry when he finds out Kramer refuses to wear an AIDS ribbon during an AIDS march).

Oh, absolutely. I love those guys. That’s some of the best TV writing that was ever created. That show was gold.

Do you still get recognized for that role?

I do. Television casts a very wide net. That show is everywhere. It’s dubbed in German and whatnot. You could go to Estonia and there’s probably an episode of Seinfeld playing there. Television is a very powerful thing.

Mexicans With Guns interviewed by LA Times

San Antonio's own electronic mixmaster, Ernest Gonzales, aka Mexicans With Guns, gets some thoughtful well-written love from the Times music blog in advance of a benefit appearance (see flyer, below) in Botox City on Friday. In part the Times describes MWG as "a luchador-mask-sporting alter ego who makes adamantine beats that sound like dubstep remixes of Baltimore club tracks made by a man who may or may not have assassinated Herb Alpert in a fit of rage."

I wish I'd thought to say that. I'm pretty sure I just keep describing his music as "neato."

Young Frankenstein: A Monster Mash

When it opened on Broadway in 2007, the critical reaction to Mel Brooks' musical Young Frankenstein was so poor that the press corps wondered if it had inadvertently created a monster (so to speak). After all, Brooks' earlier The Producers--likewise adapted from a beloved Brooks film and likewise directed by Susan Stroman--had received near-universal hosannas, along with a record number of Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  Young Frankenstein, riding on The Producers' coattails, must have seemed a sure thing.   

I write, then, not to savage Mel Brooks' book, lyrics, and score--which are at best  sophomoric--but to praise Stroman's endless invention: she is surely one of the finest director/choreographers of her generation, and she almost makes Young Frankenstein sing. Or at least tap. It's telling that the highlight of evening--a stylish fantasia on "Puttin' on the Ritz"--has nearly nothing to do with Mel Brooks: there's no scripted dialogue, the lyrics and music are by Irving Berlin, and the whole shebang is choreographed to within an inch of its life by Stroman, pulling out every stop. It's eight minutes of musical theater bliss.

But even Stroman can't make a purse out of a penis joke, and there are plenty of phallic gags in the run-up to "Puttin' on the Ritz." The meager, non-penis-related plot follows the travails of Dr. Frankenstein's grandson, Frederick, now living in New York, and inheritor of his grandfather's estate in Transylvania. En route to the inevitable creation and mismanagement of The Monster, we've a catchy production number ("Transylvania Mania"), a pointless novelty tune ("Roll in the Hay"), and the bizarre, pseudo-Freudian plaint of frigid women everywhere, "Don't Touch Me." But much of the evening feels like padding, usually of the Borscht Belt variety.

Still, the cast has got game, and then some. Roger Bart--best known as the homicidal pharmacist on Desperate Housewives--makes a capable Young Frankenstein, and the principals that surround him (including Cory English, Chuck Rea, Beth Curry, and Rye Mullis) ape the dated, Three Stooges-style of acting required by the book. (So: if you ever wanted to know what a Laurel and Hardy skit would sound like with the word "fuck" in it, now's your chance. Seize the moment.) Joanna Glushak (as the lovelorn vamp Frau Brucher) manages to transcend her thin material, particularly in the goofily tasteless "He Vas My Boyfriend," a torch song for the abused domestic partner in all of us. Even stripped down for the tour, Robin Wagner's set boasts some pyrotechnic surprises.

But at least Young Frankenstein wasn't canceled on the road like 101 Dalmations, and the production looks handsome, even if the sound was occasionally indistinct on opening night. (The couple behind me couldn't figure out the lyrics to the g-spot-themed ballad "Deep Love." Honestly, no great loss.) But compared to a musical like Billy Elliot--which was completely rethought as a musical--Young Frankenstein seems to be resting on the laurels of its far superior cinematic incarnation. There are scattered laughs and some amusing choreography, but at nearly two hours and forty-five minutes, Young Frankenstein could use some surgery itself.

-Thomas Jenkins, theater critic and occasional monster.

New(ish) local video: Hacienda's "Younger Days"

Directed by Frank Weyos of Hawks (of Holy Rosary) and Sharon Stones fame. Who else wants some Showbiz Pizza?

And just for the hell of it:

An interview with Steve Moore, the Mad Drummer

By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
paperboy5456@yahoo.com

Drummer Steve Moore had no idea a show he performed at an amusement park in Elysburg, PA would resurface online two years later making him a viral video sensation. Since it was first posted on June 1, 2010, the video titled “This Drummer is at the Wrong Gig” has received nearly 1.6 million views (as of June 6).

Moore, who calls himself the Mad Drummer (www.maddrummerinc.com), is featured on the video with his band Rick K and the Allnighters covering the ZZ Top song “Sharp Dressed Man.” Dressed themselves in glittery, mustard-colored tuxedos, the group doesn’t look much different than any other variety show band you would see performing in a bowling alley lounge or at a wedding in the 80s. Even for the first few seconds of the song, the Allnighters sound like a typical cover band channeling Billy Gibbons and his crew. Then something happens: Moore simply goes mad.  

