Web Content Editor

Q&A with Bad Pony

Written and photo by Nathaniel Torres

Broadening the scope internationally I spoke with Bad Pony, a five-piece from Down Under. Bad Pony has now traveled to North America twice and is the recipients of Australian Music Week’s prize of 2017. The band is the result of Jarred and Sam’s need to break out of their previous band’s bluesy genre. Searching for their own sound, they poached a few other front men from different bands, divided the percussion responsibilities, and now showcase their individual talents as Bad Pony. They brilliantly stitch together an array of genre sounds and tempos within their music, dropping bass and transitioning to a bluesy upbeat one song and then exposing their Aussie roots and relating it to a funky soulful chorus the next. I had the privilege to speak with the entire band which along with Jarred on vocals/percussion and Sam playing guitar/percussion also include Mark on bass, Cron on guitar and Isaac on synths/percussion. This was the band’s first SXSW appearance.

Had you heard or known about SXSW before coming out?
Mark: Of course!
Jarred: It’s been a dream of mine just to come and see music here. When I was growing up I used to see bands who were quite low-level, then they’d come here and they’d blow up. It seems like a whole world of promise and potential.
Sam: The idea of SXSW in my head is I get to see all these bands that I’ve dreamt about seeing for so long and then walk into a random pub and stumble upon something brilliant I’ve never heard before.

How was your travel out here?
Isaac: We flew into LA. That was killer.
Mark: It’s about 24 hours, in transit, to get from home to Austin so that was two days of our lives spent super excited and anxious.
Jarred: If we could have come straight here that would have been amazing. LAX is like my idea of hell. It’s my least favorite place in the world.

What are your feelings on the atmosphere? Were you well received?
Isaac: The crowds here are just so welcoming. Just really, really up for a good time.
Jarred: Everyone has been so nice to us and looked after us. Even the accommodation we stayed at, the dude gave us a great deal.
Sam: He just wanted Australian beer.
Jarred: He gave us three extra units in his house for a six pack of beer!

Badges are quite expensive and the word is that artists don’t really make a profit. What are your feelings on this?
Isaac: We are just artists man. We just play. We don’t know the business side of it.
Jarred: We’re happy to be here – we didn’t have to pay a $1,000, so we’re happy.
Sam: I did.
Jarred: No, we did. We did.
Mark: Much more actually.

Does the festival open doors? What are the benefits of getting out here?
Sam: We had people see us two days ago who were just walk-ins and that’s one of the biggest benefits. They have no idea that you’re about to play and catch your set. Then, 15-minutes later they’re organizing an interview with you.

What were some other things you got into while you were here?
Sam: Everyone I worked with was like, ‘Man you’re going to Texas. It’s all about the barbecue sauce and the meat. And it was absolutely about the barbecue sauce and the meat. It was everything I hoped it would be and I fell in love

Will you be doing SXSW again or coming back our way sometime soon?
Isaac: In a heartbeat.
Jarred: No brainer.
Isaac: As soon as possible.
Sam: All it takes is an email.

Bad Pony, who easily spent the most time and money (out of the bands interviewed) to get out here, expressed extreme gratitude for the opportunity not just to play but to see other bands performing. They were recently picked up by Arow Agency and say they never take too much time off from touring stating that they easily become bored when not on the road. The band is high spirited on and off stage expressing there’s nothing better than getting to tour around the world with their best mates. Bad Pony’s music can be found on Spotify but make sure to check out the acoustic videos on YouTube made during their stay here in Austin. For a more in-depth interview including Mark’s SXSW reaction story and Isaac’s PSA keep a lookout for the full video interview.

Q&A with Löwin

Written by Nathaniel Torres
Photo by Sarah Vasquez

I spoke with Sara Houser (vocals) of Löwin, an Austin band that debuted SXSW in 2014. The band regularly plays at establishments such as ABGB, Hotel Vegas and Barracuda. They feature a female vocalist who’s soothing croons accompany a unique blend of guitar melodies and hooks over a solid low end. Löwin played seven shows this year and their members have been performing unofficial shows for the festival every year since they started calling Austin their home.

Was it difficult getting an official showcase?
Sara: I’ve played SXSW [unofficially] pretty much every year that I’ve lived in Austin, but this is the first year that any of the bands I was in actually made it as an official artist. I think [unofficial shows] are the case for a lot of Austin-based bands. From what I understand Austin-based bands are kind of last to be considered. We were lucky that we fell into a booking agency that helped usher us into SXSW as an official artist.

