First Night Austin 2009’s
Participating Artists - pg 1
"Roll-on / Roll Off" by Rebecca Ward - First Night Austin 2009
AISD Teachers and Students - H-E-B present’s ART CARTs
Fourteen AISD schools have transformed H-E-B shopping carts into imaginative works of art. These young artists of tomorrow show us the potential beauty in every ordinary thing.
Arc Attack - Arc Attack
Creators of the original Singing Tesla Coils, the crew of ArcAttack uses high tech wizardry to present music in a whole new light.
ArcAttack employs a unique DJ set up of their own creation (an HVDJ set up) to generate an ‘electrifying’ audio visual performance. The HVDJ plays music through a PA System while two specially designed DRSSTC’s (Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coils) act as separate synchronized instruments.
These high tech machines produce an electrical arc similar to a continuous lightning bolt, which put out a crisply distorted square wave sound reminiscent of the early days of synthesizers. The music consists of original highly dance-able electronic compositions that sometimes incorporates themes or dub of popular songs.
Asylum Street Spankers - What? And Give up Show Biz?
A summary concert of the recent Off Broadway show and album by the world-renowned Austin musical theatre troupe Asylum Street Spankers. This seven piece band of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists defies easy categorization, and consequently, easy success. In 2008 they juiced their acclaimed live show with a double shot of theatricality and took to a New York stage for two weeks with this musical revue and memoir of the troupe’s fourteen year history. The New York Times described the show as “Hilarious! Delightfully mischievous in every way!” while the Village Voice praised how the show “Tap Dances on the thin line between stunning virtuosity and goofy farce - it amuses and astounds in equal measure!”
Austin Bike Zoo - The Birds, The Bees and The Butterflies: A Flight of Pollination
Imagine hundreds of pedal powered monarch butterflies migrating down Congress Avenue, leading a menagerie of bees, moths, hummingbirds and fauna in a buzzing, spinning flight of pollination, featuring never before seen pedal-powered contraptions, acrobats, and the rhythms of our soldier bee band, “Blozn Tuchas”. Then come ride with us as we celebrate the coming year with a pedal powered carnival on the 1st St. Bridge!
The Austin Chinese Choir - The Austin Chinese Choir
The Austin Chinese Choir promotes Chinese culture and friendship through music. Tonight’s choral selections capture a wide range of Chinese emotions and styles from a bridegroom’s first moments alone with his bride, to a classic folk ballad loved by Puccini and many more. The special musical treat tonight is “First Night”, a poem from the Tang Dynasty setto music. A lover searches for his beloved among the crowds parading through the streets during the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of New Year’s celebrations and the actual beginning of the New Year, www.austinchinesechoir.org
The Austin Walkin’ Band - The Austin Walkin’ Band
Composed of top jazz and blues players, both long time Austinites and New Orleans transplants, The Austin Walkin’ Band is an informal group dedicated to the music of New Orleans’ timeless Jazz funerals. From mournful to jubilant at the drop of a hat, they join the First Night procession to bring a touch of the Crescent City to Austin.
Barna Kantor - Public Address
“Public Address” is partially a sound installation: two sculptural PA systems facing each other 800 feet away on the opposing banks of Lake Austin. These PAs are there to invite anybody, any group of people to address each other across the lake and participate in an opportunity to hear amplified human voice Downtown Austin.
Public Address is also a relational art work, the audience itself has the rare opportunity to step up to the microphone and sing, rap, shout, cry, address, greet and beatbox. The audience is in control of this show. They can complement each other’s performances as in an a cappella, compete against the other side as in a rap battle or just listen to the sound of their voice echoing back.
First Night Austin is the only event in our city’s annual life cycle to hear anybody’s voice in its full, amplified capacity. We want to supply the gear to hear spontaneous, playful and respectful performances that fills Downtown with our own voice.
Biscuit Brothers - Biscuit Brothers
Join the cast of the Emmy Award Winning PBS TV Show “The Biscuit Brothers” for a high energy, interactive musical concert that will have your whole family singing, dancing, and ready to ring in the New Year! Dusty and Buford Biscuit are Live on stage, straight from Old MacDonald’s Magical, Musical Farm - aka E.I.E.I.O. (The Educational Institute for Every Instrument in the Orchestra.) Come with them on a musical journey that includes classic sing-along songs, original tunes, and musical styles ranging from hoedown to swing to farm-tastic-funky! It’s a special Biscuit Brothers concert your family will remember all year long!