Flailing his drumsticks around like a windmill on acid, Moore slams on his drum set without missing a beat. All attention is quickly diverted past his more traditional band mates and onto Moore who admits that long ago he “decided against the cookie cutter approach and tried to be as over the top as possible.”

During an interview with me, Moore, who has been playing with Rick K and the Allnighters since 1997, talked about his style of playing, where he pulls all the energy for his performances, and what he thinks about the online consensus that says he should find another band that matches his skill level.

When did you realize this video was online and that it had blown into such an online phenomenon?

About a week ago people began sending me emails telling me they saw the video. I didn't think much about it at first. I just assumed it was mostly drummers passing it along to other drummers. Then more and more people started passing it around and it just went nuts.

In your biography online you mention a theory you have that audiences tend to “hear with their eyes.” Can you explain that to me a bit more and how you use that in your performances?

You just said it: “In your performance.” People tend to forget that you are performing! Take Elvis for example. Don’t misunderstand me, Elvis was a fine singer, but he was a great performer! Do you honestly think he would have enjoyed that kind of success had he just sat there on a chair? People want to see something at a show. If that were not the case, national artists would save millions on staging, lights, pyro, props, fog machines...all of which, have nothing to do with “music.” However, it has everything to do with a “show.”

Your style of drumming isn’t usually associated with a variety show band like Rick K and the Allnighters. After 13 years with them, do you still feel like you “fit in” with the group?

I’m very grateful the video has gone viral, and I'm equally happy that so many people are getting a kick out of it. However, it was designed to be that way. It's no secret that I don't really play like a normal drummer. (Laughs) So Rick was open enough to showcase what I have to bring the table. If he wanted a “normal” drummer, he would simply hire one! He loves all that stuff.

The video that is circulating is being called “this drummer is at the wrong gig.” How does it make you feel that people out there are saying you are a mismatch with your band and that you are more talented than your band mates?

Well, you have to remember, they're judging a 90 minute show, on one song. Like any show, it has peeks and valleys, up tempo stuff and ballads. It's not really fair to crucify the other guys for giving me the chance to shine a little. Keep in mind, I'm a drummer! Drummers are generally told to just sit there and be quiet. You also have to remember the band performs 200 shows a year. That's not an easy thing to make happen without some talent.

Playing these 200 shows a year the way you do with your machine-like precision, how do you keep gigs fresh for yourself?

Again, props to the other guys in the band, because I'm hell to play with. Do you have any idea how many times they’ve gotten blasted in the back of the head with a runaway drumstick? (Laughs) Some of that stuff is choreographed, but a lot of it just comes out on the fly. So I'm always trying new stuff, just to amuse myself. Fortunately, it seems to have amused about a million other people as well. (Laughs) How many people get that opportunity in life? I had a part in helping a million people get away from their troubles for a few minutes. How could I possibly take something that wonderful for granted? It's the greatest thing that ever happened to me!

What is the craziest thing that has happened since this video has surfaced on the internet?

For me, it was hearing that Mike Portnoy (drummer for Dream Theatre) enjoyed my playing. Portnoy is the best progressive drummer alive today. I own everything he's ever recorded. It's not easy to grab the attention of a high-profile player like that. As it turns out, he's not just a monster player, but a very nice guy as well. Too many times your heroes disappoint you. I don't care how long I've been playing drums, it's still hard not to geek out a little over Mike Portnoy! (Laughs)

Watching you play “Sharp Dressed Man” tired me out! Where do you pull all that energy from for each song?

I'm basically the poster child on what not to eat. I toss down Reese Cups like they’re breath mints then wash it all down with a few gallons of chocolate milk. I'm horrible dude, just horrible! (Laughs) I'm like a “walking emergency.” Then I just go onstage and try to work it off. (Laughs)

Do you still have aspirations to be the next Neil Peart or Dave Lombardo? Is that childhood dream something that will never fade?

That childhood dream will never fade, and I'll tell you exactly why. My dream is to be able to do for younger players, what Mike Portnoy did for me...period! When you give it away, it comes back every time!

What do Rick K and the rest of the Allnighters feel about your showmanship? Some people might think what you do on stage takes away from the overall performance because all eyes are on you. Has your band ever voiced any concerns like that?

No, they've never said anything like that. They're my biggest supporters. They even call me their “spectacle.” (Laughs) I'm sort of like a blind discus thrower at the Olympics. I may not win any awards, but I'll sure keep the crowd alert.