What are your feelings on the atmosphere? Were you well received?
Sara: All the shows we played were amazing. The crowds at SXSW are always refreshing because people are engaged and they’re moving around and dancing – not like your typical Austin crowd who have seen and done everything. People are generally out to enjoy themselves. It’s not their run-of-the-mill show.

Badges are quite expensive and the word is that artists do not really make a profit. What are your feelings on this?
Sara: I think a lot of show-goers maybe don’t take into consideration that most of the shows that we’re playing that week are free; meaning we don’t get paid to play. We had a couple of shows that did pay us…not a lot. But all four of us had to ask off work, which for Chris and I…SXSW is a huge money-making week. We didn’t go into it hoping to make a lot of money. We were just hoping to reach a fan base that, otherwise, wouldn’t have seen us…and that’s what’s cool about it.

Does the festival open doors? What are the benefits of getting out here?
Sara: Exposure for sure. We used it as kind of a testing ground for all of our new material that we’re going to be releasing, shortly now that SXSW is over. We connected with lots of great photographers and lots of new fans – but as far as did we have anybody walking up to us after a set waving contracts at us, no. Being an official SXSW artist is a great thing on a resume for any band. There is a level of legitimacy it brings to the table.

Even for the local veterans of SXSW there was more to learn about the festival stating that reaching out to the industry side of the festival could unlock further potential for the band. You can catch Löwin at Barracuda March 30 and keep a lookout for that new material to be released. Until then, they have a few singles available on Spotify. Just hold down the “o” on your phone keyboard to get “ö”.

Photos of SXSW 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Photos by Tracy Fuller

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1527191256241-d00be494-917c-2″ include=”4554,4555,4557,4558,4559,4560,4561,4562,4563,4564,4565,4566,4567,4568,4569,4570,4571,4572,4573,4574,4575,4576,4577,4678,4677,4676,4675,4674,4673,4672,4671,4670,4669,4668,4667,4701,4699,4698,4697,4695,4694,4688,4689,4690,4691,4692,4693,4687,4686,4685,4684,4683,4681,4680,4679,4702″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Film Review: Love, Simon

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Written by Ruben Hernandez

When it comes to film, many approaches on what high school looks like have been made; some more accurate than others. Love, Simon takes a classic approach to high school with aspects as parties, friends in groups of four, and even half-eating breakfast while walking out the door are all present in this film. Simon has a loving family, great friends, and is about to graduate high school. He has a fairly normal life except for a secret he’s keeping: being gay.

Simon exchanges emails with Blue, the love interest in this story who comes out anonymously through the school gossip website. Simon writes to Blue under the name “Jacques,” and though their identities are unknown to each other, they form a close bond. This bond will not only be put to the test but will also put Simon and his friends through hardships.

The journey and the emotions behind the process of coming out is one that can really put someone’s spirit and soul to the test. Love, Simon did an amazing job conveying those emotions and displaying that journey. The emotion that Nick Robinson, who plays Simon, displays and how he fulfills his character was definitely something to watch.

This nice thing about the film is that it is one of the few major LGBT films we’ve seen within the past few years, including films such as Moonlight. With the normality of being gay or likewise in today’s culture, it’s no wonder why I found this movie so relatable. It left me with a sense of simplicity, as Simon’s experience is similar to many “coming out” stories. But the complexity at the same time comes from the raw feelings and emotions that involve being gay and being comfortable expressing that to others. This movie brought the audience I was watching this with, including myself, to tears. This movie was a step in the right direction in LGBT representation and the understanding of what it means to “come out.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykHeGtN4m94″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Film Review: Game Night

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Written by Tracy Fuller

Game Night is a film about competitive game-loving partiers who end up taking their game night to the extreme. It is unquestionably a piercingly hilarious film that takes things to the edge. Directed by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and written by Mark Perez.

The main characters, Max and Annie (Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams), regularly host a traditional game night at their suburban home. A wittily-edited opening montage shows that games like Pictionary, Scrabble, and charades are the framework of their relationship and drove to their marriage. The other gamers in this movie includes Ryan (Billy Magnussen), a dimwitted friend of Annie’s; Sarah (Sharon Horgan), Ryan’s much brighter date; the husband-wife duo of Kevin and Michelle (Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury); and Max’s estranged brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler), who’s a excels in ways that Max can only fantasize about.

