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the daily texan’s guide to
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Friday, March 8, 2013 STAFF Editors
Kelsey McKinney Sarah-Grace Sweeney
Designers
Jack Mitts Natasha Smith
Editor’s Note
South By Southwest dominates Austin culture and life for a week every year during March. Despite popular perception, SXSW involves more than just music. In this special SXSW package, we have attempted to bring together as many aspects of the SXSW experience as possible, from food and comedy to film and fashion. We hope that this insert will help you plan your week of culture, whether you have a badge or not.
GENERAL INFORMATION
MUSIC
4 Survival Guide
12 Ben Sollee
5 @SXSWPartyzzzzz
13 Top 10 Hip-Hop Bands
Whether it’s your first South By Southwest, or your last, remember to stay hydrated! Two UT alumni have created a parody Twitter account to inform you of every fake party.
The strongest area of SXSW is hip-hop this year, but you still want to see the best ones.
16 No Badge, No Problem
An extensive list of free shows that can be enjoyed without a wristband or a badge.
TECHNOLOGY 6 Robot Girl
Electrical engineer Heather Knight made a robot that tells jokes.
FILM 20 Films to Anticipate
7 Gaming Expo
Here are our best recommendations for tech-savvy SXSW goers.
Resident movie expert Alex Williams provides a list of the best movies premiering at SXSW
22 Green Day Musical
The “American Idiot” Broadway experiment failed miserably, but the documentary entertains.
FASHION 8 What to Wear
Regardless of which band you’re seeing, there’s a uniform to wear.
28 “Getting Back to Abnormal”
New Orleans natives create a film that evaluates their hometown post-Katrina.
31 Meta VHS Documentary
FOOD
A documentary on the death and life of VHS tapes will be released on DVD.
10 Smoked Foods A$AP Rocky Cover photo by Zachary Strain Daily Texan file photo
Cellist Ben Sollee spends over a third of his musical tours riding a bicycle
From candy to brisket, anything and everything will be smoked at this event.
COMICS, page 25
FOLLOW US
Follow these Daily Texan Life&Arts staffers for minute-by-minute updates on South By Southwest KELSEY MCKINNEY Life & Arts Editor Twitter: @mckinnneykelsey Instagram: @mckinneykelsey
SARAH-GRACE SWEENEY Life & Arts Associate Editor Twitter: @sarahgrace317 Instagram: @sgsweeney
HANNAH SMOTHERS Life & Arts Music Beat Writer Twitter: @hannahsmothers_ Instagram: @hannahsmo
Kelsey McKinney has no idea how to cover South By Southwest and will probably be tweeting snarky things about sunburns, music she doesn’t understand and craft beer. She is hoping to find a secret show that Jack White will play just for her.
Sarah-Grace Sweeney had her hair dyed specially for SXSW and is ready to provide you with snarky commentary from as many concerts as she can stand. She will hopefully be Instagramming photos of Ryan Gosling and other less important famous people. All of her best friends are blonde.
Hannah Smothers is an angsty teen who will likely use her Twitter to complain every 25 seconds about the crowds at SXSW. She wrote the most shared article in Daily Texan history and is beautiful in every way.
ALEX WILLIAMS Life & Arts Film Beat Writer Twitter: @AlexWilliamsdt Instagram: “I don’t take pictures of my food,” Alex Williams said. Alex Williams once sat through all of the “Die Hard” movies back to back. He survived that and two previous SXSW experiences and has no fear. Look for his beard if you’re a big fan.
ZACHARY STRAIN Photo Editor twitter: @zwstrain instagram: @zwstrain
PU YING HUANG Senior Photographer twitter: @puyinghuang instagram: @puyinghuang
Zachary Strain loves colorful pants, running exactly one marathon and taking pictures. He used to be a rower and talks about it practically all the time. He is the only person competitive with Sarah-Grace for the biggest crush on Ryan Gosling.
Pu Ying Huang used to be a scene middle schooler who wore all of her hair on one side of her head. She is a 5-foot-even Asian girl who is not afraid of getting decked in music pits — and will probably hit people herself — for a great shot.
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3 South By Southwest, now in its 26th year, has seen its fair share of strange and wicked awesome happenings. Here’s our top 10 list of the wild and wonderful things that have occurred and could again. 1. You could party with Bill Murray. Bill Murray is a perennial party crasher and is known for his SXSW appearances. Countless attendees have stories of Murray bartending, dancing and drinking it up in Austin, along with the pictures to prove it.
STRANGE AND WICKED AWESOME HAPPENINGS By Elizabeth Williams
2. You could get punched by someone in the band you’re watching. While we hope this doesn’t happen to you, bands have brawled with crowds and venue staff. In 2011 Ben Foster of now-defunct Screeching Weasel threw a punch at a fan after being hit by a cup.
A$AP Rocky and his crew closed out 2012’s SXSW with an audience scuffle after one too many beer cans had been hurled up onto the stage. 3. You could have a prettyperson sighting. SXSW invites beautiful musicians and actors to mix it up with us normies. Past pretty people include Aubrey Plaza, Rooney Mara, Kanye West and Matthew McConaughey. Bonus points if you catch McConaughey dancing like he did last year at Auditorium Shores, i.e. laughably strangely. 4. You could get caught in a riot. Death From Above 1979 played its first show in five years in 2011, inciting a mini-riot as attendees clamored to climb the Beauty Bar’s fence into the at-capacity venue. Cops on horses
showed up and, naturally, the crowd began throwing beer bottles at both. FYI, The Daily Texan does not condone rioting or throwing beer bottles at horses or their cops. Just sayin’. 5. You could be unknowingly interviewed for a hilarious mockumentary. Funny people Fred Armisen and Flight of the Conchords have both filmed their own parody documentaries about SXSW, in 1998 and 2006, respectively. And yes, these videos are truly as great as they sound. 6. You could discover the next Hanson. Who doesn’t want to claim they heard “MMMbop” before everyone else? Hanson was discovered and signed not at an official showcase, but at SXSW’s annual softball game in 1995.
7. You could see an amazing show on a bridge or in a parking garage. Although they’re seemingly few and far between, guerrilla shows have upped the excitement and spontaneity of SXSW. In 1997 The Flaming Lips hooked up 30 car stereos in a downtown garage and conducted a cassette tape symphony. No Age and F—ked Up surprised us in the wee hours of the morning with a gig on the James D. Pfluger Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge in 2008.
Biornstad of STRFKR was arrested while unloading his equipment in the street in 2011 but was freed 10 hours later.
8. You could watch a band get arrested. Ozomatli led its crowd out of a venue and into the streets while playing its instruments in 2004, nearly inciting another riot. The police arrested two band members and the band’s manager and the three spent the night in jail. Ryan
10. You could see Justin Timberlake. Admit it, we’re all on JT Watch 2013. Rumors have begun circulating that Timberlake will indeed be joining us in Austin next week. I think I speak for all of us when I say Timberlake will receive the warmest of Texas welcomes.
9. You could meet the greatest music journalist ever. Nardwuar the Human Serviette is the ultimate music journalist and has been stopping by SXSW for years. He’s known for digging up relics and stories from his interviewees’ pasts, often evoking the response, “How did you know?”
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South By Southwest survival guide By Elizabeth Williams Bring your ID — You’ll get carded. Deal with it. Have both cash and card — Having cash on hand makes life easier. Whether it’s for drinks or band merch, you’ll be glad you have an extra $20 in your pocket. Your debit (or credit, if you’re fancy) card could save you that long walk back from God knows where with a cab ride. Wear good walking shoes — If you plan on being out and about, please remember your poor little piggies! We know those high heels or brand new leather boots you didn’t have time to break in look cool, but how cool will you look when your feet are covered in blisters and you can barely hobble down the street? The answer is not cool. Not cool at all. Bring a jacket — It’s March in Austin and the weather is utterly unpredictable. It could be 80 degrees when you leave your apartment at noon and sink to a cool 60 degrees by the time the sun goes down. Be prepared. Wear sunscreen — South By Southwest has many wonderful free events during the day, like parties and shopping markets. Many of these events take place outside, so bring a little sunscreen to protect your face. It’s harder to pick up the singer of Vampire Weekend when you look like a lobster. Bring a watch — Bring a wristwatch or a pocket watch. Cell phone service within the city gets straightup janky when you cram thousands of people into a handful of city blocks, so
Illustration by Justin Perez | Daily Texan Staff
bring a watch. You’ll always know what time it is. Always. Protect your hearing with earplugs — Your hearing is a very precious thing, so bring a pair of earplugs with you. And, chances are, you’ll have five free pairs by the end of the week anyway, so put them to good use! Remember to hydrate — Just because there’s free beer and sponsored drinks available everywhere doesn’t mean
that’s all you should consume. Remember to drink water, especially if you’re out during the day.
those surfaces that have been touched by all the people at SXSW and their germs. Use your hand sanitizer.
Bring hand sanitizer — There are a lot of people at SXSW. These people will be touching each and every surface in Austin. Now think about all of the germs on all of those hands. Think about the Porta Potties and club bathrooms. Now think about all that street food you want to eat right after you touched
Make clear plans with whoever you’re meeting — I hear there’s an abyss between Austin and deep outer space, where all the missed text messages, phone calls and voicemails made at SXSW are floating about, never to be read, answered or heard of again. With the aforementioned janky cell-phone service, you
should make sure you’ve made definite plans while your communication avenues are open. Make a new discovery — We’ve all been there: that one oh-so underground band you thought no one knew about is playing and the line is out the door, leaving you no chance of getting in. It really is a bummer when the word gets out. But never fear, there are more than 100 bands playing every night, all within walking distance of one another.
Don’t be afraid to go to a show with a lineup of bands you’ve never heard of. Who knows? You could discover your new favorite band! Know your limits — SXSW may be a weeklong party, but that doesn’t mean you should have a weeklong hangover. Know when you’ve had enough to drink, know when you’ve had enough greasy trailer food and know when you need to go home and sleep.
