Smoke & Embers: The Art of Vaquero BBQ is this Thursday, October 7 at the Briscoe. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
There is no doubt that good Texas barbecue is a masterpiece to be admired, but is your barbecue museum-worthy? Join the Briscoe Western Art Museum for “Smoke & Embers: The Art of Vaquero BBQ” as acclaimed pit master, author, and chef Adrian Davila leads an in-depth, hands-on demonstration of the history and techniques behind the cuisine that once kept vaqueros and cowboys fed. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
“Smoke & Embers: The Art of Vaquero BBQ” is this Thursday, October 7, from 6:30p.m. – 8:30p.m. Third generation pit master Davila will guide guests through perfecting Texas barbecue on the pit in the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, discussing and exploring barbecue and traditional vaquero cooking methods on the range.
The evening is a perfect side to complement the Briscoe’s fall exhibition, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy. Making its United States debut at the Briscoe, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Norteño Cowboys from Sonora, Mexico – not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. With almost sixty images spanning more than twenty years of the lives of the vaqueros, Segarra’s images highlight the expansive landscape, their daily work, and the intimacy of their homes, not merely documenting the vaquero, but celebrating his subjects and their way of life. The exhibition opened to the public September 25, 2021 and will run through Monday January 24, 2022.
The Art of Vaquero BBQ is $55 for museum members and $65 for non-members. In addition to the barbecue presentation and hands-on pit demonstration, the evening includes a three-course tasting to enjoy with wine and beer, and Davila’s special Dry Rub to take home. Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis and tickets must be purchased in advance.
A world-recognized barbecue pit master and author, Davila is a third-generation pit master, chef and restaurateur at his family’s acclaimed Davila’s BBQ in Seguin. Davila has been featured as a guest chef on Food Network’s “The Kitchen” and “Barbecue Beatdown,” and at restaurants La Fama Barbecue and The Ugly American, in Bogota, Colombia. His book, “Cowboy Barbecue: Fire & Smoke from the Original Texas Vaqueros,” celebrates traditions of Latin America and Texas, taking inspiration from the vaquero lifestyle and his own family history, goes beyond standard grilling and offering techniques for smoking, cooking directly on the embers, underground, on a spit, and more. The book will be available for purchase and Davila will be signing copies during the event.
Davila’s BBQ’s special dry rub is available in more than two hundred H-E-B stores across Texas after Davila was named a finalist in the grocery chain’s Quest for Texas Best competition. Invented by Davila’s grandfather, the dry rub is used on all of Davila’s BBQ’s meats, including lamb, pork, brisket, and chicken. In addition to taking home Davila’s BBQ’s rub, there will be a raffle during the event and the prizes will include a Davila’s Decadent Dinner for four at the restaurant that includes a behind-the-scenes pit tour, two bottles of Davila’s BBQ sauces and a $25 gift certificate for a return visit. The dinner is a complete meal for four hungry people, featuring a wide array of menu items and a few off-menu items for everyone to enjoy.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum: Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.
Adrian Davila. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
Back by popular demand, The Call: The Uncut Experience returns to theaters for one night only, just in time for Halloween. Photo: google
On Monday, Cinedigm and Fathom Events announced that The Call is coming back to the big screen with an extended, uncut edition just in time for Halloween. The Call: The Uncut Experience will be in 700 movie theaters nationwide on Wednesday, October 27 at 7p.m. local time. After the movie, there will also be a pre-recorded Q&A interview with Emmy® Award-winning director Timothy Woodward Jr. about the making of the movie and a future sequel. Visit Fathom Events online for a complete list of theater locations and to purchase tickets. (The Call: The Uncut Experience, 2021)
From the creator of Final Destination, The Call stars horror icons Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell. Shaye is best known for her role of Elise Rainier from the worldwide box office hit franchise Insidious. She has also starred in a variety of horror films, including The Grudge, Ouija, The Final Wish, and Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Bell is best known for his role in the Saw franchise playing the terrifying John “Jigsaw” Kramer in all eight movies. The spine-tingling tale also stars Chester Rushing (Stranger Things), Erin Sanders (Big Time Rush), Mike Manning (Teen Wolf) and Judd Lormand (SEAL Team).