Brian Joseph - Bydee People
With the theme of Diversity and Unity Enriches the Austin Community 30 masqueraders of all ages dressed as Bydee People in colorful costumes designed by artist Brian “Bydee Man” Joseph. All the costumes would be hand painted by the artist to enrich the colors and give that special touch. With the flair of the Trinidad carnival the masqueraders would be dancing to the sweet sounds of steelpan music. The costumes would bring to life the images in the Bydee concept that was created in Austin 22 years ago by Brian. Bydee means Bringing You Delightful Entertaining Experiences.
Buscando el Monte - Buscando el Monte
Buscando el Monte creates a fusion of traditional Cuban songs, Afro-Cuban rhythms and American jazz melodies. On the street, we transform into a contemporary comparsa inspired by Tropazancos Cubensi who serenade the people of 21st century Havana, Cuba. Imagine a menagerie of colorful, costumed stilt walkers moving in time to pounding drums and powerful horns. Buscando el Monte was founded by Cuban-born percussionist, stilt-walker, and puppeteer Leonel Rojas Esteves. His dream, born through his work on the streets of Havana, is to be a musical and theatrical bridge from La Havana Vieja to Austin, Texas. The soaring melody, driving polyrhythm and resounding chorus of the comparsa has inspired ecstatic trance for over 400 years. Come dance with us and experience this wonderful energy live and in person.
BIBLIOFILES Book Cart Drill Team - CARPE LIBRUM - SEIZE THE BOOK!
The Austin Public Library presents the award-winning BIBLIOFILES Book Cart Drill Team and their routine titled CARPE LIBRUM - SEIZE THE BOOK! Dancing Librarians with book carts bring fun and gentle mayhem to the streets of Austin. But don’t be fooled, these funny, sexy librarians also bring a message of discovery and wonder for all ages. So, join us as we invite you to visit your favorite neighborhood library to seize a book, research a data-base, join a book club, meet an author, see storytime, and celebrate all that Austin Public Library has in store for you and your family. CARPE LIBRUM!!
The Capitol City Highlanders Pipe Band - The Capitol City Highlanders Pipe Band
The Capitol City Highlanders Pipe Band, formed in 1981, is Austin’s oldest Scottish bagpipe and drumming corps. Dedicated to preserving the art of bagpiping and Scottish style drumming, the band brings further diversity to the music of the Greater Austin area. Available for any occasion including weddings, funerals, parties, birthdays, festivals, and parades, the Capitol City Highlanders Pipe Band is also open to beginning and experienced pipers and drummers and offers Scottish piping and drumming instruction. The band’s members are as diverse as the people who enjoy listening to them and consist of men and women from age 8 to 60+. Pipe Major Nick Classen, the band’s founder, has led the band to success for almost 30 years and has been a piper himself for over 40 years. www.austinbagpipes.com
The Chorus Austin Consort - Hope Lies Beyond a Sunset
The Chorus Austin Consort is proud to present “Hope Lies Beyond a Sunset”. Our program focuses on the three ideas that are common to New Year’s Eve celebrations world-wide; time, hope, and love. Our performance opens with a selection from Brazil, symbolizing sunset. Selections include familiar pop songs such as Blackbird by the Beatles and Broadway favorites like “Seasons of Love” from Rent. The last selection, “You Are the New Day”, represents sunrise, completing the cycle from the old year into the new, ending on a note of positivity and hope.
Christina Campbell - Aqua.Bio.Luminessence: A Projection on the water of TownLake
What did you dream last night?
Remember the, the part with the white soft,
Wait, I lost it, self-consciously concious.
We've been lucid dreaming for as spell, come share.
We will peer together, with our little gloved fingers, over our city's bridge at sutures and
fissures in our collective unconscious.
Roaming various eras and scientific auras in our our 1942 Tiger Moth biplane,
we discovered stuff. We hope we can provide you with some luminescent threads for your mind's cloak.
