THE LIFE QUIXOTIC
A BROKEN HALLELUJAH
Four Activist Flock Leaders
YOU R B I G, LO N G, MUC H-NE E DE D E XHA L E
Your Holiday License to Chill
N O. 184 | P E O P L E
Meet Austin’s Awesomest Meetups
15 YEARS
$
RECEIVE *
200 OFF
any Stressless seating or even $400 OFF select Stressless or Ekornes Collection seating when you donate $50 or more to one of our local area charities.
November 23rd through January 16th! *see store for details
it feels good to give Shop Copenhagen, experience the world’s most comfortable seating and everything else just seems to melt away. Find your peace of mind on a Stressless and enjoy quality time with the things that matter most in life. AUSTIN
2236 West Braker
512.451.1233
(just east of The Domain and Burnet Road)
SAN ANTONIO
18603 Blanco
210.545.4366
(just north of 1604 in the Vineyard next to Whole Foods Market)
www.CopenhagenLiving.com
contemporary furniture & accessories
We are where our clients are. In the best locations.
Tracy Nickens
Real Estate Advisor (512) 954-1300 Tracy.Nickens@evusa.com
Heather Witbeck
Barton Creek Gated Community $1,850,000
Beautiful Travis Heights Contemporary Craftsman $1,039,000
Lynn Robin
Broker Associate Real Estate Advisor (512) 736-8822 Lynn.Robin@evusa.com
Real Estate Advisor (323) 252-4225 Heather.Witbeck@evusa.com
Ǝ
Michele Turnquist
102 Aruba Court $1,195,000
Austin Westlake • 3700 Bee Caves • Suite 102 Austin • TX 78746 • USA • +1 512 328 3939
Lake Austin Waterfront $3,390,000
License Partner Real Estate Advisor (512) 431-1121 Michele.Turnquist@evusa.com
Lakeway • 900 Ranch Rd. 620 S. • Suite A-100 Austin • TX 78734 • USA • +1 512 263 7997
©2015 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.
WEWE ARE WHERE OUR CLIENTS ARE.ARE. NEWNEW LOCATIONS OPENING YOU. ARE WHERE OUR CLIENTS LOCATIONS NOWNEAR OPEN.
Domain Northside
Oaks in Lakeway
THE OAKS AT LAKEWAY
NORTHSIDE-DOMAIN
We are where our3210clients are. 1510 RR 620 S, Ste 100 Esperanza Crossing, Ste 122 Lakeway, 78734 best locations. Austin, TX 78758 InTXthe Beginning a small shopreal in Europe growing to more in the best the world, Engel &with Völkers willboutique be the only estateand tenant in both The than Oaks550 in shops Lakeway and thelocations Domainaround Northside. we’ve delivered quality service and personal attention to the clients who have selected us. Wherever you find beautiful properties, premium service and extraordinary living, you will find Engel & Völkers, the world leader in luxury real estate. Coming soon to Austin.
For more information, visit our website at Austin.evusa.com or call 512-328-3939
Engel & Völkers USA 430 Park Avenue · 11th Floor · New York · NY 10022 · USA · Phone +1 212-234-3100
D O M A I N N O R T H S I D E .CO M
S SE ER RV V II N NG G C E N T R A CENTRAL L
T A TE EX X SINCE AS S
M O T O R I Z A T I O N M O T O R I Z A T I O N
‘87
& &
A U T O M A T I O N A U T O M A T I O N
S P E C I A L I S T S S P E C I A L I S T S
SINCE
motorized room darkening shades motorized room darkening shades
SOLAR SCREENS SOLAR SCREENS
| |
AW N I N G S AW N I N G S
| |
ROLLING SHUTTERS ROLLING SHUTTERS
| |
INTERIOR SHADES INTERIOR SHADES
| |
INSECT SCREENS INSECT SCREENS
tel. 512.402.0990 11813 tel. 512.402.0990 11813 www.txsunandshade.com www.txsunandshade.com Showroom Hours: 10-5 M-F & Showroom Hours: 10-5 M-F &
Bee Caves Rd. Bee Caves Rd. 10-2 Sat. 10-2 Sat.
3 Wren Valley
2305 Alta Vista
10910 River Terrace Circle
7820 Escala
3210 Bonnie Road
710 Butler Cove
6705 Pixie Cove
2529 Winsted
The Lake House on Lake Travis
3901 Balcones
1113 Angelina Street
Gottesman Residential Real Estate l gottesmanresidential.com l 512.451.2422
www.eswealth.com | 512.250.2277 Jenny Fleming, CPA
Sara Seely, CFA
OVER 50% UNDER CONTR AC T
INQUIRE NOW AT INDEPENDENTAUSTIN.COM OVER 50% UNDER CONTR AC T
INQUIRE NOW AT INDEPENDENTAUSTIN.COM B7 PLAN B7 PLAN
34TH FLOOR OWNERS LOUNGE
34TH FLOOR OWNERS LOUNGE
POOL
POOL
1 TO 4 BEDROOM RESIDENCES FROM 700 TO 3,500+ SF
DECLARE YOURSELF HOME 1 TO 4 BEDROOM RESIDENCES FROM 700 TO 3,500+ SF DECLARE YOURSELF HOME 801 W 5th #100, ATX
|
512 457 8884
801 WEstate 5th #100, ATX | 512 457 8884 Real » urbanspacerealtors.com + Interiors » urbanspaceinteriors.com T h e mate r i a ls, d e si gns, squa re footag e s, fe ature s a nd a m e ni ti e s d e pi cte d by a r tist’s or c ompu te r re nd e r ing a re subj e ct to c ha ng e a nd no gua ra nte e is mad e that th e proj e ct or th e c o ndominium uni ts a re of th e s a m e size o r nature a s d e pi cte d o r d e sc r ib e d. We a re in c o mpli a nc e wi th T i tl e V III of th e Ci v il Ri ghts Act of 19 6 8. We have not, a nd will not, e i th e r dire ctl y o r indire ctl y, disc r iminate aga inst you o r a ny oth e r pros p e cti ve purc ha se r o n th e ba sis of rac e, c o l o r, re li gi o n, sex o r nati o na l o r i gin. T his is not a n of fe r to se ll, o r so li ci tati o n of of fe r s to bu y c o nd o minium uni ts in state s w h e re su c h of fe r of so li ci tati o n c a nnot b e mad e.
Real Estate » urbanspacerealtors.com + Interiors » urbanspaceinteriors.com
T h e mate r i a ls, d e si gns, squa re footag e s, fe ature s a nd a m e ni ti e s d e pi cte d by a r tist’s or c ompu te r re nd e r ing a re subj e ct to c ha ng e a nd no gua ra nte e is mad e that th e proj e ct or th e c o ndominium uni ts a re of th e s a m e size o r nature a s d e pi cte d o r d e sc r ib e d. We a re in c o mpli a nc e wi th T i tl e V III of th e Ci v il Ri ghts Act of 19 6 8. We have not, a nd will not, e i th e r dire ctl y o r indire ctl y, disc r iminate aga inst you o r a ny oth e r pros p e cti ve purc ha se r o n th e ba sis of rac e, c o l o r, re li gi o n, sex o r nati o na l o r i gin. T his is not a n of fe r to se ll, o r so li ci tati o n of of fe r s to bu y c o nd o minium uni ts in state s w h e re su c h of fe r of so li ci tati o n c a nnot b e mad e.
DECEMBER THE LIFE
A BROKEN
YOUR BIG, LONG,
PETER PAN, AS
THE LANGUAGE
ENDLESS SUMMER
QUIXOTIC
HALLELUJAH
MUCH-NEEDED
AN EMOTIONALLY
OF LOVE AND
Making a Surf Scene Here
Austin’s Awesomest
Four Flock Leaders
EXHALE
MATURE MAN
LOSS
P. 78
Meetups
Who Break Bread and
Your Holiday License to
BookPeople’s
Go Inside the
P. 54
Hallowed Ground
Chill the Heck Out
Topher Bradfield
Quintana’s Vessel
P. 62
P. 68
P. 72
P. 74
10 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
P H OTO G R A P H B Y W E S L E Y H O L M E S ; V I N TAG E T R A I L E R F R O M G O V I N TAG E , G OV I N TAG E T R A I L E R S . CO M .
C O N T E N T S : F E AT U R E S
C O N T E N T S : F E AT U R E S
Social Hour p. 18
Life + Style TH I N K S PACE p. 84 S T Y LE PICK p. 86
F I N D M O R E AT
TRIBEZA.COM HI AT US SPA + R ET R E AT We checked in to Hiatus Spa + Retreat for a little afternoon R&R'—'just in time for the craze of the holiday season! Read all about our custom (utterly dreamy) experience.
LO CAL LOV E: COMMUNITY TABL E S AROUN D TOWN
Community + Culture COLUMN: KRISTIN ARMSTRONG p. 28 LOC AL LOVE p. 30
S TY LE P IC K : TRIPLE Z THREADZ
PROFILE p. 34 TRIBEZ A TALK p. 36
Food + Thought K AREN ’S PICK p. 90
CONVERSATION p. 92 DINING GUIDE p. 94
I NSTAGR A M PICK OF T HE MON T H Falling rain bathes the city in tiny drops of light on election day. Keep up-to-date by following @Tribeza on Instagram.
CO NV ERSATI O N : THE EGERTON FAM
A RT P I C K: MONIKA SOSNOWSKA 'S “HABITAT ”
Arts + Happenings ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT C ALENDARS p. 40
A Look Behind ... p. 100
@ TRIBEZ A
MUSIC PICK p. 41 ART PICK p. 42 EVENT PICK p. 44
12 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
O N T H E C OV E R : TH E AUSTIN PUG CLUB P H OT O G R A P H E D AT T H E M A N S I O N B Y W E S L E Y H O L M E S
Editor’s L E T T E R
BEHIND
THE ISSUE
D
ecember is all about holidays, family, parties, shopping. When we were putting together this People issue, it was early November. For the record, we were 100% wassail-less, even if this issue’s thematic departures from previous years
looks a little… spirited. Tribeza’s People issue is usually a crowning of ten people doing really nifty things, with another ten knighted as up-andcomers. We believe that this can lead to 20 or so Austinites feeling really, really good about themselves, and the rest of us feeling like we’ll never bust the work-in-progress status. Not a bad thing, but not for this month, not this year. While this magazine is not enrolling in the Everyone gets a trophy! school, we took a different path this go-round. Time Magazine’s Person of the Year choice, often controversial, invites conversation. We like a good conversation. We could all use more of them. Right or left, black or white, Ford or Chevy, our collective truths are somewhere in the middle, and good conversations help us get there. In this month’s issue you will meet people and groups that may have flown under your radar, but help shape our city’s gestalt. People who don’t fall into our other monthly editorial themes of music, food, architecture and interiors. We do, however, hone in on tending to our personal interiors in the feature Your Big, Long, Much-Needed Exhale. We romp around the city and countryside capturing six of Austin’s most unusual and interesting meetup groups. We go in-depth with four local religious leaders. They don’t shy away from the intersection of religion and politics; instead, they embrace that often thorny nexus as an integral part of their callings. But nothing says the holidays like laser-beam cat shirts and surfing, so we take you there, too. Hang ten — and your stockings — with special finds
I will tuck this delicious memory away for a very long time. After the polls closed, after the exit interviews, pundit clatter and non-stop attention to our national stage, the world got smaller, more peaceful and beautiful. This was from an early morning photo shoot on Lake Austin on November 10th. Wake surfer Morgan Lohmeier, profiled within, gamely donned a holiday outfit and demonstrated how girls show up and master whatever waves are thrown at them. Photographer, Jacob Bodkin, clicked away, unsecured, on the back of a fast-moving boat capturing some great action shots, seemingly fearless of losing thousands of dollars of equipment to a wake. Thanks to Charlie Rice, Hillary White and to surf board maker Alec Cameron, also featured in this issue, for making it happen.
from our annual gift guide. Our goal is to always have your “cocktailparty-bullet-points” back. You’ll find lots to up your chat and chew game at holiday get-togethers.
MP Mueller mp@tribeza.com
14 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y J ACO B B O D K I N
Remembering that naughty and nice are not mutually exclusive,
15 YEARS
D E C E M B E R 2 016
N O. 1 8 4
CEO + PUBLISHER
George Elliman
EDITOR +
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MP Mueller
Elizabeth Arnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
SENIOR EDITOR
SALES & OPER ATIONS
Brittani Sonnenberg
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Anne Bruno
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Hannah Zieschang
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
A r c h i t e c t
EXECUTIVE
ART DIRECTOR
Alexander Wolf
B a r t h o l o m e w
SENIOR ACCOUNT
Holly Cowart Hillary White
COLUMNISTS
Kristin Armstrong Karen Spezia
Joanna Steblay MANAGER
Joe Layton INTERNS
Hillary Henrici Alex Jones PRINCIPALS
George Elliman Chuck Sack Vance Sack Michael Torres ILLUSTR ATOR
Heather Sundquist
WRITERS
Building with Sacred Geometry bridges the gap between the physical world we live in and the spiritual world we seek.
An Architectural Practice Applying Sacred Geometry www.Bar tholomewAIA .Co TR@BartholomewAIA.Co
Nicole Beckley Jodi Egerton Tobin Levy Shannon McCormick Sofia Sokolove Kristiana Vuong Derek Van Wagner PHOTOGR APHERS
Miguel Angel Jacob Bodkin Holly Cowart Dave Creaney Leonid Furmansky Robert G. Gomez Cody Hamilton Wesley Holmes Rich Merritt Leah Muse Ben Porter Breezy Ritter Casey Chapman Ross Hayden Spears Reagan Taylor Tyeschea West Nicole Witt
706A West 34th Street Austin, Texas 78705 ph (512) 474 4711 | fax (512) 474 4715 tribeza.com Founded in March 2001, TRIBEZA is Austin's leading locally-owned arts and culture magazine. Printed by CSI Printing and Mailing Copyright @ 2016 by TRIBEZA. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. TRIBEZA is a proud member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
S U B SC R I B E TO TR I B EZ A VISIT TRIB EZ A .COM FOR DE TAIL S
Come Visit Us. Shop our showroom tucked away just one mile east of South Congress at 2090 Woodward Street. Or visit us online to see what’s new, find inspiration and browse our digital catalog. Exclusively in Austin. FOURHANDSHOME.COM
SOCIAL HOUR | AUSTIN
Social HOUR CAMP CONTEMPORARY On October 16, over 400 “day campers” (and a very fortunate group of about 80 “overnight
3
1
campers”) gathered at Laguna Gloria for The Contemporary Austin’s newest fundraiser, Camp Contemporary. Campers reveled in the
2
many artist-led activities, free-flowing creative cocktails and a dramatic, four-course meal by Lou Lambert and Larry McGuire, all in support of education programs that serve 30,000 adults and children annually.
NEW MILESTONES GALA New Milestones Foundation held its Bridging the Gap Gala on October 20 where generous commitment to Austin Travis County Integral Care Families with Voices. Guests enjoyed a 1920s photo booth by Live Oak Photo and
4
5
6
seasonal bites by the Four Seasons.
GATEWAY AWARDS GALA On October 20, American Gateways, a nonprofit immigration legal service provider, hosted the inaugural Gateway Awards at the UT Austin Alumni Center to honor immigrants of achievement. Distinguished honorees were
8
Elizabeth Avellan, Michael Hsu and Dr. Alejandro Moreno. The sold-out event raised over $75,000 to help fund the work of American Gateways. CAMP CONTEMPORARY 1. Erin Lee Smith & Jenna Lyons 2. Kate Lowery & Megan Hensley 3. John Arrow & Natalie Yerkovich NEW MILESTONES GALA: 4. Ryan & Holly Lambert 5. Erica Brennes & Kailee Harbaugh 6. Marina & JC Adams GATEWAY AWARDS GALA: 7. Tonia Bui & Maggie Murphy 8. Timeca Seretti, Chaka & Michelle Garcia 9. Ingrid Spencer & Michael Hsu 10. Cynthia Riley & Lisa Nankafu
18 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
7
9
10
C A M P CO N T E M P O R A R Y P H OTO G R A P H S B Y N I CO L E W I T T; N E W M I L E S TO N E S G A L A P H OTO G R A P H S B Y H O L LY CO WA R T; G AT E WAY AWA R D S G A L A P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B R E E Z Y R I T T E R .
sponsors and donors helped reach the $50,000
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
19
Social HOUR CATRINA BALL Mexic-Arte Museum hosted the Second Annual Catrina Ball on October 22 to raise funds for the museum’s education and exhibition
1
programs. Guests enjoyed Día de los Muertos decor sponsored by Mandarin Design Lab, as
2
well as a runway show featuring sculptureinspired dresses by Sebastian. The museum bestowed Master Sculpture Sebastian a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.
L’ENFANT TERRIBLE ART SHOW Denise Prince’s immersive art project, L’enfant Terrible, took place on October 22. Guests, welcomed by artfully brooding youngsters,
5
delighted in a kissing booth and blushed with secrets playing Truth or Dare. Beds replaced chairs, paper dolls became human. It was a magical evening, a life upside down aglow in
3
4
6
CATRINA BALL: 1. Rudy Jimenez & Jessica Zamora Jimenez 2. Omar Flores & Monica Flores 3. Dr Rocco C Piazza 4. Tom Chesnut & Janell Chesnut 5. Blanca Laborde & Tanner Harris L’ENFANT TERRIBLE ART SHOW: 6. Clara Iysy, Sofia Wolpert, Suzanne Deal Booth & Janet Zand 7. Maya Perez & Taylor Cumbie 8. Abigail King, Elizabeth Chapin & Annette Patterson 9. Anne Elizabeth & Joaquin Avellan
20 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
7
8
9
C AT R I N A B A L L F O U R S E A S O N S P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B R E E Z Y R I T T E R ; L' E N FA N T T E R R I B L E A R T S H O W P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B E N P O R T E R
soft pink light and full of welcomed surprises.
Central Austin Magnificent Hillside Estate BalconesEstate.com $6,950,000
Chic Austonian Downtown Condo Austonian21A.com $879,000
Exquisite Matt Garcia Modern 1438MountLarson.com Private Listing | $3,195,000
Representing Austin’s Finest Properties Kumara Wilcoxon
Executive Vice President #1 Producer Company-Wide 512.423.5035 Kumara@sothebysrealty.com Old Enfield Stunning Remodel KumaraWilcoxon.com
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
1625Watchhill.com Private Listing | $2,400,000
Travis Heights Mid-Century Modern 1117GillespiePlace.com Private Listing | $1,249,000
Prestigious Pemberton Heights 1403WooldridgeDr.com Private Listing | $2,250,000
Contemporary & Architectural Elegance WestlakeContemporary.com $4,950,000
Meticulously Designed European Inspired Home 4805SpanishOaksClub.com tribeza.com | DECEMBER 2016$2,350,000 21
Social HOUR PLAYBINGO LADIES LUNCHEON The PlayBingo Ladies Luncheon presented by Lexus of Austin & Lakeway brought together Austin women to support child abuse victims. The sold-out event, held at the Hilton Austin on
2
October 22, raised over $500,000 for the Center for Child Protection. Over 1,000 guests had fun
3
playing bingo, sipping champagne and bidding on more than 180 silent auction packages.
PEASE PARK CONSERVANCY
1
The 8th Annual Pease Park Conservancy Fall Historic Allan House. Guests were treated to a special film highlighting the important role Pease Park plays in Austin, which featured Ross Moody, Emily Little and Tom Spencer. Over 200 people attended the event to support efforts to raise funds for the Pease Park Master Plan.
5
ASF THE STARS AT NIGHT GALA On November 3, the Austin-based magazine American Short Fiction hosted its First Annual
6 4
The Stars at Night beer-and-boots gala and anniversary bash. Under the bright sky at the Zilker Clubhouse, ASF celebrated 25 years of publishing national award-winning fiction and honored two local literary stars, Karan Mahajan
8
and Deb Olin Unferth, with a night of readings, honky-tonky revelry and great literary company. PLAYBINGO LADIES LUNCHEON: 1. Danielle Kress & Amamda Iavoy 2. Maria Miller & Denise Lassman-Chastain 3. Stephanie Samuels & Marcia Smith PEASE PARK CONSERVANCY: 4. Perrin Cox & Katie Nicholas 5. Margaret Cummings, Karla Bell & Shannon Strehli 6. Fakher Aboshady & Nick Lanpher ASF THE STARS AT NIGHT GALA: 7. Jacqueline Galvan & Michael Schrantz 8. Jessica O'Shea & Matthew Flores 9. Steven Wilson & Brent Bergeron 10. Meetesh Karia, Tal Tversky & Jenna Martin
22 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
7
10
9
P L AY B I N G O L A D I E S L U N C H E O N P H OTO G R A P H S B Y M I G U E L A N G E L ; P E A S E PA R K CO N S E R VA N C Y FA L L F U N D R A I S E R P H OTO G R A P H S B Y L E O F U R M A N S K Y; A S F B O OT S A N D B E E R G A L A P H OTO G R A P H S B Y N I CO L E W I T T.
Fundraiser was held on October 27 at the
Social HOUR ARTBASH ARTBASH kicked off Art Alliance Austin’s two-weekend art experience of exhibition, spirited hub and lounge on Friday, November 11
1
at The Pershing in East Austin. Event
3
goers mingled with artists in the exclusive venue and experienced new work, site-specific installations, performances by Line upon Line, music by DJ Westen Borghesi and
2
interactive activities.
AUSTIN OPERA OPENING NIGHT Austin Opera opened its 2016-17 season with the first performance of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman on November 12 at the Long Center for Performing Arts. Attendees including many of Austin’s creative community such as Hsu and Meredith Ellis were there to welcome newly-appointed Austin Opera General Director, Annie Burridge.
4 6
KIDS IN A NEW GROOVE Local non-profit Kids in a New Groove held their fourth Music Matters Luncheon on Monday,
5
November 14. The annual fundraiser is dedicated to showing why music matters to the city as well as the organization. The program featured keynote speaker Derek Clark, two student performances, the reveal of the 2017 KING Concert Club artists and a silent auction.
ARTBASH: 1. Lucy & Eden Kienney 2. Peppy & Annie Wells 3. Racae & Erwin Meyer AUSTIN OPERA OPENING NIGHT: 4. Roy & Amanda Leather Berry 5. Robert & Charisse Bodisch 6. Dennis & Dana Jakubowicz KIDS IN A NEW GROOVE: 7. Derek Clark & Taylor Ellison 8. Jennifer Zavaleta & Sean Hopper 9. Kelly Talpert & Karyn Scott
24 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
7
8
9
A R T B A S H P H OTO G R A P H S B Y R I C H M E R R I T T; A U S T I N O P E R A O P E N I N G N I G H T P H OTO G R A P H S B Y L E O F U R M A N S K Y; K I D S I N A N E W G R O OV E P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B E N P O R T E R .
