Smooth Jazz. The name alone is enough to make you shiver. It sounds like
something on a CD you get from sending a 100 cigarette bucks to Joe Camel. But
no, it's actually the latest entry into the strangely progressive world of
Austin radio. Last Thursday night, Luci Baines Johnson started off an evening
at Top of the Marc with handshakes, ended it with free T-shirts, and in
between, via an "Extemporaneous Speaking 101" speech, announced that the LBJ
radio empire was knocking out the money-losing oldies station they owned at
93.3 FM and starting up -- that very night -- a New Adult Contemporary station
on that frequency. They get points for secrecy: having managed to set up the
whole deal without anyone getting wind of it ahead of time; and for
positioning: choosing to take the jazzy half of KGSR's mix -- which they dumped
early on -- rather than go head to head with them and play the same stuff they
still play. Consultant Fred Schmidt did an admirable job of clearly describing
what the station will and won't be, saying that there would be no "new age"
music because "that's too sedate for Austin," and that the dominant type of
artists you'll hear on KAJZ will be the likes of George Benson, Earl Klugh,
Chuck Mangione and Steely Dan (to pick the most "household name" acts he
mentioned). Schmidt stated that the station would place an emphasis on Texas
artists (Yeah, I
know they all say that, but I have to report it anyway,
don't I?) like the Brew, Beto y los Fairlanes, Karan Chavis, Tomas Ramirez
(who, with Michael Mordecai, opened the evening's festivities) and Kyle Turner,
to the extent of "get[ting] them on playlists around the country." We'll see
whether or not that happens (invited guest Jon Blondell says he's reserving
judgement until he finds out "if they play my stuff") and whether the new
station manages to snatch a sizable portion of the audience in Austin's
already-clogged radio market. Big boss Michael Crusham, late of the Disney
Corporation, calls Smooth Jazz the only "uncontested" format, with "virtually
no competition" in the market. Official "grand opening" type festivities for
the station will start in January. `Til then, the new 93.3 will simply move
quietly -- and smoothly -- along.
Deluxe of de Draw
It'll be an "all-out battle," December 8 at Emo's when the Fuck Emos and
Sixteen Deluxe play together there and try to settle their long-time grudge
(mutual distaste, from what I can figure), according to one member of the
latter band. Also in the near future for the 16ers, look for two new singles:
one with their version of Kim Wilde's "Kids in America" on Propeller Records,
and the other a split single with Medicine on Misha, a subsidiary of No Life
(not to be confused with No Lie) Records. Also, there's talk of a possible tour
with X, including a New Year's Eve show at the Hollywood Palladium.
Now how long has it been since I mentioned former Deluxe drummer Bryan Bowden?
Well, that's too long. A member of the back-from-touring Wannabes recounted to
me a recent harrowing ride across the Brooklyn Bridge with Bowden (barely) at
the wheel. When they reached their destination, a cool neighborhood bar that he
wanted to show off to them, Bowden pointed out Jon Spencer of Blues Explosion
fame and told the 'bes that he'd introduce them to him, but Spencer spotted him
first and performed the standard, "Uh, hi, Bryan" mumble and backing away
movement that is now becoming practically a cliché in the Big Apple.
All That Jazz
In other jazz news, a press release that counts itself as equal parts "notice
of our suspension of operations" and "plea for support," from the DiverseArts
Production Group -- presenters of the Clarksville-West End Jazz Festival, Blues
Family Tree Project, Women in Jazz Concert Series, etc. -- has announced
suspension of its operations. If you've followed the long French Smith serial
running in
Dancing About Architecture over the course of the last few
months (Soon to be a major motion picture written by Bill Crawford and directed
by Robert Rodriguez!) you know that last year's Jazz Fest lost money, with
Diverse Arts' Harold McMillan pointing to Smith's concurrent Cajun Fest as a
major reason behind the loss. Well, Music Commission head Smith is now
former music commission head Smith, but unsuccessful fundraising
projects and DiverseArts' impending eviction from their home-base at the Wooten
Building (due to renovation plans) have forced a temporary interruption of the
production group's day-to-day operations. Still, the group insist, "We do not
expect the interruption to be permanent," and that plans call for the above
mentioned events, including a "down-sized" Clarksville fest, to take place as
usual in 1996, with a Blues Family Tree CD set for release on Antone's Records
as well. (Then again, I continue to hear that Antone's Records may not be
around for much longer, either...)