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UT alumni’s parody Twitter account goes viral By Laura Wright Dan Treadway has only been to South By Southwest once, and that was two years ago, when he was a senior studying political communications and was writing for both The Daily Texan and the Texas Travesty. But his limited experience at the festival hasn’t stopped him from keeping more than 3,600 Twitter followers in the loop with his parody account, @SXSWPartyzzzzz, on the many fantastic parties that aren’t actually occurring at next week’s festival. The account, which mocks popular accounts like @sxswparty, provides just barely plausible updates on
nonexistent events. “An unkempt Steve Buscemi will be shirtless while pickling onions on the roof of 21st Street Co-op! RSVP by being spiritual, not religious,” read a March 1 tweet from the account. On Feb. 26, a tweet from the account advised followers to “RT to RSVP for Animal Collective’s piccolo and whisper-only concert being held in a man-made desert of Cool Ranch Dorito dust on 14th St.” Treadway, who currently works as an associate blog editor for The Huffington Post, seems to have hit on the humor in the festival’s cooler-than-thou attitude. “I think it’s impossible not to find it a little ridiculous,”
Treadway said of SXSW. The @SXSWPartyzzzzz account, a little ridiculous itself, has advertised everything from a “makeshift artisan pinata store on Cesar Chavez” run by Microsoft and Etsy to a crowd-sourced documentary on zebra mussels promoted by “Jessica Chastain and hologram Lou Bega.” Treadway manages the account with fellow UT alumnus Ross Luippold, a former contributor to the Texas Travesty as well as a current associate comedy editor at The Huffington Post. Neither Treadway nor Luippold has publicly claimed the Twitter account, lending an air of mystery to the writers behind the ludicrous updates and Microsoft Paint-quality icon photo.
Although Luippold previously managed a parody Twitter account where he posed as President William Powers Jr. (which, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, was shut down by Twitter at the University’s request), Treadway is a novice as far as parody Twitter accounts go. His inexperience hasn’t harmed the popularity of the account, which has gained more than 3,600 followers since it was started three weeks ago. “I honestly never expected anyone to really read it,” Treadway said. As for the sudden popularity of the account, Treadway chalked it up to a series of retweets by Twitter users with more than 20,000 followers, as well as the conflicting feelings
people have about SXSW. “I don’t know if it’s even a matter of being super funny and fresh. I think the tweets can get repetitive,” Treadway said. “But I think it’s a matter of filling a niche. I think that people love SXSW, but dislike that they like it.” Treadway attended the festival in 2011 and experienced the full range of SXSW emotions. “I remember the first day, I was exuberant. It was this whole world full of possibilities,” Treadway said. “And then by Day 5 it becomes this zombie march of sorts. To some extent it becomes this corporate pissing contest for everyone’s benefit, because there’s all these free drinks and free everything.” But Treadway cuts the
festival some slack. “Just the fact that there’s this place where people can have connections and have ideas and meet up is a very cool thing,” Treadway said. He did not specify if it would be a cooler thing if Adele really were “launching breakfast tacos from a cannon on the steps of the Capitol,” as a tweet from the account on Feb. 27 suggested. As for whether he’ll continue the account once SXSW ends, Treadway said it depends on whether he’s exhausted every possible situation and celebrity. “I’m still striving for the golden moment when a large number of people take a fake event I tweet about seriously,” Treadway said.
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Robot comedy team’s show to be a first By Jourden Sander Heather Knight spent her college years building robots. An electrical engineer and robot scientist, Knight first became infatuated with robots while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Robotics interests me because making robots that can successfully interact with people requires understanding ourselves,” Knight said. “In college, those robots had character and that’s been something I’ve been striving to make sure my machines have ever since.” Over the years, Knight has become interested in social robots that interact with humans. Her goal has been to bridge the gap between humans and robots by allowing her machines to interact with humans in a new way. Knight has created a new form of comedy through her social and intelligent robot, Data. They’ve come to town to present the first robotic comedy team to ever perform at South By Southwest. “Data is a rising robot celebrity and performer,” Knight said. “As an electrical engineer by training, I like to give robots sensors to understand what’s happening with their interaction partners, which turns out to be especially useful for stand-up comedy.” Being a social robot, Data is an autonomous being that interacts with humans by following rules. Knight said humor and comedic settings are ideal for a social robot to learn. “Humor is one of the most human attributes we have. When you are learning a new language, understanding why a joke is funny is often a good measure of your cultural fluency,” Knight said. “I wanted to put a robot onstage in a context where it could learn from the
audience. Humor fit the bill as the audience has detectable and frequent reactions to short and long material, so it’s a perfect space for robots to learn.” Economics sophomore Robert Leung said Knight’s exploration with Data and robot technology plays an important role in the future of science. “She is merging art and technology in order to understand how robots and humans can interact,” Leung said. “A robot with artificial intelligence that can create emotions among humans is very powerful. I think this is important for the future of society because technology is only going to get more advanced.” As robotics is a rapidly growing field and an improving art, Knight said it requires a surplus of academic knowledge in diverse fields. “Technology makes us have superhuman capabilities and robotics is inherently interdisciplinary,” Knight said. “At minimum you have to know a little about mechanical engineering, design, programming and electronics, but anytime you want to make robots do anything, you have to learn about the application context. For me, that context has mainly been humanity.” That a comedy show performed by a nonhuman object that can evoke laughter from a human audience is what fascinates people. “The whole psychology behind robots — the idea that we create something to stimulate thought, emotion, humanity — is really interesting to me,” psychology senior Ellie Fogleman said. “I’m not sure if there are other events like this, but I hope there are. It’s an area of study that I’m sure will continue to grow as technology advances.” Knight is performing with Data at two events during SXSW. During her first panel, “Comedy Tech,” Knight will attempt to show audiences the
Photos courtesy of Heather Knight In the first ever robot comedy show to come to SXSW, Heather Knight and her robot, Data, will be performing as a comedy team on March 9 and 10.
connection between humor and robotics and the way they present themselves together through social media platforms such as Reddit, Tumblr and others. Given that technology is constantly growing and comedy is such a relatable medium to reach out to people, Leung said Knight’s shows will be worth seeing. “I believe the nature of this
robotic comedy event will be very different from the other events going on at SXSW Interactive,” Leung said. “Many technology companies will be showcasing the latest app or website, but I don’t think many will be showing off something tangible, like a robot, that can help create laughter among people in the audience. I’d definitely like to go.”
COMEDY TECH Where: Austin Convention Center, Room 18ABCD When: Saturday, March 9, 3:30 p.m. Website: schedule.sxsw.com/2013/events/event_IAP6663
CHARISMATIC MACHINES AND ROBOT COMEDY Where: Austin Convention Center, Next Stage EH 3/4 When: Sunday, March 10, 5:00 p.m Website: schedule.sxsw.com/2013/events/event_OE01919
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Not a fan of music or films?
SXSW offers technology events South By Southwest gets most of its publicity for concerts and big bands, but there is plenty to do at SXSW for those more interested in technology than music or film. The Daily Texan compiled a list of some interesting events for the tech-savvy and innovation-interested. Interact with NASA at the James Webb Telescope Exhibit and See Hubble’s Space Successor The Hubble Telescope will soon be phased out by its successor, the James Webb Telescope. This exclusive event offers those who are scientifically inclined the chance to gain a closer look at a model of the new telescope and hear from NASA scientists. Boasting technology that is 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the James Webb Telescope will orbit the Earth’s moon and capture more detailed and distant images of the universe.
Designing Games for Realism: What’s Real Enough? Although many video game developers aim for ultra-realistic simulation technology, this doesn’t always draw in consumers. Instead, perceived realism is more important and can help game developers save money and generate a better user-experience for their audience. “Designing Games for Realism” will examine how to immerse players into more exciting, surprising game environments.
Badge requirement: None Where: Long Center When: Friday, March 8 from 12 to 11 p.m. — Stuart Railey
Badge requirement: None Where: Palmer Events Center When: Sunday, March 10 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Future of Technology Between Artist and Audience: Real Time Sensors and Beyond Biosensors that measure a crowd’s average heart rate and use facial-recognition software to measure emotions so that a live concert can be even more awesome? It may sound crazy, but that technology is already under development. A panel of hosts, including DJ Spooky, will share ideas about how the future of live performances may be forever altered by realtime, audience-generated information. Badge requirement: Music Badge, Platinum Badge or Artist Wristband Where: Austin Convention Center
Virtual 2Pac: Setting the Stage for a New Form of Entertainment Remember last year when a hologram of Tupac appeared next to Snoop Dogg at Coachella went viral on the internet? Well now is your chance to get a better understanding of how this digital feat was made possible by Digital Domain, the creator of the virtual rap-star and what the implications this technology holds for the future. Apparently, Elvis Presley is their next target.
Addicted to Mobile, the New Cigarette Are we slowly becoming slaves to our technology habits? Or are we simply on the verge of a massive cultural change? These questions will be answered at the “Addicted to Mobile, the New Cigarette” event hosted by Doug Grinspan and Jeremiah Zinn. As two mobile-company executives, Grinspan and Zinn will discuss how the mobile technology platform is quickly converging on the qualities of PCs and televisions. Badge requirement: Interactive Badge, Gold Badge or Platinum Badge. Where: Hyatt Regency Austin When: Monday, March 11 from 5 to 6 p.m.
Badge requirement: Music Badge, Platinum Badge or Artist Wristband. Where: Austin Convention Center When: Tuesday, March 12 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
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BEST DRESSED FOR SXSW South By Southwest heralds the beginning of springtime in Austin. The Daily Texan has put together some suggestions for how to look your best, regardless of whether you’re dancing, head-banging or twerking. By Stephanie Robalino | Photos by Pearce Murphy
WEDNESDAY MARCH 13
Give your outfit a rocker vibe with shredded denim, a vintage tank and leather jacket. Since March in Austin can get a bit chilly, keep your legs warm with a pair of over-the-knee socks. Recommended Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (NPR Showcase) 7:45-9 p.m. Stubb’s
THURSDAY MARCH 14
FRIDAY MARCH 15
Be boho-chic. A floral print dress that has a Bohemian vibe is a must for SXSW. Finish the look with sheer tights and combat boots to add some edge.
Studs are all the rage these days. Pair colored cutoff jean shorts with a feminine round collar top and over-the-knee stockings to keep it cute and low-key.
