Former MTV VJ and “Temptation Island” survivor Mandy Lauderdale talks to Sandra Dada about her career.

Mandy Lauderdale from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Austin Daze in Las Vegas, baby! We catch up with LaTasha Marzolla at the Hard Rock Casino. A woman of amazing grace and power, She tells Tonja Monroe what it’s like to be both a fighter and a mother.

LaTasha Marzolla from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Here’s Tasha fighting:

Austin is pitching in to help the clean up efforts on the Gulf. Here is a benefit at the Beauty Bar this Saturday for the Endangered Species Coalition and their oilspill wildlife rescue operations.

Black Gold Disco | Saturday, July 24th | Beauty Bar | $10 Suggested Donation
For every Lone Star ordered, Birds Barbershop is donating an extra $1 bill to the night!
Along with classic Disco inspired Learning Secrets DJ sets provided by Ian Orth and Jeramy Neugent, both Bodytronix (featuring Eric Archer who was on the cover of last weeks Chronicle) and Candi & The Strangers featuring local producer/engineer, Eric Woffard, notably know for his work with Explosions in the Sky, Octopus Project, Black Angels, and other great artists.

JUST PERFECT!

Those crisp cool nights back in November & December flood on in. The time passed through our dancing bodies, oh so fast. If you were one of the fortunate souls to be at The Continental Club you know the magic on this new cd by Alejandro Escovedo, called; Street Signs of Love. Last November AND In to December he played a stint of Tuesdaze nights after Toni Price. I was waiting for a ride to snag me so I stayed for the first one. I knew who Alejandro was, maybe had seen him a few times, but nothing really stuck with me. He started and I was sucked in. Needless to say, I did not miss a gig after that first one. Anyway, at these shows he would introduce two new tracks from the (yet to be recorded) new cd amidst his repertoire. Magic ensued. So,  I knew for many months that this cd was going to be amazing.His   backup band,  the sensitive boys and sensitive girls are smokin. The Boss  (Bruce Springsteen) sits in on a track.    Yes it is that cool. It is also produced by Tony Visconti! This disc is gold. It ranks up  there among the greats in my cd  collection. Part of this disc includes the lyrics to each tune. You just don’t get that in cds anymore.  I  thought I  knew the song but they become cooler when the real words are seen.  Cooler and shattering at the same time. The riffs of “AFTER THE METEOR SHOWER” send me into a state of beauty and lost love. Really an   awesome piece of work. Powerful. I am full of joy and tears when i listen to         this cd. We plan to interview Alejandro  when we can  catch him………………… GET THIS DISC!

Bemba Entertainment introduced me to one of my new favorite things; music on a boat on town lake. How long have I been here that I have not had that experience? Kinda strange. I have been invited to  various boat music parties, something has alwaze come up and the idea is forgotten. NOT GONNA MISS ANOTHER ONE. I have been on a canoe on town lake and been on a music boat halloween thing ON LAKE AUSTIN with The Hairy Apes BMX. That was cool, but this is on town lake.  I  pass over  it many times on  normal day. To cruise up and back listening to live music, JESUS, that Is just awesome.

HERE IS HOW IT WENT DOWN.We arrived before takeoff, made our way( with the help   of  some good folks. Gotta love those spiral staircases) up to the full top deck. We chilled,  mingled and made small talk. I  smiled and took in the sceenery. It was a super  hot day,   really unbearable, but when  we got near the water everything changed, It was cool. There was a breeze. It was nice. The band was warming up. It  was the first  time I’ve gotten it together to  dig HARDPROOF AFROBEAT. They kick ass!
I won’t miss an opportunity again. We began to  move.  Jason  Frey (an old  friend and sax man) took the mic,  greeted us  and said:
” we are on  a boat!”
And with that the sun began  to  set and the music began to flow. The deck became an electric dance floor for the next 2+ hours.  We floated west  under the bridges. with  music blaring.   Joggers and walkers dannced TO  THE  BEATS.   We turned back east and rocked out  the bats. We danced and grooved. Twas much  fun.

Bemba  Entertainment is doing this every last  Thursday’s through  September.  I  will update you  on the  next one. Oh yeah, all the drinks   were complimentary on the boat. SUPPORT THESE EVENTS FOLKS. C U ON THE NEXT ONE!