Strong word of mouth helped The Call become one of the top-performing horror films of 2020. It was a hit with both audiences and critics alike with MovieWeb calling it, “A chilling tale of revenge and the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season as we head into October” and Dread Central saying, “From credits to the final frame, The Call leaves a lasting impact, an almost congenital terror that’s certain to break your heart and scare you senseless.”
SYNOPSIS: From the creator of Final Destination, Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell star in this terrifying tale of death from the fall of 1987. After a tragic accident, a group of small-town friends must survive the night in the home of a sinister couple. One by one, their worst nightmares quickly become reality as they enter the realm of The Call.
“Being able to bring The Call back into theaters just in time for Halloween is an incredible opportunity,” said Woodward Jr. “From directing genre icons like Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell to re-creating the ‘80s and developing this fantastical horror dreamscape, I’m excited to share some great stories with theatergoers.”
“There’s nothing quite like the visceral experience of watching a horror film with fellow genre fans on the big screen,” said Yolanda Macias, Chief Content Officer, Cinedigm. “It’s scarily perfect timing to bring The Call back into theaters for Halloween with this new Uncut Experience. The additional scenes and Timothy’s interview will keep fans asking for a sequel.”
Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., The Call: The Uncut Experience was written by Patrick Stibbs and produced by Final Destination creator Jeffrey Reddick, Patrick Stibbs, Zebulun Huling, Gina Rugolo and Randy J. Goodwin. Executive producers include Nicolas Chartier, Jonathan Deckter, Matthew Helderman, Joe Listhaus, Drew Ryce, James Shavick, Kirk Shaw and Luke Taylor. Co-producers are James Cullen Bressack and Chaysen Beacham.
The Call: The Uncut Experience. Photo: Fathom Events, used with permission.
Demigod opens in select theaters on October 15, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Just in time for the Halloween season, Demigod, starring Rachel Nichols, Jeremy London, and Elena Sanchez opens nationwide in theaters on Friday, October 15, 2021. Upon the death of her grandfather, a woman and her husband return to her birthplace in Germany’s Black Forest, only to find a terrifying secret awaits them. Directed by Miles Doleac. (Demigod, 2021)
Demigod – “Already plagued by terrifying visions of childhood memories she cannot quite make sense of, Robin, nevertheless, remembers fondly her grandfather Karl’s (Jeremy London) deep connection to the natural world, the animals, and even the “spirits” of the ancient forest. Soon after arriving at her grandfather’s secluded cabin, however, Robin realizes that the inheritance left her is far more macabre than she had bargained for. She finds herself entrenched in an ancient hunting ritual that will force her to reckon with her family’s past and her own will to overcome the monstrous obstacles in her path.” (Movie Insider, 2021)
Creed Fisher’s Whisky and the Dog is due out October 22, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
With over 22 million combined streams on Spotify and over 17 million views on YouTube with past releases, “Life of A Workin’ Man,” “The Way That I Am,” and “This Place Called USA,” Texas born and bred southern rock artist Creed Fisher is gearing up for the release of a new album, Whiskey and the Dog, on October 22, 2021. (Creed Fisher, 2021)
Released through Dirt Rock Empire and distributed by CMDSHFT, the 14-track album reflects Fisher’s hardships, outlaw living, and blue-collar lifestyle and represents a community of hard-working men and women. Produced by Bart Rose, Josh Rodgers, and Fisher, Whiskey and the Dog is now available for pre-save on all streaming services here.
With eleven songs written entirely by himself and three others co-written with Mark Jones, Whiskey and The Dog is different than anything Fisher has done to date and stays true to who he is. Unapologetic, patriotic, and passionate, the album remains true to Creed Fisher’s unwavering form, speaking to and for his fans. His songwriting harkens back to the roots of genuine outlaw country music, taking listeners back to a place and time when the fine art of storytelling flowed effortlessly.
Fisher’s second single off the album, “High on the Bottle,” is out now along with the official music video. The single is available on all streaming services here. With the strum of a guitar and his unfiltered, seasoned vocals, the track gives fans a listen into the album’s southern rock, honky-tonk country tone.
