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Weekend Picks: Big Band Frenzy, the frights of the forest, free fancy cocktails, more
Friday: Golden Hornet Project’s Big Band Frenzy at Ruta Maya. I’m a sucker for a big band. There’s something about the soul-rumbling wall of sound packed by a full horn section that gets me every time. For this performance Golden Hornet master composers Graham Reynolds and Peter Stopschinski are joined by some of Austin’s best instrumentalists. With jazz drummer Brannen Temple and bassist Steve Bernal holding down the rhythm duties, the ensemble includes four saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, vibes and more. Sounds will include updated takes of Duke Ellington classics, a big band remake of the “Psycho” theme and various original compositions. Pay-what-you-can-afford $10-$35
Friday: B Scene at the Blanton with DJ Mel. Your girl’s never been super high brow when it comes to the old artistic sensibilities. Between offering crass analysis with my untrained eye, and playing silly museum games, I’ve embarrassed many a hoity-toity, artsy friend in my time. This is why I like the Blanton’s B Scene parties. Apart from the obvious reasons, (i.e. art tends to be more interesting when you’re a little tipsy) if a girl happens to be inspired to hold an impromptu “pose like the Renoir” contest or grandiosely offer a fully developed metaphor likening a modernist painting to a favorite “Sex and the City” episode, it can all be blamed on the Blantinis. Also, one of my perennial favorite party rockers, the ever-versatile DJ Mel is spinning at this month’s happening. $5-$10
Saturday: Ring the Alarm at Copa. This monthly Caribbean party with cut selectas Baby G and Jah Mighty is always steamy hot. This go-round the temperature rises even higher with special guest DJ Mikey Squints of the Black One Sound System sitting in from Brooklyn. Catch a fire! $7
Saturday: DJ Bassnectar at the Parish. The San Francisco DJ’s sound sometimes tends a little more toward electronica than I generally favor, but he sidesteps the trap of endless heavy repetitive grooves by mixing in healthy doses of old school hip-hop, break beats and well, a little bit of pretty much everything else. Fantastic (and frequently costumed) funkmeisters DJs Manny and Big Face open. $10 adv., $12 door.
Saturday: Austin Haunted Forest ‘Open Forest’. The eclectic arts commune on Oltorf Street and South Lamar Boulevard, which is known throughout the year as the Enchanted Forest, will once again reinvent itself as a creepy wonderland full of trails of terror and ghoulish delights for the Halloween season. The Haunted Forest for the most part is a PG-13 experience not recommended for the little tykes, and the serious scarefest kicks off in earnest next week when the Forest will be open from 8 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. However, the Forest will be open for an all-ages “Open Forest” preview on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturday: 4th Annual East End Soulfest at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard. and Victory Grill Cafe Grand Opening. Presented by the Austin Reviltalization Authority, it’s an evening of smooth jazz headlined by jazz saxophonist Marion Meadows, along with saxophonist Kyle Turner, violinist Michael Ward, flautist Althea Renee, vocalist Werner Richmond. To be perfectly honest, smooth jazz isn’t my thing, but also on the bill is the awesome youth R&B act Urban Soul who lit up the stage at the Urban Music Fest earlier this year. The group’s enthusiasm, skill and spirited sass was a breath of fresh air in April, and odds are this talented bunch of teens has only grown tighter in the interim. Meanwhile, next door at the Victory Grill (now under new management) the new full-service cafe opens, serving many soul food classics from the original Victory Grill menu. Some buildings in Austin resonate with history, and the Victory Grill is certainly one of them. It’s exciting to witness its rebirth. Soulfest tickets are $20 adv., $25 at the gate. The Victory Grill Cafe will be serving lunch, dinner and late night short orders from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon-Sat.
Saturday-Sunday: Factory People Pop-Up Shop at the old Factory People location on Congress. When the trendiest shop in Austin’s ultra-trendy SoCo fashion district shuttered its doors shortly after SXSW this year, no doubt many an Austin fashionista shed a single jaded tear. I, for one, never could afford FP’s designer duds except when they miraculously emerged only slightly worn on the racks of Buffalo Exchange. Consequently, when the press release for this weekend’s Brian Crumley trunk show landed in my inbox, I skimmed the bits about his highly acclaimed jewelry collection, which is surely lovely, but out of my meager price range. The words that jumped out at me were “Crumley Cosmo, a raspberry champagne cocktail.” See, although I’ve never actually purchased anything at Factory People, I’ve enjoyed many a fancy drink on their dime, and nothing livens up a fantasy shopping experience like free champagne in the afternoon. There will also be guest DJs spinning, including Lady Pterodactyl at 5 p.m. on Saturday and, no doubt, beautiful people to spare. Noon to 6 p.m. each day. Free.
(Pictured, Lady Pterodactyl, Courtesy of myspace.com/ladypterodactyls. )
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By rae rae rae
October 4, 2007 10:38 PM | Link to this
hey girl, hope I see you out this weekend….it’s been too long.