The Austin Connection: “Me and Orson Welles” (Starring Zac Efron) to Premiere in Austin Nov. 30

On November 30th, the Paramount Theater will be the site of the premiere of the new Richard Linklater film, “Me and Orson Welles.” The film stars Zac Ephron of “High School Musical” fame, Claire Danes, who has acted in movies such as “Romeo and Juliet” and was on the TV show “My So Called Life,” and established stage actor Christian McKay.

Linklater, a longtime Austinite who founded the Austin Film Society in 1985, is known more widely for directing “School of Rock” and “Fast Food Nation.” However, his directing credits also include the indie classic “Slacker,” “Before Sunrise,” and “Dazed and Confused.”

Linklater, Efron and McKay, who plays Orson Welles in the film, will be present at the Austin premiere, which is being presented by the Austin Film Society.

The Austin Connection: Friday Night Lights Still Going Strong Four Seasons In

Despite now airing on a DirecTV only channel, Friday Night Lights has retained its small but loyal fan base from its days on NBC prime time, and is now in its fourth season.

The show, of which the majority is shot in Austin, follows the seasons of a fictional high school football team in a sort of docudrama style. The small fictitious town of Dillon, Texas lives and breaths high school football, and the team is the lifeblood of the community. It is a show filled with drama, defeat, and triumph.

Despite the shows critical acclaim, it never developed the types of ratings that would please NBC executives. Last season, the show was cut down to 13 episodes.

Many people, including some of the shows actors, believed that after the third season, the show was done for.

I a recent interview with the LA Times blog “Show Tracker” Kyle Chandler, who plays head coach Eric Taylor, said, “The first year we were up against ‘American Idol.’ The second year was the writers strike. The third year we get cut down to 13 episodes. I just assumed that while we had a solid base, the numbers wouldn’t go out the roof. … I just didn’t expect that we would overcome a network’s desire for something fresh.”

However, with a new network (DirecTV’s 101 Network) and a new storyline, Friday Night Lights is back, and is still being filmed in Austin. The show, according to a story by the Austin American Statesman’s Diane Holloway, brings $1.5 million per episode to the city. However, several other states are competing for the rights to have the show filmed in their area. They calim they can cut down production costs, but many believe that filming anywhere other than Central Texas will hurt the show’s authenticity.

For the time being, though, Austin is still home to Friday Night Lights.

The Austin Connection: Andy Roddick Out Until January, But Will Host Charity Event In Austin

Austinite and tennis star Andy Roddick is officially done with playing tennis until January, according to a report by Australia’s The Age. The article says that Roddick suffered an injury in his left knee at the Shanghai Masters tournament. He subsequently pulled out of the ATP World Tour Finals, set to start this Sunday in London.

His next tournament will be the Brisbane International in January.

Among his big accomplishments this season include a semi-finals appearance at the Australian Open and making the Finals of Wimbeldon. He is currently ranked #6 in the world.

He will be hosting a charity event in Austin on November 30. at the Hilton through the Andy Roddick Foundation. It will feature such celebrities as Lance Armstrong, Ben Crenshaw, and Boyd Tinsley. The night will be capped off by a musical performance by Sir Elton John.

Tickets start at $750, so if you really want to go, start saving your money now. Or become famous in the next two weeks. Maybe you’ll get an invite.

Job Applications…Oy Vey

In a perfect world, I could do what I wanted to do without having to worry about monetary issues. Alas, such is not the case. I am staying in Austin over the winter break, and I am now in the process of trying to find a job so that I can start putting money away to live here over the summer.

Most of the places I have applied at require me to fill out my application online, and it is a grueling process. When filling apoplications out on paper, at least you have the motion of your hand writing on the paper to keepthings interesting. When everything is typed into a computer screen, especially when it is something as boring as a reference list, things get tedious really quickly.

I was having a very pleasant Sunday until I started filling out applications. It’s time for a much needed break.