“High on the Bottle” is personal to Fisher as it stands as a real-life example of his past self-choosing between his music dream and the woman he loved. Fisher explains, “It’s a tough one to understand if you haven’t lived it. There’s a personal side that isn’t so glamorous in this business that other musicians can agree to. It’s the rigors of being on the road. Always having to be here and there makes for the biggest challenge, often times-let downs. Overall, music is what I love and what I will continue to do as I watch those white lines on the highways continue to zip right past the window as life passes us all.”
Currently, Creed Fisher is on tour with his most recent album release, How Country Music Sounded Before It All Went to Shit, Vol. 1, and is experiencing success at Texas radio. With his last three albums debuting in the Top 5 on iTunes, Fisher hopes his new album Whiskey and the Dog will continue to help him defy the odds.
Like a steely-eyed gunslinger from a Sergio Leone western, he is a man of few words and lets his music tell his story. Fisher has never been one to sell his soul to trends. Keeping it real means writing songs that real people can relate to; the good, bad, and even the ugly. His previous singles, “Rock & Roll Man,” “Be the Hope,” “I’m Growing Older, But I’m Not Growing Up,” and “A Few Good Ol’ Cowboys” all hit Top 10, Top 25, or Top 30 on the Texas Charts. He was also named the BigStar97 Outlaw Country artist of the Year in 2018. Fisher has upped the ante, joining forces with renegade record label Dirt Rock Empire for the release.
Whiskey and the Dog Track List: 1. “High on The Bottle” (Creed Fisher) 2. “This Town” (Creed Fisher) 3. “Girls with Big Titties” (Creed Fisher) 4. “Whiskey and The Dog” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones) 5. “Hundred Dollars Short” (Creed Fisher) 6. “Gray Skys” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones) 7. “Don’t California My Texas” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones) 8. “The Good Ol’ U.S. of A.” (Creed Fisher) 9. “Down To The Riverbank” (Creed Fisher) 10 “Find My Way Back Home” (Creed Fisher) 11.“Honkey Tonk Drankin’” (Creed Fisher) 12.“I’m Crazy And You’re Gone” (Creed Fisher) 13. “Jesus, Haggard & Jones” (Creed Fisher and Mark Jones) 14. “Hankles” (Creed Fisher)
iFLY Indoor Skydiving relaunches STEM field trips with two special offers. Photo: iFLY Indoor Skydiving, used with permission.
iFLY Indoor Skydiving is pleased to announce the relaunch of their STEM Field Trips, an immersive program for educators to bring students to experience the science of flying first hand, at all participating U.S. iFLY Indoor Skydiving locations. In celebration of the relaunch, iFLY will be offering a STEM Blitz Campaign featuring two special offers available to book and fly now through December 15, 2021. (iFLY Indoor Skydiving, 2021)
Special offers include the following:
Teachers fly free for STEM field trips booked and flown by December 15, 2021
1 free teacher for every 15 students
Special Reduced Pricing for Title 1 Schools
To date, iFLY has hosted over 270,000 students for their STEM field trips in effort to increase awareness of exciting STEM careers and how STEM can be used in the real world. Led by a highly trained STEM educator, the field trip includes an interactive presentation on real-world STEM applications, a grade-appropriate lab activity, immersive experiments, physics demonstrations that come to life in a state-of-the-art wind tunnel, and one-on-one flights with a certified world-class iFLY instructor.
In fact, iFLY STEM curriculum aligns with state-specific education standards while making STEM an exciting, one-of-a-kind learning experience. In addition, iFLY also offers STEM lesson coordination between teams and iFLY educators, along with pre and post trip curriculum to further emphasis student understanding and retention.
iFLY is a sports and recreation company with the mission to deliver the dream of flight. The company pioneered the body-flying “indoor skydiving” experience and is the world leader in vertical wind tunnel technology. Guests do not need to be an athlete or in the best shape of their life. iFLY’s world-class instructors are pros at making flying fun for everyone.
Each iFLY tunnel is taking the proper precautions to ensure guests enjoy their flying experience by investing in new safety measures to create new ways of keeping people safe in their buildings. In fact, iFLY’s wind tunnels have a fresh air advantage over other experiences. Advanced wind tunnel technology provides guests with clean air while flying by recirculating and refreshing the air from outside the iFLY facilities. Tested and proven, iFLY’s wind tunnels create an environment at least 10x fresher than the average store or gym when flying guests—even at slow wind speeds.