THE MUSIC IS ALIVE THERE.  The vibe is good. IT IS A PLACE THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE ALL ABOUT LIVE MUSIC. REAL & LOCAL LIVE MUSIC. On occasion, SOME NATIONAL  ACTS PASS THROUGH THE STAGE. TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEEKLY LINE-UP AND YOU’LL SEE  THAT THE BLOSSOMING LOCAL TALENT HAS A HOME THERE.    GROUPS LIKE BAND OF HEATHENS, BELLEVILLE OUTFIT, WARREN  HOOD & THE HOODLEMS, COVERTERS AND TOO MANY TO MENTION, ALL GOT  THEIR START THERE. THIS IS A PLACE ABOUT LIVE MUSIC. Didn’t I just say  that? It seems THEY ARE WILLING TO BE A TESTING GROUND FOR MUSIC. And in this business that is an admirable thing. Another positive sign is that  local promoters flock to the venue with their shows. FunkyBatz and Bemba entertainment as well as others can be found producing stellar gigs there many times a month.  I HAVE SOME ACCESS ISSUES WITH THE CLUB (not the club but the building that the club is in) AS I AM IN A  WHEELCHAIR. BUT EVERYTIME I AM THERE I AM TREATED VERY WELL AND  CARRIED (GRAND PUBAH STYLE)  UP THE STEPS AND EVEN ON TOP THE PORCH, (WHICH IS A MUST HANG)  TRUST ME. Watching the stars while taking in a show is a pretty cool experience, feels almost festival like. I dig and recommend it. I HOPE  THE BUILDING OWNERS PUT A FEW RAMPS. So go to Momo’s. This is a place to support. One of the main reasons I live here is music, and it is good to have a venue that shares that interest.
The Continental Club and Gallery are still  my favorite ( almost churchlike, for me) but Momo’s runs a close second ahead of the Saxon and Antones. Check out their site here http://www.momosclub.com/
See you there!

Austin School of Music from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Richard Linklater has been a regular client of the Austin School of Music, now in it’s 15th year. Let’s see, Austin School of Music…School of Rock (directed by Linklater)…you make the connection. Owners Dave Sebree, a renowned guitarist and Chet Himes, studio engineer show Reno Perez around.

Kevin Kettler, CEO METV from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Kevin Kettler talks to Nuno Vasconcellos Jr, (manager of Nuno’s on 6th) about embracing more of the Austin creative community, including filmmakers. He also gives us a tour of the METV headquarters.

SuperLiteBike from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

SuperLiteBike debuted their new Cd “Away We Go” at the Parish to an enthusiastic crowd. When you see this band you might be thinking, whoa…that’s actually Pocketful of Deng, and a new guy. You’re right. It’s Pocketful of Deng with a new attitude and new sound, thanks to the addition of Chris Heckendorn. These guys have some very funny video “flyers” like this. More information on SuperLite Bike at their official website

A Chorus Line Finale

“A Chorus Line,” the longest running show in Broadway history, has come to Bass Concert Hall on the UT Campus. If you can make it, you should. The cast is comprised of excellent dancers, singers and actors, and held us enthralled throughout the entire performance. There’s a reason this play has survived the years and it’s reprisal does not disapoint. The recipient of no less than 9 Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the topics are as timely now for the “gypsies” that make up our theater world as they were in 1975, when the play was first introduced at the Schubert Theatre in New York.

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What a great show. I was into it all and then he dropped in “Who Was That Masked Man” from VEEDON FLEECE. That did it for me. That is my favorite album of all time. I never thought he would play anything from it again. I was and am elated. He played over five different instruments throughout his set!
Cordiality is not Van at a gig. It is a hard pill for some to swallow. I have gotten used to it, so it doesn’t bother me at all. It is the magic that he shares that keeps me coming back. Thank you for an awesome show.

Avoid this film. Do not see this film this weekend. It will be in the dollar cinema next weekend and on video in like 2-3 months. I can say nothing about this film other than it failed on every level. Platinum Dunes is clearly only interested in opening weekend revenue. And that is SHAMEFUL. Save .your money this weekend for IRON MAN 2, next weekend..
TRUST ME…

“Day One of ASCAP.  I’m attending the ASCAP (www.ascap.com) Music Creators Conference in Hollywood, California for a number of reasons.  First, to cover it for Austin Daze Magazine. Second, because singer-songwriter Marie West asked me to come out and photograph her and third, because I thought that I would get as much out of it, creatively, as a photographer, as the singer-songwriters who the conference is intended for.  I certainly have so far.  The ASCAP staff are nice, professional, accommodating and have been a pleasure to work with.  They gave me press credentials so that I could get into any panel or interview that I needed to shoot. This is a really well run conference with up and coming rock stars milling around seeing demos of recording gear and software and talking with industry professionals to learn more about how to become the real deal rock star, like the ones who come to the conference to give interviews and workshops; think John Mayer, Linda Perry, Patrick Clifford, Quincy Jones, Ludacris and Justin Timberlake, to name just a few.  These are singers, writers, producers and publicists who come to the conference with the genuine intention of helping the hopefuls.  It has a great vibe.   It’s actually pretty emotional, for everybody, at times.  Austin is on everyone’s lips and minds and John Mayer talked about his SXSW experience during his hour long interview pictured here. It makes me proud to have Austin on my press badge.”