Wendi Koletar, Susan Alexander, Michael
AUSTIN
AUSTIN
AUSTIN AUSTIN AUSTIN
A BOUTIQUE BROKERAGE DEDICATED TO ASSISTING THOSE WHO SEEK THE URBAN LIFEST YLE. A BOUTIQUE BROKERAGE DEDICATED TO ASSISTING THOSE ELLEN NOBLE JENNIFER JUNE PATT Y SANGUILY WHO SEEK THE URBAN LIFEST YLE. Broker, ABR CRS MARTINSON 512.466.4426 512.658.9999 ellen.noble@ gmail.com
512.844.1568 jennifer.martinson@ gmail.com
psanguily21@ gmail.com
ELLEN NOBLE
JENNIFER JUNE MARTINSON
PATT Y SANGUILY
Broker, ABR CRS 512.658.9999 ellen.noble@ gmail.com
512.466.4426 A BOUTIQUE BROKERAGE DEDICATED BUY - SELL - LEASE TO ASSISTING THOSE psanguily21@ 512.844.1568 A BOUTIQUE BROKERAGE DEDICATED TO ASSISTING THOSE 600 Congress Avenue, 14th Floor, Austin 78701 gmail.com jennifer.martinson@ A BOUTIQUEWHO BROKERAGE TO ASSISTING THOSE SEEK THEDEDICATED URBAN LIFEST YLE. gmail.com WHO SEEK THE URBAN LIFEST YLE. WHO SEEK THE URBAN LIFEST YLE.
Member Council Condominium BUY -ofSELL - LEASESpecialistsâ„¢
14th Floor, JUNE Austin 78701 ELLEN NOBLE 600 Congress Avenue,JENNIFER ELLEN NOBLE JENNIFER JUNE Broker, ABR CRS MARTINSON Broker, ABR CRS ELLEN NOBLE JENNIFER JUNE 512.658.9999 MARTINSON 512.844.1568 512.658.9999 Broker, ABR CRS ellen.noble@ MARTINSON 512.844.1568 jennifer.martinson@
PATT Y SANGUILY PATT Y SANGUILY 512.466.4426 PATT Y SANGUILY 512.466.4426 psanguily21@ psanguily21@ gmail.com 512.466.4426
Every wedding need.
Elegantly attended to.
Host your special day in Austin and we’ll help you plan more than a memorable wedding. We want to bring you a wedding experience beyond the ceremony and reception. Start with a room block to bring everyone under one roof and a rehearsal dinner with a menu crafted by our Chef to bring your family and friends together. Keep them relaxed and entertained at the spa or explore vibrant Austin culture just around the corner. And when it’s time to say, “I Do,” you can count on our team of wedding experts to make sure everything goes just as you planned. START PLANNING YOUR WEDDING WEEKEND TODAY AT JWMARRIOTTAUSTIN.COM.
JW Marriott Austin 110 E 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 Phone: 512.608.4460 Fax: 512.474.2995 jwmarriottaustin.com
©2016 Marriott International, Inc.
CLOSING JANUARY 1!
NEED SOME
HOLIDAY SPARKLE SHOP
Elliott Erwitt
FOR ALL YOUR HOLIDAY WISHES!
Home Around the World
21st and Guadalupe Streets FREE ADMISSION
www.hrc.utexas.edu 512-471-8944
6317 Bee Cave Road #210 Austin, TX 78746
luxroxboutique.com
Community + CULTURE C U LT U R A L D I S PATC H E S F R O M AU S T I N ' S C R E AT I V E CO M M U N I T Y Feminist activist Lila Igram has two sons who are rappers'—' and fierce defenders of women's rights.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
PHOTOGRAPH BY TYESCHEA WEST
K R I S T I N ' S CO L U M N
28
LO C A L LOV E
30
PROFILE
34
| DECEMBER 2016 T R I B E Z A TA Ltribeza.com K 36
27
K R I S T I N ' S C O L U M N | C O M M U N I T Y + C U LT U R E
Fear is as Real as You Let it Be by Kristin Armstrong Illustration by Heather Sundquist
YOU’VE PROBABLY HAD THE BIZARRE experience of randomly thinking of a forgotten
black-and-white perspective on growth and
are. I did something I rarely do, especially in
spirituality and started to see shades and hues.
new or uncomfortable situations. I let my guard
It started with meditation. I began to see it
down completely.
as a silent form of praying and connecting
I sat with her, in her cozy tree house of
and centering rather than a weird thing that
an office, and opened my heart and mind to
weird people do. I began to do more yoga,
possibility. I believe what she did is called
recognizing yoga as a spiritual practice rather
energy work, but since I don’t really understand
than a rest day to stretch between workouts. I
what that means yet, I will call it simply
grew to understand that the voice in my head,
“healing.” In our session we discovered my block.
the “chatty roommate” as I call her, because she
It was a tumor-like invisible blob of fear stuck
never shuts up and is always on my case, isn’t
somewhere between my heart and my head,
the real me because I can tell her to be quiet.
lodged near my throat. It was segregating my
I started to realize that I could change all kinds
thoughts and feelings, and clogging my ability
of things in my life simply by changing the
to speak my deepest truths. The more she
way I think about them. This is energy. This is
talked about it, the more I could barely swallow
real power. This is transformative.
my own spit. Fear is as real as you let it be.
The author Michael Singer has one of my all
I didn’t realize I was crying until she handed
friend and not long afterwards they call you
time favorite quotes, and I dispense it like
out of the blue. Or you noodle over a seemingly
Pez to anyone who needs something sweet:
impossible problem or something you can’t
“Everything will be okay as soon as you are okay
breathe in a way I couldn’t before. Something
remember, and you let it go and do something
with everything.”
had shifted.
me a tissue. By the time she finished with me, I could
entirely different. Maybe go for a walk or
The question becomes: How do you get okay?
take a long drive. Then BAM, out of thin air,
There was a time about a year ago where I
the answer appears — like your brain is some
felt stuck. Blocked, like the changes I wanted to
mainframe computer, chugging algorithms
make in my life were thwarted by detour signs
intrigued; I’d always considered my brain my
on every circuit, and suddenly spits it out. Or
and traffic jams. Like my heart was constipated
finest asset.
perhaps the universe just throws you a bone.
and it couldn’t get enough fiber. Like I had
The answer you were searching for, hovering just
writer’s block when I wasn’t even writing.I tried
can solve everything. The thing is, you can’t.
beyond your consciousness, is now available.
to talk it out in therapy. I tried to sweat it out
You need to get out of your head, and start
All these things involve energy. We talk about
“So, you’re smart, which can be problematic,” she said. “What the hell does that mean?” I was
“You’re intelligent enough to think you
by running. I tried to spell it out in my writing. I
living from your heart. Create a staircase and
energy in different ways, even referring to people
tried to let it go through meditation. Still, I
use it.” She made zigzag motions with her
or situations as having good or bad energy,
was stuck.
finger down the front of me, from my forehead
as in “I got a good vibe.” I may be a California
A couple of my dear friends, highly intelligent
to my sternum.
native, but my heart has lived here long enough
open-minded fellow sojourners on the spiritual
I over-hugged her goodbye, clinging to her
to feel Southern. I am more apt to do a Bible
highway, decided to generously share a resource
with gratitude, like she was my grandmother,
study than buy crystals or dreamcatchers. I used
with me: a woman who has helped them get
my priest, my sister, my mother, my therapist,
to write off all of these things — energy, yoga
unstuck. This woman calls herself an Integrated
my guide, my travel agent, my masseuse and my
and meditation — as woo-woo and new-agey.
Healer. I call her amazing.
friend all rolled into one being.
Until one day I didn’t. Okay, it probably didn’t happen in a single day, but I definitely shifted from a more
28 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
I went to Fran Bell’s office one afternoon, not at all sure about this. Whatever this was. Was I becoming one of those people? Whoever they
Now whenever I start to feel stuck, I tell myself to go downstairs. My heart usually knows what to do next.
I USED TO WRITE OFF ALL OF THESE THINGS!—!ENERGY, YOGA AND MEDITATION !—!AS WOO-WOO AND NEW-AGEY. UNTIL ONE DAY I DIDN’T.
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
29
L O C A L L OV E | C O M M U N I T Y + C U LT U R E
local
LOVE by Kristiana Vuong Photography by Holly Cowart For our People issue, we wanted to explore friendships that arose from shared community tables and unleashed moments with furry friends. Sure, it can be hard to say “Hi” to a stranger, but doing so spurred lasting relationships and cherished memories for the folks below. Here are their stories.
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 5:30 p.m.
RED BUD ISLE
Lori Reeves (right) has been visiting Red
The two would walk with their dogs and their
Bud Isle since she was a child. While strolling
pregnant bellies, while Leo teased that it was
with her dogs last August, she struck up
nice to have another woman for Francesca
a conversation with Leo Ferrerse (left) and
to complain with. Their friendly exchanges at
Francesca Silvestrini (middle) who moved to
Red Bud blossomed into a friendship beyond
Austin from Milan, Italy to open gelato
the park, and now they regularly get in touch
shop Dolce Neve. Lori and the couple began
about travel, politics and what they are cooking
regularly bumping into each other at the park
for dinner. More than a year later, they
and soon Lori and Francesca, both pregnant,
stroll together through Red Bud, only now
discovered they were both pregnant with boys.
their babies are in their arms.
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 4:00 pm
ABGB
For Juliana Dierker (right) and Charles McClain (left), ABGB’s gracious live-oak trees and wide-open spaces keep them coming back. While the pair sit enjoying beers, Juliana reflects on the spontaneous connections they’ve experienced there while quenching with a craft. “It was an
3 were all just hanging out. Our friend’s dog wandered afternoon and we under the table of the group behind us. So we go over there and conversation opens up. We started talking about the dogs because that’s always an easy thing to connect with people about, and then the other group just slowly turned their chairs toward us. We started breaking off into smaller conversations and we ended up spending the rest of our time here as one group.” Although no long-lasting friendships sprouted, the shared experience left Juliana with a sweet memory.
30 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 6:00 p.m.
YARD BAR
Couple Suze Kemper (right) and Jack Conover (left) sit beneath an overcast sky with their two fur babies at Yard Bar. Suze has spent much of her life in Austin and chats about the friendliness of the city as she recounts how quickly her friendship began with another Yard Bar regular, Jo. On a slow afternoon in May, Suze and Jo struck up a conversation. For the next couple of weeks, the ladies continued bumping into each other every day. One Yard Bar night, Suze and Jack saw Jo and invited her to join them. “One of my favorite things about that evening was exchanging stories about how Jack and I met and how Jo and her boyfriend met,” Suze shared. For Suze and Jo, what started as a casual conversation at Yard Bar has quickly turned into a close friendship. Sunday, Nov. 6, 8:30 a.m.
CASA DE LUZ
Every Sunday morning, Curt Finch (left) gathers with friends around the community table at Casa de Luz to indulge in nourishing food and philosophical conversations. He and Stuart Hersh (second from left) met a few years ago when Stuart’s fiancée persuaded him to give Casa de Luz a try. Though his fiancée has since passed, Stuart continues to eat at Casa de Luz regularly and banter with Curt. “We’re opposites philosophically,” Curt reflected. “Stuart thinks government can solve the problem; I think government is the problem, but Stuart is cogent and good at seeing other points of view.” While they have their differences, they agree that food is a great mediator of conversation. Curt’s friend Telford Knox (right), a newcomer to Casa de Luz, wasn’t ready to dive into the pre-set menu of leafy greens and vegan broths, but enjoyed the stimulating conversation this unique environment seems to foster. Curt’s story is a familiar one for many of the regulars, noted owner Eduardo Longoria (second from right), who connect more deeply to their food and to each other as well, coming as individuals and leaving as friends. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
31
L O C A L L OV E | C O M M U N I T Y + C U LT U R E Monday, Nov. 7, 6:30 a.m.
STARBUCKS IN TARRYTOWN Bob Ozer (right), Ben Crenshaw (middle) and Pete Phillips (left) sit together sipping coffee in the early hours of the morning. Bob and Ben knew each other casually at Austin High, where they were both on the golf team. Bob jokes that Ben never gave him the time of day because, even as a high schooler, Ben was the “best golfer in the world.” They have lived in the same neighborhood most of their lives, but it wasn’t until 2009 when a small group started meeting at Starbucks that their friendship began to develop. A short time later, Pete, a newcomer, quickly found himself wrapped up in these early morning, thought-provoking conversations and has since become great friends with Bob and Ben. When asked about the purpose of meeting up, Ben put it simply: “We like talking to each other. That’s it. Without the distraction of cellphones or the need to be somewhere else.”
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
PINTHOUSE PIZZA, BURNET ROAD If it weren’t for Mike, Kevin and trivia night at Pinthouse Pizza, this motley crew might never have met. Mike and Kevin had been coming to trivia night every Tuesday for more than a year, but they were not always on the same team. They decided to join forces one evening when they were sitting next to each other at a community table. After a few weeks as a team, the two began grabbing beers outside of trivia night and became roommates for a while. During tonight’s trivia showdown, Mike and Kevin test the theory of six degrees of separation by bringing together Mike’s high school pal, Doug, who knows Charlie, who works with Neal, who is roommates with Laura, who is friends with Kevin. These new friends now trivia team together to have all the answers at Pinthouse Pizza.
32 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
1
warmnew with upour menu
Subscribe TODAY TRIBEZA is available for delivery!
RECEIVE A YEAR SUBSCRIPTION FOR $36. Sign up at T R I B EZ A .CO M
christmas eve dinner now booking new years eve celebration Book YOUR
HOLIDAY PARTIES START PLANNING YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON WITH
Tracie Walker, Event Coordinator EVENTS@CRUAWINEBAR.COM
2ND ST DISTRICT 238 W 2ND STREET 512.472.9463
THE DOMAIN 11410 CENTURY OAKS 512.339.9463
FREE $20 GIFT CARD FOR EVERY $100 IN GIFT CARDS PURCHASED
P R O F I L E | C O M M U N I T Y + C U LT U R E
The ACTIVIST Tree and Her RAPPING Apples A MOT H E R A N D H E R S ONS OPE N U P A B OU T WOM E N ’ S R IG H T S A N D R A P. I T ’ S H A R DLY W H AT YOU ’ D E X PE C T.
by Sofia Sokolove Photograph by Tyeschea West
LILA IGRAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN interested in empowering women and girls. She remembers feeling frustrated growing up in Iowa as a Muslim woman, seeing so much of the conversation about women’s issues being discussed by men. “It’s very frustrating,” explains Igram. “You kind of get a chip on your shoulder.” It’s ultimately what drove her to launch ConnectHer. Through a grassroots, bootstrapping effort, and with the support of her husband, Tarik, Igram put together a team that donated over $50,000 of in-kind services to start the Austin-based nonprofit. Now in its fifth year, the female empowerment initiative and crowd-funding platform includes an annual international film festival called Girls Impact the World. “At a certain point, you have to choose … do you want to sit back and be a listener, or do you want to enter the conversation?” says Igram. “I think the way I wanted to enter that conversation was through ConnectHer.” Her two young adult sons, Noah and Zak Aossey, are navigating their own ways of joining
34 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
that conversation — fueled by their feminist
ZAK: Definitely.
walk. Or someone will say something derogatory;
upbringing — in an unlikely setting: the rap
LILA: Zak went to Harvard and joined the Men
something will happen in a workplace … they just
world. The brothers are partners in NorTH, a
Against Rape club.
don’t have that respect. That’s something that’s in us.
rap group and lifestyle brand led by Noah and
ZAK: We were raised by a very strong,
LILA: The other thing is, I have a partner. My
managed by Zak. Zak, a former Harvard football
independent feminist woman. I don’t like the
daughter, their sister, Mena, is 15 years old
player, was always interested in rap and hip hop
word feminism, but that’s the way we grew up and
and she’s a badass. You just don’t mess around
as a hobby. On one track he was recording, Noah
that’s what we saw, and that’s what she’s always
with her.
jumped on for fun and so began his somewhat
strived towards — gaining equality for women.
TRIBEZA: Because you were armed with such a
rapid ascent into popularity as the leading man
LILA: I ask Noah all the time, “Does the work I
strong education on feminist values, does it feel like
of NorTH. (He’s since assumed NorTH as his
do impact him to not have misogynistic lyrics?”
pressure to share that knowledge?
last name). Their first release, GOAT, released
TRIBEZA: I’m so curious about that! And now to
ZAK: I feel upset. I wish I could do more. I want
in late June, has already amassed three million-
have them both involved in the rap world, which
to understand why other people think that way, or
plus YouTube views. New music coming out
isn’t always the friendliest world for women…
even perform those types of actions. There’s a
soon doubles down on their talents. These two,
LILA: I feel like I have two personalities when
huge change to be made. How do you make that
like their mom, are ones to watch.
it comes to this. I have the responsible parent
change? Do you do it through music? Do you do
personality where, you know, I worry about those
it through nonprofits?
of them about their family’s drive, values and how
We had the pleasure of visiting with the three
environments. Especially the entertainment
NOAH: Well right now a perfect example is my
they all navigate the juxtapositions of their roles.
environment. There’s so much misogyny …
mom’s new Stand Up Men Prize. I’m doing a film
NOAH: And then you have the fan girl
on it with my friends.
TRIBEZA: Let’s start by talking about
personality!
LILA: It’s called Stand Up Men, and students are
ConnectHer. Where did that vision come from?
LILA: One thing I always tell Noah is you have
supposed to submit films on men who are standing
LILA: Authentic representation is what we really
your music identity which is your passion,
up against the assault of women. Hopefully, they
focus on. The vision of ConnectHer is to elevate
your love, but that’s not your identity. Your
can at least get the conversation started. The focus
the status of women and girls all over the world.
identity is your character.
is on males of influence — male artists, male
One of the things we do is invest in local women
NOAH: That’s why when I made my first
actors, but you can profile anyone who you think
leaders in the developing world. Then, of course,
music video it was like “Okay, we need girls in the
can do a good job standing up for women’s rights.
there’s the film festival. The whole purpose
video,” and then it was like, “Why do we need
TRIBEZA: We’ve talked a lot about how you’ve
is to provide a platform to showcase voices of
that?” As a rapper in 2016, why do I need girls
inspired your sons. Lila, in what ways do you feel
marginalized women.
[dancing] in [my] videos? You don’t. Growing
like your sons drive you?
TRIBEZA: You must have been so conscious
up with a woman who is so outspoken, it makes
LILA: This is a perfect example — The Stand Up
about raising boys, and passionate about how
us that way as young men.
Men Prize is inspired by them. They are voices for
they would enter into this conversation
LILA: Oh yeah, I don’t let things fly. I correct
change and they feel compelled to stand up for
of women’s rights. How did that play out in
things. I think women have to be more confident
women and women’s rights. Zak being involved in
your parenting?
and more willing to voice their opinions.
Men Against Rape and Noah saying “I’m not going
LILA: You know, I think it’s just the normal
TRIBEZA: So, do you guys correct things now
to objectify women in my videos.” Now, I mean, I
things parents always do. Like if you hear your
among other men?
hope that doesn’t change…
boy say “She’s crying like a girl,” you say “Oh,
NOAH: I think about it, and I’m always aware
NOAH: I’m not going to objectify women! I could
come on …”
of it.
never release a video with girls in a hot tub dancing
NOAH: [Interrupts, laughing] I think that’s just
ZAK: Yes. To a great extent. We’re 100 percent
around me. I just couldn’t do that. I don’t think
you, Mom.
aware of all situations, and more prone to speak
that looks cool, even.
LILA: [Laughing] No! I think everybody does this!
out about it. A lot of guys that I know and grew up
LILA: [Laughing] Well, hopefully you can show
TRIBEZA: Zak and Noah, does your mom’s
with, if they see something happening that might
some strong intelligent women.
passion for equality feel ingrained in you, too?
not look right between a guy and a girl, they’ll just
[THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED AND CONDENSED.]
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
35
T R I B E Z A TA L K | C O M M U N I T Y + C U LT U R E
“DOPE” QUEEN
“I’m a pretty shy person, but I think the writing route was the route for me,” explains playwright Adrienne Dawes. After snagging a B. Iden Payne award in 2015 for the drama “Am I White,” Dawes turned to directing and producing comedy in 2016, earning awards for the musical revue “Love Me Tinder” and ’90s sketch comedy out some of the comedic stuff, too, because that is really fun and really a joy,” Dawes says.
OPENING DOORS
After getting caught in the rain with no way to
“Especially with how crazy the world is right
open the doors to his high school, wheelchair-
now, you can give people one hour to just shut
bound Archer Hadley created an opportunity
off all of the craziness that is the world.” After studying theater at Sarah Lawrence
from the challenge. In 2014 he launched Archer’s Challenge, a call for his peers,
College in New York and comedy at Second City
teachers and others to spend a day using a
in Chicago, Dawes returned home to Austin,
wheelchair to understand the daily logistics.
becoming a prolific theater creator. Get some
“The mission of Archer’s Challenge is to
laughs when “Doper Than Dope” (think “In
create a way to empower people to bring a
Living Color”) returns December 8 and 16 at
new perspective to their lives and the way
Spider House Ballroom.
they see the world,” Hadley says. Now a
ADRIENNEDAWES.COM
sophomore at UT Austin, Hadley has turned the challenge into a formal foundation,
Tribeza TALK
raising funds to improve wheelchair access ARCHERSCHALLENGE.COM
A N I NSI DE R ' S GU I DE TO AUS T I N ' S H I DDE N G E M S .
by Nicole Beckley
GIFTS OF GOOD (LOCAL) CHEER Make the most wonderful time of the year even more special by supporting local artisans and craftspeople. Now in its sixteenth year, Blue Genie Art Bazaar showcases more than 220 artists, running through December 24. Starting December 14, the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar takes over the Palmer Events Center for 11 days,
36 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
showcasing one-of-a-kind pieces, artwork and home furnishings amid music and drinks. Head to the Browning Hangar at Mueller for unique jewelry and clayworks at the inaugural Origin Designer Holiday Market on December 17. And reserve December 10–11 for live music and kids crafts at the Cherrywood Art Fair at Maplewood Elementary. BLUEGENIEARTBAZAAR.COM, ARMADILLOBAZAAR.COM, ORIGINDESIGNERMARKET.COM AND CHERRYWOODARTFAIR.ORG
ADRIENNE DAWS PHOTOGR APH BY MANAL AB U-SHAHEEN ; ARMADILLO CHRISTMA S BA Z A AR PHOTOGR APH BY JENNIFER M . R A M OS ; A RC H ER H A D L E Y W I T H L AU R EN P E T ROW S K I O F FOX 7 N E W S CO U RT E S Y O F A RC H ER ’ S C H A L L EN G E .
tribute “Doper Than Dope.” “I want to try
A KINDER CURRICULUM A kind word can go a long way, and Andra Liemandt believes that kindness has to start with yourself.
SOME SALON TIME If a painting is worth a thousand words, Hotel Ella
A founding member of the band The Mrs., Liemandt was motivated to create what would become The The permanent collection includes pieces from
Kindness Campaign after a friend’s
has figured out what those thousand words should
Texas modernist superstars like Charles Umlauf and
daughter committed suicide. “I
be with their monthly Salon Series. Launched in
Ralph White. Join hotel owner Carl McQueary
realized that this little girl had been
October, the series invites fine art lovers in for deep
inside Goodall’s Kitchen for enlightening evenings.
conversations about works on display at the hotel.
HOTELELLASALONSERIES.SPLASHTHAT.COM
bullied at school,” Liemandt says, “I was heartbroken for her … over time I really started thinking about what I could do.” Working with
Q U I N N H O L M E S : CO U R T E S Y: Q U I N N H O L M E S ; T H E K I N D N E S S C A M PA I G N P H OTO G R A P H B Y K I M W H I T E S I D E .
leaders from Austin ISD, Liemandt built a program utilizing reading
ONE TO WATCH
black and white, the film
and journaling, which launched in
“I love making movies,” says
features an up-close interview
50 area schools this year.
