November 13th, 2009
The Weekend: Have no fear

Big John Mills is but one of the many musical guests at the Country Music Marathon at the Cheatham Street Warehouse on Saturday.

By HAP MANSFIELD
Scene Editor

If you have paraskevidekatriaphobia, today is what you dread throughout the year, Friday the 13th. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC, estimates that 17-21 million people in the United States are affected by fear of this day. We wonder if there’s a fear of stress management centers?

There are phobias that are very real, fear of flying, fear of high places, fear of cramped spaces. Of course, a lot of this used to be called common sense. We don’t want to meet anyone who doesn’t have a healthy, normal fear of falling off of a high cliff or being trapped in a small room. It’s normal to feel uncomfortable about flying until you understand a bit about aviation.

A phobia, though, is a paralyzing fear, and we don’t want to make light of what is a very serious matter for the sufferer.

But the phobia thing has gotten a little strange. For example, did you know there’s a zemmiphobia? You would if you had a fear of mole rats. Nelophobia is fear of glass. It’s not clear to us why one would have this (joke-get it?). If you have linonophobia you are afraid of string. We’re not sure if this means twine or thread or both or neither. The reason your kids won’t eat their veggies? Well, they probably have lachanophobia, fear of vegetables.

These may all be real phobias but what about lutraphobia, fear of otters. How often would this come up? Where would you be when you ran into enough otters to even know this about yourself?

Hope you don’t have Euphobia, fear of good news, because we have some. The weekend is loaded with amazingly fun and interesting things to do. Here are just a few suggestions.

Friday, November 13

As the seasons change, your body readjusts to the temperature, the humidity and the memories of upcoming shopping and holiday merriment and all that holiday food. It’s a really good time to align your body with some singular stretching and attention. You can do just that with certified Sivananda Yoga instructor Tina Baumgartner at the San Marcos Public Library (625 East Hopkins Street) with a free yoga class tonight at 5 p.m. Bring a towel and wear your comfy clothes.

The Walkers Gallery at the Activity Center (501 East Hopkins) has an extraordinary exhibit right now of Native American produced artworks. Tonight, there’s the added bonus of a reception featuring renowned Cherokee artist Donald Vann and some very special artist-guests from 6-9 p.m. Some of their original artwork will be on display tonight only, in addition to the art at the gallery, which is entitled “Seven Directions.”

There will be Native American foods and entertainment at the reception as well. The free event is brought to you by the Activity Center in conjunction with the Indigenous Cultures institute, the San Marcos Area Arts Council and the City of San Marcos. We think it’s a “don’t miss” event.

R.C. Banks will play the early gig tonight at Triple Crown (206 North Edward Gary) at 6 p.m. If music is what you furnish your life with, R.C. is the couch. He’s so important to Texas music that he sometimes gets taken for granted. Don’t you be doin’ that, now. No matter what embellishments you add to the living room, you ain’t got a room without a couch.

You know, just a cursory gander at available gifts online will convince you that there are gifts themed for everyone. If you are a bingo lover, there are bingo robes, visors, bags, keychains and purse holders. You don’t have to get a shirt that says “Hey Caller, make me holler!” to enjoy bingo, but you do have to go the Wimberley VFW (Veterans Park on Jacobs Well Road) regular Friday night bingo at 7 p.m., if you want to play the game with the pros. The concessions are sold by the efficient and lovely Ladies Auxiliary, too.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more unlikely subject for a musical than the totally fabricated story of a Batboy found in a cave and touted by the Weekly World News. Journalistic standards aside, it was a strangely compelling story. So compelling that the tale was formed into a campy, fun and surprisingly touching musical. You can see Texas State’s production of “Batboy: The Musical,” tonight at the Theatre Center on the main stage at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $7 for students.

With the Internet as integral to our everyday needs as the phone book used to be, you might be amazed to find out that contemporary literature is doing just fine, thank you. This is due in no small part to extraordinary young writers like ZZ Packer, who will read from her work tonight at Katherine Anne Porter House (508 West Center Street in Kyle.) She’s been praised by many notable magazines and authors, not the least of which is the gifted and discerning late John Updike. The event is free and open to the public. It starts at 7:30 p.m.

