The Armadillo Podcast

Episode 18: Dave Steakley

Hey Armadillo Podcast fans, meet Dave Steakley, artistic director for Zachary Scott Theatre.

Dave is the genius behind "Keepin' it Weird," the play that put the likes of Austin character Eddie Wilson, founder of the Armadillo World Headquarters, on stage with Richard Linklater and Spike Gillespie and many others in one glorious, mishmashed love letter to a city.

See "Austin through the 'Weird' looking glass " and "An 'Our Town' for Our Town."

Dave was recently honored with the 2005 Austin Circle of Theaters’ Special Recognition Award for “Outstanding Contribution to Austin Theatre.”  May 18, 2001 was declared “Dave Steakley Day” by former Austin Mayor Kirk Watson in honor of Dave’s tremendous support of professional theatre in Central Texas.  The Austin Critics’ Table and the B. Iden Payne Awards have honored him with multiple “Best Director” and “Best Choreographer” awards. The Austin Chronicle “Best of Austin” Reader’s Poll has twice named him the “Best Stage Director,” and Austin Under 40 honored him with the Outstanding Arts & Entertainment award.

That's a lot of recognition.

But can he convince Galia to move to Austin?  With over 200 productions to his credit as producer, director and choreographer at ZACH, Dave has been able to coax Austinites into the theater and suspend their disbelief for fifteen years now.  Can he perform some more magic on one cynical Israeli?

Click here to Download ArmadilloPodcast18.mp3.

Homesick for Texas?

If you're homesick for Texas, take a listen to some of our guests on The Armadillo Podcast. 

Download a little twang into your iPod and then go find a BBQ joint in your neighborhood.  Order the ribs and a beer, then turn up the volume on one of shows. The food may not taste like the Salt Lick BBQ back home, but listening to these folks talk  will  almost make you feel like you're having a sit-down, family-style meal. (Complete episode guide after the jump.)

Listen to The Armadillo Podcast and meet  some of  Austin's most interesting  people. The Armadillo Podcast exists solely to convince Galia, my best friend living out in California to move to Austin, TX.

That may sound like a small niche but the people who love Austin and its quirky ways are a large and passionate audience. 

And I intend to ask every person in Austin to share their affection for the city through his podcast interviews until my friend moves to town. 

Previous guests who joined me so far on this quest so far have included Kinky Friedman, Melicious, one of the Texas Rollergirls and David Brown, the host of KUT's Texas Music Matters program.

In trying to convince my friend to "come home with the armadillo," like the song says, I’ve so far interviewed 18 people in Austin, the country's 16th largest city.  That's 18 down and 656,544 to go till I either interview them all, or my friend gives in and moves here.  But this show is really about the things that make Austin special. It's an online radio postcard that says "Wish you were here," to all our friends abroad.

My friend Galia, an Israeli woman who lives in Northern California, has been my friend for nearly twenty years.  Since The Armadillo Podcast launched last year, I've interviewed Austin authors, musicians, politicians, every day Austinites and I end every show by asking Galia if she’s ready to move.   However, every week, my friend says, "No, I won't.”



Will Galia ever move to Austin?  Don't miss a single episode of The Armadillo Podcast and find out.

Subscribe to The Armadillo Podcast Newsletter.

Sample and subscribe to thousands of free podcasts at the iTunes Music Store.

Next Guest: Dave Steakley

Our next guest on The Armadillo Podcast will be Dave Steakley, artistic director for Zachary Scott Theatre.

Like most everything he touches, Dave's current production of Urinetown is a hit. See the reviews in the Chronicle, Daily Texan and an Austin American-Statesman reprint of an Orlando Sentinel story.

For fifteen seasons Dave has been a creative force at Zach Scott. With more than 200 productions to his credit as a producer, director and choreographer at ZACH, some favorites include: Crowns, Omnium Gatherum, Hair, The Pavilion, The Laramie Project, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jelly’s Last Jam, Jouét, Evita, Tapestry, The America Play, The Who’s Tommy, The Gospel At Colonus, Ruthless!, Dreamgirls, The Rocky Horror Show, The Mystery of Irma Vep, and Angels In America.