Quinn Holmes. A senior at
with one subject and his message
Austin High School, Holmes
for peace, intercut with footage
Campaign has been the biggest
got his start making stop-
of protesters and children
joy of my life,” Liemandt says.
motion shorts as a kid growing
playing. “I was by myself and
She wants to encourage kids to
up in San Miguel de Allende,
I would go up to complete
compliment themselves when
Mexico. Earlier this year his
strangers and ask them very
they look in the mirror and “help
short documentary “The World I
personal questions about racism,”
them create this positive self-
Want to Live In” was an official
Holmes says. “This was my first
talk early on [so] then we can
selection for the White House
documentary; I’d never
actually change the way kids see
Student Film Festival. Filmed in
done anything like that before.”
themselves.”
New York City and captured in
QUINNHOLMES.COM
TEAMKINDNESS.ORG
“Working on The Kindness
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
37
SPONSORED CONTENT
PACIFIC NORTHWEST OUTFITTER, FILSON, Comes to the DOMAIN NORTHSIDE
A TRUE AMERICAN HERITAGE BRAND,
Now, Central Texans can hands-on shop some
and work wear as well as watches and leather
Filson has long been known to outdoors
of the most rugged products around, all made
goods. The company’s dedication to the highest
enthusiasts and intrepid travelers, for its unfailing
by Seattle’s 119-year-old outfitter. Given Austin’s
standards of quality are directly tied to their
goods of superior quality, utility and style.
outdoor-centric culture and sporting lifestyle,
lifetime guarantee: if your Filson product fails
To the delight of many loyal Austin customers,
Filson is sure to receive a warm embrace.
in the course of its intended use, they’ll repair or
Filson brings its Pacific Northwest retail
“We’ve known for a while how much Austin
replace it, no questions asked.
experience to the Domain NORTHSIDE starting
and the Pacific Northwest have in common,”
Filson’s Austin store will partner will local
December 9th.
says Gray Madden, Filson’s president. “Like
makers as well as travel and outdoor enthusiasts
Seattle and Portland, people
throughout the year to offer products and
in Austin genuinely care about
community events unique to the Domain
the root of the products they
NORTHSIDE location.
buy, where they come from and
Filson’s Grand Opening Weekend begins
who makes them. We’re very
Friday, December 9th. Check Filson.com and
proud of the 250 craftspeople
@Filson1897 to learn about in-store events.
who design, cut and sew at our Seattle headquarters and we’re excited to share our outfitter expertise with such a like-minded community.” Along with specialized gear for hunting and fishing, Filson offers a large selection of signature briefcases and duffels, luggage, jackets, flannel shirts
38 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
DOMAIN NORTHSIDE 1 1 7 0 0 D O M A I N B LV D FIL SON .COM @FILSON1897
Arts +
HAPPENINGS W H E R E T O G O A N D W H AT TO D O December 16, The Contemporary's Jones Center will unveil an exterior art installation. Thought-provoking and iconic, it will become instantly Instagrammable. SOURCED FROM: THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN
A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T C A L E N DA R
40
MUSIC PICK
41
ARTS PICK
42
| DECEMBER Etribeza.com VENT PIC K 44 2016
39
C A L E N DA R S | A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Entertainment MUSIC YELAWOLF TRIAL BY FIRE TOUR December 2 Empire Control Room STEVE VAI December 2 Paramount Theatre HEART OF THE CITY EVENT December 3 Emo’s KEB MO December 3 Paramount Theatre A VERY SPECIAL EVENING WITH GARY CLARK JR. December 4–6 Paramount Theatre AUSTIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS HANDEL’S “MESSIAH” December 6 Hyde Park Baptist Church DOLLY PARTON PURE AND SIMPLE TOUR December 6 Frank Erwin Center LUKE BELL December 7 Stubbs BBQ ANDREA BOCELLI IN CONCERT December 8 Frank Erwin Center
BAND OF HORSES December 14 ACL Live at Moody Theater LOS LONELY BOYS WITH BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR December 15 Live at Moody Theater 101X INDIE XMAS: LOCAL NATIVES December 15 Emo’s PATTY GRIFFIN December 15 ACL Live at Moody Theater FLOSSTRADAMUS December 17 Emo’s BRUCE ROBISON & KELLY WILLIS 19th ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHINDIG December 17 Paramount Theatre ROBERT EARL KEEN’S MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FAM-O-LEE December 20 ACL Live at Moody Theater WILLIE NELSON & FRIENDS December 29–31 ACL Live at Moody Theater
FILM
AL JARREAU December 8 One World Theatre
OTHER WORLDS AUSTIN December 1–4 Flix Brewhouse
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS WITH VINCE GUARALDI December 10 Paramount Theatre
ELF PUB RUN + FILM December 3, Paramount Theatre
JIM JAMES December 13 ACL Live at Moody Theater
40 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
NEWLY RESTORED: ONE-EYED JACKS December 5 Stateside at the Paramount
MUSIC LICENSING AND FAIR USE WORKSHOP December 6 Austin Public A SONG FOR YOU: THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS STORY December 8 Texas Spirit Theatre at the Bullock SCIENCE ON SCREEN: FOR ALL MANKIND December 11 Texas Spirit Theatre at the Bullock KICKSTARTER WORKSHOP 2016 December 12 Austin Film Society Screening Room GOLIATH December 15 Bullock Texas State History Museum
SHEN YUN December 26–28 The Long Center BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY Through December 18 Austin Playhouse THE SANTALAND DIARIES Through December 25 ZACH Theatre A CHRISTMAS CAROL Through December 31 ZACH Theatre
COMEDY GODFREY Through December 3 Cap City Comedy Club
THEATER RUDE MECHS PRESENTS REQUIEM FOR TESLA December 1–18 The Off Center BALLET AUSTIN PRESENTS THE NUTCRACKER December 3–23 The Long Center CINDERELLA December 6–11 Bass Concert Hall OF MICE AND MUSIC3—3A JAZZ TAP NUTCRACKER December 8–18 The Long Center
BRIAN REGAN December 1 Bass Concert Hall JIM JEFFERIES: THE UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT TOUR. December 8 Paramount Theatre DOPER THAN DOPE 2 December 8 & 16 Spiderhouse Ballroom MICHAEL PALASCAK December 9–10 The Velveeta Room JOSH GONDELMAN December 14 The New Movement Austin
THE MOTH December 16 Paramount Theatre
BRUCE BRUCE December 15–17 Cap City Comedy Club
HOLIDAY HEROES December17 ZACH Theatre
KNOCK OUT LAUGHS December 16 Kick Butt Coffee
MUSIC PICK
GAME GRUMPS LIVE! December 18 ACL Live at Moody Theater
POP UP HOLIDAY MARKET December 3 Art House Austin
BAD BOYS Through December 30 ColdTowne Theater
HOLIDAY SING ALONG & DOWNTOWN STROLL December 3 Texas State Capitol
CHILDREN CHILDREN’S STORYTIME December 1 French Legation Museum TOT GINGERBREAD WORKSHOP December 3–24 Thinkery CHARLOTTE’S WEB December 3 & 10 ZACH Theatre KID’S CLUB December 7–28 Whole Foods Lamar PETRA & THE WOLF December 16–18 Paramount Theatre WHAT’S THE STORY STEVE? Through December 17 ColdTowne Theater
OTHER
P H OTO G R A P H B Y E R I N R A M B O
9th ANNUAL LIGHTS OF LOVE December 2 Mueller Hangar 26th ANNUAL WILD IDEAS SHOPPING EVENT December 2–4, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center TRAIL OF LIGHTS FUN RUN December 3 Zilker Park
HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA December 3–4 Kam & James Morris Theatre at TexARTS GERMAN-TEXAN HERITAGE SOCIETY CHRISTMAS MARKET December 3 German Free School of Austin WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW December 5 Frank Erwin Center TRAIL OF LIGHTS December 10–23 Zilker Park
THE FRESH FACE OF VINTAGE R&B By Derek Van Wagner
Nick Waterhouse | Antone's |
D EC E M B E R 14
ELVIS AND ME: AN EVENING WITH PRISCILLA PRESLEY December 14 Paramount Theatre
Ever suspect that good ol’ Buddy Holly-, Eric Burden-, Chuck Berry-type
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS WORLD TOUR December 28 Frank Erwin Center
makes old R&B” by LA Weekly, Waterhouse is among a select number
AUSTIN’S NEW YEAR December 31 Vic Mathias Shores
rock and roll is dead and gone? Fear not, my faithless friend: Nick Waterhouse has arrived at the party. Described as the “young man who of artists bringing back the old-school cool. Along with creating his own timeless tunes, Waterhouse has lent his ear and producer skills to surf-psych revivalist The Allah-Las and rhythm-and-blues phenom Leon Bridges. Waterhouse’s own sound lands somewhere in between the Animals, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Bert Berns, just with more saxophone and a bit more alcohol-induced swagger. Whatever Waterhouse is doing, it’s working, because you can find his music all over car commercials and major sporting events. Even The Rolling Stones blast Waterhouse’s version of “I Can Only Give You Everything” at their stadium shows before they go on. For the past five years Nick Waterhouse has been on the rise, making quality albums and touring the country, and at this rate he’ll be selling out stadiums of his own. It’s your choice: put on a nice pair of shoes and get to Antone’s on Dec. 14 or regret missing one of the most originally classic artists of this generation. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
41
A R T S P I C K | A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Arts
DARING SCULPTURAL WORKS HIGHLIGHT THE CONTEMPORARY’S JONES CENTER REOPENING
“Habitat”
By Brittani Sonnenberg
The Contemporary Austin / The Jones Center 700 Congress Ave.
N OV. 2 2 , 2016 – F E B . 2 6, 2017
“With Liberty and Justice for All (A Work in Progress)”
Tangled steel studded with concrete chunks. Seven-foot-tall letters in iridescent hues that read “With Liberty and Justice for All.” The Contemporary’s two new sculptural exhibitions, by Monika Sonowska and Jim Hodges, respectively, that will accompany the Jones Center’s reopening on December 16, evince starkly different artistic bents. Hodges’ “With Liberty and Justice for All (A Work in Progress)” literally spells out his powerful themes, while Polish artist Sonowska’s abstract, architecturally inspired “Habitat” offers mere hints at meaning. Heather Pesanti, The Contemporary’s senior curator, said that both artists are excitingly apropos for the reopening and for the moment we find ourselves in. “Sonowska’s proposal for our space was both revelatory and playfully imaginative,” said Pesanti. “The first floor, in particular, will have an immensely dislocating and fascinating effect on a viewer’s experience of the building. We also commissioned several new works, which viewers will encounter on the second floor. I can’t say it’s inconsequential either that we are reopening this museum with a major exhibition of a female artists during this particular election year.” Hodges’ work, on loan from the artist, will span two sides of the Jones Center’s rooftop and “presents an opportunity for our museum to exhibit a landmark sculpture that will be visible to all from the streets below, day and night,” Pesanti said. But the physical aspect of Hodges’ sculpture is just the beginning. “The artist sees community engagement with underserved communities as an integral aspect of the project’s broader reach,” Pesanti noted. “As part of this, we will be implementing a series of bus wraps, public programs and film screenings And in this election year, located only a few blocks from the State Capitol, I think we hope this work will be a particularly important marker for the community.”
42 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
ADAM SCOTT ROTE BACK IN AUSTIN PAINTING LIVE December 2–3 ART On 5th
VSA TEXAS 8th ANNUAL HOLIDAY ART & GIFT SHOW Through December 23 AGE Building
ELIZABETH CHAPIN: CAREFUL/ UNCAREFUL December 3–23 Wally Workman Gallery
DAVID JOHNDROW: THE STRANGE FAMILIAR, Through December 23 Photo Mèthode Gallery
LUMENS & CURRENTS OPENING RECEPTION December 9 grayDUCK Gallery
SUZI DAVIDOFF + RACHELLE THEIWES: COMMON LANGUAGE Through December 31 Flatbed Press and Gallery
QUEER TERRORTORIES Through December 10 Visual Arts Center CHERRYWOOD ART FAIR December 11–12 Maplewood Elementary ARMADILLO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR December 14–24 Palmer Events Center SOUTHPOP: FROM STEAM TO EXTREME Through December 15 South Austin Popular Culture Center SHAWN CAMP: ANGLE OF REFRACTION Through December 17 Gallery Shoal Creek
MIKE O’BRIEN: MAYHEM, METHOD AND MEDIUM Through December 31 Flatbed Press and Gallery HOLIDAY GROUP SHOWCASE Through January 7 Davis Gallery THE UMLAUF PRIZE 2016 & RETROSPECTIVE Through January 29 UMLAUF Sculpture Garden WARHOL BY THE BOOK Through January 29 Blanton Museum of Art P H OTO G R A P H B Y B A R TO S Z G Ó R K A
ART PICK
HOLIDAY GIFTS MADE EASY Indulge yourself and all the foodies on your list— discover our irresistible holiday treats, cheerful decor, hostess gifts and something special for every cook. Our fun and festive holiday collection will help you deck the halls, kitchen, table and more. COOKING CLASSES • HOLIDAY Northside GIFTSDomain • ALL THE BEST BRANDS
BUY 3 TINS OR MORE
10% OFF
BUY 5 TINS OR MORE
20% OFF
11800 Domain Boulevard, CityPlaceSuite • 295 130Radio Drive 512-873-7149 651-702-5400
VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION • NOW WITH COOKING CLASSES
A R T S P I C K | A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Art SPACES MUSEUMS
THE KING’S QUEEN HOLDS COURT IN AUSTIN By Anne Bruno
Elvis and Me: An Evening With Priscilla Presley Paramount Theatre D E C E M B E R 14 , 8 P. M .
Since the dawn of time, man’s thirst for knowledge has been unquenchable, launching a never-ending quest fueled by desperate hopes and dreams to discover the answers to civilization’s greatest questions. With a few tweaks to those questions, pretty much the same goes for Elvis fans. “It’s true — no matter how much I tell, people always want more,” says Priscilla Presley, who met the 24-year-old idol when she was a barely-teenaged girl of 14. If you think the original First Lady of Rock ‘n’ Roll couldn’t possibly have more to say about life with the King, take a moment to consider that maybe even Elvis hasn’t given us all he has to give. To wit, the second of two recently released albums (one in 2015, the other in October of this year) using rearranged Elvis vocals backed by the band of his dreams, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, just took Elvis past Madonna
THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN: LAGUNA GLORIA 3809 W. 35th St. (512) 458 8191 Driscoll Villa hours: Tu–W 12-4, Th-Su 10–4 Grounds hours: M–Sa 9–5, Su 10–5 thecontemporaryaustin.org THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN: JONES CENTER 700 Congress Ave. (512) 453 5312 Hours: W 12-11, Th-Sa 12-9, Su 12-5 thecontemporaryaustin.org BLANTON MUSEUM OF ART 200 E. MLK Jr. Blvd. (512) 471 7324 Hours: Tu– F 10–5, Sa 11–5, Su 1–5 blantonmuseum.org THE BULLOCK TEXAS STATE HISTORY MUSEUM
open conversation about their life together to Austin. “What an important place for
1800 Congress Ave. (512) 936 8746 Hours: M–Sa 9–5, Su 12–5 thestoryoftexas.com
music Austin has become, it’s absolutely fantastic. I was here for SXSW and I’m
ELISABET NEY MUSEUM
amazed at the metropolis of Austin now compared to when I was a girl and my family
304 E. 44th St. (512) 458 2255 Hours: W–Sa 10–5, Su 12–5 ci.austin.tx.us/elisabetney
in the record books as the solo artist with the most #1 albums in the U.K. Presley, an earnest caretaker of Elvis’ legacy, is especially excited to bring her
was stationed at Bergstrom.” Austin’s own one-man-musical-encyclopedia, Joe Nick Patoski, will moderate the evening, which will also showcase never-before-seen home movies and photos. Presley says, “I love the chance to tell people about the Elvis they likely never knew. We had stacks of classical albums and opera, too. He loved everything from Brahms to Mario Lanza.” If you’ve spent a lifetime waiting for the right time, it’s now or never: go ahead, ask what you’ve always wanted to know about the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
44 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
FRENCH LEGATION MUSEUM 802 San Marcos St. (512) 472 8180 Hours: Tu–Su 1–5 frenchlegationmuseum.org
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM 1165 Angelina St. (512) 974 4926 Hours: M–Th 10–9, F 10–5:30, Sa 10–4 ci.austin.tx.us/carver HARRY RANSOM CENTER 300 E. 21st St. (512) 471 8944 Hours: Tu–W 10–5, Th 10–7, F 10–5, Sa–Su 12–5 hrc.utexas.edu LBJ LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 2313 Red River St. (512) 721 0200 Hours: M–Su 9–5 lbjlibrary.org MEXIC–ARTE MUSEUM 419 Congress Ave. (512) 480 9373 Hours: M–Th 10–6, F–Sa 10–5, Su 12–5 mexic–artemuseum.org O. HENRY MUSEUM 409 E. 5th St. (512) 472 1903 Hours: W–Su 12–5 THINKERY AUSTIN 1830 Simond Ave Hours: T-Fri 10-5, Sa-Su 10-6 thinkeryaustin.org UMLAUF SCULPTURE GARDEN & MUSEUM 605 Robert E. Lee Rd. (512) 445 5582 Hours: T-Fri 10-4, Sa-Su 12-4 umlaufsculpture.org
P H OTO CO U R T E S Y O F PA R A M O U N T T H E AT R E
EVENT PICK
A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T | M U S E U M S & G A L L E R I E S
GALLERIES 78704 GALLERY 1400 South Congress (512) 708 4678 Hours: M-F 8-5 78704.gallery ADAMS GALLERIES OF AUSTIN
900 RR 620 S. Unit B110 (512) 243 7429 Hours: T–Sa 10–6 adamsgalleriesaustin.com ART AT THE DEN 317 W. 3rd St. (512) 222 3364 Hours: Tu-Sa 10-6, Su 12-5 artattheden.com ART ON 5TH 3005 S. Lamar Blvd. (512) 481 1111 Hours: M–Sa 10–6 arton5th.com ARTWORKS GALLERY 1214 W. 6th St. (512) 472 1550 Hours: M–Sa 10–5 artworksaustin.com AUSTIN GALLERIES 5804 Lookout Mountain Dr. (512) 495 9363 By Appt. Only austingalleries.com AUSTIN ART GARAGE 2200 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. J
BIG MEDIUM GALLERY
FIRST ACCESS GALLERY
LA PEÑA
2324 S. Lamar Blvd
227 Congress Ave., #300
5305 Bolm Rd., #12
(512) 428 4782
(512) 477 6007
(512) 939 6665
Hours: Tu-Sa 10-7, Su 12-5
Hours: M-F 8-5, Sa 8-3
Tu-Sa 12-6
firstaccess.co/gallery
lapena–austin.org
FLATBED PRESS
LINK & PIN
AT BOLM
bigmedium.org CAPITAL FINE ART 1214 W. 6th St. (512) 628 1214 Hours: M-Sa 10-5 capitalfineart.com CO-LAB PROJECTS: PROJECT SPACE 613 Allen St. (512) 300 8217 By event and appt only co-labprojects.org DAVIS GALLERY 837 W. 12th St. (512) 477 4929 Hours: M–F 10–6, Sa 10–4 davisgalleryaustin.com DIMENSION GALLERY
SCULPTURE AND 3D ART 979 Springdale, Ste. 99 (512) 479 9941 dimensiongallery.org DOUGHERTY ARTS CENTER
1110 Barton Springs Rd. (512) 974 4000 Hours: M-Th 10-9,
Hours: M-F 10-5, Sa 10-3
(512) 900 8952 Hours: Sa-Su, 11-4
flatbedpress.com
linkpinart.com
FLUENT
LORA REYNOLDS
502 W. 33rd St.
360 Nueces St., #50
COLLABORATIVE (512) 453 3199 By appointment only
GALLERY
(512) 215 4965 Hours: W-Sa 11-6
fluentcollab.org
lorareynolds.com
GALLERY 702
LOTUS GALLERY
702 San Antonio St. (737) 703 5632 Hours: Tu-Su 10-6
1009 W. 6th St., #101 (512) 474 1700 Hours: M–Sa 10-6
gallery702austin.com
lotusasianart.com
GALLERY BLACK
MASS GALLERY
4301-A Guadalupe St.
(512) 535 4946
LAGOON
(512) 371 8838 Hours: Sa 1-5 galleryblacklagoon.com GALLERY SHOAL CREEK 2832 MLK Jr. Blvd. #3 (512) 454 6671 Hours: Tu–F 10–5, Sa 12–5
507 Calles St. Hours: F 5-8, Sa-Su 12-5 massgallery.org MODERN ROCKS GALLERY
916 Springdale Rd. #103 (512) 524 1488 Hours: Tu - Sa, 11- 6 modernrocksgallery.com
austintexas.gov/department/
GRAYDUCK GALLERY
MONDO GALLERY
dougherty-arts-center
2213 E. Cesar Chavez
F 10-5:30, Sa 10-2
EAST SIDE GLASS STUDIO
Hours: Tu–Sa 11–6, Su 12–5
3401 E. 4th St.
austinartgarage.com
(512) 815 2569
GALLERY AND STUDIOS
(512) 477 9328
2235 E. 6th, Ste. 102
galleryshoalcreek.com
(512) 351-5934
AUSTIN ART SPACE
2830 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.
Hours: Tu-Sa By appt. only eastsideglassstudio.com
7739 North Cross Dr., Ste. Q
FAREWELL BOOKS
(512) 771 2868
913 E. Cesar Chavez St.
Hours: F–Sa 11–6
(512) 473 2665
austinartspace.com
Hours: M-Sa 12–8, Su 12–7 farewellbookstore.com
Austin, TX 78702 (512) 826 5334 Hours: Th -Sa 11-6, Su 12-5 grayduckgallery.com
4115 Guadalupe St. Hours: Tu - Sa, 12- 6 mondotees.com OLD BAKERY & EMPORIUM
JULIA C. BUTRIDGE
1006 Congress Ave.
1110 Barton Springs Rd.
Hours: T–Sa 9–4
GALLERY
(512) 974 4025 Hours: M–Th 10–9, F 10–5:30, Sa 10–2 austintexas.gov/department/ doughertygallery
(512) 912 1613 austintexas.gov/obemporium PUMP PROJECT ART COMPLEX
702 Shady Ln. (512) 351 8571 pumpproject.org
ROI JAMES
3620 Bee Cave Rd., Ste. C (512) 970 3471 By appointment only roijames.com RUSSELL COLLECTION FINE ART 1137 W. 6th St. (512) 478 4440 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–6 russell–collection.com
FREDERICKSBURG AGAVE GALLERY 208 E. San Antonio St. (830) 990 1727 Hours: M-Sa 10-5 agavegallery.com ARTISANS AT ROCKY HILL
234 W. Main St.
SPACE 12 3121 E. 12th St. (512) 524 7128 T-F 10-5 space12.org
(830) 990 8160
STEPHEN L. CLARK GALLERY 1101 W. 6th St. (512) 477 0828 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–4 stephenlclarkgallery.com
314 E. Main St.
STUDIO 10 1011 West Lynn (512) 236 1333 Hours: Tu–Sa 11–5 studiotenarts.com VISUAL ARTS CENTER 2300 Trinity St. (512) 232 2348 Hours: Tu–F 10–5, Sa 12-5 utvac.org WALLY WORKMAN GALLERY 1202 W. 6th St. (512) 472 7428 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–5 wallyworkman.com WOMEN & THEIR WORK 1710 Lavaca St. (512) 477 1064 Hours: M–F 10–6, Sa 12–5 womenandtheirwork.org YARD DOG 1510 S. Congress Ave. (512) 912 1613 Hours: M–F 11–5, Sa 11–6, Su 12–5 yarddog.com
Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30, Su 11-3 artisansatrockyhill.com FREDERICKSBURG ART GALLERY (830) 990 2707 Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30, Su 12-5 fbartgallery.com INSIGHT GALLERY 214 W. Main St. (830) 997 9920 Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5:30 insightgallery.com LARRY JACKSON ANTIQUES &
ART GALLERY 209 S. Llano (830) 997 0073 Hours: M-F 9:30-5, Sa 10-5 larryjacksonantiques.com THE GALLERY AT VAUDEVILLE 230 E. Main St. (830) 992 3234 Hours: M 8-6, W-F 8-6, Sa 8-9, Su 8-5 vaudeville-living.com WHISTLE PIK 425 E. Main St. (830) 990 8151 Hours: M-Sa 10-5 whistlepik.com
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
45
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Tribeza's Gift Guide Drumz offers both
drumming classes and quality professional percussion instruments from around the world, including exotic, hand-carved West African djembes ($350–$895).