Recommended Alt-J 11:10-11:50 p.m. The Belmont
Recommended Waterloo Records Day Party 12-6 p.m. Waterloo Records
SATURDAY MARCH 16
Liven up a monochromatic palette with a pop of color to your collar. Paired with high-waisted skinny jeans and a slouchy beanie, it can easily transition into a perfect nighttime look. A cross-body purse is both stylish and essential. Recommended Burgermania II (Burger Records party) 12 p.m.-2 a.m. Hotel Vegas
SUNDAY MARCH 17
Take a style cue from the guys with an oversize denim shirt. Give it a girly twist with a ‘70s-style miniskirt and bright floral scarf. Fix your hair into a loose topknot to make it extra fun. Recommended Brunch probably, and lots of coffee to nurse a week’s worth of hangovers.
FOR THE GUYS
Skinny jeans, T-shirt, denim. Chances are, if you’re a guy in Austin, you’ll probably dress like this no matter where you go. Recommended Nerd panels, the Flaming Lips, a dark movie theater or Justin Timberlake’s secret party.
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Competition to explore limits of food smoking techniques By Jourden Sander In the South By Southwest food smoking competition, The Austin Smoke Experiment, hosted by the Brooklyn Brewery, Austinites are encouraged to test their cooking chops by exploring the limits of smoking. “Contestants can smoke anything and everything. In addition to brisket and chicken, we have people smoking chocolate, chowder, lamb, cherries and pork belly,” said Theo Peck, co-founder of the Food Experiments, which are held annually in different cities around the country. On March 10, the Brooklyn Brewery is bringing the
Food Experiments back to Austin for the third year in a row. Nick Suarez, co-founder of the Food Experiments, said Austin offers a variety of food that is different from other cities’. “It’s an amazing city. It’s young, full of energy, has exciting, creative and unique food, all while still retaining its Texas attitude,” Suarez said. “Year after year, we return to Austin and are always excited about its local culinary heritages. It’s always a pleasure eating some of the best smoked meat in the world.” Claudia Alarcon, a returning judge for The Austin Smoke Experiment, said Austin has such delicious food thanks to the growing
diversity of Austin chefs. “The Food Experiments are a super fun way to challenge regular home cooks to come up with extraordinary dishes,” Alarcon said. “It’s always great to see how diverse and well-thought out the dishes are.” Peck said this challenging aspect of the experiments is what makes them special. He anticipates Austin contestants will play and experiment with the smoked food. “Anyone who thinks Austin is only about BBQ, tacos and trucks is missing the totality of the food scene,” Peck said. “There is so much great food to discover that we can keep coming back for three more years, at least, and still
Photo courtesy of Nick Suarez For the third year in a row, the Brooklyn Brewery will be hosting The Austin Smoke Experiment. Ice cream, vegetables, chicken—it’s all smoked.
cannot cover it all.” Stacy Franklin, co-owner of Franklin’s Barbecue and a judge at The Austin Smoke Experiment, said she is
looking for creative chefs and well-cooked foods in the competing dishes. “Taste is the most important thing to me. Smoky
meats should be tender, and fats should be rendered,” Franklin said. “I’m also
SMOKE continues on page 19
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Family to host Chaos cooks Austin kitchen becomes available for strangers to gather, cook meals By Willa Young During South By Southwest, tourists crowd every restaurant in Austin in search of sustenance. Every bar, dive, diner and grill bursts at the seams. As a result, a new kind of eating experience has arrived just in time for SXSW. It’s called Chaos Cooking. Chaos Cooking events are relatively simple. A family opens up its home to 100-plus strangers who prepare one course in whatever working space they can find in the house. Once the cooking is done, every guest is welcome to dig into whatever they please. It is a 100-course meal, free of charge. Basically, it is eating out by eating in. The first Chaos Cooking event was held in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a birthday celebration in December 2009. The host, Joe Che, wanted to revamp the warm, homey feeling created when family and friends come together to eat for the holidays. It was an instant success and now Chaos Cooking parties are hosted nationwide. “At the first event there were 18 of our closest friends in our small Brooklyn kitchen, and it felt and smelled like I was home for the holidays,” Che said in a press release. “I had no idea that it was going to grow into its own community, but it just took wings of its own.” The Brooklyn Brewery is set to host a marketing event for SXSW called The
Austin Mash. The Austin Mash is a five-day affair starting March 6, and its first event is a Chaos Cooking meal. They are keeping the location a complete secret until right before the dinner. Then they will let strangers go wild with food in one small home. The Austin Mash is just one of many stops around the country for the Brooklyn Brewery. The profits of the events will benefit Slow Food USA, an organization that promotes sustainable food awareness and small, local farming worldwide. According to its website, Slow Food USA is against the “industrialization of food and the standardization of taste.” “We’re absolutely delighted to have the support of the Brooklyn Brewery as it launches its Mash tour,” said Richard McCarthy, executive director of Slow Food USA, in a press release. “Brooklyn Brewmaster Garrett Oliver has been a Slow Food supporter for a long time and we’re looking forward to the celebrations in the various local communities.” Journalism freshman Erin Hopkins is planning on attending SXSW, but does not think she will ever participate in Chaos Cooking. “Honestly, it sounds like ‘The Real World: Kitchen Edition,’” Hopkins said, “One hundred strangers randomly cooking together in someone’s home seems bizarre to me.” For some, Chaos Cooking
Photo courtesy of Chaos Cooking Chaos Cooking involves over more than strangers cooking together in one home and enjoying the results. Events like these are increasing in popularity at SXSW.
DISHES FOR CHAOS COOKING: KEEP IT SIMPLE
Honestly, it sounds like ‘The Real World: Kitchen Edition.’ One hundred strangers randomly cooking together in someone’s home seems bizarre to me. — Erin Hopkins, journalism freshman
is an interesting way to make friends and eat for free. For others, it’s downright crazy and mildly frightening. SXSW is nothing if not chaotic. It seems only fitting that the cooking is deranged as well.
Appetizer: Pizza rolls What you’ll need: Pizza dough, tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, toppings of choice (pepperoni, peppers, sausage, etc.), one rolling pin, one cutting board and a 9x13 casserole dish Soup: Corn chowder What you’ll need: Onions, celery, frozen corn, Yukon Gold potatoes, bacon, milk, chicken or vegetable broth, flour, butter, salt, pepper, one large soup pot, a chef’s knife and a cutting board Salad: Caprese What you’ll need: Tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, a chef’s knife, a cutting board and a large plate for serving Entree: Pot roast What you’ll need: Beef chuck roast, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, olive oil, red wine, beef broth, canned tomatoes, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, a slow cooker, a cutting board and a chef’s knife Dessert: Berry crisp What you’ll need: Frozen mixed berries, sugar, cornstarch, flour, chopped nuts, gingersnap cookies, unsalted butter, a mixing bowl, a mixing spoon and a round ceramic ramekin
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Musical group dedicates third of tours to bike travel By Hannah Smothers While a common goal for most musicians is to achieve a notability that requires owning a touring van, Ben Sollee’s preferred method of transportation while on tour is his bicycle. It would not be unusual to see the Kentucky-born musician traveling the countryside with his cello strapped to his bike and his band, gear and all, in tow. The group has gotten in the habit of dedicating a third of its tours to bike travel, ditching the van for a few
days for more spacious travel accommodations. “You go out and spend three times the amount of time on the road to make half the money,” Sollee said. “But at the end of the day, you’ve created these relationships with these communities that seem to be much more intimate.” Sollee’s penchant for longdistance bike travel is just one of many charms left over from a childhood spent growing up in the slow-paced mountain town of Louisville, Ky. His Appalachian drawl and friendly demeanor still remain, along with a deep concern for the
livelihood of the mountains and forests he calls home. With lyrics that commonly touch on nature and environmental issues, Sollee’s distaste for harsh environmental practices is clearly displayed through his music. “I try to be very honest in it. The things I care about as a person come out in the music,” Sollee said. “I don’t think you can separate those two things — the land and the people. They affect each other so intimately.” Sollee’s temporary abandonment of the van for the bicycle is his way of not only
helping the environment, but also connecting with the land he so often passes right by and the people he spends his nights performing for. “I would love one day to just do all my touring on bicycle,” Sollee said. “Something about the pace of that tour and the way I connected with the community really resonated with me.” Another piece of Kentucky that Sollee keeps close is his drummer, Jordon Ellis. The bandmates met in high school in the Kentucky AllState jazz ensemble. “I was the drummer, and
Ben had blind-auditioned his way into the bass spot with his five-string cello, which soon turned into a fourstring electric fretted bass after the director had a look at the ‘cello thingy,’” Ellis said. “Poor Ben had to learn how to play electric bass in three days for the concert.” Sollee and Ellis reunited for the first time since their high school All-State jazz ensemble days three-anda-half years ago and have been playing and touring together ever since, even biking alongside each other with a small trailer to carry Ellis’
drum kit. Had the violin or viola been Sollee’s instrument of choice, touring by bike might have been much easier, but he has been playing cello ever since he picked the instrument up in elementary school. “I stuck with the cello because it was such a utilitarian instrument,” Sollee said. “There was something about the sound and the variation of sounds I could create.” Although Sollee will not be biking to Austin, he and his cello will be making yet another South By Southwest appearance at this year’s festival.
Photos courtesy of Tin Ear Productions Ben Sollee spends a third of each tour traveling with his cello strapped onto his Xtracycle, a bicycle designed for carrying heavy loads. He is originally from the mountains of Lexington, Kentucky, but influences from all over the country can be heard in his genre-bending, cello-based music.
