Daily - The Austin Chronicle (2024)

Danny Roy Young: The Thinking Man's Bubba

In a way, Danny Roy Young had the perfect life. His wit and warm personality personified the character of South Austin, his Texicalli Grille restaurant equally beloved. He loved his life with his family (especially his grandchildren), and thrilled to play with the Cornell Hurd Band every Thursday at Jovita's.The news that DRY died of a heart attack yesterday afternoon started with a phone call from Susan Antone around 9pm last night and continued until past midnight with more calls and emails. The call delivered a suckerpunch to the heart, and the weight slid into my belly where it's sat heavy and unsettling. Here was a man whose heart was truly as big as Texas, an icon of uncommon good sense in a community that likes to call itself weird. Danny wasn't weird, he was rock solid.

Federal Court Grants Wood a Stay of Execution

Just hours before his scheduled execution this evening, federal District Judge Orlando Garcia granted Jeffery Wood a 30-day stay of execution in order to give the court time to weigh Wood's claim that he is too impaired to be killed.Wood was sentenced to die for the 1996 murder of his friend, Kerrville Texaco clerk Kris Keeran, even though he did not directly participate in the killing. The triggerman, Danny Reneau, was tried, convicted, and executed in 2006. But Wood faces the same fate because he was convicted under Texas' so-called "law of parties," which posits that if two or more people plan to commit one crime, but in the process commit another, all actors are equally responsible for the crime actually committed. This is a lower burden than the standard accomplice liability, which requires individual findings of intent. Under the LoP, however, the standard of proof is only that the crime committed was "foreseeable."

Absolutely II Trill

It’s been a busy week for Bun B. Signed up for a leg of this summer’s Scion Live Metro series, Bun rocked Carrboro, NC, Monday night and ATL’s Loft Tuesday. He hits The Parish Friday night (RSVP here) after a run through his adopted hometown Houston. We were able to catch up with him for a portion of his 11-hour trek across the Deep South, where Bun riffed on all things Trill before bus navigator duty pulled him away.Austin Chronicle: The last time Austin saw you was a few weeks ago for the Dizzee Rascal show at Emo’s. Pretty cool move you pulled posting up stage right and watching Dizz go to town. He spoke very highly of you when I talked to him in July. Do you consider yourself a mentor to him?Bun B: It would be nice to be looked at as a mentor, not that he needs that much direction. Dizzee's an individual who has a very distinct outlook on the world. He’s got a very clear sense of who he is, what he’s doing. Being a mentor to people sometimes just means being an ear, and listening to sh*t that they wanna get off their chests. This rap sh*t can be crazy sometimes, and the average person that’s not involved in this sh*t day to day doesn’t really understand what all goes into it, and how difficult this sh*t can be. So sometimes, based on the fact that I’ve basically been through everything a rapper can go through, just being there for people is it sometimes.He’s a friend, so every time he calls it’s not like, “Yo Bun, I got a problem.” We’re friends, so we talk casually. But when he does go through different things, I like to count myself as a person he can call on.

Toot Toot, Hey, Beep Beep

“There would be no diva without you,” announced Donna Summer Saturday night at the gorgeous, landmark, Paramount Theatre in the heart of downtown Oakland, California.Up went a high-pitched scream. All men. The self-proclaimed “little black girl from Boston” may have been born again at the height of her fame in 1979, but her audience can still practically bitch-slap a poor woman security drone acting as back-up on a no-pictures melee. Bad, bad girls.

Fun Times Three

Legendary San Francisco wreckers Flipper commemorate its 30-year anniversary at the 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest, Nov. 8-9, in Waterloo Park, with Nirvana's Krist Novoselic in tow. The third annual event, produced by local booking and promotion company Transmission Entertainment, is expanding once more with the addition of a fourth stage, devoted to comedians (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, ColdTowne Comedy Hour) and quieter indie acts (Shearwater, Tim Fite), but the real draw is the punk and metal stage, featuring Bad Brains, All, the Adolescents, and the previously announced reunion of Dead Milkmen. Other highlights include Clipse, Atmosphere, Z-Trip, the National, Deerhoof, Dan Deacon, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, not to mention locals like Mammoth Grinder, Til We're Blue or Destroy, Krum Bums, and Grupo Fantasma. Expect more act unveilings in the coming weeks. View the full line-up after the jump.

ASL Powerhouse Gets Shut Down

I hate to say it, but those 11am Sunday practices have helped the Chronicle's game phenomenally. I hate to say it because I have to be at those morning practices, and typically after a night of boozin' and bruisin'. There was a 90% chance of rain on game night, Monday, Aug. 18, but our game vs. second-place BookPeople went on as planned, in the muggy, saunalike night. This game would be different than our last round with BookPeople, who clobbered us 28-14 earlier this season and made us all realize that practice was necessary. Thanks for that, BookPeople.The first three innings went back and forth – Chronicle up one, tie, BookPeople up one, then ending the third inning tied at 2. In the first Shannon Stott scored a run on a hit to deep right field by Travis. In the next inning we played good defense, allowing BookPeople to only plate one run, but our offense struggled, with three batters up and three down. Bottom of the third, Doug Freeman placed the ball right over the rover for a double and picking up an RBI (scoring James Renovitch).

Measure for Measure

“Why is Shakespeare so popular with filmmakers when he contains so few car chases and explosions? Because he is the measuring stick by which actors and directors test themselves.” – Roger EbertDespite being second only to Juliet in terms of tragic female figures – well, of the non-murderous variety – Ophelia’s kind of a thankless part. She gets lectured and hectored, used and abused, by father, brother, lover, and king, and in the end, she ends herself in an everlasting dunk. Miserable creature, that – yet every ingénue wants to play her onscreen. It’s great prep work, really – just look what a half-dozen screen Ophelias have spun from their time with the Bard.Jean Simmons (Olivier, 1948): If a woman’s love be brief, than Ophelia’s part is even more negligible; she’s an important plot device, sure, but really, this is a boy’s club through and through. A good dress rehearsal, then, for Simmons’ later work: She’s the only one who couldn’t plausibly stand up and shout, “I am Spartacus!”

Unkind Cuts at Cine las Americas

Despair Deferred, and an Odd Couple

So, I was all ready to celebrate your concession and my very first victory – the wine was open, my socks were off, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band were playing quietly on the hi-fi – when I looked at the day's vote tally and saw that I was still losing by 50%. My spirits sank. If a man can’t win a debate even after his opponent concedes then what good is he? And what choice does he have but to assume the Fates are conspiring against him and drop himself down a well?But I’m not going to do that. Mainly because I have no idea where to find a well. But also because I’ve been looking forward to Round Four all week. So I’ll do this now and drown my sorrows in a bowl of moonshine later.Round Four! The Speed Round! The Awards Round! Round of Champions!We’re going to try something new here. Instead of going back and forth on a particular topic – straining credulity and intellectual probability in the process – Kim and I will spend the day handing out awards to the various actors and actresses we’ve come across during our time watching Shakespeare on film. Best Male. Best Female. Worst Male. Worst Female. Best Mixed-Doubles. Best Horse. That sort of thing. With any luck, our choices will inspire discussion and debate and, eventually, vicious personal attacks.