Not only does Brooks project an image of success, but he is always one to out-do his brother, Max. So naturally, he takes over game night by inviting the gang to his mansion for an extreme version of game night. A version modeled by what is becoming more common these days, a murder mystery themed party. Things begin to take things for a roller coaster, taking the audience on consequential flips and turns, leading into straight chaos.

Brooks gets kidnapped in a home attack that everybody else thinks is just part of the game and threatened with murder if the rest do not surrender a cherished Faberge egg to a scary-voiced mastermind who’s giving them commands from afar. The rest of the crew splits up into teams and tries to unravel the mystery in their way, their paths occasionally re-crossing, only to deviate again.

The screenwriter and directors tie the storyline to the psychology of the characters and structure the film as a quest for personal as well as sequential discovery. The brothers’ mutual resentment and rivalry are relevant here, as it develops the plot. Max and Annie’s failure to superfetate a child comes into play, as do the psychologies and pasts of other game night members. A subplot about Kevin’s infatuation with solving whether Michelle was ever unfaithful to him has an immense payoff.

Game Night is a nearly perfect entertainment for adults over a certain age. There’s a daring car chase, a brutal incident that leads to improvised surgery, and a house party with echoes of the masked scene in “Eyes Wide Shut,” but it is all entwined with annotation about aging, failure, doomed romanticism and sibling rivalry. The characters put it all over with flair—especially Bateman and McAdams, who complement each other’s ideas so deftly that they do seem as if they have been married forever, and Plemons, who steals every scene he is in through deft underplaying. Also, while there are a few touching times, the film never tries to set an overly emotional tone.

Even though the movie was a bit predictable at times, it was very entertaining. This movie is the perfect film for a date night or also if you are just looking to laugh. I will probably see it again when it opens up to the public.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmxMAdV6s4U”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

SXSW Films We Want to Watch

Written by Tracy Fuller

This years film festival will highlight 132 features. The screenings are March 9th – 18th. The festival features 44 films from first-time filmmakers, 86 world premieres, plus 11 North American and 5 U.S. Premieres. Talk about a ton of movies to be screened! Imagine what it was like for the programming team, they had to watch 2,458 different films that were submitted personally by filmmakers.

Here are some films we suggest catching:

Jordan Peele’s The Last O.G. in Episodic

John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place

Kay Cannon’s Blockers in Headliners

Andrew Bujalski’s Support The Girls

Lynn Shelton’s Outside In in Narrative Spotlight

Alison Klayman’s Take Your Pills

Tommy Avallone’s The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From A Mythical Man in Documentary Spotlight

Spike Lee’s Pass Over in Festival Favorites.

Spike Lee will follow an increasing number of impressive speakers including Rian Johnson, Darren Aronofsky, and Barry Jenkins, in the nearby SXSW Conference.

Just in case you were wondering, you don’t necessarily have to have an SXSW Film badge to watch any of these films. According to the SXSW website, if seats still remain after the badges enter, single admission tickets will be sold for $15 starting 15 minutes before showtime. Tickets can be purchased from The Paramount Theatre, Vimeo Theater at the Austin Convention Center and ZACH Theatre.

The entire line-up and synopses below were presented by SXSW can be found here

Beto O’Rourke Gaining Popularity

Written by Sean Anchondo

Like a Rockstar, an anxious crowd of onlookers bursts into cheers as the El Paso Congressman, Beto O’Rourke, takes the stage. With sleeves rolled up and tie slightly pulled ajar, O’Rourke was set to deliver his message. He spoke with a sense of purpose, preaching togetherness and hope. The audience chomping at the bit.

Beginning at midnight, a packed venue was clamoring for photos with the U.S. Senate hopeful. After a rousing speech, Austinites of all ages stayed to take pictures with the candidate, despite it being in the wee hours of the morning.

Starting off, just 18-hours earlier, O’Rourke ended his night with one more speech at the Kerbey Lane restaurant right off the University of Texas Campus. Greeted with a near capacity restaurant, supporters anxiously waited to hear O’Rourke speak or to just take pictures.

After the event, O’Rourke said he was very “encouraged” and “grateful” by the outcome and support of all the events.

In Houston, O’Rourke was greeted with a rock and roll show and a huge turnout. He’s hosted town halls in a variety of places like Lubbock and Sugarland.

“Do more of the listening, and less of the talking,” O’Rourke says.

In the town hall format, O’Rourke has been able to hear many of the issues that are consistent around the state. Residents of the panhandle, Beaumont and Austin speak on health-related issues.