BEN SOLLEE When: Wednesday, March 13 Time: Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Where: The Parish Age Policy: All ages SXSW Badge Required
13 Friday, march 8, 2013
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Finding your rhythm at SXSW With so many artists coming, it’s easy to lose yourself in the music. This year’s South By Southwest hip-hop lineup offers both legendary emcees and youngblood up-and-comers, offering something for everyone. The Daily Texan lists the top 10 for your convenience. By Shane Miller
MC Lars Tuesday, March 12, Flamingo Cantina, 1:10-2 a.m. MC Lars is a nerdy dude who, instead of rapping about drugs or sex, shows an appreciation for English literature. He graduated from Stanford University with an English degree and studied abroad at the University of Oxford. His 2012 Edgar Allan Poe EP reflects his love for the language, like “Flow Like Poe”’s chorus, “I’m going hard on that tetrameter.” Hopsin Wednesday, March 13, Antone’s, 10-10:40 p.m. Hopsin self-produces much of his alternative hip-hop releases. With clever wordplay, he frequently disses mainstream rappers like Tyler, the Creator; Drake; and Soulja Boy for being bad influences on modern youth. His rhymes criticize underage drinking, dropping out of school and the hip-hop industry as a whole. Dead Prez Wednesday, March 13, Antone’s, 11-11:40 p.m. For the more politically inclined, Dead Prez offers critical social commentary. The hip-hop duo, made up of stic.man and M-1, often critique white racism, the prison-industrial complex and the public school system. In 2008, at one of their performances at The Evergreen State College in Washington, a riot ensued and ended with the flipping of a police car. Slim Thug Wednesday, March 13, The Main, 1:20-2 a.m. Slim Thug shows why Houston is still the third rap capital of the US, behind New York and California. Although his lyrics are particularly uninspiring, his deep, relaxed flow makes for a good time. YelaWolf Thursday, March 14, Club de Ville, TBA YelaWolf looks to make up for last year’s SXSW, when he had to cancel his performance because of a ruptured spleen. The heavily tattooed Alabama rapper is known for his extremely fast flow and semi-redneck subject matter, typified on his 2010 single “Pop the Trunk.” The show is scheduled as “Yelawolf
with Special Guests,” so maybe he’ll be joined onstage by some big names. Killer Mike Thursday, March 14, Bar 96, 12:30-1:30 a.m. After winning a Grammy with fellow Atlanta group OutKast in 2003 for “The Whole World,” last year’s R.A.P Music took Killer Mike to the next level. He’s easily one of the most interesting rappers of 2013, offering a mixture of exciting gangster rap and thoughtprovoking political commentary. RZA Thursday, March 14, Scoot Inn, 1:15-2 a.m. As the leader and producer of the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA needs no introduction. Like most Wu-Tang solo performances, RZA is likely to select individual verses from Wu-Tang Clan releases while interspersing songs from his solo career as Bobby Digital. Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era Thursday, March 14, The North Door, 1:20-2 a.m. Friday, March 15, Lucille, TBA The 18-year-old Brooklyn native was signed to Cinematic Music Group at age 15 for his freestyling techniques. Last year, Bada$$ released two mixtapes, 1999 and Rejex, to critical acclaim. Inspired by fellow East Coast rap acts the Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep, Bada$$’s lyrics portray a young mind growing up in a bleak inner city over New York-style minimalist beats. Talib Kweli Friday, March 15, Empire Control Room, TBA The Pandora Porch, 12-1 a.m. Saturday, March 16, Haven, 1-2 a.m. Kweli is often regarded as one of the best rap artists of our time, along with frequent collaborator Mos Def. His music features jazz and soul influences, and his lyrics frequently deal with philosophical issues and how they apply to modern-day black society. Z-Ro Saturday, March 16, The Main, 1:10-2 a.m. Rounding out this year’s Houston presence
Photo courtesy of talibkweli.com Acclaimed New York rapper Talib Kweli will play three shows for this year’s SXSW.
is Z-Ro, a rapper known for his deep voice, singing and hood rep. He’s released an incredible 16 albums and 13 mixtapes since 1999. Z-ro typifies the Dirty South movement with a slow vocal delivery and often reminisces about deceased fellow Houston rappers Pimp C and DJ Screw.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Pharcyde: Saturday, March 16, Club de Ville, 1:15-2:00 a.m. Big K.R.I.T.: Friday, March 15, FADER Fort, 3:45 PM Chief Keef: Saturday, March 16, 1100 Warehouse, 10:35-10:55 p.m. RiFF RaFF: Friday, March 15, Scoot Inn, 10:15-10:45 p.m. Trinidad James: Friday, March 15, Suite 101, 1:30-2:00 a.m.
Photo courtesy of talibkweli.com Yelawolf will grace Austin with his wild stage presence and tattoos on Thursday, March 14th.
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friday, march 8, 2013
Punk band’s rollicking tour winds into Austin By Shane Miller During most months of the year, The Sideshow Tragedy can be found driving its van across the country, exporting Austin’s blues rock music style in hopes of converting new ears into fans of Texas rock. The band’s strong work ethic is evenly shared between the band members — a 50-50 split. “We don’t usually ever do this,” Jeremy Harrell said on the telephone while leaving Austin to play a single show at Fred’s Texas Cafe in Fort Worth. “It’s a good gig, though.” With a background in punk rock, the band diverts its aggression from music into a relentless touring schedule.
Nathan Singleton’s bottleneck slide on his resonator guitar produces a furious, metallic roar while Harrell’s heavy, syncopated drums soak up any excess space. Even though The Sideshow Tragedy is only a two-piece band, it makes more noise than bands with more members. The duo consolidates punk aggression with a lifelong appreciation for blues, resulting in authentic Texas rock that will be showcased Tuesday, March 12 at Headhunters Patio. After experimenting with several bass players during their decade-long partnership, a reverence for simplicity brought them back to the pair’s original solidarity. “There’s definitely some sort of unspoken connection
between us, and that’s why this thing works so well,” Harrell said. “It’s like we’ve been married for a long time.” Last year the band put out its fourth record, Persona, and extended its heavy touring schedule to Belgium. “Everything’s real close together over there. It’s easier to get around,” Singleton said. “In the U.S. there’s so much space between cities.” They’ve played in every state in the continental U.S., minus the elusive Dakotas and Maine. “I will spend all of my time playing music and I don’t know why. It’s just rad, man,” Singleton said. “I’ve never thought about doing anything else.” Singleton said that an appreciation for musicians like The Rolling Stones and Jimi
Hendrix inspired him as an 11-year-old to create music. While listening to Persona, it seems that these artists are still just as influential on the band’s sound. The jumpy energy of the Stones circa Exile on Main St. and Hendrix’s heavily distorted guitar tones play large roles in crafting The Sideshow Tragedy’s gritty feel. There’s also some early Zeppelin in the mix, which is made possible by Singleton’s impressive ability to multitask. He plays spacious rock ’n’ blues riffs reminiscent of a young Jimmy Page while simultaneously invoking trebly, Robert Plant-ish wails. His mastery of the guitar renders
any other instrumentation irrelevant and unnecessary, excluding Harrell’s irreplaceable rhythms. What could become boring because of a lack of other instruments is, instead, refreshingly straightforward and diverse. Although they’ve played unofficial South by Southwest events for years, this is Harrell and Singleton’s first year as an official band. While it will be their first official performance, an entertaining performance can be guaranteed. They’ll probably play a slew of newer material from Persona, supplemented with live staples like traveling blues anthem “A Pint
THE SIDESHOW TRAGEDY When: Tuesday, March 12, 11:00-1:40 Where: Headhunters Patio, with Amplified Heat, 720 Red River St. of Whiskey And a Pound of Grace,” from 2008’s Itinerant Youth, and, if lucky, older material like “Fishing Song,” from 2007’s Borrowed Guitars, Unwound Hearts and Broken Strings. The chaotic live energy of The Sideshow Tragedy will probably overshadow the night’s main event. Austin duo The Sideshow Tragedy plays unapologetic blues rock.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Dorsett
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15 Austin alternative rockers Alpha Rev will play three SXSW shows before beginning their tour in support of their new album Bloom.
Photo courtesy of Darin Back
Local band preps for SXSW exposé By Shane Miller “Sing Loud,” the lead single from Alpha Rev’s upcoming third album Bloom, is competing with the likes of Alabama Shakes and Of Monsters and Men on the Adult Album Alternative rock charts. The Daily Texan sat down with Alpha Rev front man Casey McPherson and talked South By Southwest, Beach House and Dream Theater. The Daily Texan: Why do you call yourself Alpha Rev? Casey McPherson: Because it’s hard to find a dot com that hasn’t been taken. Alpha Rev is a Greek/Latin derivative — alpha being one, rev being a great prefix — revolve, revolt, revelation, revive: its the beginning of change. DT: How would you describe your sound to a new set of ears? McPherson: With this record there’s some folk influences, bold American country like Tom Petty Jackson Browne kind of stuff. And then there’s the more kind of old Radiohead, Keane, Coldplay vocal stuff. More Beatles kind of thing going. Lot of different styles. DT: What do you think set you apart from local
ALPHA REV Tuesday, March 19 at Waterloo Records Friday, March 22 at The Belmont No badge required Austin bands that didn’t go anywhere? McPherson: Work ethic. It’s just like anything else if you’re going to start your own project, whether you’re an artist or a business owner. You can have an inherited gift or wealthy parents, there’s always varying degrees of what you have to work with, but at the end of the day you have to want to do it and be willing to put in enough work. I didn’t have wealthy parents, but I had a gift for music. It’s taken a lot of hard work, tons of rehearsing, and you’ve got to wear a bunch of hats at once. DT: How is Bloom different from your previous records? McPherson: A lot of it was recorded live, so there wasn’t any editing or tuning. A lot of what we did was all together at the same time. Lyrically it’s more mature, musically it’s more diverse. Lots of different styles. DT: Have you ever heard of a band called Beach House? McPherson: You know, the week before we finished
the record, someone told me Beach House had an album called Bloom. I thought about changing ours to Blume but it just didn’t look right. DT: Why do you have so many former members? McPherson: Well, Alpha Rev is more of a collective. The only constant member of the band is me. I write all of the music; sometimes some of the guys will throw in an idea. In terms of band management and updating Twitter, Facebook, ordering CDs, I do a lot of that myself. You gotta do what needs to get done to keep moving forward. DT: As a band that’s originally from Austin, what’s it like to compete against the influx of foreign bands during SXSW? McPherson: Well it’s not really a competition, it’s more of an expose. If you go to a conference and walk down the booths, it’s a great place to expose your music to people in the industry. It’s not a place to
ALPHA continues on page 27
FREE
HOW TO DO SXSW FOR
By Hannah Smothers
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1. Rock On Foundation Presents Sneakers and Speakers Day Party at Club Deville, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sneakers and Speakers benefit concerts have been occurring in New Hampshire since 2007, but this year is the first South By Southwest appearance. Club Deville will be serving free cocktails, beer and samples of Rudy’s barbecue, and although an RSVP is required, it does not guarantee admission. Be sure to arrive early to secure a spot in time for acoustic-folk singer Dallas Green’s set.
