Red River, East Sixth popular spots
Austin music
and Co. played 12 songs in two hours, including a 25 minute-plus “Down By the River,” which left some fans raving about the show, while others, not so much: “too lengthy, riffs repetitive ... didn’t connect with the crowd,” one concert-goer wrote online.
Run-DMC at Fun Fun Fun Fest. Opening night of Fun Fun Fun Fest’s second year at Auditorium Shores was anchored by a big headliner — reunited rappers Run-DMC. The group, whose show in Austin was only its second performance in 13 years, was without D J Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, who was killed in 2002. Two of Mizell’s sons, D J Jam Master J’son and DJ DasMatic, took their father’s place, so “they could bring Jay’s spirit with them,” according to Joseph “Run” Simmons. In part because of the reunion, FFF saw its attendance increase by 17 percent over the threeday weekend.
Red River marches on. The defection of Emo’s at the end of 2011 to East Riverside Drive (followed by the Beauty Bar in 2012) raised the question of whether the heart of Austin’s live music district on Red River Street would survive, or shift out of downtown. Despite progress on the Waller Creek tunnel project, which threatens to transform the strip into luxury condos and shops, music still plays on Red River. After doing time as a Sony lounge during SXSW, Red 7 renovated — building an inside stage and giving the club a makeover. Holy Mountain took over in the Seventh Street space left empty by Beauty Bar, and Beerland renewed its lease.
East Sixth grows. Cheer Up Charlies ran into problems with an outdoor sound permit, and has since ended regular outdoor live music as it works with the city to resolve the situation (it will continue with special events). Elsewhere on East Sixth, however, the live music scene continues to expand at clubs such as the White Horse, which grew into a force of honky-tonk nature in less than a year, and Hotel Vegas, which brought in former 29th St. Ballroom managers Jason McNeely and Brian Tweedy as partners.
Esme Barrera. 2012 began in the worst way when Esme Barrera was killed in her home in the early hours of Jan. 1. News of her death touched many in Austin’s music community and beyond. Among other things, Barrera was known for her support of Austin’s music scene, her volunteer work with Girls Rock Camp, and her jobs as a special education assistant at Casis Elementary and as a clerk at Waterloo Records. One of Barrera’s favorite artists, Ted Leo, traveled to Austin to perform at one of the benefits held in her honor.
On Dec. 20, Austin police ruled the suspect in Barrera’s death, who had taken his own life, was her killer and declared the case closed.
Brent Grulke. Austin’s music world took another hit in August when longtime creative director for the SXSW music conference and festival Brent Grulke died of a heart attack.
“A lot of Brent’s personality was in SXSW,” Roland Swenson, SXSW director and co-founder, said of Grulke at the time. “He was adventurous and knowledgeable and excited about creative people and endeavors.
“He didn’t like the usual and mundane,” Swenson said. “He was open-minded enough to know that his taste wasn’t always the most important thing, so he was open to new things.”
Grulke, a Nebraska native who became involved in Austin music in the ’80s as an engineer and manager, was a main force behind SXSW’s expansion.
Other losses for Austin’s music community in 2012 include SXSW community liaison Biff Parker, Austin blues guitarist Clarence Pierce, musician Nick Curran, and longtime Micky and the Motorcars bassist Mark McCoy. program started in Philadelphia that put educated couples in mentorship positions with the families at the high school.
The foundation began to see success and tapped Shaklee as its first director of donor services.
“I’m good at storytelling,” she says. “Storytelling became fundraising.”
She honed her expertise in turning around faltering nonprofits, which brought her to Austin to salvage the Make-AWish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening conditions. She found a group that was going broke and was masking the problems.
“It’s about telling the true story and not hiding the challenges,” she says. “There was a lack of storytelling and transparency. And at Make-A-Wish the stories write themselves. As long as you can tell the story, you can fix it.”
Life’s balancing act
With her farm-work ethic, Shaklee turned a two-year commitment to Make-A-Wish into almost six years service with little time left over for personal life.
“As you become a busy professional, you discover you can hire everything,” she says. “Why not hire a matchmaker?”
It’s Just Lunch stood out because after a confidential interview process, one was set up with only quality connections.
“I became completely convinced that this was the way to do it,” she says. On the way to founding He’s For Me, she interviewed gay friends one-on-one, then called on women in media to reach more diverse professionals.
Along the way, she realized that their issues were also specific to the city they lived in. In Austin’s case, there’s no “gayborhood” where singles, couples and allies gather to meet up.
“I found that there were all these newcomers who came to Austin determined to succeed,” she says. “The last thing they do is think about themselves.”
Amusingly, the only thing the gay men knew about matchmaking they learned from reality shows, where the stars are made for reality-show unreality.
So what are these white-collar men seeking?
“Honestly, I think they are looking for their equals in independence, success, achievement and drive,” she says.
Early telephone and live interviews often revealed that the men came with expectations formed decades ago.
“We help them differentiate between instant gratification and longterm relationships,” she says. “We find out about their lives, hopes and dreams.”
With the help of a stylist and counselor, she’s also helped coach her clients on a fresh look and a fresh outlook.
“I’m really seeing some men come alive,” she says. “I’ve seen a change of demeanor and confidence. That doesn’t mean romance has blossomed yet, but ...”
She emphasizes that He’s For Me is not event matchmaking.
“We don’t put a bunch of gay men in a room and let them figure it out,” she says. “We are focused on the key qualities and key values in the men they want to meet.”