“[People want] healthcare and the ability to see a doctor,” says O’Rourke. ”

Manny Texans are buying into his message.

Currently, Beto O’Rourke is outraising incumbent Senator Ted Cruz. The campaign has raised about $2.4 million in the last few months. O’Rourke has made it clear he is not taking PAC (Political Action Committee) money, as to be seen as an authentic and a transparent representative.

Many young people have been deeply involved with this campaign, due to having access to the politician via social media. This has contributed to the large turnouts at the town halls throughout the state and other events. Donations to his website BetoforTexas.com is gaining steam as the election day nears.

Many see O’Rourke having a tough road ahead. A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate seat since 1994. The senate race in Texas in November is crucial if the Democrats want to flip the Senate this fall. Young Democratic Texan voters could cause the biggest upset in the upcoming Senate race.

ACC Drama Department’s Gloria Interview

Written by Marianna Foran

Gloria Rehersal — Nicholas Davila and Holly Palmer rehearsing

In the cozy walls of the Austin Playhouse the ACC Drama Department is rehearsing for the Spring production of Gloria by Branden Jacob Jenkins. While the cast was preparing, cast members Nicholas Davila, Remy Joslin, and Holly Palmer were able to discuss their experiences.

“This is the first show I’ve done with ACC’S theatre department and honestly as soon as I walked into the doors for the initial audition, I’m like this is where I need to be because the people are great. There is just this certain quality that most theatre companies or groups carry and it’s definitely prevalent with these people. So immediately I felt very welcomed and very natural coming in here. It wasn’t difficult getting to know these people because they’re all great people. I think it’s different to work on a show as fast as this because usually I have been given more time to work on shows, but everything is structured really well. We have a game plan at all times, so I’m not really worried about anything.” Davila, a first time ACC student, enthusiastically gushes. Joslin also found herself having a pleasant experience.

“Its given me something to do, which is nice because I just moved here from the Houston area,” says Joslin. “ So I didn’t really know anyone and the theatre department has definitely given me friends. The professional ties are cool as well.” Joslin says as she discusses the theatre department and what kind of an effect it has had on her.

The cast and I then moved onto Gloria and they all gave me a little insight on their characters in the show.

“I play three characters; Ani in the first act, Sasha in the second act first scene, and Callie in the second act second scene. All three of these people come from different general backgrounds but they all have the unifying trait that they are terrible in the way that they are two-faced.” Palmer says.

Gloria’s character, Lorin shows some of the “terrible” traits Palmer references.

“So I play Lorin in Gloria,” says Davila and the way the script puts it is that Lorin is a sad, sad, sad, sad guy. During my first entrance, my character is kind of uptight, he’s been a fact checker at this magazine company for a long time. He just turned thirty-seven so he’s very stressed out because he feels like he hasn’t gotten anywhere in life, the job just isn’t fulfilling to my character. He doesn’t really enjoy it all, so a lot of that comes out on stage with a few uncalled for outbursts. Lorin is a sad guy and it is so much fun.”

Gloria Rehearsal — Holly and Amy rehearsing

Headlining character, Gloria, has a scene that justifies her character’s terrible attitude.

“I play Gloria and Nan,” Joslin says. “Gloria, I kind of relate to a little bit because she is basically a normal person, according to the script. But she ends up in an event that makes her complex in the sense that she is still ‘normal’ but she has become the result of how people mistreated her and the negative energy towards her that has built up over time.”

Following that, Davila then gave some insight on his views on Gloria and how it may affect the audience.

“Gloria covers a topic that is kind of becoming a big issue in society. You just flip on the TV and you see it on the news all the time. So to see that on the stage and how it can just happen so quickly and take your life by storm greatly affecting everything about people’s lives. People who didn’t deserve anything, or did depending on how you view the show’s characters. Gloria captures the drama of situations like that and it puts in into perspective. Like, wow, my life today could be drastically different if one thing happens that is out of my control.”

After the more serious note of our chats, things then lightened up when the cast members told me why they were majoring in theatre. “I am majoring in theatre because I feel like its a very good art form to express the art I like,” says Joslin. “It’s like a humanistic type of approach to art, and also being expressive and all that jazz,” Joslin says.

Whereas Palmer says, “I was originally going to be a music major, because I was a singer. I am a singer, but then I got into theatre in my junior year of high school and it was like a magical process. It’s not even just acting I like, its just the whole process I like. I even told out stage manager Lindsey that if I didn’t get cast I would put my name in to be the assistant stage manager or something. I can’t imagine doing anything long term that isn’t theatre.”