Opus Grows
The Opus Grow Real® Light Box"—"Let the natural hued cedar and warm white light brighten your home. Chase the winter blues away with freshly-cut, fragrant greens grown at home in organic soil. Hand built in Oregon. $149 OPUSGROWS.COM
Vineyard Marketplace, a Certified
Fair-trade boutique, specializes in one-of-a-kind gifts, such as this Ethiopian leather tote ($225). VINEYARD MARKETPLACE: VINEYARDMARKETPLACE.ORG (512) 221-6322 DRUMZ: 3700 1/2 KERBEY LANE, AUSTIN 78731 DRUMZAUSTIN.COM | (512) 443-9090
Alpha Granite Austin This holiday season treat your loved one to beautiful new countertops meticulously crafted by Alpha Granite and Tile. Our friendly sales staff and designers will be able to assist you in making the perfect choice to complete all the surfacing needs in your home. (512) 834-8746
Thirds
Governed by the rule of threes, things become funnier, more satisfying, and more effective than any other number. THIRDS concentrates on discovering handcrafted selections for your home where artistry, individuality and variations are appreciated guaranteeing that each piece has a personal narrative of its very own. SHOPTHIRDS.COM
46 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Ubuntu Made
The sleek and durable Leather Shopper, handcrafted in Africa, helps sustain jobs and education in Kenya. The stitched 36 degree line represents the longitude of our factory in Maai Mahiu to celebrate the land in which it was made and the people who made it. $149.99
RedBird Boutique
Bandolier: the ultimate hands free fashion accessory. Cell phone case and purse all in one. Just enough room for your credit cards and drivers license. Add on pouch for lipstick available too! No more digging to find your phone or leaving it behind by accident!
611 BAYLOR ST. #203, AUSTIN, TX, 78703 UNBUNTUMADE.COM (512) 547-7479
$100-$120 REDBIRD BOUTIQUE 3663 BEE CAVE ROAD, SUITE 2C AUSTIN, TX 78746 SHOPREDBIRD.COM (512) 514-0027
King & Rose
Effortlessly cool, the Bastille is a subtle statement piece with vintage sensibilities. Lightweight palladium frame dipped in 3 microns of gold and finished with Ahlem's signature temple tip. Discover these and more exceptional pieces in our inviting showroom . $470 6701 BURNET RD SUITE C2 KINGANDROSE.COM (512) 596.3834
Kelly Wynne
Experience luxury with the brilliance of this rare gem at your fingertips. Worn on the shoulder or as a clutch, the Brilliant in Sapphire is available in limited quantities. Visit the Domain Northside location to shop and sip in the Champagne Lounge. $395 3211 PALM WAY SUITE #132 AUSTIN, TX 78758 KELLYWYNNE.COM | (512) 491-0050
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
47
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Fonda San Miguel
Give Delicious Gifts! Create the flavors of Austin’s premier Interior Mexican Restaurant at home, with the NEW EDITION of Fonda San Miguel’s stunning cookbook by UT Press. Or taste the originals with Gift Cards in any denomination . $39.95 FONDASANMIGUEL.COM | (512) 459-4121 ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
Overture Austin Upsize your lifestyle to 55+ active adult living where style is forever and freedom has come of age. As a guest at an Overture community, you will experience endless opportunities for luxury with 3 convenient locations in Mueller, The Domain, and the Arboretum. The good life is here, ready and waiting for you when you choose Overture. OVERTUREAUSTIN.COM | (512) 643.5555
Liza Beth Jewelry Kerbey Lane Cafe
has packaged up the goodness of our eight most popular pancake flavors"—"including three gluten-free options so you can give the gift of Austin’s favorite pancakes to anyone this holiday season! Visit one of our seven Austin locations or shop online at KERBEYLANECAFE.COM
48 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Liza Beth Jewelry's timeless designs include necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings featuring diamonds set in oxidized sterling silver or white, yellow and rose gold. This beautiful floral, white and champagne diamond double wrap bracelet is sure to make this holiday season sparkle. Double wrap floral ID bracelet $1,565 LIZABETHJEWELRY.COM
Tr ibe Gi za's f t Ho Gu li id e d a y
With its name inspired by the mythical sea goddess whose enchanted veil saves Odysseus from drowning,
P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y B A R B A R A F G
Ino Scarf Boutique
offers elegant pieces that transcend time. Each handmade scarf and tie is sophisticated and wears like soft jewelry, reflecting both beauty and power. Choose from several lines, including Gigi, which blends the needlework from ancient Anatolia with modern silk. INO SCARF BOUTIQUE 4541 RUIZ ST. ON PAGGI SQUARE IN MUELLER INOCOLLECTION.COM (512) 934-3766
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
49
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
OUTFITTING HUNTERS, MINERS, PROSPECTORS AND OUTDOORSMAN FOR 119 Years C E L E B R AT E T H E HOL I DAY S AT F I L S ON FILSON AUSTIN | 11700 DOMAIN BLVD, SUITE 100, BLDG Y2, AUSTIN, TX USA
MACKINAW FIELD WATCH Withstands the demands of the field. Scratchresistant sapphire crystal. Stainless steel case. Assembled in Detroit by Shinola. $650
LIGHTWEIGHT SHOOTING SHIRT Shooting patch. Reinforced overlay. Button front. buttoned chest pocket for shells. $98
RANGER BACKPACK Weather-resistant cotton. Bridle Leather straps. Large, cotton lined interior with wool zipper pouch and divider. $175
50 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
SHERPA DOG BED Polar fleece and cotton canvas. Poly-filled. Classic Mackinaw pattern. $225
BARRACK BLANKET Military-style blanket. Made with wool milled in Minneapolis by Faribault Woolen Mill. Warm, strong, durable for decades. $250
Tr ibe Gi za's f t Ho Gu li id e d a y
A W I N T E R T R A DI T ION SI NC E 1 8 9 7 A N AUS T I N T R A DI T ION SI NC E 1 2 / 0 9 / 16
Every Item Guaranteed LIGHTWEIGHT ALASKAN GUIDE SHIRT Durable all-season work shirt. Expandable chest pockets. Extended hem. Chip-resistant buttons. $115
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
DUFFLE – MEDIUM Industrial-strength Rugged Twill. Vegetable-tanned Bridle Leather. Cut, sewn and stitched in Seattle. $395
WOMEN’S QUILTED FIELD VEST Water-repellent waxed cotton. Quilted and filled with 100g insulation. Long hem for full coverage. $245
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
51
ay
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
d i l o e H s ' uid a z e ft G b i Tr Gi
We are delighted to share our world-renowned barbecue with you"—"with a side of Texas Hill Country hospitality. The Roberts family recipes have roots back to the wagon trains in the mid-1800s. We want you to enjoy the same warm atmosphere and delicious barbecue they savored around the campfire. THE SALT LICK | 18300 FARM TO MARKET RD 1826, DRIFTWOOD, TX 78619 | SALTLICKBBQ.COM
SALT LICK CELLARS WINE (available for purchase at Salt Lick Cellars). Salt Lick BBQ White is the perfect white wine for grillin' and chillin'. $20/bottle BBQ Red has the perfect balance of dryness, oaky flavor and a refreshing crispness. $20/bottle GSM you’ll enjoy from start to finish. $39/bottle
SAUCE GIFT PACK Our Sauce Gift Pack is the perfect stocking stuffer. It includes a bottle of dry rub, original recipe and spicy recipe BBQ sauce. $19.95
SALT LICK COOKBOOK Autographed by Salt Lick owner, Scott Roberts. $39.95
52 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Order online: saltlickbbq.com
P H OTO S CO U R T E S Y O F B R I T T B A R R E T T P H OTO G R A P H Y
THURMAN’S PRIDE MAIL ORDER BRISKET Fully smoked brisket (approx. 3–4 lbs) comes with a bottle of original recipe sauce. We ship nationwide. Just reheat, baste and devour. $59.95
At Cannon & Belle we serve"—"and celebrate"—"comfort food that selectively (and artistically) breaks the rules. Join us this holiday season for locally-sourced ingredients, Tex-Fresh Fare and custom cocktails. Independent from the ground up. CANNON + BELLE | 500 E 4TH ST, AUSTIN, TX 78701 | CANNONANDBELLE.COM | (512) 482-8000
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
53
THE LIFE
QUI XO TIC
Meet Austin's Most Interesting Meetups
BY MP MUELLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY WESLEY HOLMES
54 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Like many, I fell deeply in love with Christopher Guest’s “Best in Show.” Then, “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Moonrise Kingdom.” The characters’ stilted staccato deliveries, the Xacto knife-sharp dialogue and the flawless costuming offered full-on character acting titillation. This year’s “Hell or High Water,” with the ongoing jabs between two Texas Rangers and the myway-or-the-highway, Poth, Texas waitress, felt like old home week. We know those types. Great comedy delights us because the situations are highly relatable. Characters resonate because we can identify with them. But in the act of referring to someone as a “character,” are we subtly putting down the armrest and defining them as different? In Austin, we’ve always celebrated the individual, those who pursue their unique interests and stand apart. Perhaps watching others own their outer-edge qualities give us permission to embrace ours. Use your own hair to knit a sweater? Cool. Make flan out of handpressed hempseed milk? First “What the…?”, then: “Show me how!” Austin’s individuals don’t sit in their solo state long … we form rich communities that become primary or secondary families. The bottom line, if we nudge this reasoning into a deductive exercise, is that Austinites are either all fairly normal in our individuality, or we are all very rich characters. For our People issue, the Tribeza team waded into the teeming-with-possibilities pond of local meetups, which held more than 800 species. We reached out to six that captured our attention. We found that meetup groups helped many new to the city find their clan. As Godiva Morte, a member of the retro dress-up group, Vintage Vixens, put it: “One of the things that is so wonderful about the community is a lot of us were the weird kids or outsiders. When you connect with a group that is ‘I love this thing,’ there’s that connection already.” Welcome to Meetupville. Where individual consensus counts.
LONGHORN LOCKPICKING CLUB
From Left; Summer Lee Christian Guagas Blake Bahrenburg David Barksdale Doug Farre Bill Bradley John Gordon Dan Crowley
“It’s kind of like doing a Soduku puzzle blindfolded, and it’s very relaxing,” shared
around you, but not relying on things blindly.”
Longhorn Lockpicking Club member Blake Bahrenburg. While many might find a
Is there a lock that can’t be picked? According to the group, nothing in the world
lake or spa day relaxing, for the past ten years, Bahrenburg and other club members
is unpickable … it’s just matter of time. When we were looking for a location for their
have gathered on Saturdays to solve metal puzzles: opening locks without a key or
photo shoot, I suggested a local lock and safe shop to Farre. Wouldn’t that be fun? He
the combo. Beer is usually involved. And they have their rules: You only open locks
paused and demurred. Based on a past experience, he noted that this particular shop
that belong to you, or you have been given permission to open. Second, you don't pick
may not think that was such a good idea. Of course. Nothing like having people over
any lock you rely on because there’s a chance you might destroy it. If you do, you are
who can prove your systems aren’t, you know, failsafe.
going to have a bad day. “Our mantra is non-destructive entry,” noted Daniel Crowley, dismissively adding, “The destructive techniques are kind of boring.” Most of the group’s members are into cyber security. And the analog version of someone cracking security is lock picking. Club organizer Doug Farre has an esoteric take on why this hobby engages them. “We rely on locks for security, but there are lots of problems with them. It’s a lot like going through life: understanding the world
Fortunately for the rest of us, the group gives manufacturers feedback on the shortfalls of their locks. Knowing what they do, what lock would they “pick” if they were buying one? Not a household name or one you’ll find at Lowe’s: the ABloy Protec. You can purchase these bad boys on the website Security Snobs, naturally. Many thanks to Perry’s Steakhouse for hosting us for the photo by their old bank vault. Perryssteakhouse.com tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
55
From Left, Front Row; Andi Davison Signe Corbin Janet Barrington Angie Stahl Susy Breeland Back Row; Hanna Cofer Molly Davidson Samantha Breeland Coti Heusmann
THE AUSTIN PUG CLUB
When I visited with club leader Janet Bar-
Fest is the grand poo bah event, held every
rington at her southwest Austin home, three
October. Pugs get in costume and are pulled
items of pug ephemera greeted me before I
around on homemade “floats” and compete
reached the door. Janet, a professional assis-
for prizes.
tant at a downtown law firm, greeted me and
“Once Kiwi and I dressed up as Marvin the
quipped, “Is this an intervention?” Her love
Martian and Commander Canine. I was her pet
of pugs is evident everywhere the eye lands.
dog. It was pretty funny because we used one
Pug mugs, magnets, sweaters, purses, slippers,
of those domed BBQ grills [for the space ship],
stuffed pug toys, pug aprons, pug action figures.
a bowl to accommodate Kiwi and filled the rest
She introduced me to her 12- year-old pug, Kiwi.
of it in with spray foam. We put all her little con-
No ordinary pug, Kiwi has had her own model-
trols: reverse, thruster, ray gun and a launcher
ing career. Janet shared books featuring Kiwi
that said ‘Kaboom!’” Kiwi has also been Vanna
in costumes. A stand out was the “I Dream of
White with a mini Wheel of Fortune, and played
Jeannie” getup.
Lucy to Janet’s Ethel. They re-enacted the fa-
“Pugs,” confided Janet, “are a lot of dog in a
mous chocolate factory scene, complete with
small package. They are very, very comical. I
a mini working conveyor belt with candy hot
haven’t known a pug that hasn’t loved to dress
glue-gunned on it.
up and be funny.” The Austin Pug Club is the
It’s a lot of fun to work with these people,
third largest chapter in the USA with 1,300
Janet said. “You can tell they really love their
members and they really enjoy getting to-
dogs. It takes a lot of effort to plan a Satur-
gether. There have been pug luaus. Pugs and
day morning get-together for the dogs. What
their owners donned grass skirts and coconut
bonds us is that we don’t think the other per-
bras and all did the limbo. There was Pug-
son is crazy for doing it.”
Stock, a salute to the ’60s with pooches and
Thanks to the historic event space, The Man-
owners in tie-dye and love beads. Don’t forget
sion, for letting Austin Pug Club members and 16
the PugTuckey Derby. But the annual Pugkin
pugs pose on their carpets. themansion.info
Here’s something that will put you over the top at your next Trivia Night: What do you call a group of pugs? A grumble. Pugs are known for their snorting, which makes their group moniker fit like a jeweled collar. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
57
UNICYCLE FOOTBALL CLUB You’ve got to love a group that gives each other nicknames like Bobo Erectus, Fuzzy
helmet with a row of military ribbons affixed to his T-shirt.
and Knobby Tire. The Unicycle Football League boasts unique traditions galore. It’s
The games adhere to football rules"—"with a few departures"—"and has refs. Coin tosses
filled with teams that, judging from the creativity of their names, are way outside of
are for sissies. To determine which team receives first, two opposing players joust using
Little League, and take a knee in adultville. There are the Los Bierdos, whose team logo
poles affixed with boxing gloves. Instead of pure tackle, they subscribe to “flackle.” Play-
is a jovial cartoon character with a sombrero. Look again and … could it be? A phallic
ers can stop the opposing team members by knocking them off their steeds or snatch-
symbol with just enough cover to sneak by Facebook censor algorithms. Others in the
ing flags from their belts. Successful extra point kicks actually gain teams two points.
eight-team league include the Unichychos, Rolling Blackouts and Gnarwhales.
Ever try kicking a ball between Unibrawdz while riding a unicycle? There you go. Game
NFL Films recently released a short video on the league’s championship playoff,
locations rotate around parking lots of coffee shops, an old farmer’s market, a billiards
called the Stupor Bowl. Find it online and smile. A group of women dubbed the Uni-
club and rec centers in San Marcos. Josh Palmer, aka Palm Party, is Los Bierdos’ informal
bradwz lead the cheers. Following touchdowns, they link arms to form a human goal-
team caption. What drew him to the game? “There’s something about it that’s challenging.
post for those extra point kicks. There’s an announcer who wears a marching band
And it’s a fun way to spend a Sunday, let loose and have a good time with your friends.”
From Left; Rory Henry "Wobbles" Corey Kenaley "Rubberband Man" Ryan Bobo "Bobo Erectus" Steven Moreno "Vito Scardello" Jason Polasek "Fuzzy" David Morley "Cat Peach" Judith Wilson "Knobby Tire" Cody Montanio "Richard Tendershaft" Josh Palmer "Palm Party"
58 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
VINTAGE VIXENS
From Left; Maureen Mahoney Lisa Friedrich Meli Trumbo Godiva Morte
They’ve studied robotics, build websites, work in IT, yet they spend their free time happily ensconced in an era where manual typewriters"—"with matching cases "—"were the cutting-edge communications tools.
stuff that happened just getting ready to go to the store,” Morte reflected. Mahoney finds the contrast of how things were then, versus how they are now, fascinating. “From my dad I heard about the culture, and cousins who pinned a dollar
Meli Trumbo, Godiva Morte, Lisa Friedrich and Maureen Mahoney are four of
bill to their bra for phone money.” She noted people from the bygone era were the
Austin’s Vintage Vixens 200-plus members. A love of vintage fashion, midcentury
original recyclers, servicing things and altering dresses instead of buying new ones.
design, rockabilly music and its accompanying lifestyle connects them. You’ll find
This vixen shared what may be the ultimate throwback recycling tip: “Women would
VV members taking vintage shopping trips around Austin and strutting their style at
collect their own hair [from brushes], wrap it in a hair net, shape it and stick it in their
USO parties at WWII-era hangars.
hair to make a victory roll.”
Why vintage? “It’s one way to connect with my personal past,” shared Trumbo. “I love that I own my grandmother’s jewelry and have some of her things in my home.” Friedrich got into vintage fashion as a high schooler in LA. Without a budget to keep up with the other kids, she found great 50s things in thrift stores …. and her style. Trumbo and Morte, who are both burlesque performers, are also big fans of taking time to put clothes on. “There’s something about the simplicity of things and the magical
That time period was also known for its manners, something the Vintage Vixens are fond of. “It translates into how you treat each other and who you are,” observed Morte. “If you invite me to a party, I’m going to go home and write you a note and mail it to you because I know where you live. It’s things like that we should hold on to.” Many thanks to Go Vintage for the loan of their trailer, “Pearl,” for this photo shoot. govintagetrailers.com tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
59
DAGORHIR, A LARP GROUP
From Left; Aaron Warehime Serafina Smith Brenton Stover Jonathan Moore Brian Patterson Nathan Moore Martin Pfeil
Don’t feel bad about not knowing the meaning of LARP. Our editorial team didn’t
He shared that his personal evolution in the sport has morphed based on his joints.
either before researching this story. It’s nothing like ROFL, IMHO. It stands for Live
“My fighting name is Zeke,” he explained. “When I first started out, I was determined
Action Role Playing, and Austin’s Dagorhir group, a genre of LARPers, is called
to be an Asian character, like a ninja. But I got older and realized I didn’t want to run
Riesendstadt. They are part of a trend that has been going on since the ‘70s. Col-
anymore. My garb now is closer to an English/German knight and I’ve got all sorts
lege students then were re-enacting “Lord of the Rings” scenes, running around
of armor: full-functioning armor that can stop actual weapon hits. Some people make
with foam-covered broom handles fighting each other. It’s evolved a bit since then,
real chain mail and others, real plate, but not so much here in Texas. Here, it’s linen
according to Riesendstadt’s group leader, Brenton Stover. “We have outfits we wear
garb and leather stuff.” A kind of resort-wear version of combat gear.
that are fantasy or historically sourced.” The foam weapons are impressive in design
Stover says his LARP group has a wide variety of fighters: lawyers, politicians, cus-
and girth. But, similar to spun sugar glass-paned windows that innocently shatter on
tomer service supervisors and tattoo artists from 16 to their late-50s. There is one tra-
impact when stunt drivers crash into them, foam weapons don't pack a huge punch.
dition they stick to: heading to a Chinese buffet after a Sunday afternoon of jousting
Stover noted there are no spells or throwing of spell sacks (whew!) but it’s definitely
and sword brandishing. Would he have rather lived in that other age? “No, I definitely
a last-man-standing kind of sport and delivers a workout. “However good you are at
enjoy modern conveniences. But this is a way to get out and enjoy yourself without
swinging a foam stick is how good you are at the game,” he noted.
[getting] your entrails spilled on the floor.”
60 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
AUSTIN FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION BOOK CLUB Chad Pomerlau was new to Austin in 2011 and looking for a sci-fi book club. Not find-
never had a physical altercation, but we do get very, very heated sometimes around
ing one, he started one himself. Today, the group has around 1,350 members; a couple
discussions of gender roles and topics that are important to people,” Pomerlau ex-
hundred of those are active. They regularly meet for social nights at the Draught
plained. “Science fiction is a genre that began in an era where gender politics was
House. “Nerd chic,” observed Pomerlau, “has helped people to get out and be proud
not existent. Your classics were written in the ’70s and ’80s and they can be very
of their interest in sci-fi.” Then there are the hard-core members, who regularly show
chauvinistic.” That, he relayed, can be a very charged discussion.
up at the monthly book discussions. And the dialogue can get pretty intense. “We’ve
The club has fostered friendships. Members go to each others’ weddings and get together outside of the club. When they showed up for their photo shoot, they all bought their favorite sci-fi or fantasy tome to be photographed with and hung out well beyond the shoot’s wrap to visit. Does he think extraterrestrials exist? Pomerlau paused. Was it a beam-me-up moment to endure that question, yet again? He chose his words carefully, like a patient professor: “From a mathematical standpoint, if life has an infinitesimal chance of beginning, given the vastness of the universe, it seems pretty likely.”