To learn more about iFLY STEM Field Trips and to request a trip, click here or visit iFLY Indoor Skydiving.
Austin-based iFLY Holdings, LLC., is the world leader in the design, manufacturing, sales, and operations of wind tunnel systems for indoor skydiving. The company has flown more than 9,000,000 people in a dozen countries and at sea since launching the modern vertical wind tunnel industry in 1998. iFLY has over 81 facilities operating worldwide with 36 wholly-owned in North America. iFLY supports and utilizes the safety and training guidelines set out by the International Bodyflight Association (IBA) to ensure the safety and progression of the sport of indoor skydiving. iFLY makes the dream of flight a reality by giving their customers “wings” in a safe and reliable environment.
A Class Apart is an outstanding documentary that should be on everyone’s to-watch list. Photo: amazon
As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), I want to bring attention to how little we know of our history as Mexican-Americans. Even though nowadays more of us are getting an education, little is known about the struggles that those who came before us had to endure. We take for granted how far we have come but are unaware of how difficult it used to be to even finish elementary school. Having Mexican-American studies in school would be a step up but for now, there are two documentaries that I highly recommend: Stolen Education and A Class Apart. Both are a little over an hour long and are available on Amazon. Do yourself and your children a favor and watch these documentaries and learn all you can about our history as Mexican-Americans and the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement.
Last Thursday I attended a virtual screening of Stolen Education. Hosted by the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute, it documents the untold story of Mexican-American school children who challenged discrimination in Texas schools in the 1950s and changed the face of education in the Southwest. It was amazing how most of those in attendance had never heard of this case or the circumstance surrounding it; mostly because it is a subject seldom discussed. This legal case was after the one featured on A Class Apart, which ended segregation in South Texas. I watched A Class Apart on Amazon last month. What stunned me after watching both documentaries is that this happened in our own backyard and few people are aware of it. See below for a full description of both documentaries.
Stolen Education: As a 9 year-old second grader, Lupe had been forced to remain in the first grade for three years, not because of her academic performance but because she was Mexican American. She was one of eight young students who testified in a federal court case in 1956 to end the discriminatory practice (Hernandez et al. v. Driscoll Consolidated Independent School District), one of the first post-Brown desegregation court cases to be litigated. Degraded for speaking Spanish and dissuaded from achieving academically, Mexican American students were relegated to a “beginner,” “low,” and then “high” first grade – a practice that was common across the Southwest. School officials argued in the case that this practice was necessary because the “retardation of Latin children” would adversely impact the education of White children.
The film portrays the courage of these young people, testifying in an era when fear and intimidation were used to maintain racial hierarchy and control. The students won the case, but for almost sixty years the case was never spoken about in the farming community where they lived despite its significance. Stolen Education presents the full story and impact for the first time, featuring the personal accounts of most of those who were at the center of the court case. The film documents not only an important moment in Mexican American history, but also provides important context to understand our current educational system’s enduring legacy of segregation, discrimination and racism. (Video Project, 2021)
A Class Apart – A Class Apart is a new documentary by award-winning filmmakers Carlos Sandoval (Farmingville) and Peter Miller (Sacco and Vanzetti, Passin’ It On). The first major film to bring to life the heroic post-World War II struggles of Mexican Americans against the Jim Crow-style discrimination targeted against them, A Class Apart is built around the landmark 1951 legal case Hernandez v. Texas, in which an underdog band of Mexican Americans from Texas bring a case all the way to the Supreme Court – and win.
The film begins with a murder in a gritty small-town cantina and follows the legal journey of the Hernandez lawyers through the Texas courts and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court. We see them forge a daring legal strategy that called their own racial identities into question by arguing that Mexican Americans were “a class apart” who did not neatly fit into a legal structure that only recognized blacks and whites.
A grassroots national movement supports the legal efforts, with tiny contributions sent by Latinos from around the country paying for the Hernandez case to go forward. The film dramatically interweaves the story of its central characters – activists and lawyers, returning veterans and ordinary citizens, murderer and victim – within the broader history of Latinos in America during a time of extraordinary change. (Camino Bluff Productions, 2021)
Sign often seen in South Texas in the 50s and 60s. My 82 year old father clearly remembers it.