Foundation for a future: Robert Moskowitz at Lawrence Markey

Step into Lawrence Markey’s downtown gallery for a quick breather from the stress of the contemporary world. In the cool, Chelsea-like space it’s still the last century, and the simmering supernova of global mash-ups has yet to radiate the art market and fuse with our pre-recession runaway consumption. This is pretty much always true thanks to Markey’s aesthetic, which is rooted in minimalism, formal conceptualism, and clean geometric abstraction — and we’re fortunate to have Markey back in Texas, where he fills in our modern-art education with carefully edited shows.

For reasons that seem obvious but are difficult to articulate, works which seven years ago might have appeared staid are comforting right now — stabilizing might be a better word — especially the suite of drawings by Brooklyn native Robert Moskowitz on display through July 2. Their power rests in both their manifest artistic ability and their unabashed singular presence.

An empty iceberg bobs on a leaden sea in a small oil-on-paper drawing. What are the almost imperceptible details that make it more than an abstract polygon? Staring at it, I could feel the icy calm of the night, the vast openness extending beyond the frame, the wondrous buoyancy of an immense object afloat. It’s an exploration of form, but also of universe. In another economical rectangle, a bright-red cardinal balances two black birds at the other end of an ebony limb, animated extensions of the knotted branch, all of them stitched to some wintry field where spring is eternally overdue.

On the gallery’s main wall, two mid-size pastel drawings on paper echo Malevich (who died the year that Moskowitz was born), but with the artist’s own hand evident in the raised nap of the paper and in soft thumbprints and smudges that seem as random yet perfectly spaced as snowflakes. The symmetry of a thorny tree, its branches extending in a spiky archway from the center, cast an enervating fairytale spell that might swallow you whole when no one else is looking.

As enchanting as these works are, though, a brief chat with Moskowitz made me very sorry not to see more of his current paintings, which he described as large-scale, many of them balancing geometric abstractions with recognizable objects not unlike like the birds in the small drawing at Markey’s. He’s been using spray paint, and talked about the “fog of war” as one background influence, while reminding me that “my generation is not about what it’s about,” and that he doesn’t “know the meaning till afterwards.”

Go see what you can while the show’s up, and while you’re there, think about this, too: “Duchamp was really great,” Moskowitz said. “But he kind of made it available for anyone to become an artist.” 

Guitar Hero wants you to save rock 'n' roll

Hey! Pixies' Doolittle Tour to stop nearby

In which the band it's still hard to over-hype plays in its entirety its 1989 classic (plus B-sides such as "Weird at My School") accompanied by the crazy light and video displays they could've never afforded back when they were actualy recording this game-changing music. You know the drill : They're not coming here; they are going to Austin. But there's no reason we can't buy up all the tickets for the September 22 show at Austin Music Hall. Presale tickets will be available Monday June 9 beginning at 7 a.m. Who wants to carpool?

The full press release is reprinted below, in case you're interested.

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They used to call him the Streak, now he's just a racist

Wow. Just wow.

I'm not sure what's more surprising here: the fact that, as of this writing, the above video for "Come to the USA," which features Ray Stevens singing, in a giant sombrero mind you, about the evils of illegal immigrants and the politicians who coddle them while taking swipes at health-care reform and accusing ACORN of working to bring about the downfall of American society, has nearly 2 million views (watch it at the peril of adding to the madness); or the fact that I was a little shocked to learn the mind behind such Kountry Komedy Klassics as "Ahab the Arab", "Throw the Bums Out", and "Osama Yo Mama" (released a tasteful six months after September 11) is apparently sort of an unapologeticly ignorant cracker.

Discussion question for those of you who do watch the video: Do you think there's a direct correlation between the draconian immigration laws in countries he seems to be championing as examples for America to follow (Iran, China, Mexico, North Korea) and the fact that, for a large number of their legal residents, these countries are pretty much unliveable shit-holes. Explain (it to Ray Stevens).

For extra fun with your blood pressure and gag reflex, check out the clip below of him explaining himself on (where the hell else?) Fox News. Or don't. Maybe if we all ignore him, he'll just go away again.

Rhone Rangers Storm Auden's Kitchen

Bruce Auden and Chef Patricia Wenkus have announced a winemaker dinner at Auden’s Kitchen for Thursday June 3^rd at 6:30. There will be an actual winemaker—Eric Mohseni of Zaca Mesa. ZM, located in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, is known for its Rhône Valley varietals, and many will be on offer that night. Grilled calamari salad will be paired to their viognier, for example. Lemony chicken pasta will find its match in chardonnay (ok, not actually a Rhône grape), a lusty syrah will be twinned to an equally assertive smoky duck breast with chipotle raspberry BBQ sauce, and the Z Cuvée (a blend of grenache, mourvedre, syrah and cinsault) will be served with a porcini- and garlic-crusted leg of lamb. For dessert, expect a white peach cream puff with ZM’s late-harvest viognier. All of this can be had by calling AK at 210-494-0070 and committing to $55 plus tax and tip. Soon.