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 in Photos

It has now been a week since Fun Fun Fun Fest took Austin by storm, metaphorically and literally. There were a number of great bands that I saw, and even more that I wish I would have had the chance to catch. Here are some of the pictures from what I did see:

Growing:

New Movement Comedy:

MC Chris:

Street Dogs:

Foot Patrol:

James Husband (Members of Of Montreal):

Death:

Mission of Burma:

HEALTH:

The Black and White Years:

Crystal Antlers:

Royal Bangs:

Alaska In Winter:

Atlas Sound:

Destroyer:

Fucked Up:

Of Montreal:

An Update on Fun Fun Fun Fest Pictures

The pictures from this past weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest are in the editing process right now, and should be posted within the next few days. This week hasd been full of all kinds of craziness. It’s that time of year again. Until then, here is a video from The xx, who are playing at Mohawk next week. I can’t wait.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHZVGqqf3gg

Weezer: Raditude

There was a time when Weezer was one of the most important bands in rock. Their ability to write memorable songs with confessional, wide-eyed lyrics earned them a great amount of respect and fame. “The Blue Album” and “Pinkerton” are considered by many to be two of the most essential albums of the 90’s, and still withhold the test of time.

Sadly, the band continues it’s slow decline, kicked off by 2005’s “Make Believe,” on “Raditude,” an album rife with over indulgences that make one question whether this is the same band that penned “Buddy Holly,” “Tired of Sex,” and “El Scorcho.”

Perhaps the biggest problem with “Raditude” is that it sounds so forced. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo’s lyrics now border on middle school Live Journal postings, with such lines as “You are my baby tonight, and I’m your daddy” from the song “I’m Your Daddy.” On “Love Is the Answer,” Cuomo sings “Love is the answer. You have got to trust in the world” over a sitar and between verses sung in Hindi. It is almost embarrassing to listen to in how cliche it all sounds.

Musically, it is hard to delineate between many of the songs on “Raditude”, as nearly every song has the same chugging guitars, quiet parts for variety, and an almost non-existent punch to them. It’s the same sound that we have heard since 1994 from Weezer, just with all of the fun and effort sucked out of it. On “Can’t Stop Partying,” the band tries to shake things up by using a Timbaland-inspired backing track and incorporating Lil’ Wayne into the mix. It results in a song so awkward and uninspired that even Lil Wayne sounds uncomfortable. That speaks volumes about this album.

What keeps “Raditude” from being a total loss is closing track “I Don’t Want to Let You Go.” It marks the first time where Cuomo’s lyrics sound heartfelt and sincere, and it doesn’t follow the same musical formula as the rest of the album. It is proof that Weezer are still capable of writing a good pop tune. However, as a whole, “Raditude” is an empty, emotionless, cliche album that you would do best to avoid.

Living the College Life: Late Night Food Runs

It seems that this last week, I have been making ventures out late at night to get a quick bite at Whataburger or P. Terry’s or I have been going to places like Magnolia Cafe or Kerby Lane for more sit down fare.

One of the reasons I go is because I’m hungry, and I justify it by not having breakfast the next morning and by trying to exercise whenever I can, which as of late has been very hard, save for tonight and Fun Fun Fun Fest. It could also be the fact that the semester is starting to wind down, and assignments are about to start piling on top of each other like pancakes. Stress is a leading cause of hunger, according to research done on myself by me.

Or it could be the fact that it’s the kind of things that define the college experience. I never dine alone on these late night ventures, and I have had some very meaningful and deep conversations with people that I consider to be very good friends of mine. I will look back on these times spent in deep conversation and good company with a great sense of fondness.

 

A Fun Fun Fun Weekend

This weekend, I attended Fun Fun Fun Fest at Waterloo Park here in Austin. Today, it was wet and rainy, but totally worth it. It was a great festival all around, and I will have photos and recaps throughout he week, hopefully. This week is Hell week, starting tonight. I have a paper due at 9 tomorrow morning, a French test on Wednesday, I have to work on a big story for journalism class, and to top it all off, I am getting sick. I do have WOXY intern time this week though, so that will provide me with some form of sanity. It’s going to be an interesting week after an amazing weekend.

Nightlife in Austin Sucks… If You’re Not 21

Tonight, I was reminded of why I can’t wait to turn 21. I tried to go to Local Music Is Sexy, an event put on by Austinist.com and WOXY to kick off the Fun Fun Fun Festivities, hoping to enjoy some local bands before the craziness of the festival this weekend. However, despite the fact that I told the doormen that I was with WOXY and that I knew several people who would be inside, they denied me entry.

It was a real bummer. It made me think about all the places I can’t get into until August of next year. Basically anywhere in the downtown area that is not a music venue if off limits, many special events that revolve around alcohol (meaning any happening where an abundance of alcohol is present) are non possibilities. And I’m sure I’m going to encounter some shows at SXSW that I won’t be able to get into because of the fact that I’m a lowly minor. August can’t come soon enough.