‘The Midnight Man’ by Caroline Mitchell will be out October 13, 2021. Photo: amazon
Caroline Mitchell is a New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and International #1 Bestselling Author. Shortlisted by the International Thriller Awards for best e-book 2017 and the Killer Nashville Best Police Procedural 2018, she has sold over 1.3 million books. A former police detective, she has worked in CID and specialized in roles dealing with vulnerable victims, high-risk victims of domestic abuse, and serious sexual offences. She now writes full time. Caroline writes psychological and crime thrillers. Her stand-alone thriller “Silent Victim” reached No.1 in the Amazon charts in the UK, USA, and Australia and was the winner of the Reader’s Favourite Awards in the psychological thriller category. It has been described as ‘brilliantly gripping and deliciously creepy. Her new book is “The Midnight Man,” a new case will take Detective Sarah Noble back to everything she has been running from and shake her to the core. It will be released on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. (amazon, 2021)
“The Midnight Man”- if you open your door to the Midnight Man, hide with a candle wherever you can. Try not to scream as he draws near, because one of you will not be leaving here. On Halloween night in Slayton, five girls go to Blackhall Manor to play the Midnight Game. They write their names on a piece of paper and prick their fingers to soak it in blood. At exactly midnight they knock on the door twenty-two times – they have invited the Midnight Man in. It was supposed to be a game, but only four girls come home. Detective Sarah Noble has just returned to the force, and no one knows more about Blackhall Manor than her. Will she be ready to meet the Midnight Man?
‘Welcome to Cooper’ is the new debut thriller by Tariq Ashkanani. Photo: amazon
Tariq Ashkanani is a solicitor based in Edinburgh, where he also runs WriteGear, a Kickstarter company that sells high-quality notebooks for writers, and WriteGear’s podcast Page One. He had no formal writing training or consultation prior to writing “Welcome to Cooper.” He is currently working on a follow-up thriller. In his new book “Welcome to Cooper,” an explosive thriller of bad choices and dark crimes, Detective Levine knew his transfer was a punishment―but he had no idea just how bad it would get. (amazon, 2021)
“Welcome to Cooper” – Cooper, Nebraska, is forgettable and forgotten, a town you would only stumble into if you had taken a seriously wrong turn. Like Detective Thomas Levine’s career has. But when a young woman is found lying in the snow, choked to death, her eyes gouged out, the disgraced detective is Cooper’s only hope for restoring peace and justice. For Levine, still grieving and guilt-ridden over the death of his girlfriend, his so-called “transfer” from the big city to this grubby backwater has always felt like a punishment. And when his cantankerous new partner shoots their prime suspect using Levine’s gun, all hope of redemption is shattered. With the case in chaos, and both extortion and a violent drug cartel to contend with, he finds himself in a world of trouble. It gets worse. The real killer is still out there, and he has plans for Detective Levine. And Cooper may just be the perfect place to get away with murder.
Amazing Radio USA welcomes new presenters comprised of fifteen trusted tastemakers from across the country. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Amazing Radio has given artists their first break since 2007. Founded by Paul Campbell, the British new music radio station was the first to spin Alt-J, Haim, The 1975, Dua Lipa, and many more. With a continued commitment to new and emerging artists, it is free for musicians to sign up and upload a song for airplay consideration. Fans can also sign up for an account for free and can like their favorite artists, create their own playlists, and pledge money to musicians, with 100% of proceeds going straight to the artist. In May 2020, the company launched their North American counterpart Amazing USA, along with the acquisition of beloved radio festival CMJ. (Amazing Radio, 2021)
Since day one, their mission has been to turn listeners on to great music and to support the musicians who are making it and with new slogan “Reject The Algorithm,” the online radio station is making their commitment to independent artists clear. Amazing Radio is proudly curated by trusted tastemakers, aka presenters, who have the power in what they play. Think: your favorite DJ, but one who can play whatever they feel like. Free of the traditional radio format and the confinement of outside forces regulating spins, presenters play what they are listening to and the bands that they personally want to champion—the stopgap between revenue-based radio and anonymous Spotify curators.
