April 2012 By Michael Corcoran Only the mediocre are always at their best, someone said, which could be why Austin is so damn proud of itself. Welcome to Mediocre, Texas, the home of the Texas Longhorns, Harry Knowles, the bats, Bright Light Social Hour, KGSR, the weekly 10K fun run and street closer, “country legend” Ray […]
By Michael Corcoran “The registration line was insane. That’s 20 minutes of my life I won’t get back.” “Some band just handed me an album. Haven’t they heard of cassettes?” “Do you know where Saturday’s day party is?” “Austin learned its lesson from the Armadillo. No way they’re tearing down Liberty Lunch for an office […]
(Originally published in 2007) by Michael Corcoran New evidence shows that Arizona Dranes, the blind Pentecostal piano player who inspired everyone from Mahalia Jackson to Jerry Lee Lewis, attended the Institute for Deaf, Dumb and Blind Colored Youths in Northwest Austin from 1896- 1912. Let that sink in for a sec: The first person to […]
(originally published during SXSW 2002) by Michael Corcoran and Robert Wilonsky 1. Writing for rollingstone.com isn’t the same as writing for Rolling Stone. But then, these days writing for Rolling Stone isn’t the same as writing for Rolling Stone. 2. The first person is not the First Amendment. It’s a privilege, not a right. 3. […]
by Robert Wilonsky and Michael Corcoran (circa 2000) 1. Before you sign a record deal, look up the word “recoupable” in the dictionary. 2. Your manager’s not helping you. Fire him or her. Same with your publicist. 3. Never start a trio with a married couple. 4. When you talk on stage, you are never […]
SAN ANTONIO – Although it’s best known for a Spanish mission downtown that looks like a facsimile, the Alamo City has also earned a reputation the past four decades as a hard rock hotbed – the Detroit of the Southwest. The words “Hello, San Antonio!” have launched a thousand nights of musical mayhem. And yet, […]
1987 Number of acts: 172 Number of registrants: 700 Keynote speaker: Record producer Huey P. Meaux Buzz bands: Dash Rip Rock, Reivers, True Believers, Buck Pets, Wagoneers, Reverend Horton Heat, Hundredth Monkey SXSW organizers can’t get the computers working at registration, so even though the turnout is moderate, waits are long. That’s something that the […]
They say that street food is an up-close look into the soul of a city, with hot dog push carts, corner pizza stands and Italian sausage vendors saying more about the real New York City than the chic pan-Asian eateries with the paparazzi outside. In South Austin, a slew of mobile food vendors provides a […]
Willie understood. When Frank Sinatra kept touring well into his 70s, reading the words of his classic songs off giant TelePrompTers, critics and fans wondered why he didn’t retire. How much money did he need? But Willie Nelson knew that concert receipts had nothing to do with his friend and idol’s busy schedule. “When you […]
Quarterback is the most important position in all of team sports and the Texas Longhorns don’t have a good one. That’s a tidy assessment of the first nine games of the 2011 season. Texas has started three quarterbacks, but after Garrett Gilbert, like a waiter with no memory, just didn’t work out, it looks like […]