1. Texas Is Funny // Flannel Girl Records SXSW Label Showcase at Wardenclyffe, 3 p.m.-12:15 a.m. The Flannel Girl Records showcase at this year’s SXSW does not necessarily boast any bands worth seeing, but to make up for what is lacking in the lineup, they’re offering free Lonestars, PBRs and tequila for the over 21 crowd. Don’t worry, minors, free Freebirds will also be supplied.
2. Waterloo Records SXSW 2013 Day Party at Waterloo Records parking lot, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Waterloo is filling its parking lot with an array of top acts this South By. Macklemore will be in town, most likely singing about second-hand shopping, and ACL veterans Tegan & Sara return to supply a fresh batch of punky girl rock. We recommend arriving in time to catch twenty | one | pilots’ electronic pop set. 3. BTRtoday Presents South X East X West Spring Bash at The Liberty, 12 p.m.-6:45 p.m. BreakThru Radio is taking over The Liberty on Wednesday afternoon to supply a diverse and wide-ranging set of bands from Yip Deceiver, which houses members of Of Montreal, to Portland-based Radiation City. Local artist Dana Falconberry is also making one of many SXSW appearances. 4. Class Nude Presents Sad Boys’ Bridal Club SXSW 2013 Showcase at 1105 1/2 Tillery Street, 12:30 p.m.-7:15 p.m. If enticing band titles like Slutever and Glass Pennies aren’t enough to bring a small crowd to the Sad Boys’ Bridal Club showcase, the free beer should do the trick. Junk-pop band Squarehead is traveling all the way from Dublin to play a free show and is worth checking out. 5. KEXP at SXSW 2013 at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Seattle-based radio station KEXP is doing a series of live broadcasts again this year from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop throughout SXSW. This is the best show for under21s to catch an Unknown Mortal Orchestra set all week.
2. The Pitchfork Day Party at 1100 Warehouse, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Pitchfork’s day party lineup is so good it’s actually a problem. The 1100 Warehouse is suited up with both an indoor and an outdoor stage, and the sets will have audience members running back and forth all afternoon. Dream-pop group Youth Lagoon and synth-pop group Toro Y Moi will be fighting for audience members as they simultaneously play songs from their new albums on both stages. 3. Waterloo Records SXSW 2013 Day Party at Waterloo Records parking lot, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. The second day of the Waterloo Records Day Parties boasts another lineup of impressive groups like alternative-rock band The Joy Formidable. If you want a trip back to your freshman year of high school, consider stopping by for The Airborne Toxic Event’s set. 4. American Rag Presents Filter Magazine’s Showdown at Cedar Street at Cedar Street Courtyard, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Filter Magazine is busy this SXSW hosting a myriad of RSVP only, 21 and up shows with preference given to badge holders. The lineups, however, are not to be topped and it’s definitely worth a shot to try and make it inside to catch indie-rock group Local Natives’ set. 5. Filter and Dr. Martens Present Rainey 2013 SXSW Showcase at Bar 96, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Filter Magazine’s SXSW sets are all well stacked, and this show is no exception. Once again, an RSVP is required. We recommend stopping by in time to see indierock group Surfer Blood.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1. Waterloo Records SXSW 2013 Day Party at Waterloo Records parking lot, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. At Waterloo’s Friday set, indie-rock group Alt-J will be entertaining the parking lot crowd. Frightened Rabbit is also making one of many SXSW appearances here.
1. Waterloo Records SXSW 2013 Day Party at Waterloo Records parking lot, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. For Waterloo’s final day party, rock band The Zombies are stopping by the parking lot to entertain SXSW crowds. Other bands playing include Ra Ra Riot and Dawes.
2. Noise Pop & Another Planet Entertainment present After the Gold Rush at Red Eyed Fly, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. The lineup for After the Gold Rush’s showcase is so good that it has drawn over 18,000 RSVPs already. Unfortunately, there’s not enough room in the Red Eyed Fly to accommodate 18,000 people, so those hoping to get in should arrive well in advance. Some of the bands drawing so many hopeful audience members are indie-pop group Cavemen and dream-pop group Youth Lagoon.
2. Ground Control Touring SXSW Day Party at Beerland, 12:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m. The line outside Beerland will be long, but it’s definitely worth the wait to get a spot in time to catch the lineup. We recommend stopping by to see a set by rock band Spider Bags.
3. Side One Track & Pop Press International Present DC vs. Austin at Sidebar, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. It’s a Washington, D.C., versus Austin showdown showcase. D.C. bands will face-off against local bands, and the presence of free beer should ensure things will get messy. One artist representing Austin is local indie artist Dana Falconberry. 4. Music By The Slice at Home Slice Pizza, 1 p.m.-8 p.m. If you can endure the lines, grab a slice of pizza while enjoying the well-stacked line-up at the 8th annual Music by the Slice showcase at Home Slice Pizza. The solid lineup, including the feel-good folk band Seryn, offers a less crowded alternative for those hoping to avoid the Auditorium Shores mayhem. 5. SXSW at Auditorium Shores, gates at 3:30 p.m. SXSW must have blown the entire free show budget on Friday night’s Auditorium Shores performance because it’s really the only one worth attending. The Flaming Lips are making a highly anticipated SXSW return and Jim James of My Morning Jacket will also be in attendance.
Illustration by John Massingill & Stephanie Vanicek | Daily Texan Staff
CHAZ BUNDICK, OF TORO Y MOI / Photo courtesy of Car Park Records
3. March Into Softness at The Mohawk, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. The A.V. Club and Flowerbooking managed to snag Frightened Rabbit one more time before the band heads out of Austin, as well as Baths and local band Balmorhea. If you’ve managed to miss Frightened Rabbit all week, this is a great chance to catch them. 4. South By San Jose 2013 at the parking lot between Hotel San Jose and Jo’s Coffee, 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Jo’s Coffee and Hotel San Jose are putting on four days of SXSW day parties, but Saturday’s lineup is the only one that’s worthwhile, mostly because Dawes is closing out the set. You can afford to avoid the parking lot between Hotel San Jose and Jo’s Coffee until Saturday night. 5. Do512 and Shiner Present The Big One 2013 at 1100 Warehouse, 11 a.m. It wouldn’t be SXSW without an appearance from The Polyphonic Spree. The Dallas-based army of musicians always manages to entertain and if you’re over 21 and remember to RSVP you should put seeing this band at the top of your priority list.
THE FLAMING LIPS / Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Records
DAWES / Photo courtesy of Big Hassle Publicity
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friday, march 8, 2013
Extra visibility a boon for startups By Stuart Railey Looking out over downtown Austin’s skyline from the top of the Omni Hotel, the Capital Factory office space is populated with plush beanbag chairs, endless desk space and 85 tech startups. From mobile email apps to weather-tracking software, these companies create technology solutions for other businesses and general consumers alike. As a local “tech incubator,” Capital Factory sells the resources and mentoring services necessary for small businesses to develop their products. For many startups, South By Southwest is a chance to catch the eye of potential investors and attract new customers. In pitch events like the SXSW Startup Accelerator, companies will pitch their product ideas to audience members in hopes of attracting angel investors to help launch their businesses. When Josh Baer first attended the festival five years ago, the SXSW Startup Accelerator was the only pitch event available to entrepreneurs. The popularity of these programs has since grown, and now, as the managing director of Capital Factory, Baer is hosting his own event on Friday, March 8. He also noted that the Startup Accelerator is a bit of a misnomer. “The most popular use of that word … is an intense program that helps ‘accelerate’ a startup over a period of time with mentoring and with some funding, usually culminating in a demo day,” Baer said. “The SXSW Accelerator … is only a pitch competition.” The “Startup Village,” a small section of downtown Austin dedicated to startup events like Capital Factory’s,
Charlie Pearce | Daily Texan Staff Taskbox founder Andrew Eye, developers Ian Ragsdale, Kris Wong and Ed Burns, and communication manager Jessica Stough are the minds behind the social task management app. Co-founder Adam Cianfichi is not pictured.
will center on the Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom, which can hold more than 1,000 people at a time. The big feature of Capital Factory’s event is the “Move Your Startup to Austin” competition, where six startups from around the world will pitch their product ideas to a panel of judges and investors. Companies from as far away as India will compete for a hefty prize that is aimed at bringing more tech startups to the Austin area. “The prize is worth more than $100,000. We’ve got a
$35,000 actual cash investment, but also a house to live in, office space, groceries, server hosting. There’s a whole ton of stuff we’re giving them,” Baer said. Although Capital Factory’s event will only last one day during SXSW, the company’s downtown office will serve as a VIP lounge for the remainder of the festival. Invited guests will be able to hold meetings, use the Internet and enjoy the view from the top of the Omni Hotel. SXSW’s marketing department anticipates that about
65,000 people will attend the Trade Show exhibit, a portion of the festival dedicated to business promotion. One of the six local startup companies that will be featured by Capital Factory at SXSW is Taskbox, a company that has designed a more mobile-friendly email app for the iPhone. Andrew Eye, the CEO and founder of Taskbox Mail, said that this is his third startup. “We started this [company] up in June of last year,” Eye said. “What we’re focused on is helping people
with email while they’re on the go. So this past year, for the first time in history, mobile email opens exceeded desktop email opens; people now read more email on their smartphones than they do at their desks.” The mobile application, which is currently available on the iTunes App Store, helps users navigate and prioritize a high volume of emails. According to Eye, the app requires fewer gestures and is easier to view on the iPhone than the standard mail app. Eye’s Austin-based company
TASKBOX MAIL APP Buy at: iTunes App Store Cost: $2.99 is excited to use SXSW as a way to promote its product and gauge customer satisfaction. “We’re launching our 2.0 version of the application, so we’re really excited about the fact that the world comes to Austin for South By,” Eye said. “Getting to see how people react to our latest product release, I’d say that’s at the top of our minds.”
19 Friday, march 8, 2013
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YouTube series creator to co-present panel By Juhie Modi
need tickets to go.