In just over a year, Amazing USA has welcomed diverse presenters from across the country, who have each paved their way in the music industry. The current group of 15 bring unique music from all genres, inspired by their influences and underground finds, as well as local selections from their respective communities: Austin, Chicago, Harlem, Queens, Indianapolis, London, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Taos, New Mexico. View the current show lineup here and learn more about each presenter below. Listeners can sign up for an account and artists can upload their music directly at Amazing Radio USA.
Dominick Martinez – Austin, TX:Dominick Martinez spent years as a touring musician, working in music venues and festivals, as well as documenting live music through photography, all while maintaining a passion for discovering new sounds near and far from home. Since joining Amazing Radio USA in the spring of 2021, Dominick has found a new way to discover and share emerging artists from across the globe.
Marc Fort – Austin, TX: Marc Fort is the presenter for Amazing Radio show The Ear Candy Mixtape where he DJs delicious sounding music from all over the world in addition to “Texas Music and Music that Texans love.” Fort is the marketing and communications specialist at the Texas Music Office, within the Office of the Governor. Fort has more than 30 years of music experience performing and recording on electric bass guitar, violin, drums, and singing. Fort has performed in multiple bands which have toured with and opened for various musical acts across North America and around the world.
Derrick “Lottery” Hardy – Chicago, IL:Derrick “Lottery” Hardy is the respected founder of the 3 Feet No Pressure agency and co-president of ArtClub International, working closely with some of today’s top artists and athletes, including gold-selling artist tobi lou. A powerful presence in music and sports, Derrick Hardy is a team player destined to win.
Linton Smith – Harlem, NY: Linton Smith II is a producer/artist from New Orleans who currently resides in Harlem, NY. He has been in the music industry for over 15 years and it is his greatest passion. You can find more information and music from Linton Smith II online.
Kevin Cornell – Queens, NY: Kevin Cornell is an Amazing Radio presenter based in Ridgewood, Queens. He got bit by the indie bug early: starting garage bands that would go nowhere, and obsessing over local Boston-area punk and indie groups in the age of burned CDs and MySpace. He has professional experience in PR, marketing and digital distribution. In his free time, Kevin also co-runs the small but scrappy Living Waters Records.
Tobi Lynn– Indianapolis, IN:Tobi Lynn started her career hosting a talk show called Tobi Talks in DeKalb, IL. This was followed by a five year stint in Los Angeles at various SoCal stations like Y107 and Soundbreak.com. She then went to DC to build the first coast-to-coast college indie channel (from scratch) called XMU. After the satellite radio merger, Tobi moved back to Los Angeles, and curated new music for ALT 98.7fm at iHeart Radio for a decade. She currently curates and hosts a new music show for Amazing Radio US.
Charlie Ashcroft – London, ENG: Charlie is based in London, England and has been on air in the UK at Amazing Radio since joining the station in 2009. Away from his radio work with Amazing, he oversees BT TV’s SVOD content, curates playlists, runs an indie club night called ‘Somebody Told Me’ and writes a monthly column for Record Collector Magazine.
Tyke T – Memphis, TN:Tyke T combined honest lyrics, bold production, and insight from his graduate education to climb the charts without the help of a major-label. The indie artist—who graduated with an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University—studied the charts and organized his fanbase, storming the Top 50 of four Billboard charts with his sophomore EP The Prelude.
Mimi & Muziqueen – Nashville, TN: Jamilia McCarley and Thalia Ewing, better and more affectionately known as Mimi & Muziqueen, are two names buzzing around the Nashville music industry and are synonymous with the words passion, ambition, and progress. Mimi & Muziqueen are, respectively, partner and Founder of the organization Nashville Is Not Just Country Music, which aims to cultivate Nashville’s diverse music scene. They have become a deep-rooted resource of knowledge, support and encouragement to the Urban/Hip-Hop/R&B music community in Nashville that has long been overlooked, until now.
Justin Hammel – Nashville, TN: Working in radio since 2003, Justin Hammel has wandered through the music business running Radio Bonnaroo for over 10 years, supporting local Nashville music and running a radio station called Acme Radio Live.