Most recently Dave created the original production Keepin’ It Weird, based on interviews with over 200 Austinites, and featured nationally on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR, and in The Wall Street Journal and American Theatre.

Come back soon to hear our conversation with Dave and find out if Keepin' It Weird will be coming back to Zach in the future.

Want more now?

Click here to see see former Texas Governor Ann Richards plugging Keepin' It Weird in an extended, unedited video.

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Sample and subscribe to thousands of free podcasts at the iTunes Music Store.

Episode 17: Michael Barnes

Our next guest, Michael Barnes, arts and entertainment editor for the Austin American-Statesman is the answer to two of the most frequently asked questions about our show.

For interview, click here to download ArmadilloPodcast17.mp3. 

First, many people outside the state ask the question "Why would anyone ever move to Texas?"

Second, people here in Austin often ask "Why for godsakes would you encourage anyone else to move here?"  This question is usually followed by a rant about the traffic, over-crowding, high housing prices, the breakdown of civil society and an overall destruction of the Austin quality of life.

Let's address the second question first.

Michael Barnes: The Secrets to Getting on the Fortunate 500 List

Were you on the Fortunate 500 list?

Last May the Austin American-Statesman caused somewhat of uproar when it published its first list of who's who in Austin.

As XL reported on the Fortunate 500:

"They're Austin's social warriors.

"You've seen them. Out there every night, making the rounds at every party. In the eye of the social storm, air-kissing and glad-handing. They're not just in the loop; they started it.

"Call them what you will: patrons, sponsors, groupies or party animals. They're the movers and shakers of Austin's social scene. They do the "face time" at the events that make Austin hum."

Next Guest: Michael Barnes

Our next guest on The Armadillo Podcast is Michael Barnes, arts and entertainment editor for the Austin American-Statesman.

He probably doesn't remember this, but I first met him over coffee at Little City, over a decade ago.  That day Michael interviewed me about a play I had written that was going into production.  Afterwards, I walked with him down Congress Avenue and over the bridge to the Statesman office.  While walking we talked about writing in general and Michael noted with not a little awe that for the first time in his life he could now list "writer" as his primary occupation.

Since then, Michael has written more than 5,000 articles on architecture, art, books, comedy, dance, movies, music, opera and theater for the American-Statesman and other publications.  Every article you read in XL, the newspaper's weekly entertainment magazine, is Michael's responsibility.

Over the years, Michael's unwavering advocacy has been the Miracle Grow on the lawn of the arts scene.  And if you're a performer or a patron of the arts, be sure and thank Michael the next time you see him.

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Bird Flu Booyah! Poking Fun at the Statesman

Tim Trentham over at Metroblogging: Austin noticed that over the weekend the Austin American-Statesman devoted seven different stories to the possible impact that a hypothetical bird flu pandemic might have here in Austin.

  chickens Originally uploaded by estherase.

Here's all seven:

1. If pandemic flu strikes, will Austin be ready?
   
2. Utilities prepare for pandemic with skeleton crews
   
3. Pandemic would not stem flow of information
   
4. Pandemic draft plan
   
5. Could Austin's entertainment industry survive flu pandemic?
   
6. Where schools stand on planning for pandemic flu
   
7. Key concern for grocers will be fresh shipments

Scary stuff, huh?

One real impact of the pandemic is that other deserving stories were pushed off the page to make room for this wall-to-wall, in depth hypothetical news.