Looking forward to interview this afternoon.

Ruby James will debut her new CD “Happy Now,” produced by Charlie Sexton, at the Continental Club April 29th. We catch up with Ruby at a Hot Rod Show on South Congress Avenue with her friend, Mercury Charlie, and “Sweet Nadine,” a 1951 Mercury. Ruby will be performing with Rosie Flores at Mercury Charlie’s place on 6819 McNeil Road Sunday April 11 around 2:30. Here’s Ruby’s website http://rubyjames.com and Mercury Charlie’s website http://www.mercurycharlie.com Note: The Hot Rods and Honeys party Sunday starts with a ride at 11 a.m. at the Continental Club and ends at Mercury Charlie’s shop at with live music featuring the Rosie Ruby Revue and Junior Brown. Food too!

Ruby James and Mercury Charlie from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

THE TRUTH… THE 3D WAS LAUGHABLY BAD. THEY DID NOT SHOOT THIS IN 3D. IT WAS ADDED AFTER THE FACT.
REALLY BAD FOLKS… AVATAR SET THE STANDARD TOO HIGH WITH 3D. THE EFFECTS WERE ADDED TO THIS FILM IN ORDER TO DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE THEATER. THEY (THE EFFECTS) CAUSED MULTIPLE WALKOUTS AND I TOOK MY GLASSES OFF MIDWAY THROUGH. THANK GOD,  I   WAS IN GOOD COMPANY.

THE STORY. GOD. WTF? WERE THE WRITERS, DIRECTOR AND WHOLE CREW ON CRACK? THIS WAS NOT A REMAKE AT ALL. DO NOT BE FOOLED’. THE ORIGINAL WAS A LOVE STORY, A COMING OF AGE ADVENTURE. THIS WAS NOT THAT AT ALL. THE FILM MAKERS (AND THAT IS GENEROUS) JUST WANTED TO REUSE THE TITLE AND SOME OF THE SCENES. MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO TO I LUV VIDEO OR VULCAN AND GRAB THE ORIGINAL. SURE, IT IS CHEESY, BUT AT LEAST IT HAS FEEL.  LIAM NEESON AND RALPH FIENNES AS ZEUS AND HADES WERE THE ONLY GOOD THING HERE. I HOPE THEY WERE PAID VERY WELL. SAVE YOUR MONEY. DO NOT SEE     THIS…
IS  3D GOING TO LOWER OUR  WATCHABLE STANDARDS?

Taking time out from their virtual gig at Videoranch in Austin Film Studios, Augie Meyers, Shawn Sahm and Flaco Jimenez speak to artist Reno Perez about their upcoming tour for their new CD “Esta Bueno.”

Texas Tornados from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

The Duplass brothers, the festival-darling unit that is Mark and Jay (of Puffy Chair and Baghead cult status), were back at SXSW this year with their first official Hollywood film (Fox Searchlight put up the dough and John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei star). Cyrus, is a continuation of what is becoming known as the Duplassian Method– unconventional film making like shooting the script in chronological order,  never storyboarding, and allowing actors to develop their own dialogue and blocking in order to obtain the ultimate sense of realism.

The "realism" for the brothers is creating a world where hilarious, serious, vulnerable, and uncomfortable live together in any single moment–essentially bringing the complexity that is the human condition to the screen. This is ultimately done through relationships–any assortment of which can bring startling revelations about who we, the  raw and fallible, human, are.  This time, the Duplass brothers use the interdependency of three adults–Marisa Tomei (Molly), John C. Reilly (John) and Katherine Keener (Jamie), and one adult-child, the intense and arresting, Jonah Hill (Cyrus) to play it out.

Filmmakers and filmgoers alike  are continually fascinated with the Duplass brothers’ work–from both a technical standpoint (how did they do that?) and the cut-to-the-bone  (Wow, that made me feel weird) effect it has on their audiences.  They were kind enough to sit down and let us pick their brain in the hopes of getting some insight into how it all goes down…

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