Blondies -- Where the Music is Free by Christopher Keimling
Austin talks all this shit about being the live music capital, but 75 percent of bands have no place to play. We want to give bands a spot to play in front of a different audience.
-- Brent Cowley

Can You Hear Me? poetry by MC Overlord

An Evening of Extreme: A Sample Platter from the Blondies Menu by Christopher Keimling
I enjoyed speaking with Furtado, but he seemed tired, and the next band was starting to play inside. I asked him if he wanted a copy of my article; he told me I could mail an issue to the Austin Plasma Center, where he works.

Hip-Hop Out of Exile by Sandra Beckmeier
I can't help but believe there are more hidden agendas than the public will ever know, and if there was a need for posing any questions, the one that is received is this: is it art or is it fabrication?

KAZI Aims for the Listeners, Not the Money by Caroline Hicok
At 1600 watts, KAZI is the smallest wattage station on the scale in Austin and is ranked 15th of 38 radio stations.

The Man with the Golden Arm Trio by Paul Klemperer
Recently I have been fortunate to play some dates with "Austin's jazz bad boys." This image derives both from the music's fierce eclecticism and energy, and from leader Graham Reynolds' approach to the piano, which sometimes resembles rough sex.

Nicholas Payton Rocks the Victory by Paul Klemperer
Nicholas Payton put on two incredible shows. The music was steeped in bebop and soul jazz, and the sounds somehow felt intensely appropriate resonating off of the club's vintage decor.

Up All Night by Harold McMillan
European Classical Music doesn't sell many records, but its series and festivals get corporate support, sponsorships, and annual galas that raise lots of private dollars. Isn't America's Art Music worth some of that respect and support, too?

UT Press Emphasizes Research, Texas by Jenna Colley
Peter English can tell a great story. After graduating from a small college in Massachusetts in 1988, he took off for the jungles of Ecuador to research and record mixed-species flocks of birds. In May, Peter will receive his Doctorate in Zoology from the University of Texas, and upon publication of his dissertation, will be known throughout respected circles as the world's leading expert in Ecuadorian birds.

Verities by Sandra Beckmeier
The future of the NEA? Hard to tell at this stage, but I ask you, whomever you are, why does a country as wealthy and vast as the U.S. still fall so far behind in supporting what can ultimately save it -- art?