Local treasure is here for the taking tonight. Joel Hoffman is in the house at Riley’s (8894 FM1102) at 8 p.m. He’s a rockin’ country explosion and always well worth hearing.

The Cheatham Street Warehouse features a CD release gig for Wimberley’s Texas Renegade. Germane to nothing but interesting, nonetheless, singer-songwriter Andrew Bertelson is the son of former Los Angeles Rams running back Jim Bertelson, whom you may recall was a heck of a half back for University of Texas. His son, however, scores the touchdowns when it comes to penning an original tune. The whole band is a joy, with a smooth country sound that already has the patina of professionals. You won’t see them around here much longer if there’s any justice in the music biz. They have all the marks of approaching superstardom.

Puente will be at Wake the Dead Coffeehouse. We don’t know who’s doing the booking at Wake the Dead, but let’s give them a shout out because their musical guests are awesome. Chris Puente’s beautiful and slightly strangled vibrato is perfectly matched by the clear tones of fellow vocalist Erin Marie Kost. Their rootsy, swampy sound has a hint of old-time cinnamon, hot and sweet. The fiddle and washboard punctuate their easy balance. The whole band is an unexpected and delicious treat.

Triple Crown rarely disappoints and often manages to get magic. The Blue Hit is about as magical as a band can get with its interesting assemblage of guitar, voice and cello. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the songs are all as fragile and graceful as spider webs just because there’s a cello in the mix. Singer Grace Rowland’s songs are feisty, and the guitar and cello give her a surprisingly strong beat added to her gorgeous, rhythmic sway. Included in the eclectic magic is the folk-pop charm of Carley Wolf and the disarmingly confessional folk-rock of Danny Malone. It’s another triple threat night.

Matt Begeley and Bitter Whiskey is one of those blended concoctions like Black Bottle with a smokey finish and a sharp bite. They’re a little bit country, they’re a little bit rock and roll. They are not even remotely like Donnie or Marie. They’re at the Gray Horse tonight at 10 p.m. Never fail to request “Long Way to Dallas.” It just gets better every time you hear it.

Saturday, November 14

Get up early today and hit the Family For Life charity garage sale at the Dunbar Recreation Center (801 Martin Luther King Drive). There will be lots of items for sale, and you’ll want to get there early to see it all. It’s more than a garage sale, though. It’s a family fun day with games for the kids, a cupcake walk, sno-cones, popcorn and more. The event starts at 7 a.m. and continues on until 1 p.m. Sounds like lots of fun.

Kent Finlay and the Cheatham Street Music Foundation do so much to preserve Texas music and encourage young musicians that they got their own “month” proclaimed by the city of San Marcos this year. Today, starting at 2 p.m., you have a chance to give a little bit of your time and money to keep the non-profit organization going. Oh, but this isn’t just a donation. Today, it’s a music marathon with 12 straight hours of music and more.

In addition to the music, more than a thousand dollars worth of music gear, including guitars, amps, stage wedge monitors, PA speakers, Marshall acoustic guitar amps and other prizes, will be raffled off at this exciting event. Hats, car pedals, Ipod speakers and a home surround sound system also will be raffled, lest you think this is just stuff for musicians.

Oh, one more thing. The talent line-up for the Cheatham Street event is pretty awesome, too, with all musicians donating their time for the foundation. Big John Mills will be there, as will Jim Hiles, Buddy Lee and the Backroad Band, Wynn Taler, Ayla Manning and many more. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?

The Texas State Bobcats will face off against McNeese State today at 6 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill game, as any Bobcat fan will tell you. The Bobcats have won four in a row now against teams with higher rankings. Today’s game should be a doozy. General admission is only $13.