From Left; Amanda Johnson Kevin Davis Brian Keenan Chad Pomerleau Sharmin Mannan Roger Foreman Angela Castille-O'Keefe Lori Thomas
PHOTOGRAPH BY CODY HAMILTON tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
61
A Broken Hallelujah
The story of Austin, its people and culture, would not be complete unless we talk about the city’s rich and complex spiritual side. This month, we visit with four who step outside the prescribed roles of flock leaders, plunging into the intersection of religion and politics. For these individuals, following a calling was never about staying comfortable BY BRITTANI SONNENBERG
I
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE CREANEY
t’s a wildly divided time to be living in the United States. Many of us walk around with a thousand paper-cut resentments: ways that we wish our lives, and others, were different. With that hurt comes a weariness, a need to rest. The four men profiled in this story are flock leaders of different faiths. They have each, in their own way, devoted their lives to heading right into those discomforts with the goal of helping and healing. They have gone to the intersection of religion and politics, risking being disliked, even separated from their congregations, in hopes of finding a better path forward. They are the first to admit that they are not always very good at it. It can leave them lonely and tired. But they, as Rilke, the Bohemian-Austrian poet, put it, try to love and live the questions. They each work within separate spiritual traditions, but there are countless Austinites — atheists and believers, women and men — pursuing these questions and connections, hesitantly or relentlessly. You may be one of them. Interviewing these four, and hearing about their approaches, felt like a balm to me, and brought to mind a quote from the Chinese writer Lu Xun, who lived in equally tumultuous times: “Hope is like a path in the countryside: originally there was no path, but once people begin to pass, a way appears.” If I see you on the path, I hope I wave. And if I forget, will you wave to me?
62 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
STEPHEN KINNEY Executive Director, The Front Porch at All Saint’s Episcopal Church “I’ve always followed my bliss,” says Stephen Kinney, and takes a sip of tea. We’re sitting in his surprise of an office: what feels more like a cozy English cottage than an outreach ministry office. An overflowing bookcase rises to the ceiling, with titles like “Blogging for Dummies” and “Meditations on the Tarot” tucked in among theological tomes, novels and books on psychology. Light pours in through large windows. “Most people call that ADHD,” Kinney continues, with a small smile. “I call it ‘on the quest.’ I’m restless until I at least explore something that is calling to me.” This restlessness has taken Kinney, the executive director of the Front Porch, a former secular nonprofit now housed within All Saints Episcopal Church, far from his upper middle-class Houston beginnings and a more predictable path. Still, in the slight drawl, the ease, the teasing wit, you catch glimpses of the would-be hometown lawyer. Except he’s not talking about how a recent case went down in court, or who beat who on the golf course. He’s talking about being “a real Buber guy,” referring to his love of the late Jewish philosopher. He’s talking about bringing believers and non-believers togeth-
Love is not a victory march; it’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah. — Leonard Cohen, from “Hallelujah”
Jim Rigby, Joseph Parker, Neil Blumofe and Stephen Kinney inside one of James Turrell's signature Skyspaces, "The Color Inside,” 2013, on the UT campus
er for “Pub Church” each Sunday at Scholz Garden. And Kinney, whose youngest son left for college this September, speaks about all of it with the gaping wonder of a ten-year-old kid who just scored front-row seats at the World Series. As a child, Kinney says, he “was a little mystic,” taken by mystery and stories. When he read the Sermon on the Mount in eighth grade, it scared the hell out of him, and felt “too hot to touch.” Subsequent years saw him entering college and pledging a fraternity, just like his peers. Still, the questions kept nagging. “I hitchhiked though Europe my junior year, and came
Stephen Kinney's weekly Pub Church series draws believers and non-believers alike.
back looking like a character out of a twentieth-century existentialist novel,” he wryly admits. The opposite poles of frat parties and Sartre’s bleak pronouncements left him unsatisfied. Kinney vowed to give up drinking and smoking for Lent his senior year, but that spring, something else shifted. “I went in to Lent to give up a vice or two, and I walked out having given up my whole life. I heard a call to wholeheartedness, to utter change, not just nickel and diming.” Kinney became fascinated by the evangelist underground. “This was before evangelists got politicized, before Jerry Falwell. Back then, it was subversive,” he says. Ultimately, however, the group’s beliefs clashed with Kinney’s own, and he moved on: to a seminary in Boston, to an Episcopal high school back in Houston, and to New York, with his new wife, Gwen. There Kinney began studying at both the Jewish and the Union Theological Seminaries. “I took a deep dive into the Book of Acts. … I began to glimpse that the gospel is about getting in touch with Jesus before he got turned into a religion. That gave me a framework, at the heart [of which lay] the certainty that the gospel is about having community with otherness. When we get out of our own tribe, everything becomes so much richer. That was the radical insight of early Christianity.” After a stint in Fredericksburg, Kinney decided to pursue a PhD in Austin, and in 1998 he began leading a small salon with journalists, lawyers, and quantum physicists, among others. “It was born from a hunger for dialogue. Everyone shared the larger questions, but not everyone was religious. The ones who wound up leaving were those who had finalized the answers to the questions long ago.” That salon morphed into today’s Front Porch series and its hallmark program, Pub Church, a weekly gathering geared towards tackling tough questions. Recent Front Porch events have ranged from a discussion on the Black Lives Matter movement, to a “Post-election detox,” to lectures on Native American spirituality. “I gravitate towards a postmodern interpretation of truth, where it is seen more relationally,” Kinney says. “That gives me the mojo to get beyond the binary notions of conservative and liberal. If your mind is made up, you’re not going to be a happy Front Porcher.” This approach hasn’t made the Front Porch popular with everyone: “We’ve gotten emails from conservatives who think we’re crazy. But we get just as much frustrated feedback from liberals, which I see as a good sign.” The joy comes from reaching those for whom such conversations provide a profound relief, he says. “Most people come to us by word of mouth. We have regulars who love us and who aren’t ashamed to bring their friends. The friends show up and say, ‘Oh, shit. I can do this. This is different. Something is happening here.’” Kinney still feels deeply connected to the mystic he knew himself to be as a little kid, but admits that the path has sometimes been lonely. A constant tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
63
fellow pilgrim on his numerous paths has been his wife, Gwen. Kinney points to marriage as the ultimate crucible for a true encounter with the other. “There’s nothing like marriage to burn off narcissism,” he says. Partnered up or not, he believes we all have a fundamental need for dialogue and exploring uncomfortable questions. “There’s a hunger for transcendence,” he says, especially today. Most of us crave a space “for the self to be in the forgetful joy of others.” For Kinney, that place is — where else? — the Front Porch.
NEIL BLUMOFE Rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim Stepping into Rabbi Neil Blumofe’s office feels a little like walking into a cave. Not the pitch-black, eerie-dripping kind of cave, but the magical kind of cave that gets advertised on roadway signs in Alabama, spangled with stalactites. In his office, however, the gleaming ceiling is one of pressed tin. His furniture embodies a funny mix of associations: two rocking chairs suggest a Southern verandah, the leather stuffed sofa and the bookcases feel like something out of Sherlock Holmes and the hamsahs on the wall conjure, again, that mineral, cave-like glinting. The room’s eclectic nature is no accident: Blumofe happily admits to being a jumble of identities himself, and of “living multiple lives at once”: as a committed rabbi, a jazz devotee, a reader, and a spiritual leader intent on exploring diverse traditions and beliefs in community. Throughout all these “lives,” he sees a through-line, a centering focus of inquiry and a curiosity about disparate paths. “Judaism,” he says, “is a recovery of the ineffable.” Blumofe grew up in a Chicago suburb that was not historically Jewish, where he felt like the “exotic one.” During his Bar Mitzvah, a Torah fell over, an unhappy occurrence that demanded 40 hours of fasting from those gathered. When some of the non-Jewish attendees asked what they could do to help in the midst of the uproar following the accident, they were told by one of Blumofe’s relatives that they could “wait outside.” That insensitive dismissal cut the 13-year-old Blumofe to the quick. It wasn’t until a study abroad year in Poland, when Blumofe visited Auschwitz, and was struck by photos of Holocaust victims gathered in ordinary moments of community, that he felt a tug to return to Judaism. “My whole body changed, the floor of my heart dropped out,” he says. “I wanted to take the risk of a more meaningful life.” For Blumofe, the words of Hillel, a Jewish sage — “If not now, when?” continue to guide his work. Blumofe tries to help people ask better questions; to hear themselves articulate what they’re seeking. “People objectify rabbis,” he says. “But Judaism privileges the questions over the answers. I try to avoid ab-
64 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Neil Blumofe sees Judaism as “a recovery of the ineffable.”
solutism, and instead trust my instincts, examine how things become porous.” This devotion to the questions can lead to thorny moments. A recent example was Blumofe’s proposed itinerary for an interfaith trip to Israel, which included a possible stop at Yasser Arafat’s tomb. Many Jews regard the Palestinian leader as a terrorist, and when a congregation member saw the itinerary, he became incensed and wrote Blumofe a letter calling for his resignation. The itinerary was then leaked to the press and to other Jewish organizations. The internet, as it will in such cases, exploded. For Blumofe, the incident, which caused a painful splintering in the congregation, served as a sobering lesson. He had intended the stop at Arafat’s tomb to be an opportunity to question myth-making and historical narratives. Looking back, his deepest regret is not reacting more thoughtfully to the angry congregant’s initial letter. “I should have just picked up the phone and called, instead of emailing,” he says. During such divisive episodes, and even in times of comparative unity, Blumofe admits that his work can be profoundly lonely. “You’re a part of people’s happiest and saddest occasions,” he says. “You’re present, but you’re also on the periphery. This can lead to a feeling of living one’s life vicariously. This makes it essential to enjoy what’s before me and to cherish my times away, too. I see solitude as a retreat into the wilderness that allows me to realign my perspective.” Jazz is another arena that profoundly feeds Blumofe (a classically trained musician who served as a cantor before he became a rabbi), and there’s a reverent warmth in his voice as he tries to put words on his love for the form. “Jazz embodies the highest sense of what human life
I see solitude as a retreat into the wilderness that allows me to realign my perspective.
can be. It’s based on chords, yet improvised. It’s not just about one person. It’s about taking chances, and unexpected turns..” Inside and outside his synagogue, Blumofe is passionate about taking steps in new directions and knitting new alliances. The congregation will be enlisting one of America’s three female scribes to write their next Torah. Blumofe teaches at Austin’s Presbyterian Theological Seminary, is the current president of the Interfaith Action of Central Texas and runs a jazz series with KUT at the Cactus Café. “Jewish Americans and African-Americans share the pain of being a historic minority,” he says. “It’s right on top of both of our musical traditions. Playing jazz together opens up the chambers of the heart, [which allows for the possibility of ] subsequent conversation.”
JOSEPH PARKER Pastor at David Chapel Baptist Church There’s a framed, handwritten document hanging on Joe Parker’s office wall, one that doesn’t immediately arrest your attention like a painting or a photograph might. Until Parker removes it from the wall and tells you what it is: his father’s letter to Martin Luther King, a college friend, urging him to come to Montgomery and preach. King eventually agreed to the call, and the two joined other Montgomery civil rights and religious leaders in historical actions like the famous bus boycott and the march in Selma. As his parents’ only son, the young Joseph Parker was expected to follow in his father’s religious footsteps. “I never really wanted that,” Parker says. “But my father took me around with him as a youngster.” In the mid-’50s and ‘60s in segregated Alabama, that meant witnessing scenes of utter devastation, like the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, where four young black girls were killed. “The smoke from the bombing was still rising when we got there,” Parker remembers. “I was nine or ten.” When the Parkers moved to Birmingham, Parker’s father continued his civil rights efforts. “He allowed the church building to be a protest planning site,” Parker says. “It was taped and bugged, you could hear clicking sounds on the phone, and see white men in suits — FBI
agents — standing at a distance during meetings. Sometimes white preachers were invited to my father’s pulpit. I grew up in an environment where I was well aware of racial differences — I had to sit in the back waiting room to see my doctor. But that never made me feel inferior, thanks to my parents, my teachers and the community.” When he began high school, shortly after integration, Parker chose to attend the neighborhood school, which was predominantly white. “Sometimes when I walked to a desk, all the other students would get up and I would have to sit alone. In biology class, we had to put a sample of our own blood on a slide, and a bunch of classmates gathered around. ‘What are y’all looking at?’ I asked. They wanted to see if my blood was the same color as theirs. I wasn’t offended. It wasn’t mean-spirited; it was curious. After a while, people began to see me for me. All of those tough experiences strengthened me, allowed me to develop my character. Without my parents’ support, those times might have really damaged me. Instead, they motivated me.” Parker also says his love of playing the saxphone helped with the isolation. “There were only 15-20 blacks in a school of 2,000. I was a people person but I also craved solitude. The sax is a solo instrument. I would practice three hours a day, I’d been doing that since I was a little kid. It helped me tolerate being alone and not feeling bad about it. And when I had trouble — if I was struggling with a subject in school — I was determined not let any of the whites know about it. I just got it done.” “I’m not afraid to cry in the pulpit,” says Joe Parker. “That doesn’t make me any less of a man.”
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
65
Years later, Parker began practicing law and would go on to become the first African-American president of the Austin Bar Association. He was recruited to work at Tom Long’s law firm. After a few months, Long called him in to his office and said, “I’ve noticed you hardly ask any questions. Is it because we’re white and you’re black?” That was in 1987; Parker was 35. “It was the first time I’d been confronted about a behavior I’d developed in high school,” Parker says. “I’d been so determined not to reveal that I was challenged by anything. [Tom] knew that I had questions; everyone who started out in [civil litigation] did. I had to acknowledge that and reflect on it, and ask for help.” There was another subject that Parker increasingly found himself reflecting upon: the ministry. As much as he’d tried to distance himself from his father’s calling, he occasionally agreed to preach at churches. Multiple pastors urged him to join the ministry. But it wasn’t until Pastor Obey, at Austin’s David Chapel Baptist Church, told Parker that he wanted him to be his successor, that Parker felt moved to seriously consider the “calling,” and began seminary studies. When Obey passed away in 1992, Parker decided to apply to the church’s nationwide search. He made it to the final two candidates. When the committee selected him as the top choice, they decided not to bring in the other preacher for a sermon. Parker grimaces, remembering what followed. “But then there was an uproar in the church. People had two fears: 1) that I would be just like Pastor Obey, or that 2) I would not be like him at all. ‘We don’t want a lawyer for a pastor,’ they thought. Some deacons filed a lawsuit, saying that the bylaws hadn’t been followed, and named me in it. I had to go to trial. The hardest thing was to be pastoral, to not participate as a lawyer.” Throughout this challenging time, Parker says, he had a specific prayer: “‘God, guard my heart.’ I didn’t want to become vindictive or angry. I knew it wasn’t about me. It was a spiritual fight. And after I won the lawsuit, it took three years to repair the damage. The two deacons who had fought me in court stayed, and we developed a good relationship.” While he deeply admired his father’s activist legacy in Montgomery, Parker says that he has followed a different path at David Chapel Baptist. “The role of the black preacher has changed,” he says. “When my father was preaching, he was one of the most educated people in the community. They looked up to him for guidance. I have the view that most people don’t come just to hear me talk about politics. I have a knowledgeable and informed congregation. They don’t need me to be Daddy. They allow me to be open and authentic. I’ll cry in the pulpit. Let’s face it; I grew up with three sisters: I’m touchy and huggy, and I don’t think that makes me any less of a man.” Still, Parker is attuned to national events that demand his presence and commentary. After the September police shooting in Charlotte, even though
66 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Parker was scheduled to preach at another church, he called an early morning service at David Chapel Baptist to acknowledge the congregation’s grief and offer his own reflections. In trying to grapple with the sorrow of recent police shootings, he says, a memory surfaced from when he was a young teenager, attending the largely white high school. “I was walking down the hall when I spotted a group of white boys in the corner. I saw something glistening in one of their hands. The next thing I knew, a white boy was coming at me with a knife. I was full of fear and I fled. I ran all the way to my house, crying, enraged. My mother was in the kitchen. I moved past her and went to the drawer for a butcher knife. I was intent on going back and killing that boy. But my mother caught me and stopped me.” Parker pauses. “I understand these angry black boys today. They don’t have anyone to intercept them. That day, fifty years ago, I was so angry and afraid that I was willing to get out a butcher knife. I don’t know what I would have done if my mother hadn’t been there.” Being there, above all else, is what Parker strives to offer his congregation, and the larger community. “I don’t need approval or affirmation,” he says. “Going through everything I’ve endured has given me a strong sense of self. I was raised to be a servant. Not a second-class citizen, but a pastor who was brought up in the culture of servanthood, trying to improve things for others.”
JIM RIGBY Pastor at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Exiting Mopac at Wells Branch, you pass New Austin Church, housing a large Pentecostal congregation whose website proclaims the Bible to be the “flawless Word of God.” St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, two miles down the road, with a sign reading “Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Hands,” comes as something of a surprise in this north Austin suburb. Inside, the pastor, Jim Rigby, leads me not to his office, but to the nurse’s room, which is “neater.” He flashes a quick, self-deprecating smile, and makes a joke about the colon cancer magazine on the shelf. Jim Rigby is many things. A former lyricist and guitarist in Stevie Ray Vaughn’s first band, who decided to pursue a PhD in Ministry. A man who dabbled in televised comedy sketches, where he perfected the character of a televangelist hawking religious hand puppets. Most recently, Rigby has gained a reputation as one of Austin’s most radical religious lightning rods. He’s fought for feminism, LGBTQ rights, and, most recently, on behalf of two Guatemalan refugees, Hilda and Ivan Ramirez. The journey to such an activist role has been a long one, Rigby says. But he cites one of the Presbyterian Church’s fundamental aims, to be “reformed and always reforming,” as informing his own approach. “Justice is when you’ve done the math of what love really means,” Rigby
says. Like many of Rigby’s more poetic thoughts, this requires a little unpacking. “In other words,” Rigby is happy to explain, “justice demands fighting for a redistribution of wealth, for restructuring hierarchies. People want to do it within their privilege. But that won’t work.” For a while, Rigby says, he, too, followed this pattern as a young pastor. An awakening of sorts occurred after a terrible year in which two women in his parish were raped. Rigby began attending trainings on preventing sexual assault, which in turn awakened him to the need for reproductive health care. And with the dawning of this new feminism came the realization that he had been trapped in the patriarchy. “By not challenging the patriarchy, I was reinforcing it,” he says. “The change was very slow. I got bummed out. At first I thought I was feeling sorry for women. Then I realized that my sadness was about grieving for my own sense of self. I would no longer be the competent male who controls the conversation. I began to see the violence that is hidden and frozen in our hierarchies, particularly in Texas. Men often don’t have any clue that they’re misogynist. You have to step out of that identity to see it.” At that point, Rigby decided that it wasn’t enough to be “liberal,” which worked within the assumptions of the problem. Stepping outside of those assumptions, Rigby says, he began exploring his “growth edges. I was just a little boy from Dallas, but as I worked to [dismantle my latent sexism], I felt
my humanity recognized for the first time. And I discovered new parts of my humanity.” Rigby describes being present at the Capitol for a recent abortion-rights rally as one of the most moving things he has experienced: “It felt like the building was shaking; there was this weird vibe. We went running out; we heard that the Texas Rangers were there and people were being arrested. Then I saw the Rangers backing down, as the women poured out. We started up a chant. The men You can put Jim said, ‘Whose house is this?’ And Rigby in the Quiet Room, but you the women yelled, ‘Our house!’ can't silence the There was a sense of the sacred.” irrepressible pastor, a former lyricist Rigby’s voice breaks, rememberand guitar player in ing the night. “It was a group of Stevie Ray Vaughn's first band. people owning their humanity.” Rigby sees spirituality on a continuum with creativity. “They’re two different depths,” he says. “If you’re just looking at a painting, it’s art. If you’re drowning in it, it’s spirituality.” It doesn’t have to be about ‘religion’ for you to be overcome by something, and to feel a reverence for it. What takes you deepest? When have you been overcome by gratitude and awe? Sometimes the calling is away from the church. It’s important to seek out more community, to explore new conduits, and unfamiliar doors.” Ultimately, he says, “privilege hurts us. Those higher up on the totem pole are farther from their roots, much more able to distract themselves. My heroes are someone who’s been able to put the pieces back together after everything has fallen apart.” The trick, says Rigby, is to “help people want what they need. The symbols of religion all too often work like a broken compass. You go north, for north’s sake. But that’s worse than no compass at all.” Literal interpretations of the Bible, he says, are bad ethics. Rigby has faced criticism for his beliefs from within the Presbyterian Church. But “you feel closer to people, as you move farther away from fitting into the machine,” he says. “And those who share your commitment to social justice become your family.” It’s not a matter of acting on courage, he insists. It’s a feeling of having your back against the wall. “I follow where love leads,” he says. “I don’t like press conferences, or controversy. But I’m aware that if I don’t say something today, it won’t change. It’s a prophetic moment.” tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
67
Your Big, Long, Much-Needed Exhale OUR GIFT TO YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AS YOU RUN AROUND MAKING THINGS PERFECT FOR OTHERS? PERMISSION TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. AND STEPS TO GET THERE. WE VISIT WITH THREE PROFESSIONALS WHO HELP PEOPLE FIND THEIR CENTERS AND FEEL BETTER ONCE THEY DO. BY ANNE BRUNO
tatistics keep coming at us about the negative effects of multitasking, screen time, stress and not getting enough sleep. They can induce stress on their own. Have you found yourself crafting a plan to give a parting “everything is peachy” Namaste, then seek refuge in the yoga studio overnight? You are not the only one. In fact, Austinites — we of the uberfit, fastest-growing, everyone-wantsto-be-here city (more on that in a minute) — are right there with the rest of the country when it comes to feeling out of sorts. Local bookstores report increasing sales in Self Help and related genres. Shelf space for categories like Cooking and Entertaining has actually been shrinking. But titles extolling the path to personal peace via a tidy home, along with coloring books for adults — to reduce stress — are taking over more in-store real estate.
68 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAYDEN SPEARS
Renée Trudeau, author and life-balance coach.
The American Psychological Association says less than 20 percent of adults in the U.S. are considered "flourishing," which apparently means only a few of us feel we're fulfilling our potential for happiness, success and productivity. "Flourishing" is one thing. Then there's simply holding it together throughout the day till you can collapse safely at home without having chucked your phone (that black mirror) at the Whole Foods checkout guy who cheerfully asked what you're making with all those greens, the ones you don't especially enjoy but force yourself to eat twice a week in an effort to consume foods that improve memory and ward off future dementia, advice you read on Facebook while eating lunch at your desk … alone. Forget FOMO (fear of missing out, fostered in large part by social media). You want MOMO (more of me only). We're constantly connected electronically, yet we feel more isolated than ever. We experience something called distraction addiction and we walk around in chronic fight-or-flight mode. Not
Integrative healer, Fran Bell.
good for the body, not good for the mind. And who has enough bandwidth to even think about the soul? To borrow a phrase from '90s TV: "Stop the Insanity!" Sounds like a great idea. But, how? Many of us deem December the most hectic month of the entire year. So let's take a few mindful breaths and consider a more pointed question: How bad do we want to feel good? According to Renée Trudeau, Austin-based author, speaker and life-balance coach, answering that question with honesty is a pretty good place to start. Over the past 20 years, Trudeau has gained a loyal following based on her writings and the retreats she leads in Austin and centers of progressive learning like the Esalen Institute in California and Kripalu in Massachusetts. First, she says, recognize that "you are not a self-improvement project." And feeling like your best self, or even a semi-functioning self, is not another thing to add to your endless to-do list. "At the heart of it, what I'm talking about is cultivating a new way of being with yourself, one that allows for effective self-care so you have enough time, energy and resources for the things most important to you, at whatever stage of your life." If it sounds a little soft, you might be surprised how often (and easily) Trudeau peppers a conversation with data that backs up the practices she's developed and teaches. "There's a lot of hard science around how we can all benefit by 'staying in our own boat.'" By that, she means differentiating stress or anxiety that's truly your own from what she calls the collective anxiety. "We're all interconnected, whether we like it or not. And as much fun as it is to live in the hottest city in the country with so much growth, opportunity and buzzing energy, it can have downsides. Even if
our own world is going okay, we still pick up on others' anxiety around things like politics, the economy, traffic and other situations we know we can't control." Stay in your own boat, ride the wave and don't forget to breathe. Breathing is something we count on to happen automatically. Turns out, a lot of us unconsciously hold our breath for long periods of time — we're not breathing optimally because we're hardly breathing at all. Then, there are even more of us doing the opposite; we are over-breathing and chronically hyperventilating. A simple action such as focusing on how we breathe can have a profound impact on our health. "I tell patients that if you change your breathing, you can change your medical history," says Liz Hoffmaster. Hoffmaster, based in Austin, coaches people on how to breathe and provides manual physical therapy services. She calls herself a "body mechanic" and helps people get their own hands dirty to master their health. While she uses different types of bodywork to address a panoply of problems, teaching low and slow breathing is often part of a client's treatment.