The Cipher: Austin’s Hip Hop Project - The Cipher: Austin’s Hip Hop Project
Young rappers and poets perform original beats and rhymes in a Cipher, a formation representing completion, community cohesion, and ideas that have come full circle in thought. The Cipher will be joined by the Outta Kontrol Dance Crew and established Austin Hip Hop artists Public Offenders. www.thecipheratx.org, www.myspace.com/atx_finest_dj, www.sonicbids.com/publicoffenders
Clint Wilson - Live Screen Printing Demo
Live Screen printing demo performance and interactive workshop with accredited professional poster artist and screen printer, Clint Wilson. Grab a squeegee and give it a go yourself and pick up you poster hot off the press for only 10$. The poster will commemorate the First Night Austin Finale celebration featuring the School of Rock.
Community Art Makers - Resolution Clock: A Change in Time
First Night’s Family Finale will culminate in the ignition of a 34 foot tall, working clock tower, illuminating Auditorium Shores. Throughout the day, as part of the Countdown to 2009, participants are invited to attach their resolutions for the future, their memories of the past and their brightest hopes to a wooden chain running the height of the clock. As fireworks light the sky and the clock begins to burn, its hands will spin faster and the flames will take revelers dreams into the night and usher in 2009.
Cory Skuldt - Wool Room
The Wool Room is a living room sculpture constructed entirely of recycled wool sweaters in every color of the rainbow, which will grow and change throughout the day. It is a cozy place to reflect, create, and play, learn how to knit or sew, and collaborate with the artist by adding to the piece from the materials we provide. This art invites viewers of all ages: “Please DO Touch”.
Cosmic Intuition - Cosmic Intuition
Cosmic Intuition is an ensemble that performs a variety of music. For First Night Austin, we will perform a special tribute to many African American Musicians who have come before us. We will perform unique and innovative versions of the selected material. Enjoy Funk to Jazz to Spiritual to R&B and more.
Cubensi Theatre Company Stilt Walkers - Cubensi Theatre Company Stilt Walkers
We will present the Orishas (African goddess ) and the Yoruba Culture from Cuba for the Austin Community during First Night 2008. Our procession consists of stilt dances with flamboyant colored costumes of three Orishas. Yemaya: Blue (goddess of the Sea), Oshun: Yellow (goddess of Love and Passion) Obbatala: White (goddess of the Head). The dancing stilt walking queens will be dancing, interacting with and inspiring their audience as well as demonstrating the beauty of the culture of their Cuban Island and vision. They will have their dance students and volunteers with them during the procession to create a colorful dancing vision. The Cubensi Theatre Company (aka: Tropazancos Cubensi and Krudas Cubensi) was founded in Cuba in 1998 and relocated to Austin, TX in 2005. The company consists of three female artists from Cuba and represents their Cuban culture, art, experience and roots.
DA! Theatre Collective - Heron & Crane
DA! Theatre Collective proudly presents Heron & Crane, a beloved Russian folk tale about two strong-willed swamp birds who discover that becoming friends requires a little give-and-take…. or maybe a lot. Heron and Crane, which is traveling to elementary schools in the greater Austin area this school year, engages kids and adults alike by exploring issues about culture, diversity, conflict resolution, ecosystems, problem solving, and friendship through original music, choreography, and audience interaction. DA! is more than one person or one idea; it is a collective of storytellers which includes Jude Hickey, Michelle Brandt, Kirk German, Lisa del Rosario, Heather Huggins, Scott Roskilly, Jamie Rhodes, Stephanie Denson, and Travis Cooper.
Danielle and Jason Mika - Re:Growth
Color, sound and form play together on Auditorium Shores in this graceful piece inspired by the work of artist Gerard Minikawa. Re:Growth is a unique sculptural installation created out of bamboo by our local community educated in ancient building techniques. Using gorgeous Black Guadua bamboo poles and strips we have created an elegant, site specific pavilion immersed in a playful environment for Austinites to enjoy on New Years Eve. Bathed in vibrant LED programming and artfully developed projections, this intimate performance space inspires bright dreams for 2009. The steady, entrancing rhythms of modern life sooth visitors as the pulse of Re:Growth until celebratory sounds chime in the New Year. Watch for our thriving green forest leading the way from the procession to our enclave on Auditorium shores and a sustainable future beyond!