“Theatre is the only thing I really feel passionate about,” Davila says thoughtfully. “When I’m not doing it I feel like I’m not fulfilled as a human so being here is good for me.”

“The ACC Drama Department’s production of Gloria will be at the Austin Playhouse February 22-March 4, 2018.”

Literary Coffeehouse: The Inspiration and Connection between Literary Fans

Written by Phuong (Kim) Pham

On February 5, 2018, the ACC Creative Writing Department welcomed everybody to their monthly gathering, Literacy Coffeehouse, at the Malvern Books bookstore. The open mic event, hosted by John Herndon, is an opportunity for literature lovers to share their passions, or just simply enjoy their time with the literary community.

The evening started off with cookies to welcome the attendees and the writers discussing their work. After that, the readers began sharing their literary works onstage. One of the hosts, David Thornberry, enlightened everyone with his piece about Stephen Hawking’s disease called “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” which he described in his poem as a “thumb” that “belong to the universe,” a very interesting metaphor. This month’s featured reader was Emilee Araujo, an aspiring screenwriter and Creative Writing major at ACC. Emilee brought out many of her works to the audience, including her screenplay and poems. She also captured the audience by reading her first flash fiction, “Lemonade,” in which she shared a story about her immigrant dad.

Readers, who came from different ages and different backgrounds, were connected through their love of literature Everyone was very open-minded and comfortable sharing their stories in various ways. One of the readers, Heidi Juel, who is also an English teacher at ACC Cypress Creek, shared: “Anybody can come in, and you can see they read plays, poetry, fictions and memoirs… pretty much anything.” As this was the second time Mrs. Juel had been to the gathering, she loved the environment that the event was giving. “It’s a good environment if you’ve never done this before, you just take a deep breath, or whatever works for you, look at what you wrote and pretend that nobody’s out there,” she said. “It’s a small group, everybody’s here because they like what they’re doing.”

Literary Coffeehouse is one of many activities hosted by the ACC Creative Writing Department. It opens around the first two weeks of every month. Next month, the event will be on March 5th at 7 p.m. at Malvern Books. Every student of ACC is encouraged to join, either listen or share the literary works.

The Importance of Students Seeing Counselors

Written by Arlenne Lozano

College life can leave students feeling overwhelmed, stressed or confused, but that is why seeking a school counselor is beneficial to students. School counselors and advisers provide students with help.

Chemistry and Health Science major Jocilyn Guerra said, “I see a counselor definitely mostly due to course scheduling and transfer plans. Each [counselor] has always taken the time to ask me how I am and that if I ever need anything or have any other questions to simply just talk to them about any problems or concerns.”

Recently graduated high school students who are coming into their first year of college can also feel overwhelmed. They are introduced to an entirely new atmosphere in a place that has higher expectations from its students. Many of these new college students may need to seek help from the school counseling program. Former Austin Community College student and Youth Ministry major Justin Zielecki said, “I think it is really important that these new students seek help from a school counselor. It is especially important for the first year-and-a-half so that students can get the feel of how everything works. They shouldn’t have to do it all on their own because that can cause unnecessary stress. Seeking help from the counselors can help its students enjoy their time at college.”

According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), Texas counselors must have a master’s degree, complete a school counselor preparation program, have two years of classroom teaching experience and a minimum score of 240 on the School Counselor Exam (TExES #152).

Counselors are certified to be a reliable source for students. “Students often trust their counselors or advisers because they are reliable,” said Guerrera. “They provide a lot of information on uncommon knowledge about college and life in general.” The ASCA recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of 1-250.

When students walk into their counseling or advising appointment, some come in with an expectation of receiving help and knowing they’re cared about by the counselor or advisor. Zielecki said, “I have been to various appointments throughout my time at ACC. My experiences were very good for the most part, however, I did notice a few inconsistencies among the counselors and advisers. Some are really helpful and others make you feel rushed. LIke, ‘Good, got it. See you later.’ and you end up leaving just as confused.”

The ratio of 1-250 can cause students to feel rushed at times. “There are a few times where I have felt a little rushed during meetings,” Guerrera said. “Considering the enormous amount of students they have to talk to, I think that advising and counseling should be a much bigger and much more integrated system into student’s lives.”

Nonetheless, despite a few inconsistencies, many students continue to rely on and trust their counselor and/or adviser. With the qualifications that ACC’s counselors and advisers have, they seem to continue helping students be successful.