"We live on screens all the time, at desks and in our hands. So many people tell me, 'I carry my stress in my neck and shoulders.' They also might grind or clench their teeth, be prone to headaches and upper body tension. It's all very much connected to the way they're breathing and it's a recipe for shortness of breath, anxiety and muscles that never feel relaxed or pain free. Breathing is life. It's absolutely fundamental to our daily functioning. Learning how to do it with ease can quite literally have benefits from head to toe." (See box for Hoffmaster’s breathing tips.) Expanding on a top-to-bottom approach, alternatives to traditional ways of healing are on the rise and in-demand. With the rise of Dr. Internet and increasing knowledge, there’s a definite trend to take charge of our own health. The more we know, identifying the root causes of aches and pains often means plumbing the mindbody connection and pulling back the covers on our inner workings.
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
69
"The truth is, when someone comes into my office, I have no idea what we're really dealing with or the reason for their visit for a while. Sometimes it's 10 minutes, sometimes 30. I just have to listen to [and trust] their story, and then we get started together." So explains Fran Bell, an integrated healer, who, based on her own life experience, had to get very comfortable with not knowing, but forging ahead anyway. As a child, Bell suffered a traumatic accident resulting in a serious brain injury, broken bones over much of her face and body, and a two-month stay in the hospital. She and her family lived on St. Croix with no access to rehabilitation therapy, but she did have the use of a neighbor's pool that Bell visited often. That's where her 11-year-old self first learned — by looking and listening inward — that she intuitively knew what to do and how to move in order to heal her body and regain the cognitive functioning she'd lost. That ability remained consistent over the years; it saw Bell through numerous injuries as a high school and college athlete. It wasn't until suffering an inexplicable tremor well into her career as a university strength-train-
Forget FOMO (fear of missing out, fostered in large part by social media). You want MOMO (more of me only).
70 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
ing coach that she hit a wall. "For once, no matter what I tried, I couldn't heal and rebuild as I'd done so many times before. I got the message loud and clear that I needed to quit my job and stop everything or I'd never get well." Ultimately, Bell moved to Austin (without knowing anyone), went to school for medical and spiritual healing and, over time, the tremor left and other things started falling into place, too. "I guess I took a huge risk, but doing what I'd been doing — or doing nothing — was just as risky." Bell's integrative healing practice initially drew on her athletic background with therapeutic exercise and functional movement being the focus. It has evolved to include mental, emotional and spiritual work. "I realized I had to go back to that thing I have, a gift or whatever you want to call it, and really trust that I should use it in my work. Once I did, I knew it was right. My clients were seeing results." A visit to Bell's office goes something like this. Once she's gathered basic information from conversation, her client lies on a padded table. She walks all the way around the table, maybe stopping several times to touch the client in a subtle way; she is sensing the specific energetics going on within the person's body and any resulting pain. Bell might apply a small amount of essential oil to a specific spot. Or, she might hold a multi-faceted crystal in her hands and lay it upon the client. Regardless of the particular circumstances, each of her actions comes from a place of inner guidance for the purpose of releasing the energetic, physical, mental and/or spiritual blocks that exist. It's all about guiding the client to an awareness of their own connection between mind, body, heart and soul.
Bell says she's merely showing people the answers already within them. "It's absolutely not about any kind of �powers� I have – if that were the case, you'd only feel better while laying on the table in my office and that's no good! I've always known I have this unusual understanding of the nervous system. I combine that with my knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Plus, I've been there as far as pain and trauma go. I show up, I trust and help you come into your own awareness. What I've learned is that awareness is power and every single one us has the power to heal and be well."
YOUR CHEAT SHEET FOR REBOOTING THE MIND & BODY RENÉE TRUDEAU
• Start your day intentionally. Even five minutes of stillness, prayer, gratitude, stretching or journaling has been proven to lower stress hormones. • Check in with yourself throughout the day. Be willing to slow down and ask yourself, "At this moment, what is it I really need?" • Learn to ask for and receive help, large or small. Receiving help not only makes us feel better, it helps us to feel more connected. • Get yourself to the greenbelt! Time in nature has been shown to reduce stress, enhance problem solving and creativity, and help us gain a muchneeded 30,000-foot perspective. • Manage your energy, not just your time: get comfortable saying "no." Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. LIZ HOFFMASTER
Breathing expert and "body mechanic," Liz Hoffmaster.
• When sitting at your computer and especially when texting, practice being a “bobblehead.” Make small, loose, fluid movements with your head and torso, letting your sit bones or feet support you. Do this consistently! • Practice my favorite breathing exercise, pursed-lip breathing: while sitting, thread fingers together on your lap, being aware of your fingertips contacting the backs of your hands. As you inhale, lightly press your fingertips into the backs of your hands, breathe into your lower belly, side ribs and chest below your collarbones. As you exhale, relax your fingertips, purse your lips and let a gentle stream of air come out as long as you comfortably can. At the end of the exhale, pause and consciously relax everything that’s tense, including the abdominals. Do this exercise for 3–5 minutes at a time, once or twice a day. FRAN BELL
• Be open to the possibility that things might not be as you assume they are, and know that, in a moment or in a year, anything is possible. Be open to receiving whatever is available for your highest good. • Your pain is never the problem; the problem is how you got it. • Be an active observer of how you feel during and after any kind of treatment. Did it make your heart happy? Did you get a “yes” or a “no?” Trust that, and then follow through: learn what works for you and keep going in that direction! • Tell the person you’re working with what’s going on — speak up honestly. • Don’t ever believe anyone who tells you you’re “broken” in any way.
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
71
PETER PAN, AS AN EMOTIONALLY MATURE MAN Usually men who are “in touch with their nine-year-old selves” spend their lives eating Cheetos and playing video games. This guy started Austin’s most beloved literary camp and is making kids all over town fall in love with reading. BY BRITTANI SONNENBERG
I
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEAH MUSE
t’s Halloween Day and Topher Bradfield, the children’s outreach coordinator and camp director for BookPeople, is not wearing a costume. This comes as something of a surprise, since Bradfield spends much of the summer dressed as an ancient warrior. Other BookPeople people are wearing witch hats and goblin masks, but maybe if your work demands donning a helmet in the middle of a scorching Austin summer, you’re inclined to skip Halloween outfits altogether. Here’s another counterintuitive insight about Topher Bradfield: he disliked reading as a child. “I loved comics and the bedtimes stories my mother read me, but I didn’t catch on to reading until middle school,” he tells me. “I was outgoing, but not a great student. I loved to draw. When I do school presentations now, and ask who likes to draw, everyone’s got their hands raised in the front row, where the little kids sit. But as you go back to the rows of older kids, very few hands go up. Creativity gets hammered out of us.” Bradfield smiles. He has a gentle demeanor and an assertive gaze: the ideal combination of sweet and no-bullshit that kids love. “Something about my upbringing allowed [the creativity] to stick around with me,” Bradfield says. “I had wonderful teachers and my parents were supportive. I was the kind of kid who didn’t want to follow rules; in middle school, when I finally began to enjoy reading, I would devour everything on a subject in school except what we were assigned.”
72 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
When he was 11, Bradfield was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. A doctor told him that diabetics “don’t live as long as other people.” The effect was brutal. “I carried that with me for years,” Bradfield says. “It gave me a disposable feeling, and with that came a license for breaking rules.” While Bradfield now looks back on that rebellious behavior as largely self-defeating, he admits that it came in handy when pursuing his idea of creating a camp based on a popular young adult (YA) series featuring 12-year old protagonist, Percy Jackson. “When we started [Camp Half-Blood], another camp director told me [it] would never work. Then it kept working, and he said, ‘You’re kind of like Bugs Bunny when he runs off the cliff and gravity doesn’t apply.’” Admittedly, the premise of the camps — inviting kids to step into the action-packed world of Rick Riordan’s series — presented major challenges. (Like: where the hell are you going to find chariots? Answer: pedicabs.) Bradfield’s brainchild embodied a fantasy that every reader, from five to ninety-five years old, intimately knows: the allure of a favorite book becoming real. Movies are air-conditioned approximations of this, where your neighbor’s loud popcorn chomping ruins the illusion. But at Bradfield’s Half-Blood camps, set in McKinney State Park, kids become demigods, and train in archery, chariot games and amulet art. As a kid, Bradfield attended a camp specifically designed for diabetics. He loved it. “For years, I just wanted [my disease] to
Topher Bradfield, the children’s outreach coordinator and camp director for BookPeople.
disappear. But at camp, I loved being around other kids who had the same set of experiences as I did. I felt at ease.” “So what do you do when you get a bunch of introverted readers as campers?” I ask Bradfield, remembering my own tortured experience at Girl Scout camp. “Our campers run the gamut,” he says. “We seek out kids from at-risk communities, too: we give them scholarships and pair them with dedicated readers. It elevates everyone’s experiences. It’s intense: we have things exploding. It’s charmingly military campish. We joke that it’s Sparta-Lite. There are lots of campers who are on the autistic spectrum. But they are often extremely helpful
in the quests: other campers turn to them because they’re so attuned to all the minutiae, and they recognize patterns.” The key to the camp, Bradfield says, lies in the imagination of the campers. “It’s kind of a magical experience, an environmental theater piece. Our characters, and the world of the book, become like a second skin. It’s really immersive. We take it seriously, but we also try to weave in a lot of humor, charm and sappiness.” The staff gleans something profound from the experience, too: 95 percent of them return every year, Bradfield says, even though they’re often working from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. for weeks on end. “I’ve been truly blessed to have BookPeople support this camp,” says Bradfield. “None of this happens without an army of staff.” Bradfield applies a litmus test when making camp decisions: what would have thrilled 9-yearold Topher? (A question that would probably make all of us a lot happier if we applied it to our own lives.) Now the father of an eight-yearold himself, Bradfield says that his Camp HalfBlood work has strengthened his resolve to preserve his son’s creative abilities, and to emphasize that creativity and intelligence aren’t mutually exclusive. Given his son’s preferred Halloween plans for the night (staying in, watching a movie and playing games with his dad, rather than “performing for candy”), it sounds like Bradfield’s son is following in his father’s iconoclastic footsteps. In addition to his work for BookPeople, Bradfield is penning his own YA book series. He’s workshopped first drafts with school kids. This willingness to listen to kids lies at the heart of what makes Bradfield’s summer camps such a wild success. And while the protagonist of the series that inspired the camp is a preteen boy, Half-Blood has slightly more female campers sign up each year. “I want [the campers] to be intellectual and creative warriors,” he says, and from his heartfelt tone, and the attendees’ wild devotion to Half-Blood and Bradfield, you can tell that this statement is pure nonfiction. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
73
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE & LOSS A filmmaking couple opens the aperture on how they wrote, directed and produced America’s first Englishand Spanish-version film. BY BRITTANI SONNENBERG PHOTOGRAPH BY HAYDEN SPEARS
74 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
E
ven if you didn’t grow up speaking two languages, chances are that you’ve had to learn words to navigate our newly globalized era — even if your new vocab is limited to “sushi” and “shavasana.” For many Texans, fluidly transitioning between cultures and languages comes as naturally as ordering a breakfast taco. At a time when political tensions over the border continue to climb, art can serve as a unique reminder of the shared worlds that exist within each of us. When Austinites Julio and Marla Quintana decided to make “The Vessel” in English and Spanish, they seized upon an emotional truth that also made economic sense. Two versions of the film would double their market, and, by using bilingual actors, it would honor the two worlds that they’ve always known — and eliminate the frustrations of dubbing and subtitling for their audiences. Two Hollywood icons loved the project, too. Terrence Malick, the legendary director, screenwriter and producer who has a home in Austin, served as an executive producer for the film. Veteran actor Martin Sheen, who plays a starring role in the movie, received the script on a Friday and was so excited about it he signed up for the part two days later. While the Quintanas were bolstered by such enthusiasm, making two films demanded a Herculean, seven-year effort, and came with a million-dollar pricetag. (Ever hosted Christmas for one side of the family, only to turn around and do it all over again for your in-laws? Now picture doing that, every week, for seven years straight.) I met Julio (the film’s writer and director) and Marla (the producer) in their office space on West Seventh Street, in a quaint, yellow brick building. The couple originally met in high school, but didn’t exactly click. “He was my arch-nemesis,” says Marla. Julio has a different account: “She assumed I was arrogant because I was quiet, so she proceeded to make fun of me for three years. This of course was an obvious sign that she was madly in love with me.” They patched up their differences in college, when they began dating, and have now been married — and working together — for 11 years. Their first feature, “The Vessel,” is a meditative parable shot in Puerto Rico about a village struggling to recover its faith in life and God ten years after a tsunami killed 46 schoolchildren. It has been lauded by critics. The Village Voice called it “thrilling ... compelling ... a major work by an exciting new talent” and the New York Times applauded Julio Quintana’s “exquisite visual acumen.” Despite such acclaim, the Quintanas were remarkably humble and soft-spoken about having made American film history, and their habit of picking up where each other’s sentences trailed off made it easy to picture them as a team. Their little dog, Yuki, seemed to be the most outgoing member of the family: he moved among laps as the interview progressed and appeared puzzled by difficulties, like film funding, that went beyond who would pet him next.
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
75
I’M ALWAYS DRAWN TO THE NARRATIVE OF SOMEONE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE IN A HOPELESS SITUATION.!! TRIBEZA: Do you both stick to your respective writer-director and producer roles when you
work together? JULIO: I turn to her for help with my script and editorial feedback. MARLA: He’s a director with a business mind. He’s able to adjust his creative vision to fit pragmatic constraints that I bring up. TRIBEZA: Julio, your script explores some interesting theological questions about justice, forgiveness and healing. Are you religious yourself? JULIO: I used to be very religious; I come from a family of devout Catholics. When I came to the University of Texas in 2000, I majored in religious studies. But after sifting through tons of historical documents, I found I had more questions than answers, and that there was nothing I could prove. I felt paralyzed. Seven years ago, I began writing the script for this film, I think it became a metaphor for what I was going through in college: the searching, the frustration. I was Father Douglas [the priest, played by Martin Sheen], trying to control everything, to manage the mystery. Now I see myself more as Leo [the film’s protagonist, played by Julio’s brother, Lucas]: putting content into the world. It wasn’t a conscious approach to the film, but I believe that’s what originally inspired those themes. TRIBEZA: So filmmaking allowed you to dwell in the questions, in a way that religious studies didn’t? JULIO: Filmmaking is more of an emotional medium. It allows for what we can’t prove, for what’s open to interpretation. I wanted my viewers to go on
76 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
the same journey as the characters. In their moments of doubt, the audience also doesn’t know what to think. I tried to allow for hope, beauty and love. MARLA: I love the idea of delving into mystery. That resonated deeply with me. I was fascinated by how the village never stops believing in God. Instead, they believe that God has abandoned them. JULIO: Yes. But at the end of the day, what’s the difference between God not existing and God abandoning us? In a practical sense, it might feel similar. TRIBEZA: Is that a recurring theme for you? JULIO: I think it’s inevitable that I write about mysticism and religion. It’s very difficult for me to avoid that. But I also wrote this movie to suit my brother’s personality. He’s an aspiring musician. I think he connected with Leo’s struggle to try and make it, the feeling of being stuck on that island. My other brother, Alex, who built the boat, has also done a lot of religious searching. He was in seminary for a year. Now he makes movies with us. TRIBEZA: How did you get into film production, Marla? MARLA: I studied political science and psychology. Julio and I married after undergrad. I was going to go straight to law school, but Julio suggested I take a year off, so we could enjoy our first year of marriage together. Then he sneakily convinced me to help him out with his first short film! I was doing things like duct taping microphones to brooms. It’s very natural to work with him. I think we have a complementary relationship. I can’t imagine not working with a spouse on a project like this. TRIBEZA: How has it been for your marriage? JULIO: It forces you to achieve a certain level of communication. You can’t fight for days and days and try to work together on a set at the same time. MARLA: In that way, it forces us to get along! TRIBEZA: The Puerto Rican setting you chose is very evocative. JULIO: We shot it in a slum in the heart of San Juan, called La Perla. It’s actually a crime-ridden neighborhood with a lot of drug addicts. Historically, it existed beyond the city gates, so it was always slammed by the waves, and it looked the way I had imagined it, full of dilapidated buildings. MARLA: It became a beautiful community experience: many people living there became our extras, our security guards. TRIBEZA: Did you have a special connection with Puerto Rico? MARLA: We wanted a Latin American setting, and we needed bilingual actors. Everything there is already in two languages, so it worked wonderfully. TRIBEZA: Why did you decide to do it in two languages? MARLA: We initially wanted to do it in Spanish. But everyone we spoke
to wanted it to be in English. So we decided to shoot it in both, to expand our market. We figured that it would only be shown in English in America, and Spanish in Spanish-speaking countries. But art-house lovers in America wanted to see it in Spanish, with subtitles. They thought that was more “authentic.” And people in Puerto Rico wanted to see it in English. That seemed more “exotic” to them! TRIBEZA: Is there a difference between the two films, aside from the languages they were shot in? MARLA: Martin Sheen’s character, Father Douglas, is the only actor who didn’t speak flawless Spanish. So we had to trim his lines down. He also came across as more of an outsider in the Spanish film. JULIO: Martin’s grandfather is from Spain. So when it opens there, it will be the first time that audiences will hear his real voice, since all of the foreign films in Spain are dubbed. TRIBEZA: I was fascinated by the village’s communal grief in the film, since mourning is often portrayed as a very private affair. JULIO: I’m always drawn to the narrative of someone trying to do something positive in a hopeless situation. When we made the movie, we didn’t have a child — we told ourselves we’d wait until after the film. Our son was born a year after we wrapped. Now I don’t know if I would have been able to write the same script, in which so many children die in a tsunami: I feel that loss more intensely now, as a father. TRIBEZA: The villagers seem to be trapped in the symbols of mourning. They’re more devoted to their grief than they are to God or one another. JULIO: Yes, they’re terrified of betraying the memory of their loved ones. I gravitate to working with symbols; I love how they tell the viewer there’s something deeper going on. Being Catholic I just can’t help myself. It adds mystery and depth. TRIBEZA: Was Terrence Malick an influence on the film? JULIO: Marla initially began working with Malick as an intern while he was working on “The Tree of Life,” and she wound up being his personal assistant. Then I came on board, and he asked me to start shooting little experiments, like bubbles in soap and shots with fish tanks. Over the course of that time, I wrote my first feature script, which was unfortunately utterly un-produceable. But [Malick] kindly took me under his wing, and suggested that I talk to Martin Sheen, because he’d had a near death experience, and was Catholic. Malick pushed me to see that you can make a movie where the central question is philosophical and spiritual, not merely the internal/external conflict paradigm that we’re taught in film school. TRIBEZA: Do you two think that you have different personalities in English and in Spanish?
JULIO: I have no sense of humor in Spanish, whereas I enjoy dry wordplay
in English. I’m also cruder in Spanish, even though I didn’t realize it until I went to Spain and found out that my Cuban relatives used language that shocked a lot of Spaniards. Marla speaks better Spanish than I do, so she transitions more seamlessly between languages. In Spanish, I sound like a ten-year-old with a head injury. I think our actors enjoyed working in both languages. It was like flipping a switch: their performances were virtually indistinguishable. At the same time, it kept the actors from getting in a rut. MARLA: It was interesting dealing with Puerto Ricans. The Latin culture is a lot more laid back. A lot of our team would go surfing after shots. In that culture, you have to be more open. JULIO: We speak English to each other and Spanish to our son. We tried speaking only Spanish to each other once, but it only lasted a few days. MARLA: We were pretty quiet, it was so awkward. JULIO: (laughs) We have a hard time fighting in Spanish. TRIBEZA: What was the most challenging part of making the film? MARLA: Raising money was the hardest part of production, the constant ebb and flow: you’d finally raise some money and then an actor would leave and you’d have to start casting that character all over again. It was also difficult to market; people had a hard time categorizing it. JULIO: “The Vessel” hugs the line between faith and art, and people don’t know quite where to put us. Every task felt like climbing a mountain. Nowadays we tend to be adverse to mystery, we see what we can’t explain as negative. I wanted viewers to realize that mystery can also be a positive force. TRIBEZA: Where can readers watch “The Vessel”? MARLA: It’s no longer playing in Austin theaters, but will be available on DVD and VOD at the end of January. TRIBEZA: Is Austin a good city for your careers? MARLA: Austin is a fertile place for filmmaking. I recently worked on a series for CNN, and encountered a deep pool of talent in Austin. It’s not quite New York or Los Angeles, but it’s getting there, and people are moving here from those cities. It’s great for bilingual projects, too. TRIBEZA: What’s next for you two? JULIO: We both work at Bat Bridge Entertainment in town, and they recently started a TV company. Marla runs the unscripted side. I create scripted TV. I’m working on a series that’s totally different from “The Vessel.” I wanted to get out of my own head. TRIBEZA: Let me guess: a bilingual religious comedy? JULIO: Unfortunately, we can’t say anything about it right now! I’m enjoying the work. Independent films are sadly in decline, but it’s the advent of really exciting TV. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
77
s s e l d r n Eumm e S Austin’s surfing culture is just heating up. We introduce you to two who are riding the wave. BY SHANNON MCCORMICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB BODKIN
78 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
W
hile most Ole Miss students were tailgating at The Grove, Alec Cameron was busy making his first surfboard. Growing up in Austin, surfing in the Texas Gulf and spending summers on the lakes here, Alec had been fascinated by the sport for a long time. He knew that custom-made boards were the best way to maximize the surfing experience, as they could respond to your specific body type, experience level and the style of surfing. It involved a lot of trial and error. “Board makers don’t really share their methods,” he laughs, in his resin-flecked and Styrofoam-dusted South Austin studio. “There’s a lot of trial and error. And I still learn something new with each board I make.” By the time graduation rolled around, he had advanced his technique and opened Waterloo Surf Craft, hand-honing wakesurf boards, surfboards
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
Waterloo Surf Craft founder, Alec Cameron, on the lake (left), and shaping a custom board in his shop (above).
and the occasional standup paddleboard. That’s right, landlocked Austin, Texas, hundreds of miles from what might be thought of as typical surfing environs, is home to a custom surfboard shop. You can be forgiven for not knowing about the burgeoning Austin surfing scene, although it makes intuitive sense. Austin has always been a city that’s been in love with outdoor activities, and with the recent opening of NLand Surf Park in Del Valle, expect to see more of your neighbors catching some waves. “You start with a piece of styrofoam called a blank,” Cameron says, walking through the steps of crafting his boards. “How you shape the board really depends on how you want it to ride, what you’re looking for. Then once you’ve made your shape, it gets wrapped in fiberglass.” He gestures to bolts of fabric next to a board in progress on sawhorses. “It’s basically glass pulled out into thread form, into a cloth. Then when you wrap the board, you do what’s called glassing, which is applying Epoxy resin. That’s where you can get these different colors. That hardens it and give the board its structure.”