Here's The Armadillo Podcast Top Ten Stories the Statesman Could Have Covered Instead:

1. Roadside Bombs in Hyde Park--It Might Happen, Sure
   
2. Bush SoU Address Mentions "Human-Animal Hybrids" -- The Dating Scene in Williamson County
   
3. Third Anniversary of Columbia Disaster--Is Your Car Roadworthy?
4. The US Doesn't Torture and Neither does APD
5. Vince Young's Second Cousin's Third Best Friend Who Used to Live Around the Corner from a UT Employee Once Had a Dog, but it Ran Away
6. Alito Sworn In:  Do AISD Students Swear Too Much? Vince Young Never Cusses
   
7. Deep Throat Revealed! (OK, this story is month's old, but we paid for the wire service and we're by-god going to get our money's worth. For up-to-date news, check that Internet thing, not the daily paper.)
   
8. Hey, We Got Blog-like Substances on our Website and They're Just as Good as the Real Thing
   
9. Dominatrix Gets Off  - featured front page, top of fold, bold print, 175 pt. font
10. Charles Whitman's Reign of Terror atop UT Tower (Look, I told you, the wire service is paid for, there's nothing we can do about it)
    

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Coincidentally, our next guest on The Armadilo Podcast will be Michael Barnes, arts and entertainment editor for the Austin American-Statesman.

We didn't ask Barnes anything about why the Statesman does this or that--simply because it would wreck out credibility as pretend journalists. OK, full disclosure:  We also really, really want to be on the Fortunate 500 list again this year.

We did talk to Barnes about the arts in Austin and we hope you'll come back again later to hear our interview.

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The Best Political Anthem by an Austin Musician (Ever): "Long Long Time" by Guy Forsyth   

Episode 16: Wayne Alan Brenner

Austinite Wayne Alan Brenner makes people think.

Reading his novels or plays, watching him act or hearing him rant at open mic night is a bit like going to the doctor.  Sometimes it's uncomfortable. Sometimes it even hurts.  But if you behave, he'll give you a lollipop when it's all over.

To listen to The Armadillo Podcast interview with Brenner, click here to Download ArmadilloPodcast16.mp3

 

The Many Moods of Wayne Alan Brenner

We were in the middle of editing of our interview with Wayne Alan Brenner when our crack team in The Armadillo Podcast research department turned up some rather strange images.  It appears that Mr. Brenner has been leading a dual life and we'll need to investigate this further.

When the research department found this image, we knew immediately that to consider ourselves conscientious blogger/podcaster/faux journalists we'd have to report this in full.

See the image after the jump...

Come Home with the Armadillo Podcast

Who are all these folks?   (Complete episode guide after the jump.)

Listen to The Armadillo Podcast and meet  some of  Austin's most interesting  people. The Armadillo Podcast exists solely to convince Galia, my best friend living out in California to move to Austin, TX.

That may sound like a small niche but the people who love Austin and its quirky ways are a large and passionate audience. 

And I intend to ask every person in Austin to share their affection for the city through his podcast interviews until my friend moves to town. 

Previous guests who joined me so far on this quest so far have included Kinky Friedman, Melicious, one of the Texas Rollergirls and David Brown, the host of KUT's Texas Music Matters program.

In trying to convince my friend to "come home with the armadillo," like the song says, I’ve so far interviewed 18 people in Austin, the country's 16th largest city.  That's 18 down and 656,544 to go till I either interview them all, or my friend gives in and moves here.  But this show is really about the things that make Austin special. It's an online radio postcard that says "Wish you were here," to all our friends abroad.

My friend Galia, an Israeli woman who lives in Northern California, has been my friend for nearly twenty years.  Since The Armadillo Podcast launched last year, I've interviewed Austin authors, musicians, politicians, every day Austinites and I end every show by asking Galia if she’s ready to move.   However, every week, my friend says, "No, I won't.”

Last week The Armadillo Podcast interviewed Richard Garriott, arguably one of the world's most famous computer game makers.  Galia found this adventurer, explorer and aspiring astronaut “interesting,” but his fondness for Austin still wasn’t enough to convince her to make the move.

Will Galia ever move to Austin?  Don't miss a single episode of The Armadillo Podcast and find out.

Subscribe to The Armadillo Podcast Newsletter.

Sample and subscribe to thousands of free podcasts at the iTunes Music Store.