The Daily Texan sat down with UT alumnus Burnie Burns, who is the founder of Rooster Teeth, one of the 15 most viewed YouTube channels. The channel has a near cult following of video gamers, but it is most known for its series “Red vs. Blue.” Burnie will appear alongside Machinima Network and BlackBox TV for “Blood, Sweat, and Online Videos: How to Achieve the Digital Dream,” a panel about how to achieve digital success. The Daily Texan: Tell me a little bit about what you’re expecting at the panel at South By Southwest. Burnie Burns: A big part of SXSW is that it’s interactive, and it does have educational purposes. It’s a conference that covers a lot of territory. Just staying interactive, you’ll go to one panel and see someone who’s talking to people who trade crochet patterns, and you’ll go to the next and it’s about how to be a Facebook competitor. So you know, we want to make sure that online video in particular is represented there because it’s a growing industry. And we want to give people some headway. I’m especially happy that we’re part of a panel at SXSW that’s free, so you don’t
SMOKE
DT: Why do you think “Red vs. Blue” was so famous? Burns: Well, I think one of a few things was that the timing was good. Back then there wasn’t a lot of web content that was online. In fact, when we first started we had to educate people that there’s a video this week, and guess what? There’s going to be another video next week. But there wasn’t that type of video back then. It was mostly silly, dancing babies and stuff like that. Those things are still around, but they didn’t have the serious content back then. DT: When did you start to realize that it was possible that it could be a job instead of a hobby? Burns: The problem a lot of people have is that they tell you that you can’t monetize video, that you can’t do it online. But we were pretty successful at it right away in 2003. I knew it was going to be a viable project really quickly, but I just didn’t know for how long. So how long was the big question. So that’s why it took me a couple years before I quit my “day job” and dedicated myself full time to making entertainment. DT: Did you have a particular moment when you went,
BLOOD, SWEAT AND ONLINE VIDEOS: HOW TO ACHIEVE THE DIGITAL DREAM Who: Burnie Burns, Machinima and BlackBox TV When: Friday, March 8, 5-5:45 p.m. Where: Palmer Events Center, Exhibit Hall 1, 900 Barton Springs Road “Wow, I’m really lucky to be doing this”? Burns: There was a moment that came really early on, and that’s when we went from 3,000 views on the first video to a quarter of a million views on the second video, and by the end of that first month, we were doing a million views every time we put something online. It was really quickly. DT: Is it hard to come up with so much material so often and stay funny? Burns: It is, but that challenge is part of the fun — trying to keep your feet on the post and trying to stick with characters that people know and love, but still give them fresh material so it doesn’t get stale. And that’s been a lot of fun and a big challenge at work to have 10 years of making this content. DT: Tell me a little bit about your experience at the University of Texas. Burns: The biggest thing about UT is the size of it, right? So sometimes the education that you can achieve is
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interested to see what other foods will be smoked, besides meats. It takes a really special chef to pair different flavors together successfully. I’m really hoping someone makes a crazy smoked dessert.” As well as blending flavors and mixing spices during the experiments, Peck said a good chef is made of other qualities. “Organization, taste, sense
of humor and confidence make the best chefs and the best contestants,” Peck said. In addition to the competing chefs, The Austin Smoke Experiment is open to anyone who wants to taste the smoked foods and watch the culinary glory unfold. Suarez said the winner of the experiment will be the person who creates the
perfect bite utilizing the theme of smoked foods while infusing presentation, taste and creativity in their dish. “The Food Experiments are more than just cook-offs. They’re one part beer-infused competition, one part eating frenzy and three parts crazy culinary showdown,” Suarez said. “But at the end of the day, always the best dish wins.”
well beyond the walls of the classroom. One of the key things that I learned here is that it’s a city unto itself. So just like the real world, there’s a lot of resources at UT that people can find, locate and be successful just by having a little bit of drive and ambition to discover where these things are. Bernie Burns, creator of the animated web series about a civil war, “Red vs. Blue,” stands in the Rooster Teeth offices. Photo by Annie Ray
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SXSW film genres run gamut from Shakespeare to horror
WELCOME UT CLASS OF 2013!
By Alex Williams “Evil Dead” (91 minutes) – Friday, March 8, 9:45 p.m., Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave. South By Southwest’s opening night has always been genre-heavy, and this year they’re coming out swinging with “Evil Dead,” the highly anticipated remake of Sam Raimi’s horror classic. A few blood-soaked trailers make the cabin-inthe-woods tale look bug-nuts insane, with the same aggressively horrific tone Raimi’s film struck so well the first time. If nothing else, this is going to be one of the goriest films ever to screen at the Paramount, and promises to be one of the must-see events of the festival.
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Witch Project”), Gareth Evans (“The Raid: Redemption”) and Adam Wingard (“You’re Next,” also playing at the festival) each contributed segments to the foundfootage horror anthology, and that particular mix of voices and sensibilities is easy to get excited about. “A Teacher” (76 minutes) – Saturday, March 9, 11:15 a.m., Violet Crown, 434 W. Second St. Lindsay Burdge stars as an Austin high school teacher having an affair with one of her students in this well-received Sundance carryover. The film’s material could be presented as pure titillation, but early trailers make it look urgently arresting and show off remarkable focus from writer and director Hannah Fidell. “Much Ado About Nothing” (107 minutes) – Saturday, March 9, 1 p.m., Vimeo Theater, 201 Trinity St. Joss Whedon’s modern take on Shakespeare’s classic manner of comedies brings together the casts of almost everything Whedon’s ever worked on, casting a sense of
playfulness to the delightful “Much Ado About Nothing.” A low-stakes charmer, the film is a faithful adaptation that still manages to surprise thanks to Whedon’s affable love of wordplay and his ruthlessly funny cast’s full-blown commitment to the material. “Some Girl(s)” (89 minutes) – Saturday, March 9, 7 p.m., Topfer Theatre Neil LaBute, adapting from his own play, penned “Some Girl(s),” which stars Adam Brody as a writer whose impending marriage sends him on a tour down memory lane, visiting several of his life’s most significant loves. While the setup isn’t exactly original, LaBute’s acerbic wit and sardonic worldview should lend the film an unexpected edge, and co-starring turns from Kristen Bell, Zoe Kazan and Emily Watson make up an interesting ensemble for Brody to bounce off of. “Before Midnight” (108 minutes) – Saturday, March 9, 9:45 p.m., Paramount Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and
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Celine (Julie Delpy) are the central focus of what may tfulbe the first romantic trilogy ng.”in film history. “Before Midthenight,” the newest installtionment, finds the pair once riseagain wandering a European ablecity, chatting and coming to uth-terms with how their lives ownhave changed since the last ial. film. Writers Hawke and Delpy and director Richard tes)Linklater so fully understand .m.,and embody these characters that a third installment of this romseries is a can’t-miss film. ome dam“Mud” (130 minutes) – Sunday, im-March 10, noon, Paramount him In just three films, Jeff ane,Nichols has practically masife’stered the art of telling stohileries about Southern masnal,culinity, and “Mud” is his sar-most gorgeous work to date, end dge, rom and inody
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21 featuring a marvelous performance from Matthew McConaughey as a fugitive who befriends two young boys. The film has a bafflingly strange slot at the festival, with its only screening taking place at noon the day after daylight saving time kicks in, but it’s well worth getting up early for. It’s one of the only films at SXSW that’s being screened in 35mm, and Nichols’ stunningly beautiful direction demands to be seen on the big screen. “Hours” (97 minutes) – Sunday, March 10, 9 p.m., Topfer Theatre Paul Walker stars as a father forced to keep his newborn’s ventilator powered via a handcrank battery in the midst of Hurricane Katrina. “Hours” has a gripping premise and high stakes, and Walker has surprised us before in this sort of ticking-clock thriller. The film’s trailer promises nonstop
intensity, and should be a great alternative to a cup of coffee for audiences looking for a shot of adrenaline. “Big Ass Spider!” (85 minutes) – Monday, March 11, 11:59 p.m., Alamo Ritz 1, 320 E. Sixth St. SXSW’s midnight slot is notoriously eclectic, but there’s always one title so audacious that you practically have to see it, and this year, “Big Ass Spider!” is that film. When an unusually large spider starts wreaking havoc, it’s up to exterminator Greg Grunberg to save the day. “Big Ass Spider!” looks like an absolute blast, fully embodying the pulpy, schlocky spirit of its midnight movie origins. “Grow Up, Tony Phillips” (90 minutes) – Tuesday, March 12, 7:15 p.m., Vimeo Theater Local director Emily Hagins has made four feature films, and she’s not even old enough to buy beer. Her newest film,
“Grow Up, Tony Phillips,” was funded via Kickstarter, and focuses on a high schooler struggling not to outgrow Halloween, his favorite holiday. Star Tony Vespe has consistently been the funniest part of Hagins’ previous films, and it’s great to see him hoisted into the spotlight for one of the festival’s most interesting homegrown premieres. “Milo” (85 minutes) – Thursday, March 14, 9:45 p.m., Paramount Ken Marino is one of the most underrated funnymen working today, and the very thought of him playing a man who discovers that his intestines are home to a baby demon is funny enough to get me in the theater for “Milo.” Directed by UT alumnus Jacob Vaughan, the film’s impressive cast and hilarious premise should result in one of the festival’s strangest comedies.
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) take another long stroll in “Before Midnight.”
“The East” (116 minutes) – Saturday, March 16, 8:00 p.m., Paramount Zal Batmanglij came to SXSW in 2011 with his debut feature, “Sound of My Voice,” an engaging sci-fi-tinged exploration of group mentality and faith. Collaborator Brit Marling stars once again, this time as a high-level operative sent undercover into an
anarchist group targeting large corporations. The first trailer for the film was unnerving in all the right ways, and Marling’s voice as a writer seems to be getting sharper with every film. SXSW chose this as its Closing Night film, an enormous vote of confidence in one of the most anticipated films of the festival.
