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Latest News
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Canada heartbroken: Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie dead at 53 of brain cancer
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Austin to celebrate Día de los Muertos across city
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Austin mayor kicks off citywide Día de los Muertos celebration
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REVIEW: Alvvays is just as light live, and it’s all good
From our Columnists
Peter Blackstock
Old Settler’s Music Fest files suit against new Driftwood Music Fest
Deborah Sengupta Stith
SOS Fest to host club shows with Grizzly Bear, the Shins, Ministry, more...
Gary Dinges
Evening news anchor Shannon Wolfson leaving KXAN
From sexist to schmaltzy, 10 terrifyingly awful classic country songs
If October is the time for all things spooky, perhaps I should emerge from my Spotify cocoon and and tune in to the radio and the mainstream. For there is nothing more terrifying to me than … Modern! Country! Music! Or is there? Sometimes at night, when the midnight drive home leaves me alone with my iPhone and only a few hundred cars crowding Slaughter Lane for no discernible reason...
UT graduate Dr. O. Alton Barron aims to heal Austin musicians
Austin is home to pioneering nonprofits, such as HAAM and SIMS, that serve the health needs of the music community. Add another: The Musician Treatment Foundation, which aims to heal vulnerable shoulders, elbows and hands, and kicks off with an Elvis Costello benefit concert Oct. 22 at the Paramount Theatre. We chatted about the project, which works with Dell Medical School and the Health Alliance...
‘Mark Felt’ a timely look at Watergate whistle-blower
There’s such a thing as sheer luck, and “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House” benefits from it. It’s the story of a career FBI officer, the second in line behind J. Edgar Hoover, whose covert leaks to the Washington Post — as “Deep Throat” — led to the end of Richard Nixon’s presidency. Written and directed by Peter Landesman, this...
‘Only the Brave’ a gripping story of firefighting heroes
Wildland firefighting is a mysterious art: a delicate dance with a raging, unpredictable force. It’s bested only with a unique mastery of weather, fuel and wind to extinguish fire with fire itself. If our image of firefighting is a big red truck and a hose, “Only the Brave,” directed by Joseph Kosinski, tweaks that image, introducing audiences to a crew of yellow-shirted mountain...
Tom Petty buried at famous cemetery in private funeral service
Family and friends gathered Monday at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, California to bid a final farewell to legendary rocker Tom Petty, People magazine reported. Petty died of cardiac arrest on Oct. 2 at the age of 66. The grounds of the shrine are just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean on Sunset Boulevard, and includes a temple, windmill...
Uchi restaurants across Texas auctioning private dinners for Hurricane Harvey relief
Uchi restaurants across Texas
are holding auctions to raise money for the
Greater Houston Community Foundation, which is helping with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. People have the opportunity to
bid on a 10-course, beverage-paired meals for 12 at Uchi Houston and Dallas and Uchiko in Austin. The November 6 meal in Dallas
will...
Actor Gerard Butler rushed to hospital after motorcycle accident
Actor Gerard Butler is recovering from injuries he received in a recent motorcycle accident in Los Angeles. Butler, 47, crashed his bike after he was run off the road by a car, he told Entertainment Tonight Monday. “I was going along the road doing my thing and this lady decided to go from parked on the other side of the road to an illegal U-Turn and went right in front of me,&rdquo...
Carrie Fisher once sent producer a cow tongue after friend was allegedly assaulted
Apparently, Carrie Fisher wasn’t afraid to take matters into her own hands when it came to getting even. Heather Ross, a longtime friend of the late “Star Wars” actress, opened up to a Tucson, Ariz., radio station about her own experiences with sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood following allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein. Ross told the station...
Carrie Fisher's gross but supremely satisfying warning to a Hollywood sexual harasser
In the wake of Hollywood's Harvey Weinstein scandal, countless women across the world have stepped forward to share their stories of sexual abuse and harassment. Heather Ross, also known as Heather Robinson, is a television and movie industry vet who recently told a morning radio show in Tucson, Arizona, about an ugly run-in she had with an overly aggressive unnamed Oscar winner. Her story, however...
