This week’s Mid-Week Intermission features our Director of Ticketing Services, Chris Boone. He’s our resident dog-whisperer, underground arts lover, and really loves making playlists (especially when vinyl records are involved).
Hi everyone,
I’m Chris Boone. Currently, I’m most recognizable as the voice behind the Long Center’s voicemail and phone prompts, but when I’m not busy dodging voice fame & stardom, I’m also part of our great Ticketing & Box Office team working to get you the best seats in the house to ensure you have an amazing experience with us. Between us birds, I’ll let you in on a little secret – my favorite seats are int he front mezzanine.
HERE’S HOW I’M SPENDING MY FREE TIME THIS WEEK:
MONTOPOLIS LIVE FROM THEIR LIVING ROOM
Tuesdays at 8pm / @montopolismusic
I was introduced to Montopolis at the Long Center in November of 2018 and I have been a fan ever since. Montopolis also happens to be THE LAST SHOW I saw before we all entered the weird version of Groundhog Day we’re all in. I caught them at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz with “The Return of Draw Egan” – it surely didn’t disappoint and I’m surely not disappointed for it to have been my sign-off event before quarantine. Justin Sherburn was previously a member of Okkerville River (keep an out for him on Long Story Short later), and although he contributed to several stellar albums, the album True Love Cast Out All Evil with Roky Erickson is my personal fave.
GRAHAM REYNOLDS
Bandcamp always, special on 5/1, KMFA appearance 5/14
Graham recently uploaded A TON of albums to his Bandcamp page AND, on Friday May 1st, Bandcamp is waiving their portion of sales for 24 hours SOOO it’s the perfect time to support any artist, much less an icon. Bandcamp previously waived their share to support artists during this crisis and $4.3 MILLION DOLLARS in sales occurred and 100% went directly the artists.
There is plenty of ground to cover here from The Golden Arm Trio to Graham’s score for Ballet Austin’s Belle Redux. Dig in.
You can also catch Graham as part of KMFA’s Sound Ideas on Thursday, May 4th at 1pm/CST via Facebook Live where he’ll discuss how to make music at home on the cheap and some recording techniques.
SXSW FILMS SERIES ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Now through May 6th
Here’s our collective chance to support filmmakers, SXSW, and expand our cinematic horizons. Every SXSW the Long Center is home to a portion of their film series, so this opportunity to still get to enjoy these films, shorts, and episodic series this year is surely welcomed. We’ve all binged our way through Neflix anyway. Level up.
ARTIST TALKS TO THE BLANTON / BLANTON FROM HOME
Wherever you like / blantonmuseum.org
Part of the Blanton’s Museum From Home offerings, Artists Talk to the Blanton is a diverse interview series that dives into a wide range of artists working in different mediums, but you can also find some coloring pages and a virtual tour. There’s also a curated conversation series taking place every Tuesday with live Q&A sessions with Blanton staff via Zoom. Each session has a recommended cocktail/mocktail recipe included. #MuseumFromHome
FULL EPISODES OF MARC BOLAN’S MARC
YouTube
I LOVE T. Rex. Seriously. There isn’t a week that Futuristic Dragon doesn’t wind up on my turntable. Although these episodes have been available in snippets, now all 6 episodes are available in their entirety. It’s a piece of perfect glam kitsch escapism. Watch Marc lip synch some T. Rex hits and some awkward dancing, but also see The Jam, Generation X, Hawkwind, The Boomtown Rats, and David Bowie grace the stage. This is for fans of the ’70s, glam, punk, lip synching, serving lewks, and awkward dancing.
PARKS AND RECREATION REUNION SPECIAL (!)
Thursday, April 30th / NBC
Make your best JJ’s Diner waffle knock-off, load up the whipped cream, and pass the salgar – this is going to be EXACTLY what we all need right now. In true Leslie Knope fashion, the special is also raising funds for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund which helps food banks across the country. I’m REALLY hoping Andy assembles Mouse Rat via Zoom or hosts a Johnny Karate special-within-the-special. We’ll see.
I hope you enjoy some of these as much as I do. We can’t wait to see all of you on the other side of this. Stay safe, and be kind to each other.