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Film traces Green Day’s Broadway idiocy By Willa Young Green Day’s seventh album, American Idiot, was wildly popular, with its brutal messages of American political and social issues. So naturally, Green Day’s leading man, Billie Joe Armstrong, decided to take this album and translate it into a Broadway musical. The musical was obviously flabbergasting to Broadway goers, who were used to tap shoes and cheesy smiles and unrealistic, happy endings. Armstrong decided to film the making of this musical from its earliest origins to Opening Night at the St. James Theatre in New York, and to create a documentary to help audiences understand how this very strange venture came about. The resulting film, “Broadway Idiot,” is to premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival on March 15. “SXSW is the perfect place to premiere ‘Broadway Idiot’ because it combines film with two great music traditions – Punk and Broadway,” director Doug Hamilton said in a press release for “Broadway Idiot.” “The film ultimately is a profile of a famous artist (Billie Joe Armstrong) brave enough to try something completely different.” Punk rock and Broadway are two seemingly conflicting styles. The first is characterized by mean and gritty three-chord songs, using bass, drums and electric guitar to blast a powerful melody. Broadway has a sugary sweet reputation, and often employs pastel costumes, whimsical dance numbers and the occasional love ballad. “I never thought I’d end up doing Broadway,” Arm-
BROADWAY IDIOT Director: Doug Hamilton When: Friday, March 15, 2:45 pm Where: The Paramount Theatre 713 Congress Ave. strong said in the film with a vigorous headshake. Michael Mayer, the musical’s director, was shocked to find himself in this situation as well. “Billie Joe is a punk rocker from the East Bay, workingclass kid. I’m from Rockville, Md., upper-class family and theater geek,” Mayer said in the film. “We have nothing in common. There’s absolutely no reason why this should work.” The musical’s score is composed of every song on American Idiot, plus additional songs written by Armstrong. American Idiot was seen as an anti-war and anti-Bush album, and Armstrong was focused on addressing these same issues in the stage version. “American Idiot,” the musical, revolves around three young men who feel smothered in their suburban town and want to rebel against the mainstream. It addresses the dangers of drug use, the war in Iraq and the influence of the American media. “Broadway Idiot” delves into the complex origins of Armstrong’s entry into the strange world of Broadway and the struggle to put his vision onstage in a way that is understandable and relatable. “Broadway Idiot” captures the insanity and excitement of two crazy worlds coming together through the personal story of Billie Joe
Photo courtesy of Courtney Knittel Billie Joe Armstrong joins the cast for the finale of “American Idiot.” “Broadway Idiot,” a documentary on Green Day’s shocking musical on Broadway, premieres Friday, March 15 at the Paramount Theatre. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day fame modeled the musical loosely on his life.
Armstrong,” producer Ira Pittelman said in a press release. The documentary, however, does not address the events after the opening night of “American Idiot.” The musical received mixed reviews from critics. It was put down for a lack of character development and a skimpy story that was overshadowed by the powerful songs. It garnered praise for its high-energy score of hits, simple but innovative scenic design and immensely gifted cast led by beloved Broadway star John Gallagher Jr.
UT theater junior Shae Tomlinson went to see the original production of “American Idiot” in New York specifically for John Gallagher Jr., who was fresh off his Tony-winning run as Moritz Stiefel in the outrageously successful musical “Spring Awakening.” “After seeing it, I thought the music was great, but there wasn’t really a story,” Tomlinson said. “It just felt like a Green Day concert with great dancing and lots of singers.” Tomlinson also concluded that the cutting-edge idea of
meshing punk and Broadway was commendable, but they did not pull it off. This opinion was shared by much of the Broadway community and the show failed to have the groundbreaking power that Armstrong and Mayer desired. “The secret to success on Broadway begins and ends with the commercial appeal of the project,” said Justin Eick, the artistic director of the Theatrical Education Group, located in Los Angeles. “As a producer, you have to ask yourself, ‘Will
this sell tickets?’” he said. “Frankly, that’s a major reason why Shakespeare was successful in his time — he was a businessman first. He knew that in order for his plays to be successful they needed to appeal to the masses.” Eick was quick to add that the No. 1 way to guarantee solid ticket sales is, “Story, story, story. If the story is no good, no amount of theatrics will save you.” Perhaps the “Broadway Idiot” debut at SXSW can achieve more success than Armstrong’s musical shocker.
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Narrative short film traces teen who commits murder for music By Elizabeth Williams “Black Metal” is a narrative short film following a singer in the wake of a murder committed by a teenage fan in the name of his music. The Daily Texan sat down with the film’s writer and director, radio-television-film lecturer Kat Candler to discuss “Black Metal” and her approach to filmmaking. The Daily Texan: Why do you make short films?
Kat Candler: I think making shorts is a little bit more difficult than making a feature in that you have to compact a story within six to 10 minutes ideally, and it takes a lot of crafting to put that together and really connect with an audience or punch people in the face, metaphorically speaking. I love short films and I’ve definitely immersed myself in that world a little bit more over the last couple of years having made two shorts. But it’s because it’s cheap and you want to con-
stantly hone your craft and keep making things, regardless of [whether] it’s a minute short film or a 90-minute feature fiction film. DT: Do you instantly know whether an idea will develop into a short film or a feature? Candler: With “Black Metal,” I had been writing a feature script about a metal band that was publicly blamed for their music be-
METAL continues on page 31
Photo courtesy of Kat Candler “Black Metal,” a narrative short film, follows a singer after a murder committed in the name of his music.
BLACK METAL Showing: Saturday, March 9, 11:15 a.m., Topfer Theatre at ZACH Monday, March 11, 2 p.m., Rollins Theatre at the Long Center Wednesday, March 13, 4:30 p.m., Vimeo Theater
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Alumnus debuts documentary about gay seniors, retirement By Juhie Modi One of the first scenes in UT alumnus PJ Raval’s documentary is neither uncommon nor seemingly exciting: a retired gay senior, Dennis, gives a tour of his home. But then Dennis lingers at his closet and pulls out bright pink heels. “I started out buying underwear,” he explains. “Later, I started wearing dresses and stuff.” Raval said people were initially shocked when he explained that his film “Before You Know It” traces the lives of three gay seniors. However, he believes it is not the only surprising thing about the film, which will premiere at South By Southwest. “A lot of viewers will be surprised that they have a lot more in common with these characters than they would think at first,” Raval said. “It really is about aging and just the aging process being a universal experience. Everyone will get older and it doesn’t matter who you are, what’s your sexual orientation, your sexual identity, gender identity, doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white — everyone is
going to get older.” Once Raval noticed that compared to LGBT youth, there is little support for gay senior communities, he researched and found statistics that said that LGBT seniors are twice as likely as other seniors to live alone. He then decided to connect faces to the statistics and explore the topic for himself. “Society tends to desexualize seniors [and] they’re a very much invisible community,” Raval said. “What’s really interesting about saying ‘gay senior’ is that just by saying ‘gay,’ you’re identifying a person based on their sexuality. So in a way, saying ‘gay senior,’ the two terms are almost at odds with each other.” Raval is uninterested in highlighting social issues in his films because he wants the viewer to discover and experience them like the character does. He realized that each of the characters in his documentary represents different stages of life, and he sees an aspect of himself in all of them. Ty Martin, one of the seniors Raval traces in his documentary, believes that seniors in general are a joke to many people, especially
when they try to converse. “Ageism kicks in. [People think,] ‘What is he talking about? Maybe he’s senile?’ So we get a bad rap,” Martin said. “It’s just as ridiculous as seniors looking at young people and thinking they’re all silly or not smart, which is not true. If you have a conversation with anybody, you will really see that they’re a real person.” Sara Giustini, producer and UT alumna, said that she loves that the piece, at its heart, is character-driven and it doesn’t touch on LGBT issues. However, she believes it will shed light on and give a voice to the people who don’t belong. The idea of finding community and a place to belong resonated with Giustini the most. Raval agrees and hopes that viewers will keep in mind that caring for the elderly is a community effort. Although he said it is selfish, the film makes him feel better about aging by seeing the three age their own way. “One of the things that I admire about all of these characters is that if they are in a position where they don’t have community, they’re at least trying to create them,” Raval said.
ALPHA
McPherson: Barton Springs. Salt Lick. The iPic theater at The Domain.
DT: What’s this I hear about Mike Portnoy (exDream Theater)? McPherson: I play in a side project with him and Steve Morse from Deep Purple. It’s a pop-prog band called Flying Colors. Mike was a fan of Endochine and Alpha Rev and asked me to be the singer for his band. I’ve been having a great time and I’m’ learning a lot. And he’s a motherfucker of a drummer.
continues from page 15 get a record deal or for all of your dreams to come true, but it’s a great place to showcase your music to people in the industry from all over the world that would never hear you unless you were in their city. DT: Austin recommendations for out-of-towners?
DT: Why do you play music? McPherson: Ever since I was a child I knew it was what I was supposed to do with my life. I believe music is spiritual in nature, in terms of how it has an effect on our psyche and physical bodies. I do it for my own health and hopefully to contribute to the health of others.
UT ALUMNI PJ RAVAL AND SARA GIUSTINI
Premiere of a documentary “Before You Know It,” which traces the lives of three gay seniors. When: Saturday, March 9, 4 p.m. Stateside Theater, 719 Congress Ave. Sunday, March 10, 1:30 p.m. Violet Crown, 434 West 2nd St. Wednesday, March 13, 6:15 p.m. Violet Crown Thursday, March 14, 3:45 p.m. Violet Crown Director and UT alumnus PJ Raval will premiere his newest documentary at South By Southwest at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 9 at the Stateside Theater. Photo courtesy of SAGEusa.org
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Film captures post-Katrina New Orleans By Olivia Arena Stacy Head is a white woman in a majority black New Orleans City Council district, which makes her a bit of a rarity in New Orleans politics. In a city still trying to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, race has moved to the forefront of New Orleans’ struggles to return to normal, or rather abnormal. Attempting to capture the vibrant and often volatile nature of the city, filmmakers Louis Alvarez, Andrew Kolker, Paul Stekler and Peter Odabashian created “Getting Back to Abnormal.” The film, premiering at South By Southwest on March 11, interweaves the tumultuous battle for public housing with the re-election campaign of the contentious Head and her outspoken black political adviser Barbara Lacen-Keller. “We wanted to make a film about the real New Orleans, and when you make a documentary you have to have a reason to be there, but you also have to be open to what the best stories are and what the best characters are. And we looked into a bunch of different things, but by far the best characters were Barbara and Stacy,” Stekler said. “They were a fabulously interesting couple. It made sense as time went on that they would be the main characters and also the idea of ‘Will New Orleans change? Will it become less dysfunctional after Katrina?’” Alvarez, Kolker, Stekler and Odabashian wanted to
Photo courtesy of Andrew Kolker New Orleans Councilwoman Stacy Head and her friend and political adviser Barbara Lacen-Keller battle racial tensions in “Getting Back to Abnormal.” The film premieres on March 11 at the Paramount Theatre.