Back Rumors
Trust me, I've been sparing you a lot of the endless conflicting rumors that
have been flying regarding the future of the Back Room. There are some actual
facts available regarding the club, however, so here's the latest
installment of the BR saga: Manager Mark Olivarez, after telling me last week
that he would be sharing booking responsibilities with owner Ronnie Roark, has
now quit that part of the business altogether, leaving Roark to book all the
club's shows. There's also talk of remodeling the stage-side part of the bar
and pool hall venue and between the two changes, we'll have to wait and see how
the transition goes.
I'm So S'orry
Terence Trent D'arby was in the full prima donna form reserved for those who
put apostrophes in the middle of their names when he came to Liberty Lunch last
week, I hear. First, he balked at doing any advance press work for the show,
and then extended his uncooperative nature to the club itself. The Sixties
cover tune king (What? You mean those songs are
originals?) at one point
demanded that no alcohol be served at the show and at the same time threw a
hissy fit (actually his tour manager threw it
for him) when he found
that the club couldn't legally supply him with the expensive booze that he
wanted in his limo (TABC, for once I like you). The show apparently went off
just fine, though, with a large number of industry/press types in attendance.
My guess is that they were hoping to witness D'Arby pulling an I'm-a-Big-Star
move.
Ohms' Hopping Network
I haven't been to Ohms in probably a couple of years, since witnessing an
incredibly lame
S/M show there (later, a friend of mine tried to liven
things up at one of the shows by slicing himself up a bit and was told "Hey!
Cut that out! You can't do that here!"), but you can bet you'll see me there
this coming Monday. That's when the Emergency Broadcast Network will be
bringing their multimedia extravaganza to that venue. Imagine Negativland with
pictures, or all the televisions in the world playing directly into your brain
at once, and you get the idea behind EBN. Complete with revolving,
laser-spouting telepodium, beaty rave and hip-hop-style music, a satellite
dish-
turned-TV screen mounted on their all-purpose vehicle, and actual
video "scratching" performed live during the show, EBN take entertainment to
its farthest logical progression for a short-attention-span, instant
gratification-oriented society. Not to mention they guarantee video
"appearances" by the likes of William Shatner (the one true god of overactors)
and Dan Rather, who I try to mention in this column every damn week.
Mixed Notes
Reverb Records has announced that they will not be renewing their contract
with E.R. Shorts, citing "excessive losses in revenue and irreconcilable
differences" as the reason. What they mean is that he's got one of those
"musician problems," but they don't want to talk about it and cause a fuss...
The CD release for KGSR's
Broadcasts Vol. 3 is at Waterloo Records on
the 27th at 5pm, with the first 214 copies sold coming with invitations to
their big 5th anniversary party on December 1 with Los Lobos, Shawn Colvin,
Sonny Landreth and special guests... And speaking of broadcasting, it's
probably better late than never to point out that Andy Langer's been handling
the Sunday night-Monday morning midnight-5am
Overnite shift on KUT --
not to be confused with his nine month embarassment/experiment at KUTZ
(Z-Rock)... Did I mention that Velvet Hammer's live album is out? Or that
they'll be live as well, on KLBJ's
Local Licks Live, from 11pm-12am next
Tuesday?... Son Volt have an in-store performance at Waterloo set for next
Wednesday at 5pm... That new Fear album on Sector Two is out as of now.
Entitled
Have Another Beer With Fear, the disc features the songs "I
Believe I'll Have Another Beer," "Drink Some Beer," Beerfight," and "Free
Beer," and makes me feel like going out a... That's all for
Dancing About
Architecture this week. Everybody's busy gearing up for the Thanksgiving
weekend, including me, so bundle up and I'll see you next issue. n