Several boards in various sizes and states of completion lean against the walls of the Waterloo studio. The floor is aswirl with splotches and splatters of thick color, like some abstract expressionist’s workspace, but instead of cranking out paintings, the end products are long, curved slabs capable of holding up bodies as they glide across waves and water. “Sometimes we’ll end up getting orders from surf shops, maybe 10 or 20 at a time,” says Cameron about his shop’s output. “But we have a lot of custom orders, people call or email. We have people brand new to surfing and people who have been doing this for a long time and really know what they want.” Fellow evangelists for the Waterloo Surf Craft brand include several riders who represent his apparel and boards in contests around the country. One of the most prominent locally is Morgan Lohmeier. An Arizonan whose family tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
79
had spent some time in California before relocating to Austin, Lohmeier originally came to the sport via wakeboarding. “When we moved, my dad bought a house on Lake Austin seven years ago and got a boat. That’s sort of where it all started.” In talking about the number of competitive surfers in Austin, Lohmeier laughs when she shares that she usually ends up third after the two top female surfers in Austin, Ashley Kidd and Raleigh Hager. “I made my way to Worlds in 2014 and I won Break Out Rider of the Year, but I wasn’t competing in pro at that time. As far as the pro division in Austin goes, it’s Ashley, Raleigh and me. I usually know it’s going to be between the two of them for first and second, and that’s fine with me. And then I go for fun and take my third place.” And she does have fun on the waves, sometimes substituting street wear for the bikini. Her Instagram feed includes shots of Lohmeier in white, knee-high boots, a shift dress and giant white sunglasses — as if lifted from a scene of Mad Men — as she surfs. This past Halloween, she went Western on the waves. (Full disclosure, we asked her to dress up in the candy cane dress
80 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
A long for the ride. Alec walks up a long board to hang some digits (above). Holidays on ice … water. Morgan does a sweet turn on a chilly morning (center); Morgan carving it on Lake Austin (far right).
for this issue, and she gamely rocked it.) Thinking about the future of the surfing scene in Austin, Lohmeier is optimistic. “With the surf park opening, [there’s] a whole new window of opportunity for people who are into watersports, especially surfing. I got a job there and teach people how to surf. For now. I am student at UT as well, so it’s a part-time thing and I hope to ride when I can. But with things like surf parks popping up, people can have longer careers and there are places for the sport to progress to that would have been unheard of ten years ago. You’re not reliant on the ocean.” Through her partnership and collaboration with Waterloo, Lohmeier has her own signature wakeboard shape, called the Molo after the nickname her friends call her. “People like these custom shops like Waterloo because they
That’s right, landlocked Austin, Texas, hundreds of miles from what might be thought of as typical surfing environs, is home to a custom surfboard shop.
[offer] much higher quality [boards]. For wake surfing, I like an aggressive shape that allows me to do big cutbacks and carves on the wake. It’s pretty typical for an ocean surfboard shape, it’s just wider and better for behind the boat. It’s a little more aggressive than a beginner shape. I never put people on it who are just learning how to wake surf, but once you have the basics down, people seem to have a lot of fun on it.” “There’s definitely a larger community here now, largely because of the wave park, but there’s been a good little surf niche community here for a while,” Waterloo’s Cameron muses about the way the local scene has changed, even in the handful of years he’s been in operation. With passionate and charismatic advocates like Cameron and Lohmeier, it’s hard to not think of the future of Austin surfing as a wave that will just keep peaking. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
81
2017 2017 2017 J A N U A RY J A N U A RY J A N U A RY
22 11 ,, 22 0 17 21, 20 0 11 77
T H E F O U RT H A N N UA L T R I B E Z A I N T E R I O R S T H E F O U RT H A N N UA L T R I B E Z A I N T E R I O R S TH E IFQOUUERT HM AEND NEUA LN T RO I BFEAU Z AST I NI N TE S UN HO SIG - BRAI O S ERD U N I Q U E H O M E D E S I G N O F AU ST I N - B A S E D U N I Q U E H O M E D E S I G N O F AU ST I N - B A S E D
H O M E TO U R S H O W CA S I N G T H E H O M E TO U R S H O W CA S I N G T H E HEOCO M ER TO UR RSSAHN ODWD CA NN GETRH D ATO E SSIIG SE D E CO R ATO R S A N D D E S I G N E R S D E CO R ATO R S A N D D E S I G N E R S
Life + STYLE H O W W E L I V E R I G H T N OW Triple Z Threadz, owned by Anne Rutt and Edson Enriquez, offers whimsical designs that have begun to attract clientele like Quentin Tarantino and Patton Oswalt.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT G. GOMEZ
T H I N K S PAC E
84
ST YLE PICK
86
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
83
Multitasking at its finest. A staffer makes a sales call while making a perfect hook shot.
PRO F I L E | T H I N K SPAC E
Katie MAY SH I PPI NG E A S Y ' S CEO PR E F E R S F U N A N D U NA F F EC T E D TO FOR M A L A N D F US T Y
by Tobin Levy Photography by Leah Muse
THE HEAVY WOODEN DOORS THAT GREET VISITORS AT THE third-floor offices of ShippingEasy suggest accounting firm torpor rather than speedy transport of any kind. If the weather (overcast), the building’s exterior (brick), and stale hallway décor (carpet, carpet and more carpet), were any indication, this particular Think Space piece, I thought, will be a somber one. I’d never before met Katie May, who joined ShippingEasy as CEO in 2012, which she recently sold for a robust $55 million. ShippingEasy helps online sellers ship their orders. Similar to a travel website that makes
84 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
makes shipping cheaper and easier. Fully prepared for austere lighting, more drab carpeting and a capacious corner office, I was surprised to step into a bright wonderland for, and full of, mostly twenty-somethings. There’s the basketball arcade game and
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
booking hotels and flights cheaper and easier, ShippingEasy’s software A survey of desk surfaces includes a Nerf gun, three comic books, a dog mug and a set of two-pound weights
ping pong table. Guitars, yoga balls and a large cutout of a robot
much of what happens on this floor can actually
named “Jack Ship.” I would have walked back out the doors to
help to guide the product development.” May
find the correct suite had I not spotted our photographer, looking
is committed to her young sales team, whose job
equally perplexed. She is here to shoot a CEO’s formal office.
description includes daily rejection. It is largely
There isn’t one.
because of May that the turnover rate is glacial.
Katie May is a young forty-nine. She strides up with an
Getting to know her staff is a favorite part
outstretched hand. She offers water and seems to produce it before
of her job, which is why company size has become
walking away. May has perfected a professional chic that includes
somewhat of a litmus test for how long she stays
black skinny jeans. She has a warm, unaffected mien, with a
at any one company. She prefers the nascent
tendency to talk at a pace just fast enough to require listening later
stages of a business, nurturing it from idea to an
to our recorded conversation at a slightly slower speed.
industry trailblazer, like she did with Kidspot,
The only partitioned space in an otherwise open floor plan is a
an online resource for parents in Australia,
glassed-in conference room. May’s “corner office” is a white IKEA
where she lived for ten years. May, who grew
desk, featuring little more than a notepad, a laptop, a coffee mug
up in Houston and went to undergraduate and
and a mini-succulent that might very well have been put there for the shoot.
graduate school at UT Austin, is married to
The only difference between her desk and that of her young staffers comes
an Aussie, hence the extreme shift in time zones.
down to desktop “stuff.” A quick survey of other work surfaces includes
Though ShippingEasy now has a new owner,
a Nerf gun, three comic books, a dog mug and a set of two-pound weights.
May hasn’t set a departure date. The number of
There’s a scooter, too. “That scooter goes back and forth all day,” says May.
staffers hovers around 60 and her job is to grow
“I can’t image what the people below us think.”
the business. The office is moving, but the vibe
May is opposed to the traditional “ivory tower” office layout with a
will remain the same, she says. She points to an
prominent demarcation — in the form of an actual office — between the boss
oversized trophy that serves as a vase for two
and everyone else. Her workspace must-haves are intangible. She requires
Minions. “I think that’s Matt’s, our head of sales.
dynamism and personal interactions, so May spends most of her time on
It’s one of his favorite little characters. I think
the third floor among the sales team. Their job is to make cold calls to
he thinks it cheers people up.” The power of
companies, large and small, across the state.There is a practical reason for
the Minion may be questionable, but the décor,
May to embed. “If I am here, I know when someone loses a sale and can ask
sports equipment and May’s leadership style is
what the company needed us to be able to do that we can’t do,” she says. “So
clearly working some magic.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
The kitchen area is the preferred intersection for sharing personal updates on life outside of work.
It’s old school meets new school on the exit door, an assortment of team Polaroids and hash tag positivity. #team #celebrate #build #growth #shippingeasy tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
85
STYLE PICK | LIFE + STYLE
Pearl Snap Elegance— with a Sasquatch Twist LI K E CH A NGE U N DER A SOFA CUSH ION , T R I PL E Z T H R E A DZ DE L IG H T S SHOPPE R S W I T H U N E X PE C T E D F I N DS .
by Shannon McCormick Photography by Robert Gomez
86 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
ASIDE FROM THE GIANT CAT HEAD SHOOTING LASERS from its eyes in the window, you could be forgiven, upon entering Triple
Z Threadz, for thinking the South Congress shop is simply stocked with embroidered Western pearl snap shirts. Classic, beautiful, but the kind of wares you’ve seen before. On closer inspection, however, the laser cat should have let you know you were entering Austin’s latest purveyor of quirk. The embroidered designs are decidedly whimsical, whether they feature the aforementioned cat, drunken armadillos clutching empty whiskey bottles, Sasquatch checking his wristwatch, risque sayings or King Kong punching Jaws right in his sharky face. Throw in their other, third-party wares — devotional candles festooned with the likes of Kanye and David Bowie, wall magnets with cartoon veggies swearing like sailors, throw pillows with Nicholas Cage and Samuel Jackson as 19th century generalissimos — and you can see why the store has a large following with those looking for a certain Austin je ne sais quoi.
“A lot of our foot traffic here on South Congress is now tourists,” says Anne Rutt, co-owner of the store with her husband, the artist Edson Enriquez. “People are looking for a unique Austin experience that they can take back with them.” With celebrity patrons like Quentin Tarrantino and Patton Oswalt, the Triple Z Threadz weirdness gospel is spreading. Rutt and Enriquez have been fixtures on the 1600 block of South Congress for over a decade, back when she first laid eyes on her future husband from the windows of Vespaio, where she waited tables, and Enriquez was selling his custom jewelry at the SOCO Outdoor Market. With the opening of the Triple Z storefront in March of this year, right next to their other shop, Limbo Jewelry, their longtime relationship with the block is firmly sealed. “We’re doing our part to keep it weird, right?” says Rutt. The shoppers, tourists or otherwise, snapping selfies with the giant laser cathead in window, would certainly agree. 1606 S. CONGRESS AVE. TRIPLEZTHREADZ.COM
tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
87
WWG
Wally Wor k m an G al l e ry
Elizabeth Chapin 1202 West Sixth Street Austin, Texas 78703 (512) 472.7428 Tues - Sat 10am - 5pm wallyworkman.com image: Rashad Walters, Barneys NY, 4th floor (detail), acrylic on canvas, 72 x 48 inches
Food +
THOUGHT A G LO B A L PERSPECTIVE ON O U R LO C A L D I N I N G S C E N E Wu Chow’s excellent dishes and stunning interior design have made the restaurant our food critic’s favorite go-to (not to-go) Chinese dining pleasure.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
PHOTOGRAPH BY REAGAN TAYLOR
K AREN'S PICK
90
D I N N E R CO N V E R S AT I O N
92
DINING GUIDE
tribeza.com 94
| DECEMBER 2016
89
K AREN'S PICK | FOOD + THOUGHT
Wu CHOW OU R FO OD CR I T IC ’ S FAV E OF F E R S DI N E R S A T R I PL E T H R E AT OF E XCE L L E N T SE RV ICE , DEC A DE N T DI M S U M A N D SE X Y DE SIG N
by Karen Spezia Photography by Reagan Taylor
EVER WONDER WHERE A FOOD CRITIC EATS ON HER DAY OFF? You’ll find me at Wu Chow, downtown’s terrific year-old Chinese restaurant. Asian food is my jam and I‘d eat it daily if I could. But my job requires I sample a variety of restaurants and cuisines, so when I’m off the clock I head to Wu Chow. Most Sundays, you’ll find me there for dim sum, and I steal away for lunch or dinner, too. What makes Wu Chow so special? For starters, the food is terrific: fresh, authentic, delicious. Secondly, the place looks great, with high-end finishes rarely found in Chinese restaurants (just saying …). Wu Chow has a subtle, urban sex appeal with soaring windows overlooking bustling Fifth Street, metallic upholstery, a Kelly green lacquered communal table, walls covered with mah
W U CHOW ’S STA N DOU TS INCLU DE
jong tiles, and a mellow outdoor lounge
ITS SIGNAT U R E SH A NGH A I SOU P
and patio. Even the restrooms look cool.
DUMPLINGS , BU R ST ING W IT H
And finally, the staff is always welcoming and hospitable. It’s a killer trifecta that makes for one of Austin’s best new restaurants. The tantalizing flavors at Wu Chow come with serious street cred: partner C.K. Chin (Swift’s Attic) was raised on his family’s Chinese dishes and his chefs hail from the mainland. You’ll find all your favorite
90 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
SUCCU LEN T J U ICES; T HE FILLING , PILLOW Y BAO ST U FFED W IT H POR K BELLY; T HE SLEN DER , CR ISPY CHICK EN A N D T HE TA RO EGGROLLS
Greatest Hits here, but what sets Wu Chow apart from many Chinese restaurants is its commitment to local, fresh, high-quality ingredients. No mystery meat here. Food is meant for sharing, so start by passing around a plate of Spicy Sichuan Deep-Fried Chicken, paired with an order of simple, palatecleansing Spicy Marinated Cucumbers. Next, try any of the outstanding entrees like Scallions Hugging Beef, Chicken with Fermented Black Bean, Honey Pecan Gulf Prawns or Mapo Tofu. Veggie dishes sourced from local farms are stars in their own right like Dry-Fried Green Beans from J&B Farms, Wok-Tossed Okra from Fagan Family Farms and SichuanBraised Eggplant from Johnson's Backyard Garden. You don’t have to wait for Sunday to sample some of Wu Chow’s outstanding dim sum delicacies since many are offered on weekdays. Standouts include its signature Shanghai soup dumplings, bursting with succulent juices; the filling, pillowy bao stuffed with pork belly; the slender, crispy chicken and the taro eggrolls. Wu Chow is a mob scene on Sunday and for good reason: its dim sum is outstanding. Unlike traditional Chinese restaurants, Wu Chow doesn’t serve from rolling carts, but from a menu. Initially, I missed the familiar clatter and chaos of the carts, but now I get it: everything arrives hot and fresh and never greasy. Don’t miss the festive cocktails served in tiki glasses or the thoughtful wine list including gems like a dry sparkling Lambrusco that pairs beautifully with everything on the menu. There’s also a respectable beer and tea offering. Wu Chow is one of the best new players in town and it’s a treat to have a sophisticated Asian option that doesn’t require a trek north of Research. Partner C.K. Chin and General Manager Howard Chang will make sure you have a great time, as will my favorite server, April — and all the terrific staff. I’ll see you there soon.
WU CHOW 500 WEST 5TH STREET ( 5 1 2 ) 476 -2 4 6 9
| DECEMBER 2016
tribeza.com WUCHOW AUSTIN .COM
91
D I N N E R C O N V E R S AT I O N | F O O D + T H O U G H T Just another weekday dinner at chez Egerton.
Artichokes & Ice Cream DINNER IS A MADCAP EXPERIENCE IN OUR HOUSE.
M E E T T H E EG E R TONS . T H E AT R IC A L PR E SE N TAT ION OR DI N N E R ? J US T A D OP T US , PL E A SE .
by Owen, Jodi, Arden and Oscar! Egerton Photography by Casey Chapman Ross
92 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Any dreams of a well-mannered dinner conversation have long been abandoned. Our nightly gatherings are a hybrid off-Broadway musical, puppet show, gratitude exchange and absurdist dinner party. Our house is tiny, like a Hobbit’s starter house. While sitting down for a meal, if we want to open the fridge, we need to stand up and scootch the table. We are also not a traditionally tidy family. Clutter is our unwanted, non-rent-paying housemate. Our dining table, which happens to be in the middle of our kitchen, also serves as the craft table, homework spot, writing table and bookshelf. So often to prepare for dinner, we must clear the table of books, soldering irons, props for the musical, school supplies, typewriters and hot glue guns.
There’s a whirlwind of energy moving towards dinner. The kids are in charge of setting the table, which means you’re likely to sit down for the meal and find a spatula, a soup ladle or a cheese grater at your place setting. Luckily, we only need to lean back in a chair to reach the utensil drawer and swap it out for a fork. There are a few meals that are Egerton favorites. A simple artichoke with plenty of melted butter. Noodles in almost any form. Breakfast for dinner, with Oscar flipping pancakes and Arden making fried eggs to everyone’s exacting specifications. A classic English roast, if we’re feeling ambitious, or P. Terry’s, if we’re feeling anything but. And of course, Taco Night. All the ingredients spread on the table, each family member taking the term “taco” as loosely as possible. Arden eats a bowl of sour cream with a spoonful of refried beans in the middle, staring up from her bowl like some unblinking eye. Oscar just eats a bowl of meat — but still calls it a taco. Owen found freedom when he realized there was nothing binding him to using a tortilla, and creates taco salad mountains. And Jodi, the consummate rulefollower, carefully crafts a picture-perfect taco, with layers of meat, beans, cheese, and all the veggies, salsa, and spices cradled perfectly inside a tortilla. Every meal begins with the clinking of glasses. We offer up “Cheers” and “Iechyd da” or “L’Chaim,” depending on whether we’re feeling more Welsh or Jewish on that particular night. There’s a lot of laughter while we eat. If there’s spinach on the table, Jodi voices each leaf, making it either completely unaware of its oncoming fate, or begging for mercy as the child raises it to its mouth. There are puns, jokes and riddles, and occasionally Oscar shares a brand-new magic trick.
OUR NIGHTLY GATHERINGS ARE A HYBRID OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL, PUPPET SHOW, GR ATITUDE EXCHANGE AND ABSURDIST DINNER PARTY.
Dinner conversation dances from topic to topic like a caffeinated squirrel. What happens at the edge of the multiverse? Can we get a puppy? How does Edward Scissorhands use toilet paper? Why can’t we get a puppy? I’m writing a musical about Peggy Schuyler! Corn table! Corn table! Corn table! Of course we’re related, we both came out of Mom’s pagina! Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum is saying bad things about us! How can we cure Mom’s dog allergies? Shell pile! Shell pile! Shell pile! I’m eight in human years, but in Oscar years ... I’m really old. So old I can’t remember. I’m only 1 percent human. I’m also 2 percent Titan. Some of the things I’m a mix of include wolf, dragon, werewolf, robot, unicorn and pug. Some people call me an alien, but I’m not an alien. Well if we can’t get a puppy, can we get a ferret? We have one major tradition at dinner. Each one of us shares a high moment, a low moment and a “high-low,” or calming moment from the day. When we share our highs, we celebrate each other, and learn what brings each other
joy. But equally important to us is the sharing of lows. It’s a time to reflect, vent, apologize, connect, untangle something and dig deep to figure out the hard parts of the day. Years back, the kids also added high-lows, a moment you felt calm. This can be anything from swimming at Barton Springs at 5a.m.(Owen), or hanging out with a friend over lunch or a moment at work when all just felt groovy. It’s frequently “right now,” as the high-lows is by far the calmest part of our meal. By the end of dinner, or if the kids have tricked us into ice cream, things start to get really nutty. “Hamilton” or “Les Miserables” parodies are being sung at full force, with the children standing on chairs — or on Owen. All norms, table manners and sometimes clothes, are discarded. Eventually all four of us are standing, singing, storming barricades, securing the American revolution, battling a giant man-eating plant, and clearing the table. It’s not a pretty meal, but it sure as hell is fun. Jodi Egerton is a wordslinger poet with Typewriter Rodeo and Owen Egerton is a novelist, filmmaker, and performer with Master Pancake Theater. The two co-wrote the writing craft book, “This Word Now.” Eleven-year-old Arden is an author and artist. Oscar! (who spells his name with an exclamation mark) is awesome. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
93
ALCOMAR 1816 S. 1st St. | (512) 401 3161 Chefs Alma Alcocer and Jeff Martinez serve up some of the city’s best Latin American-inspired seafood. Stop by for lunch, happy hour, dinner or weekend brunch, and start your visit with blood orange margarita and the crab and guacamole.
ANNIE’S CAFÉ & BAR 319 Congress Ave. | (512) 472 1884 Locally minded American offerings in a charming setting; perfect spot for a decadent downtown brunch
GUSTO ITALIAN KITCHEN 4800 Burnet Rd. | (512) 458 1100
FONDA SAN MIGUEL
Upscale-casual Italian in the heart of the Rosedale
2330 W. North Loop Blvd. | (512) 459 4121 | fondasanmiguel.com
neighborhood. Fresh pastas, hand-tossed pizzas, incredible desserts (don’t miss the salted caramel
IN TIME FOR GIFT-GIVING: Create the flavors
budino) and locally sourced, seasonally inspired
of Austin’s premier Interior Mexican Restaurant
chalkboard specials. Full bar with craft cocktails,
at home, with the NEW EDITION of Fonda San
local beers on tap and boutique wines from around
Miguel’s stunning cookbook by UT Press! Full
the world.
recipes complemented with gorgeous photography. Available now on Amazon.com
APOTHECARY CAFÉ AND WINE BAR
24 DINER
4800 Burnet Rd. | (512) 371 1600
600 N. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 472 5400 Chef Andrew Curren’s casual eatery promises delicious plates 24/7 and a menu featuring nostalgic diner favor-
NAPA FLATS 8300 N. FM 620, Bldg M, Ste. 100 | (512) 640 8384
Apothecary’s soothing ambiance and excellent wine selection make it a great spot for drinks and bites with friends. Chef Matt Gallagher brings flavors from different cultures to create
ites. Order up the classics, including roasted chicken,
Fresh, savory cuisine inspired by California
a menu featuring items from ceviche to an
burgers, all-day breakfast and decadent milkshakes.
flavors with an Italian flair. Made-from-scratch
ahi tuna roll.
34TH STREET CAFÉ
dishes are prepared in an open kitchen over a
ASTI TRATTORIA
1005 W. 34th St. | (512) 371 3400
wood-fired grill. A unique 12-tap wine dispenser
408 E. 43rd St. | (512) 451 1218
This cozy neighborhood spot in North Campus serves up
offers a complete complement of high-quality
The chic little Hyde Park trattoria offers essential
soups, salads, pizzas and pastas — but don’t miss the
wines by the glass. Finish off the meal with the
Italian dishes along with a variety of wines to pair them
chicken piccata. The low-key setting makes it great for
world-famous gelato.
with. Finish off your meal with the honey and goat cheese
weeknight dinners and weekend indulgences.
94 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
panna cotta.
V I S I T T R I B E Z A .CO M TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ONLINE DINING GUIDE
BAR CHI SUSHI
BRIBERY BAKERY
206 Colorado St. | (512) 382 5557
2013 Wells Branch Pkwy. #109 | (512) 531 9832
A great place to stop before or after a night on the town, this
1900 Simond Ave. #300 | (512) 297 2720
sushi and bar hotspot stays open until 2 a.m. on the weekends.