create a film that accurately portrayed life in New Orleans post-Katrina. “It’s an amazing, crazy place, but it’s also frustrating, corrupt and ignorant. It has horrible poverty, but there’s this joy in the streets,” Stekler said. “So many people made films after Katrina that I think at a certain point we just thought since every other documentary filmmaker in America seems to have made a film about New Orleans, isn’t it about time for filmmakers who have
The bottom line for all this is race. And New Orleans has always been a complex place racially. — Paul Stekler, filmmaker
actually lived there and know something about the city?” The city is struggling to redevelop both physical structures and ingrained societal norms because of the complex and often contradictory nature of New Orleans. This battle centers on the Columbia Parc inner-city housing development. After tearing down existing public housing, the new developments were built in an attempt to spread out the concentrated urban poor. Residents like Stephanie Mingo took charge against restrictions enacted on residents. “The bottom line for all this is race. And New Orleans has always been a complex place racially. As Henry Irving said in the beginning of the
film, ‘New Orleans has some of the blackest white people and whitest black people,’” Stekler said. Race has factored into New Orleans politics for decades, but Head’s no-nonsense and often abrasive attitude toward council members has caused backlash within her own voter base. In the film, members of District B who accuse Head of prejudice rally behind Corey Watson, a local black minister. The film attempts to capture the evolving nature of New Orleans culture. “The totality of the work makes you feel like you’re in New Orleans. It makes you feel, in that magic way that film does, that you’re in a different world. So it’s not
just a film about an election,” Stekler said. “It’s a film about a place, a place that’s gone through this major disaster that it’s now past. It’s not past for the people who don’t live there, but it’s past for the people that do live there.” Joking that this was in fact their attempt at a funny film about race in America, Stekler explained that the film attempted to do more than depict an unraveling council race and a dispute over public housing. The issues New Orleans faces in rebuilding now will forever alter the population dynamic. “If we were to tie it up into a nice package, there would be some problems, then a crisis, then it would be resolved. But that’s not
GETTING BACK TO ABNORMAL When: Monday, March 11 11:15 a.m. - 12:47 p.m. Where: The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave. the way it is. We knew this was a complicated situation, and we wanted to make a movie that strayed from that principal way of making a story,” Alvarez said. “We had strong stories and had strong characters. We are touching on a lot of things, but not necessarily resolving things. But we didn’t really want to because that’s not the way life is. It’s an evolving story, and this is our contribution.”
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UT alumni debut, star in film portraying ’80s technology battle By Stephanie Robalino “Computer Chess,” written and directed by Andrew Bujalski, is a story set in the 1980s centered on a manversus-machine chess tournament. The film follows a battle between technology and the human spirit and the eccentric geniuses who lay the groundwork for artificial intelligence as we know it. UT radio-television-film alumni Robin Schwartz and Patrick Riester are the two stars of the film, playing the characters Shelly and Peter, respectively. Both are film editors who made their acting debuts in the film. The Daily Texan: How did you get the idea for “Computer Chess”?
Andrew Bujalski: It’s difficult to reconstruct — I think most of the heavy lifting was done by my subconscious. The initial spark, I know, was the fact that for 10 plus years I’d been working with 16mm film, and for that many years being asked over and over again, “Why don’t you shoot video?” So some contrarian part of me, thought, “Fine, you want video? I’ll show you video.” And I began to fantasize about shooting on old ‘70s analog tube video cameras, which have a really soft and ghostly look to them, quite unlike our contemporary video. DT: What was it like having your film admitted to South By Southwest? Robin Schwartz: I’ve been to SXSW several times, but
never as an actor, which, as I’ve found out from other festivals, means that occasionally people come up and tell me that they’ve seen the film. I haven’t quite figured out a response, but I generally just say, “Cool.” And then I try to tell a funny story about the production. The best comment I’ve gotten so far was from a critic who didn’t recognize me, and then he made the connection and explained, “Well, you know how the camera adds 10 pounds.” I guess that seemingly antiquated response is appropriate for a film that is set in the early ‘80s and shot on wonky-looking video. Patrick Riester: Before the Sundance premiere I was certainly nervous. Now, I’m pleased any time Andrew’s film earns further success
COMPUTER CHESS When: Monday, March 11, 4:30 - 6:02 p.m. Where: Vimeo Theater, 201 Trinity St. and has another audience. DT: Have you been to SXSW before? Bujalski: Oh, sure. I first moved to Austin in ‘99 and 2000 was the first time I attended SXSW, just as an avid moviegoer — those were the days of trying to squeeze 4 or 5 movies in in a day, which, even if [my] schedule allowed now, I probably don’t quite have the constitution for anymore. What has the world come to when an adult complains of feeling too old to just sit on his
Photo courtesy of Andrew Bujalski Computer Chess, written and directed by Andrew Bujalski, is a story centered on a man versus machine chess tournament.
ass for eight hours? Is there nothing we’re not too lazy for anymore? DT: What is your background in film? Bujalski: I was obsessed with movies as a 5-year-old
— nothing much changed since then. I studied film as an undergrad, starting making my own features a few years after that, and I’m sorry to report that my story is the
CHESS continues on page 31
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CHESS
and commercial work, but docs are what I, somewhat masochistically, prefer.
dull, linear narrative of a guy who never really considered doing anything else. Schwartz: I’m an editor. I’ve done other things, like producing, sound, etc., but editing is my obsession. I’m currently editing a feature doc with director Margaret Brown, which I’m very excited about. The first full-length feature I edited, “America’s Parking Lot,” played SXSW last year. I’ve done reality TV
DT: What advice do you have for current UT film students? Schwartz: Advice? This career is an insane time suck. So you better pick good projects and work with people who you respect. Riester: I don’t know how the program has changed since I attended, but I’d recommend finding non-academic work while in school and to try other areas in film. I didn’t think about working on documentaries and find it very rewarding now.
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Photo courtesy of Josh Johnson “Rewind This!” documents the rise and fall of VHS throughout the home video revolution.
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Film chronicles journey of VHS in home video By Elizabeth Williams “Rewind This!” documents the rise and fall of VHS throughout the home video revolution. The Daily Texan sat down with director Josh Johnson, producer Carolee Mitchell and cinematographer and editor Christopher Palmer to discuss the importance of VHS and the fate of physical media. The Daily Texan: How did the idea for this film come about? Christopher Palmer: Josh Johnson originally came up with this idea … I think it was more related to VHS and VHS collectors and it wasn’t quite as broad. There were the inklings of what it could be. And we interviewed one of the subjects in our film who had all these VHS tapes and it kind of became obvious that there was something really interesting in this whole thing and really beyond this idea.
DT: Is Austin a center for VHS culture? Josh Johnson: I think the thing that is unique about Austin in terms of its film culture is that it has a lot of people that have moved here specifically to be a part of the existing film culture, rather than something that has been created entirely through people that were originally here. The culture that has sprung up is largely inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse and the kind of offbeat film culture that has been created over the past 20 years and, as a result, there’s a lot of people here with interests in not just classics of cinema but films that slipped through the cracks and have never really gotten their due. DT: Do you think that physical mediums like DVD and Blu-ray are on the way to becoming obsolete? Palmer: Oh, hell yeah they will be. That stuff is dying. They print less and less every year. Johnson: I think it’s
entirely possible that the next film that we make will not even be released on one of those formats. I think we’re really talking about a matter of years before it’s completely gone. DT: What are your feelings leading up to the film’s premiere? Mitchell: The movie grew up in Austin. That’s where we filmed it, that’s where it was born. We had so much support from the community in Austin, so the idea of coming back and showing it with that community is just beyond exciting. Johnson: I would say that I’ve never been more excited about anything in my life than this screening coming up at the Paramount … I’m really excited about the fact that we’re sharing it for the first time, not just with a festival audience or an industry audience, but also with the public that has been so supportive of it up until now. I think it’s going to be a really exhilarating and joyous evening.
METAL
DT: Why should “Rewind This!” be important to college students? Mitchell: It’s the roots. It’s all about a moment in time that changed the film industry for everyone. There’s pre-home video and there’s post. To really understand where we are now, it’s really important to see where those beginnings were. Johnson: The home video revolution probably altered how society functions in terms of media consumption more than anything before or since, so it’s a movement that really touched everyone, even if they’re not aware of it. And beyond that, just as a filmgoer, it’s a film that is filled up to the brim with passionate voices from people who care very deeply about something, and I think as a filmgoer it ultimately doesn’t really matter what that thing is, it’s always euphoric and exciting to see somebody who cares deeply about something and wants to share their enthusiasm with you.
ing linked to this murder. But for whatever reason it wasn’t quite working, and so doing this short was actually me getting to immerse myself more so in the metal scene and with these characters and kind of figuring out who they are and how they live and the realities of it. So now having done this short, I’m going back to the feature script with very different eyes and with a different approach to it as more of a drama. DT: Why have you used metal music in both “Black Metal” and your recent short “Hellion”? Candler: I’m a huge music person, my husband more so … And for whatever reason, he started getting into metal and started feeding me CDs and buying books and doing all the research. We started watching all these documentaries and so we just became really fascinated. I love the idea that what we see onstage can be so drastically different from what life is like offstage. I find that really interesting and fascinating, what the reality of, maybe not a Metallica, but maybe a band that’s
popular within a state but not necessarily so nationally and what they have to go home to every night. They’re just normal human beings, whereas fans put them up on a pedestal. It’s such a fear-based genre of music, so then when you see what life looks like at home, it can be so strikingly different, and I love to see the humanity in what’s offstage. DT: Why should college kids see your film? Candler: You can’t ignore that there’s something really great going on in the state of Texas when it comes to filmmaking. What I love about Austin in particular is that you have so many great filmmakers who have [such] varied voices. Everybody’s very different and very distinct in what they do and the stories they tell and the visions that they have on-screen, and I think that’s why you see so many eyes on Texas from outside of the state. We all support each other. Everybody is very supportive and very open to each other. There’s nothing competitive about it. Everybody enjoys each other’s successes and benefits from each other’s successes, you know, trying to help each other do the best work and tell the best stories.
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