May the flexibility and strength of Re:Growth instill you with hope for renewable resources and resolutions of intentional growth with it’s beautiful simplicity.
Debutants and Vagabonds - A Brilliant Revolution
For KOUP’s station manager, Cubby Zimmerman, life shouldn’t consist of censoring the Head DJ’s absurdities and keeping the janitor’s violent tendencies to a minimum; but it does. Anything can happen at KOUP, Skarkie, Illinois’ smallest radio station. With forces like Linnius, a monument to rant with a furious suspicion of the homeless, and EightBall, an upstate parolee fulfilling his community service at the end of a broom, it’s no wonder the station is headed into utter destruction. Thank goodness for anger management, Pepto Bismol and puppets.
Come see The Debutantes and Vagabonds as they promote their up and coming show “A Brilliant Revolution.” The full-length production will premiere at the Blue Theatre March 5th thru 15th. For more information please visit www.dnvtheatre.com
Drishti Dancers - Drishti Dancers
Drishti Dancers is a Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Troupe from Austin. The Drishti Dancers communicate with one another using their hips and hands to create a dynamic improvisational dance. Think Tribal Fusion and traditional middle eastern belly dance combined with elements from Africa, Spain, Romania and other areas. With a dose of Bollywood inspiration and home grown creation to you get folkloric dance that really only belongs to “once upon a time”, with improvisational dances that belong only to the moment. Drishti means gaze, the place where your eyes come into focus. Together we strive to capture your gaze with our unified movement as we dance with the parade through the center of Austin.
El Tule - El Tule
For four years, El Tule has been honing its unique sound combining influences of Cumbia, Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Rock, Merengue, Salsa and Reggae. The music is influenced by art, history and culture, often focusing on legends and tales of the mystical. Fan favorites include El Chupacabra, an eerie tale of the legendary goat sucker; La Ruta Maya, a pounding tribute to the famed Mayan Route; and Media Noche, an ode to the dream like hours between night and daybreak. The ever evolving sound is a natural progression brought forth by different backgrounds, experiences and influences. While adhering to the band’s original goal, the sound has taken its own course. The sound that El Tule brings to each performance naturally transcends all cultural and social backgrounds. Simple, El Tule is for those who love to dance, feel good and enjoys the positive expression of music.
Graham Reynolds and The Golden Arm Trio - DUKE!
DUKE! is the latest performance project from Graham Reynolds, The Austin Chronicle’s Reader’s Poll “Best Composer” since the category’s inception, and his band The Golden Arm Trio. A musical essay on the legacy of Duke Ellington, DUKE! takes on the daunting song book of America’s greatest composer. Reynolds eschews the complex experimentation of his recent film and dance scores for straightforward arrangements built around his piano playing and propelled by the Golden Arm Trio’s explosive rhythm section and hard charging horn section. The result is a fresh, rockingly accessible updating of some of music’s most enduring standards.
H-E-B Hat Making Workshop - Mad Hatter Workshop
You can get creative by transforming an ordinary paper bag into a fun and funky headpiece to wear throughout the event. A fun expression of yourself for all ages!
John Rossini - The Mobile Vertical Xylophone
The Mobile Vertical Xylophone is a massive interactive three octave xylophone designed and constructed out of common construction materials. Following the fundamental of green practices, designed and constructed of galvanized pipe and Ipe, the Mobile Vertical Xylophone is built to last and will be around for decades for all to enjoy. With its tall cathedral design, the Mobile Vertical Xylophone is as pleasing to look at as it is fun to play. Specially designed to be accommodating to all ages and abilities, everyone is invited to come make some noise!
Elliott Terral - Various Permutations, Colored
“Various Permutations, Colored” is a continuous video installation by Elliott Terral that follows the examples set by other artists such as Jasper Johns, Marcel Duchamp, and Cory Arcangel. The video is comprised of distorted color and imagery around Austin, expressing the movement that ebbs and flows throughout the city. Created mostly from discarded and recycled cell phones, the video expresses a immersion of light that is modified by the viewer as they pass through it and in turn, become a temporary fixation within the installation itself. The use of abstract imagery allows each viewer to make their own judgment and opinion as they adjust the work themselves in their participation. The image itself is distorted in an attempt to digitally break down elements of life within Austin to focus on the simple, yet beautiful, pieces that compose the city.
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