At the Alkek Library tonight at 7 p.m., Pennylyn White brings the Texas born author to life in “Katherine Anne Porter: A Driving Desire.” Reading from Porter’s work, including her personal letters, White will become a conduit of Porter’s sassy, opinionated and brilliant personality. The event is free and, if you know anything about Porter at all, you know this is going to be extremely interesting, moving and fun.

“Batboy: The Musical” has nothing whatever to do with Batman, the DC comic book hero turned movie franchise, although it is as crazily twisted as a comic book plot. It’s a production at Texas State on the Main Stage of the Theatre Center that involves the spawn of a bat and a woman and tells his story with rock, rap, musical comedy and pathos. You won’t want to miss it. Everybody will be talking about it. Tickets are a mere $10.

The irrepressible and always energetic Omar and the Howlers will be at Riley’s Tavern tonight at 8 p.m. Their sound is neither shy nor fragile, and they can more than likely scare the blues right out of you. Omar will dance the devil out of you, too.

Vocalibre is a choral ensemble at Texas State with an amazing repertoire of jazz, swing, blues, hip-hop and more. They will perform at the Music Building tonight on the campus of Texas State at 8 p.m. Tickets are 5$ for general admission and $3 for students, and it’s probably the best musical buy of the weekend.

Marshall Anderson will be at Wake the Dead tonight at 8 p.m. It’s part of the TJM songwriter’s series. Fatcracker, which bills itself as spandex-free classic rock, plays a very respectable Ziggy Stardust cover. It’s at the Gray Horse tonight at 9 p.m.

Triple Crown again provides time travel tonight at 10 p.m. You’ll feel a little like you are at a cosmic Can concert when you hear Spank. Then, you may feel like you are at the studio listening to stuff that never made it on to the Beatles Sergeant Pepper or Yellow Submarine when you hear Stegosaurus Lips. This kind of time traveling is delightful.

Sunday, November 15

Start your day out with a nice cup of coffee or chai at Wake the Dead Coffeehouse and stick around for the music with Day Jazz from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

At noon, you can go to the Theatre Center’s Main Stage and see a matinee of “BatBoy: The Musical.” Director Kaitlin Hopkins won a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance in the 2001 production of the musical in New York, and she brings her experience to the Texas State production of the Weekly World News based story. Tickets are only $10. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll talk about it for years.

First Lutheran Church (130 West Holland) will host a multi-denominational Alternative Christmas Market from 12:30-4 p.m. that really has the Christmas spirit at heart. The market is essentially a way to give a gift of charity on someone’s behalf. There will be cards to choose from on which you can dedicate your donation to a loved one or a friend and give as a gift. This is a great way of giving twice, first to a charity, then as a meaningful Christmas gift. There will be a variety of charities to choose from, local, national or international. The market genuinely shows the reason for the season.

The wonderful Texas State Symphony will play a concert today at 3 p.m. at Evans Auditorium. The symphony played at the White House last year and in Italy this year. You can see it for a mere $5 general admission ticket. Once again, it’s one of the best musical buys in town.

Bob Steine will make with the chair massage today at Wake the Dead Coffeehouse from 4-7 p.m. You can always use a good massage. And a cup of coffee.

If you like chamber music (and really, who doesn’t?) there the double reed chamber music Jury Recital at 8 p.m. at the Music Building Recital Hall on the campus at Texas State. Admission is free.

The mics are open tonight at Rileys and Triple Crown. Glen Allan hosts at Riley’s. Grant Ewing, Holly Aiken and Nate Hinds emcee Triple Crown. The world awaits your talent. You can just hit the karaoke tonight at the Gray Horse, too.

The Patriots play the Colts tonight on NBC at 7 p.m. It’s sort of like a Super Bowl in the middle of the football season. Always fun to watch them both. Of course, this year the Cowboys will be in the Super Bowl, right?

The charming animated tale “Meet the Robinsons” is on ABC Family tonight and TBS is broadcasting the classic Wizard of Oz. The culture has changed and we’re not exactly in Kansas anymore, but it’s still fun to hear it said to Dorothy. And her little dog, too.

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