Documentary looks at iconic movie scene that made us scared of showers
Here’s a look at an interesting new release available to rent from cable and digital providers and a new title that has just started streaming. Video on Demand “78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene”: In this new documentary, Alexandre O. Philippe (“The People vs. George Lucas”) examines one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema. Over the course of 91 minutes...
Former Austin broadcaster, lawmaker remembered for his talents, charm
Marvin “Dan” Love, an Austin broadcasting pioneer and former city lawmaker, died Friday. He was 88. Love became a newscaster for KTBC-TV (also known as Fox 7 Austin) and later ran KHFI-TV (now known as KXAN) as its general manager from 1965 to 1974. He was elected to the Austin City Council in 1971 and re-elected in 1973, serving as mayor pro tem during both terms. He began his media career...
‘Titanic’ actress Kate Winslet says there’s one character she’d play again
Actress Kate Winslet has played many impressive roles through her long career, but there is one character that she would love to go back and play again. The actress told Entertainment Weekly that if were up to her, she would go back and play Clementine from her 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” in which she starred alongside Jim Carrey. Winslet said: “Actually...
Texas lawmaker, citing Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal, seeks to end Texas Film Commission
State Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, called Monday for an end to the taxpayer-funded Texas Film Commission amid the recent controversy surrounding Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. “Over the past week, our nation has grown increasingly alarmed over allegations of rampant sexual abuse by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and others in the motion picture and TV industry,&rdquo...
‘Shark Tank’ entrepreneur killed, body dumped in Pennsylvania river
A 58-year-old entrepreneur, who once appeared on the popular show “Shark Tank” to make his case for an app called “EmergenSee,” has been found dead in a Pennsylvania river, reportedly from a gunshot wound to the head. The body found floating in the Schuylkill River in University City, Pa., on Thursday has been identified as Philip Reitnour, an entrepreneur who notably...
We loved, loved, loved these moments at ACL Fest 2017
We kinda can’t believe we’re not going back to Zilker Park on Friday for another weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Our team of music lovers and veteran festgoers was on the ground from beginning to end all six days, and here, we share musical highlights and some of our favorite images. We’ll be back: As has become tradition, fest producers announced dates for next...
‘Happy Death Day’ stands out among weak lineup of wide releases
It’s been a great season for horror, with Blumhouse’s “Happy Death Day” becoming the latest such film to top the domestic box office in its opening weekend. The $5 million movie, a bloody riff on the classic “Groundhog Day” concept, brought in an estimated $26.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to figures from measurement firm ComScore, above the $15 million...
ACL Fest 2017 enjoys sunny skies and spirits moved by music
Much of the lead-up to this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival involved issues beyond the music, but as festgoers departed Zilker Park each weekend, what they carried with them were musical moments that transcended all of the surrounding concerns. On both Saturdays, Chance the Rapper turned his Zilker Park crowds into a gospel choir. Women in the front rows during Solange’s Friday...
Aaron Carter back in rehab, just a week after leaving
Aaron Carter has checked back into rehab one week after he left his treatment facility. Carter’s rep confirmed that the singer left the treatment earlier this month to attend to “legal and personal matters” that “required his immediate and in-person attention,” the People. “Aaron has taken care of the legal and financial matters that required his attention...
Pussycat Dolls were a front for ‘prostitution ring,’ former member alleges
A former member of the popular girl group and dance ensemble
Pussycat Dolls, Kaya Jones, is claiming that members of the pop music hit-makers were a part of a “prostitution ring.” “My truth. I wasn’t in a girl group. I was in a prostitution ring,” Jones said in a post on Twitter. “Oh and we happened to sing and be famous. While everyone who...
George Clooney denies anything to do with ‘ER” sexual harassment cover-up
George Clooney is categorically denying reports that he played a role in the blacklisting his former “ER” costar Vanessa Marquez for speaking out about harassment, according to US Weekly. “I had no idea Vanessa was blacklisted,” Clooney said. “I take her at her word. I was not a writer or a producer or a director on that show. I had nothing to do with casting...