Erin Frankenheimer – New Orleans, LA:Erin Frankenheimer is a graduate of Tulane University with dual degrees in English and Communications. She worked for Entercom New Orleans after graduating and co-created and launched a late night show, “The Conduit,” focusing on new music discovery. In 2017, Frankenheimer joined the Artist and Partner Relations team at TuneCore, running their New Orleans office. She is now the Vice President of Amazing Radio North America.
Marty Minor – New Orleans, LA:Louisiana native Marty Minor has a reputation: a fashionista, botanist, spiritual advisor, gris gris enthusiast, recording artist, and all-around flaneur. He compliments 100% of the planetary denizens he meets and has been known to give the tattoos off his back. Flash photography is encouraged.
Katie Pearlman – Taos, NM: A fourth generation Los Angelian, Katie Pearlman is a singer-songwriter who prefers wanderlust to the confines of the angel city. Making a habit of traveling alone, Katie’s attachment to the places that spark magic in her are the loves of her life. Carving out an authentic life for herself, she finds home within, exploring her femininity, defiance, sexuality, and intuition through the meditative sound of her seven-track EP.
Joe Sumner – Los Angeles, CA: Joe Sumner brings his eclectic passions into focus through music. As lead singer of Fiction Plane, he rocked audiences from Tokyo to Paris and as part of A Bowie Celebration, he has spent the last few years channeling the spirit of the Thin White Duke. Currently in the process of releasing his first solo album Sunshine in the Night, Joe has found huge inspiration from the treasure trove of as-yet-undiscovered talent in the Amazing Radio vaults.
José Galván – Los Angeles, CA:José Galván started DJing in 2008, when his job as an on-air personality at the now defunct Indie 103.1fm demanded it. José has held down lengthy residencies at downtown LA bars like Caña Rum Bar, Las Perlas & R-bar; he has made the rounds on the Westside with the likes of Bar Lubitsch, The Pikey, Circle Bar, Parlour Room, and The Standard WeHo. In 2017, he was booked to DJ at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival’s Sonora Stage. In 2018, he was named Host and On-Air DJ of his own weekly two-hour radio program at acclaimed LA radio station KCRW. His focus is promoting new music in all genres in both English and Spanish.
The final film by maverick filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi is a love letter to the power of cinema and will be playing on the big screen as it was intended. Photo: Crescendo House, used with permission.
Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Nobuhiko Obayashiwas a director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream media, and his resulting filmography as a director spanned almost 60 years. He was notable for his distinct surreal filmmaking style, as well as the anti-war themes commonly embedded in his films. He died on 10 April 2020 at the age of 82 from lung cancer in Tokyo. The final film by Nobuhiko Obayashi finds the late director returning to the subject of Japan’s history of warfare following the completion of his “War Trilogy” which ended with Hanagatami.Labyrinth of Cinema will be released in New York at The Metrograph on October 20 and in Los Angeles at The Lumiere Cinema on October 29 (co-presented by Acropolis Cinema), with more regional dates to follow including Phoenix, Santa Ana, Tulsa, Seattle, New Orleans, Portland, Dallas, Vancouver (Canada), and more. (Crescendo House, 2021)
Labyrinth of Cinema – On the last night of its existence, a small movie theater in Onomichi—the seaside town of Obayashi’s youth where he shot nearly a dozen films—screens an all-night marathon of Japanese war films. When lightning strikes the theater, three young men are transported into the world onscreen where they experience the violent battles of several wars leading up to the bombing of Hiroshima. A breathless cinematic journey through Japan’s past, Labyrinth of Cinema finds Obayashi using every trick in his book to create an awe-inspiring, visually resplendent anti-war epic that urges us to consider cinema as a means to change history. The culmination of an exceptional 60-year career worth celebrating.
Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) Cast: Takuro Atsuki, Takahito Hosoyamada, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Rei Yoshida, Riko Narumi, Hirona Yamazaki, Takako Tokiwa Feature, 2019, 179 minutes In Japanese with English subtitles
Crescendo House is a new boutique distribution company that aims to reinvigorate the American film landscape with a new model for distribution. Our goal is to expand the mainstream visibility of international or otherwise underrepresented films to provide viewers with an array of choices that more accurately reflects the diverse world we inhabit.
SA Examiner 