AFTER THE FACT

Today has been made better because of the new Feist album, Metals. You can listen to a stream of the new album here. Of course, this stream launched August 6^th but as usual, I’m a little behind. So if you have already heard about this, I apologize but I can’t promise my after-the-fact news won’t keep happening. Turn your Thursday around and have a listen!

You can purchase the album on October 4th and the tour dates are below:

OCT 15 AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND / CARRE THEATRE
OCT 17 LONDON, UK / PALLADIUM
OCT 19 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / CIRQUE ROYALE
OCT 22 BERLIN, GERMANY / TEMPODROM
OCT 29 PHILADELPHA, USA / WORLD CAFÉ LIVE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
NOV 02 BROOKLYN, USA / HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE
NOV 04 CHICAGO, USA / RIVIERA THEATRE
NOV 06 ATLANTA, USA / TABERNACLE
NOV 08 DALLAS, USA / MAJESTIC THEATRE
NOV 12 LOS ANGELES, USA / WILTERN THEATRE
NOV 14 SAN FRANCISCO, USA / WARFIELD THEATRE
NOV 16 PORTLAND, USA / ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL
NOV 17 SEATTLE, USA / MOORE THEATRE
NOV 18 VANCOUVER, CANADA / PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
NOV 20 EDMONTON, CANADA / NORTHERN ALBERTA JUBILEE
NOV 21 CALGARY, CANADA / JACK SINGER CONCERT HALL
DEC 01 TORONTO, CANADA / MASSEY HALL
DEC 03 MONTREAL, CANADA / METROPOLIS
DEC 05 OTTAWA, CANADA / NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
DEC 06 QUEBEC CITY, CANADA / GRAND THEATRE du QUEBEC
 
Twitter: @fiestmusic

Website:  listentofeist.com

WORDS

Photograph by Cori Kindred

EL ANATSUI

When I ventured to the El Anatsui opening in Austin, I had no idea what I was walking into. His work landed here in Austin by chance. The Blanton Museum of Art happened to have a gap in their schedule when another city cancelled on him. I’d like to call it fate. I feel so fortunate to have been able to see his work in person and to have befriended an installer of the show. I learned so much about the artist that I wouldn’t have found out on my own. El Anatsui intricately repurposes old milk cans, liquor bottle labels, and wood in Africa. For some of the pieces, he hired up to 50 people to work on it at the same time. Even with the help, these pieces took weeks to make.

My favorite part of the show was the way the pieces were installed. El Anatsui has his intricate work shipped to the museum with sufficient padding and protection. The installers spent days unwrapping each individual piece. He leaves very little instruction of how to display his work. Instead, he trusts the installers to use their artistic freedom to present it well. For the big “blanket” pieces, the installers spent half a day in white gloves hanging one piece. They decided how the blanket would fold and bend. They decided if it would drape onto the floor or not. Once El Anatsui arrived to Austin to prepare for the opening, he walked around his exhibit and made  personal touches with his gloveless hands. The exhibit featured a video of the installation process, I highly recommend watching it if you go see this show.

The Blanton has one of El Anatsui’s pieces in it’s personal collection. He had never seen the way it is displayed. One of the Blanton staff members asked him if he wanted to make any changes to the installation or any personal touches to the folds. His reply: “It’s perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Art openings are a funny thing. I think half of the fun for me –besides the wine - is watching people try to care about the work or pretend to have some deep understanding of it. People who studied art years ago and feel they still have some connection to it. Or seasoned show-goers that are comparing it to their last experience. It’s a social experiment. I hadn’t been to an opening in over a year so it was a refreshing to say the least.

WEEKEND

Hi! My name is Katie and I’m addicted to queso.

I think the word “weekend” is interchangeable with the word “queso”.  Some people have a drug problem, some people have a drinking problem.  But me… I have a much more rare disease. If I don’t have queso at least once a weekend, I feel like I need a redo.

My condition has worsened: “at least once a weekend” is not enough anymore. I need more.  Sometimes I enjoy queso so much that it feels like I’m cheating on Chris. I look forward to it. I wait for it day in and day out. What confines my rendezvous with queso to the weekend? I think my love affair has gotten out of control because of this. Pairing the concept of weekend and the indulgence of queso makes for a cranky Monday. Love and freedom are nowhere in sight, 5 days away to be exact. That’s why I’ve decided to make queso tonight. Is my problem worsening because my queso addiction is now oozing into my Monday? Or am I on the road to recovery as the veil of denial lifts with this post? Either way: Please send queso.

This typographic poster was created by Simon Walker. And I need a copy. Not only is it very well done, but it is so relatable. Queso is the cure for the common everything. Check out the rest of Simon Walker’s work, he makes beautiful type.

WIlDWOOD

Last night, Chris and I walked the Town Lake trail to Book People to catch of glimpse of the brains behind Wildwood, the first book in a new fantasy series for middle school children. The Decemberists’ lead singer, Collin Meloy, dreamed this little tale in words and his wife, Carson Ellis, translated his story into drawings.  Last night, the two were speaking about the book and signing copies for those who stuck around. I caught my glimpse, listened as they explained the storyline, purchased my copy, and went on my merry way.

Illustration by Carson Ellis

Courtesy of Carson Ellis's website. Image from inside Wildwood

Illustration by Carson Ellis

This tale is by no means little. I went expecting a children’s book, with hopes to read short, two-lined pages to my future little ones while they sit on my knee. But this book is BIG, meant to stimulate a much older crowd. It won’t be another 15-20 years until my children will read this thing, and they sure as hell won’t be sitting on my knee. But after I heard the story, it sounds like a perfect book for me to read next. The story takes place in Portland’s Impassable Wilderness. No one has ever entered and returned to tell the tale. When Prue McKneel’s brother gets kidnapped by crows, she sets off on an adventure deep into the wild wood to find him. I think I’m going to join her this weekend.

 

My copy waiting for me at home

WILDFIRE

Nearly 500 homes have been demolished due to the wildfires near Austin. The smog is currently encroaching the downtown area. Outside my office, smoke can been seen above the buildings and the smell is truly frightening. According to the news, the fire is only 30 percent contained. If you are interested in helping out the victims of the fire, please visit one of the dropoff locations.

Photo courtesy of Deanna Roy - click to enlarge