Webb Report: A group of ‘King of the Hill’ fans celebrate the ‘bwaahh’
Bwaahh! Any fan of Mike Judge’s animated “King of the Hill” knows that’s what Texas paterfamilias Hank Hill sounds like under stress of any kind. (Or however it is you spell “Bwaahh.”) For a gathering of fans in Dallas, that noise was a rallying cry Oct. 7. Organized through a Facebook event titled “Yell ‘Bwaahh’ like Hank Hill,” a group...
In depicting poverty, ‘The Florida Project’ bucks Hollywood trend
Some of the best movies in history have dealt with characters who were just barely scraping by — “Bicycle Thieves” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Midnight Cowboy” and “Modern Times.” But filmmakers today tend to avert their eyes from the horrors of financial hardship. Superhero stories are just more photogenic. Sean Baker is one exception. He gravitates...
.JPG "ACL Fest 2017 sees heat and soul on penultimate day")
ACL Fest 2017 sees heat and soul on penultimate day
Second verse same as the first: Like last Saturday, thick crowds filled Zilker Park on Saturday, which along with last Saturday were the only days of the Austin City Limits Music Festival that sold out weeks in advance. Here are five things that happened at the fest Saturday: 1. It was hot. Again. Scattered morning clouds burned off early, and temperatures hit 90 degrees by late afternoon. Long...
Dan Brown, Rupi Kaur top best-sellers lists
NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLERS FICTION 1. ‘Origin,’ Dan Brown 2. ‘Sleeping Beauties,’ Stephen King and Owen King 3. ‘Manhattan Beach,’ Jennifer Egan 4. ‘A Column of Fire,’ Ken Follett 5. ‘Don’t Let Go,’ Harlan Coben 6. ‘The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye,’ David Lagercrantz 7. ‘The Cuban Affair,’ Nelson DeMille...
Explore fall festivals and more family fun in Austin, Oct. 15-21
Events Child safety car seat check. 9 a.m. Wednesday, Gus Garcia Recreation Center, 1201 E. Rundberg Lane. Register at 512-972-7233. austintexas.gov Father-Daughter Dance. $10 per family. 6 p.m. Thursday, Virginia Brown Recreation Center, 7500 Blessing Ave. austintexas.gov Monarch Appreciation Day.
Activities including crafts that are all about the butterfly. Free with admission. 9 a...
Holocaust survivor Edith Eger writes memoir with integrity, conviction
Mental health professional Edith Eger braids stories of her patients’ epiphanies with her own personal journey through Nazi Germany in “The Choice.” As a Holocaust survivor and clinical psychologist, 89-year-old Eger is often introduced to her audiences at speaking engagements as “the Anne Frank who didn’t die.” Her poignantly crafted memoir is a meditation on two...
Evening news anchor Shannon Wolfson leaving KXAN
KXAN news anchor Shannon Wolfson will be leaving the city’s NBC affiliate later this year. Wolfson, who co-anchors with Robert Hadlock at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on KXAN and at 9 p.m. on sister station KNVA, is set to depart in late November to focus more time on her family and to do some traveling. “If I were to continue in TV news, I’d be staying right here at KXAN,” Wolfson...
Some of TV’s greatest hits move from Netflix to Hulu
The auction for reruns of “This Is Us” began with the usual suspects. Streaming pioneer Netflix bid millions to offer NBC’s year-old hit, a multigenerational family drama. So did Amazon.com, the e-commerce giant with growing ambitions in online media. Yet the domestic streaming rights went to a newer buyer: Hulu, the rival service owned by four big media companies, including two...
ACL Fest heats up again at Zilker Park as second weekend begins
Weekend two of the Austin City Limits Music Festival opened under clear skies. Here are five things that happened at the festival on Friday: 1. It was hot, just like last weekend. By midafternoon, the temperature had risen to 90 degrees, and shady spots in Zilker Park were in high demand. Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, Saturday’s weather is likely to be similar to Friday’s,...
Herbie Hancock brings ageless classics to ‘ACL’ taping
By Wes Eichenwald
Special to the American-Statesman When two venerable artistic institutions join forces for the first time, most would agree that it qualifies as a capital-E
Event of some note. Judging from the studio audience’s response to the tight 90-minute set from Herbie Hancock’s quartet Thursday
night – Hancock’s &ldquo...