Pastry Chef Jodi Elliott puts a fun spin on classic confections.
Bar Chi’s happy hour menu features $2 sake bombs and a
The Mueller location is a Candy Land-esque space where
variety of sushi rolls under $10.
diners can sip on cocktails, beer, wine and coffee.
BLUE DAHLIA BISTRO
BUENOS AIRES CAFÉ
1115 E. 11th St. | (512) 542 9542
1201 E. 6th St. | (512) 382 1189
3663 Bee Caves Rd. West Lake Hills, TX 78746
13500 Galleria Circle | (512) 441 9000
A cozy French bistro serving up breakfast, lunch and
Chef and Argentine native Reina Morris wraps the f lavors
dinner in a casual setting. Pop in for their happy hour to share
of her culture into authentic and crispy empanadas. Don’t
a bottle of your favorite wine and a charcuterie board.
forget the chimichurri sauce! Follow up your meal with Argentina’s famous dessert, alfajores — shortbread cookies
LAS PALOMAS
filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut f lakes.
BULLFIGHT
3201 Bee Caves Rd. #122 | (512) 327 9889 | laspalomasrestaurant.com
4807 Airport Blvd. | (512) 474 2029
One of the hidden jewels in Westlake, this unique
Chef Shawn Cirkiel transports diners to the south of Spain
restaurant and bar offers authentic interior
for classic tapas, including croquettes and jamon serrano.
Mexican cuisine in a sophisticated yet relaxed
The white-brick patio invites you to sip on some sangria and
setting. Enjoy family recipes made with fresh
enjoy the bites.
ingredients. Don’t miss the margaritas!
CAFÉ JOSIE 1200 W. 6th St. | (512) 322 9226
BANGER’S SAUSAGE HOUSE & BEER GARDEN 79 Rainey St. | (512) 386 1656 Banger’s brings the German biergarten tradition to Rainey Street with an array of artisan sausages and more than
MANUEL'S
310 Congress Ave. | (512) 472 7555 10201 Jollyville Road | (512) 345 1042
Executive chef Todd Havers creates “The Experience” menu every night at Cafe Josie, which offers guests a prix fixe allyou-can-eat dining experience. The a la carte menu is also available, featuring classics such as smoked meatloaf and
100 beers on tap. To get the full Banger’s experience, go for
A local Austin favorite with a reputation for
redfish tacos.
their weekend brunch and indulge in the Banger’s Benny,
high-quality regional Mexican food, fresh pressed
CAFÉ NO SÉ
the beer garden’s take on eggs Benedict.
cocktails, margaritas and tequilas. Try the Chile
1603 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 942 2061
BARLEY SWINE
Relleno del Mar with Texas Gulf Shrimp, day boat
South Congress Hotel’s Café No Sé balances rustic decor
6555 Burnet Road ,Suite 400 | (512) 394 8150
scallops, and Jumbo Blue lump crab, or Manuel’s
and a range of seasonal foods to make it the best place for
James Beard Award-nominated chef Bryce Gilmore encour-
famous mole. Located downtown at the corner
weekend brunching. Their spin on the classic avocado toast
ages sharing with small plates made from locally-sourced
of 3rd and Congress Avenue, and in the Arboretum
is a must-try.
ingredients, served at communal tables. Try the parsley
on Jollyville Road. One of the best happy hour
croissants with bone marrow or Gilmore’s unique take on
deals in town.
fried chicken. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
95
CANTEEN
CONTIGO
EAST SIDE KING
1100 S. Lamar Blvd. Suite 2115 | (512) 628 0348
2027 Anchor Ln. | (512) 614 2260
1816 E. 6th St. | (512) 407 8166
Owned by restaurant veterans Lisa and Emmett Fox, Cantine
Chef Andrew Wiseheart serves ranch-to-table cuisine and an
2310 S. Lamar, Suite 101 | (512) 383 8382
produces new twists on Italian and Mediterranean classics.
elegant take on bar fare at this east side gem. Take your pick
Winner of the James Beard Award and Top Chef, Paul Qui
Along with the slew of culinary temptations, the restaurant
from the exquisite and bold cocktail menu and grab a spot on
offers out-of-this-world pan-Asian food from across town
also has an impressive selection of imported liquor and a
the expansive outdoor patio.
trailers with fellow chefs Moto Utsunomiya and Ek Timrek.
skilled bar staff.
COUNTER 3. FIVE. VII
Try their legendary fried Brussels Sprouts!
CENTRAL STANDARD
315 Congress Ave, Ste. 100 | (512) 291 3327
EAST SIDE SHOW ROOM
1603 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 942 0823
Belly up to the counter at this 25-seat space for an intimate
1100 E. 6th St. | (512) 467 4280
Between their full dinner menu, impressive raw bar and craft
dining experience that’s modern yet approachable. This
Enjoy delicious vintage cocktails, 1930s- and 1940s-inspired
cocktail offerings, Central Standard at the South Congress
unique eatery gives three, five and seven-course tasting
music, and cuisine by Fermin Nunez at East Side Show
Hotel is the perfect place to spend a night on the town.
menus in an immersive setting.
Room. The small outdoor patio and cozy fireplace are perfect
CHINATOWN
COUNTER CAFÉ
for breezy nights or casual drinks.
3407 Greystone Dr. (512) 343 9307
626 N. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 708 8800
EASY TIGER
107 W. 5th St. | (512) 343 9307
1914 E. 6th St. | (512) 351 9961
709 E. 6th St. | (512) 614 4972
Some of the best traditional Chinese food in town. Fast
It’s nothing fancy, but this tiny shotgun-style diner has some
From the ELM Restaurant Group, Easy Tiger lures in both
service in the dining room and delivery is available. This
of the city’s best breakfast offerings. This cafe fuses Ameri-
drink and food enthusiasts with a delicious bakeshop up-
restaurant boasts an extensive and diverse dim sum menu for
can diner food with a global touch. Make sure to order their
stairs and a casual beer garden downstairs. Sip on some local
customers to munch on!
famous pancakes and burgers!
brew and grab a hot, fresh pretzel. Complete your snack with
CHEZ NOUS
COUNTER CULTURE
beer cheese and an array of dipping sauces.
510 Neches St. | (512) 473 2413
2337 E. Cesar Chavez St. | (512) 524 1540
EL ALMA
Now an iconic Austin staple, Chez Nous creates authentic
An East Austin haven for vegans and vegetarians, Counter
1025 Barton Springs Rd. | (512) 609 8923
French cuisine just a few yards away from bustling 6th
Culture provides internationally inspired vegan options with
This chef-driven, authentic Mexican restaurant with un-
Street. Genuine, simple and delectable, it is hard not to leave
organic and local food. Daily specials are shared through
matched outdoor patio dining stands out as an Austin dining
this bistro feeling completely satisfied.
their constantly updated Twitter feed.
gem. The chic yet relaxed setting is perfect for enjoying
CLARK’S OYSTER BAR
DAI DUE
delicious specialized drinks outside for their everyday
1200 W. 6th St. | (512) 297 2525
2406 Manor Rd. | (512) 524 0688
3 p.m. - 5 p.m. happy hour!
Small and always buzzing, Clark’s extensive caviar and
Whether you’re in the mood for fresh market ingredients or
EL CHILE
oyster menu, sharp aesthetics and excellent service make
a succulent dining out experience, Dai Due has it all. Their
1809 Manor Rd. | (512) 457 9900
it a refreshing indulgence on West Sixth Street. Chef Larry
products are regionally sourced and seasonal, including the
The extensive menu features Mexican classics, including
McGuire brings East Coast-inspired vibes to this seafood
eclectic drink list.
ceviche and tamales, and creative drinks like the cantaloupe
restaurant.
DRINK.WELL.
margarita. Their daily happy hour offers sangria, micheladas
207 E. 53rd St. | (512) 614 6683
and margaritas.
Located in the North Loop district, Michael and Jessica Sanders bring craft cocktails and American pub fare to drink.well. with a seasonally changing menu. Snacks to try include fried chickpeas and house-made Twinkies.
96 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
V I S I T T R I B E Z A .CO M TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ONLINE DINING GUIDE
EL CHILITO
FOODHEADS
HOME SLICE PIZZA
2219 Manor Rd. | (512) 382 3797
616 W. 34th St. | (512) 420 8400
1415 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 444 7437
1623 East 7th St. | (512) 334 9660
Fresh and inspired sandwiches, soups and salads in a charm-
For pizza cravings south of the river, head to Home Slice
All-day breakfast tacos and festive paleta f lavors make El
ing refashioned cottage and porch. This local sandwich shop
Pizza. Open until 3 a.m. on weekends for your post bar-hop-
Chilito an Austin staple. If you’re looking to spice up your
on 34th Street is the perfect date spot for you and your book.
ping convenience and stocked with classics like the
caffeine fix, try the Ojo Rojo — an horchata drink with a shot
Don’t forget to check out the daily soup specials!
Margherita as well as innovative pies like the White Clam,
of espresso. Don’t forget to dip some chips into their exotic
FOREIGN & DOMESTIC
topped with chopped clams and Pecorino Romano.
salsa, the winner of Austin Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Contest.
306 E. 53rd St. | (512) 459 101
HOPFIELDS
ELIZABETH STREET CAFÉ
Small, neighborhood restaurant in the North Loop area
3110 Guadalupe St. | (512) 537 0467
1501 S. 1st St. | (512) 291 2881
serving unique dishes. Chef Ned Elliott serves thoughtful,
A gastropub with French inclinations, offering a beautiful
Chef Larry McGuire creates a charming French-Vietnamese
locally-sourced food with an international twist at reason-
patio and unique cocktails. The beer, wine and cocktail
eatery with a colorful menu of pho, banh mis and sweet
able prices. Go early on Tuesdays for dollar oysters.
options are plentiful and the perfect pairing for the restau-
treats. Both the indoor seating and outdoor patio bring com-
FREEDMEN’S
rant’s famed steak frites and moules frites.
2402 San Gabriel St. | (512) 220 0953
ITALIC
Housed in a historic Austin landmark, smoke imbues the
123 W. 6th St. | (512) 660 5390
EMMER & RYE
f lavors of everything at Freedmen’s — from the barbecue, to
Chef Andrew Curren of 24 Diner and Easy Tiger presents
51 Rainey St. #110 | (512) 366 5530
the desserts and even their cocktail offerings. Pitmaster
simple, rustic Italian plates. Don’t miss the sweet delicacies
Named after two types of grains, Emmer & Rye brings their
and chef Evan LeRoy plates some of the city’s best barbecue
from Pastry Chef Mary Katherine Curren.
farm-to-table menu, in-house fermentation and dim sum
on a charming outdoor patio.
to diners craving wholesome and innovative cuisine. This
JEFFREY’S
GERALDINE’S
1204 W. Lynn St. | (512) 477 5584
605 Davis St. | (512) 476 4755
Named one of Bon Appétit’s “10 Best New Restaurants in
Located inside Rainey Street’s Hotel Van Zandt, Geraldine’s
America,” this historic Clarksville favorite has maintained
EPICERIE
creates a unique, fun experience by combining creative cock-
the execution, top-notch service and luxurious but welcoming
2307 Hancock Dr. | (512) 371 6840
tails, shareable plates and scenic views of Lady Bird Lake. En-
atmosphere that makes Jeffrey’s an old Austin staple.
A café and grocery with both Louisiana and French
joy live bands every night of the week as you enjoy Chef Frank
sensibilities by Thomas Keller-trained Chef Sarah McIntosh.
Mnuk’s dishes and cocktails from bar manager Jen Keyser.
JOSEPHINE HOUSE
Lovers of brunch are encouraged to stop in here for a bite
GOODALL’S KITCHEN AND BAR
Rustic, continental fare with an emphasis on fresh, local and
1900 Rio Grande St. | (512) 495 1800
organic ingredients. Like its sister restaurant, Jeffrey’s,
FIXE
Housed in the beautiful Hotel Ella, Goodall’s provides mod-
Josephine House is another one of Bon Appétit’s “10 Best
500 W. 5th St. | (512) 888 9133
ern spins on American classics. Dig into a fried mortadella
New Restaurants in America.” Find a shady spot on their patio
Southern charm meets delicious f lavors in this downtown
egg sandwich and pair it a with cranberry thyme cocktail.
and indulge in fresh baked pastries and a coffee.
eatery. Run by the team who founded Eddie V’s, Fixe serves
HILLSIDE FARMACY
JUNIPER
1209 E. 11th St. | (512) 628 0168
2400 E. Cesar Chavez St. Ste. 304 | (512) 220 9421
Hillside Farmacy is located in a beautifully restored
Uchi alum Nicholas Yanes cooks up northern Italian fair
1950s-style pharmacy with a lovely porch on the east side.
on the east side. Juniper’s minimalistic menu reinvents the
Oysters, cheese plates and nightly dinner specials are
Italian classics.
fort and vibrancy to this South Austin neighborhood favorite. Don’t forget to end your meal with the housemade macarons.
whole-animal butchery is also home to Kevin Fink, a cook named as one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs.
on Sundays!
modern Louisiana cuisine with a dash of Dixie.
1601 Waterston Ave. | (512) 477 5584
whipped up by chef Sonya Cote. tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
97
LA BARBECUE
MOONSHINE PATIO BAR + GRILL
OLIVE & JUNE
1906 E. Cesar Chavez St. | (512) 605 9696
303 Red River St. | (512) 236 9599
3411 Glenview Ave. | (512) 467 9898
Though it may not be as famous as that other Austin barbecue
Housed in the historical Hof heintz-Reissig store, Moon-
Celebrated Austin chef Shawn Cirkiel created this southern
joint, La Barbecue is arguably just as delicious. This trailer,
shine’s decadent Southern comfort food is a downtown
Italian-style restaurant with a menu that highlights local,
which is owned by the legendary Mueller family, whips up
favorite. Belly up to the bar and indulge in their famous
seasonal ingredients with dishes like saffron ricotta ravioli
classic barbecue with free beer and live music.
shrimp corndog appetizers.
and pork meatballs.
LENOIR
NAU’S ENFIELD DRUG
PIEOUS
1807 S.1st St. | (512) 215 9778
1115 West Lynn St. | (512) 476 1221
12005 U.S. 290 West | (512) 394 7041
A gorgeous spot to enjoy a luxurious French-inspired prix-
An Austin institution since 1951, this all-American soda
Unequivocally some of the best pizza Austin has to offer,
fixe meal in an intimate dining room and table that seats just
fountain within an antiquated drug store gives guests an
Pieous brings together the unlikely, yet perfect combination
34 diners.
unmatched experience founded on tradition. The food is
of Neapolitan pizza and pastrami, with all dishes made from
simple and classic, rivaled only by the scrumptious shakes
scratch. Decked out in prosciutto and arugula, the Rocket
and hand mixed old-fashioned sodas.
pizza is a crowd favorite and a must-try.
This cute walk-up kitchen and patio fuses traditional French
NORTH
PARKSIDE
and Southern cuisine. Think late night Parisian-style
11506 Century Oaks Ter. | (512) 339 4440
301 E. 6th St. | (512) 474 9898
burgers with frites or rosemary biscuits and gravy for
Enjoy modern Italian cuisine in a sleek interior at this
Chef Shawn Cirkiel’s f lagship restaurant, featuring a happy
Sunday brunch.
Domain standout. Go during happy hour for a glass of your
hour with half-price oysters and tasty cocktails, is a local
favorite red and an exceptional cheeseboard.
favorite. Don’t overlook the dessert menu, with delectable
1900 Simond Ave. | (737) 212 1876
ODD DUCK
items such as a brioche beignet and chocolate mousse.
Located in the Mueller development, Chef Fiore Tedesco
1201 S. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 433 6521
PERLA’S SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR
delivers contemporary Italian cuisine with a strong nod to
Famed food trailer turned brick-and-mortar, Odd Duck was
1400 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 291 7300
the classics. Alongside delicious plates, guests will enjoy
the first venture from acclaimed chef Bryce Gilmore. Expect
A South Congress staple, expect the freshest fish and oysters
impressive cocktails, wine and a great craft beer selection.
seasonal fare and drinks with a Texas inf luence at this South
f lown in daily from both coasts, carefully prepared
Lamar oasis.
with simple yet elegant f lavors by Chef Larry McGuire.
5408 Burnet Rd. | (512) 514 0664 &
OLAMAIE
QUI
2218 College Ave. | (512) 297 2423
1610 San Antonio St. | (512) 474 2796
1600 E. 6th St. | (512) 436 9626
2900 Ranch Rd. 620 N
Food+Wine Magazine’s best new chef Michael Fojtasek
Both a James Beard-award recipient and winner of Top Chef,
Straight-up Southern goodness, from moon pies to fried
creates a menu that will leave any Southerner drooling with
chef Paul Qui’s namesake restaurants is one of the
green tomatoes and the house specialty: fried chicken. Chef
delight over the restaurant’s contemporary culinary
hottest spots in town for an unparalleled dining experience
James Holmes puts a fun take on our Southern favorites
concepts. The dessert menu offers a classic apple pie or a
set under an airy, beautiful backdrop.
and serves them up with inventive cocktails, like the peach
more trendy goat cheese caramel ice cream. Also, do
cobbler martini.
yourself a favor and order the biscuits (they’re worth every
REBEL PIZZA BAR
L’ESTELLE HOUSE 88 1/2 Rainey St. | (512) 571 4588
L’OCA D’ORO
LUCY’S FRIED CHICKEN
MONGERS MARKET + KITCHEN
delectable bite).
7858 Shoal Creek Blvd. | (512) 457 5757 Along with its unique street art interiors, Rebel Pizza Bar
2401 E. Cesar Chavez St. | (512) 215 8972
delivers updated takes on bar classics including hot wings and
Chef Shane Stark brings a casual Texas Gulf Coast sensibility
waff le fries. But the pizza is the real star of this cozy restau-
to East Austin by slinging fresh seafood in the kitchen and
rant, like the Get Up Stand Up pie that packs a powerhouse of
at the counter.
flavors that will leave you jostling for the last slice.
98 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
V I S I T T R I B E Z A .CO M TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ONLINE DINING GUIDE
SALTY SOW
THE CLAY PIT
VIA 313
1917 Manor Rd. | (512) 391 2337
1601 Guadalupe St. | (512) 322 5131
519 W. Oltorf St. | (512) 487 1569
Salty Sow serves up creative signature drinks, including
Zip in for a buffet-style lunch or settle in for a traditional
Starting from humble food truck beginnings, Via 313 brings
a Blueberry-Lemon Thyme Smash. The food menu,
dinner of both classic and contemporary Indian cuisine.
Detroit to Austin’s doorstep with pizza that is sure to shake
heavy with sophisticated gastropub fare, is perfect for late-
Stick to the basics for the chicken tikka masala and experi-
things up. Featured on Food Network’s “Top 5 Pizzas in
night noshing.
ment with their chai spice creme brulee.
America,” you’ll find instant classics such as The Detroiter.
SECOND BAR + KITCHEN
THE PEACHED TORTILLA
VINAIGRETTE
200 Congress Ave. | (512) 827 2750
5520 Burnet Rd. #100 | (512) 330 4439
2201 College Ave. | (512) 852 8791
Another venture from James Beard-nominated chef
This cheerful spot is sure to clear your weekly blues with
This salad-centric restaurant off South Congress has one of
David Bull, Second offers a swanky bistro experience in
friendly staff, fun food and a playful atmosphere. Affordably
the prettiest patios in town. Along with an inviting ambi-
the heart of the 2nd Street District.
priced, you’ll find culinary inf luences from around the
ance, the salads are fresh, creative, bold and most impor-
SNOOZE
world with a healthy dose of Asian and Southern options.
tantly delicious, with nearly two dozen options
3800 N. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 428 8444
TRUE FOOD KITCHEN
to choose from.
This Denver originator serves up brunch classics with a
222 West Ave. | (512) 777 2430
creative twist seven days a week, with two locations on either
Inspired by Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet, True
WINEBELLY 6705 Hwy 290 # 503 | (512) 584 808
end of Lamar. With friendly service in an updated diner
Food Kitchen combines decadent favorites with health-con-
3016 Guadalupe St. Suite 100 | (512) 358 6193
atmosphere, Snooze is sure to start your day off right.
scious eating, striking the perfect balance. The restaurant,
Named as one of the top 20 wine bars in America by Wine
SWAY
located in downtown’s chicest new entertainment district, offers
Enthusiast, Winebelly boasts an international wine list
a full range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
and Spanish-Mediterranean small plates. The bistro main-
1417 S. 1st St. | (512) 326 1999
tains a local feel with it’s comfortable, laid back interiors.
The culinary masterminds behind La Condesa cook up Thai
UCHI
cuisine with a modern twist. An intimate outdoor area,
801 S. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 916 4808
WINK
complete with a Thai spirit house, makes for an unforgetta-
Chef Tyson Cole has created an inventive menu that puts Uchi
1014 N. Lamar Blvd. Ste. E | (512) 482 8868
ble experience.
foremost among sushi spots in Austin. Grab a date and treat
With a rotating daily menu, Wink celebrates true farm-to-
SWIFT’S ATTIC
yourself by splurging on nationally-recognized sushi.
table meals. Stop in for their incredible happy hour, or stay a
315 Congress Ave. | (512) 482 8842
UCHIKO
Overlooking Congress Avenue, Swift’s Attic draws from
4200 N. Lamar Blvd. Ste. 140 | (512) 916 4808
WU CHOW
global inspirations and serves up inventive cocktails in a
The sensational sister creation of Uchi, and former home
500 W. 5th St. #168 | (512) 476 2469
historic downtown building.
of Top Chef Paul Qui and renowned chefs Page Presley
From the curators of Swift’s Attic, Wu Chow is expanding
TAKOBA
and Nicholas Yanes. Uchiko is an Austin icon that everyone
Austin’s cuisine offerings with traditional Chinese dishes
should visit at least once. Try the bacon tataki!
sourced from local purveyors and farmers. Don’t miss their
1411 E. 7th St. | (512) 628 4466 Takoba delivers bold, authentic f lavors with ingredients
WALTON’S FANCY AND STAPLE
imported straight from Mexico. Head over to East 7th Street
609 W. 6th St. | (512) 542 3380
for tortas, tacos, margaritas and micheladas.
This cute downtown café serves a mean morning shrimp and
little longer for the 5- or 7-course chef ’s tasting menu.
weekend dim sum menu.
grits — your perfect hangover remedy. Walton’s also offers an array of delicious pastries, fresh brewed coffee and staple sandwiches for lunch. Be sure to pick up a fresh f lowers from their f loral shop on your way out! tribeza.com
| DECEMBER 2016
99
A LOOK BEHIND ...
HolidayBunga! Photography by Jacob Bodkin
Need a strategy for sailing through the holidaze? Look no further than local surfing champ Morgan Lohmeier. After all, gracefully navigating December is a lot like wake surfing in a candy-cane dress: both require boss balancing skills and a wicked sense of humor.
100 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com
Julie McCullough: Pin Show progenitor, fashion doula, secret camper.
Shown with: The fashionably rustic Riva 1920 Curve bench.
What’s your modern voice? 115 W. 8th St. Austin 512.480.0436 scottcooner.com
thepinshow.com, thefolksieway.com photo by steven visneau
P H OTO G R A P H B Y
102 DECEMBER 2016 |
tribeza.com