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic and more big names in comedy coming to Austin for Moontower 2018
Song parody ninja “Weird Al” Yankovic, Mike Birbiglia and Tiffany Haddish are all scheduled to perform in Austin at the seventh annual Moontower Comedy Festival on April 18-21, 2018. Festival badges are now on sale. As in previous years, Moontower 2018 will hold headliner shows at the Paramount & Stateside Theatres and additional stand-up acts at Cap City Comedy...
Anthony Bourdain’s latest project hits Alamo Drafthouse this weekend
Anthony Bourdain might be known for being drunk on screen, but his latest project, “
Wasted,” isn’t about booze. The popular CNN host and author is now on a crusade to help us understand why food waste
is a growing international problem. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcVNFJn7NgI&w=492&h=307] The movie, which debuted at the Tribeca Film...
More things to do in Austin, Oct. 14
Music Songhoy Blues at Antone’s. Formed in exile in Bamako after radical fundamentalists took over their region of Northern Mali, the band has killer chops, and they play like rock stars. But it’s the magnanimous joy lead singer Aliou Touré and his crew radiate while they sing and dance that reinforces every notion we have about the incredible, life-affirming power of music. Raging...
Formulaic ‘Marshall’ doesn’t live up to its subject
Thurgood Marshall — the pioneering civil rights lawyer who argued Brown v. Board of Education and became the first African-American Supreme Court justice — deservedly receives the biopic treatment with “Marshall,” directed by Reginald Hudlin. Chadwick Boseman once again tackles a legendary figure of American history as Marshall (he also inhabited Jackie Robinson and James Brown)...
Celebrate “Legally Blonde,” Indian dance and fresh food this weekend
Film In Brunch We Trust: “Legally Blonde.” It’s certainly true in Austin that brunch isn’t just a meal — it’s an important weekend activity that can be a downright religious experience if done right. Worship at the altars of food and film at the Alamo Drafthouse one weekend a month with this brunch series. This time, the Alamo will screen “Legally Blonde,&rdquo...
No fear: 13 random facts to get you through Friday the 13th
Today is Friday the 13th. It’s not as scary as giant centipedes or, say, the future of health care in this country, but if you’ve got paraskevidekatriaphobia, it’s still a little spooky. Both Fridays and the number 13 have a centuries-old tradition of being unlucky, according to Snopes, but the hubbub about Friday the 13th didn’t really get going until the 20th century...
After accusations of racism, Unbarlievable’s sales plummet: state data
Alcohol sales at a Rainey Street bar accused of racism this summer have plummeted in recent months, state data show. Unbarlievable, 76 Rainey St., opened in March, serving $353,561 worth of beer, wine and mixed drinks during its first month in operation, according to an American-Statesman analysis. Sales peaked the next month, with April bar tabs reaching $401,468. But fast forward to August...
Celebrate fall (even if it’s 90 degrees) with the kids this weekend in Austin, Oct. 13-15
We’re going to be close to 90 degrees this weekend, until we get to a possible rain shower on Sunday. Bring your sunscreen,
your bug spray and head out for these family activities. Friday Thinkery.
Little Thinkers Club.
Get Into Shapes. 9:45 a.m. for 2-year-olds, 10:45 a.m. for 3-year-olds, Fridays through Oct. 27. $20 per class...
Best Texas books to read soon
We pause during Austin festival season to read up on nature in a Texas national park, the career of a Texas script doctor,
the third part of an Old West trilogy by a Texan, a urban Chicano tale from another Texan and breezy book on Texas ingenuity. “Nature Watch Big Bend.” Lynne Weber and Jim Weber. Texas A&M University Press. Oh, how have we needed this book forever!...
Review: Harry Styles loves you — follow his lead, OK?
The line to see Harry Styles on Wednesday was a serpentine thing. At one point, it reportedly sprawled six blocks away from Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater and into downtown Austin. A friend, still queued at Fourth and Guadalupe streets 30 minutes to show time — the venue is at Second and Lavaca — messaged me to say the guy applying wristbands had been at his post since 7...
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