Thousands of music, film, and new-media types from across the world are converging on Austin, Texas, this week for SXSW. Among the participating artists will be Steve Reich, whose music will be performed with that of John Adams's at a showcase tomorrow night, and who will join Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore for a discussion the following afternoon; and The Black Keys, who will perform late-night tomorrow and at the Village Voice party on Friday. Next week, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, will speak at the University of Texas.
Thousands of music, film, and new-media types from across the world are converging on Austin, Texas, this week for the 2008 South by Southwest Festival. Among the participating artists will be Steve Reich, whose music will be performed with that of John Adams's at a showcase tomorrow night, and who will join Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore for a discussion the following afternoon; and The Black Keys, who will perform late-night tomorrow and at the Village Voice party on Friday.
And next week, Austin keeps things interesting even after the festival-goers depart. The University of Texas's College of Communication will present David Simon, the creator of HBO's The Wire, who will deliver the 2008 William Randolph Hearst Fellow lecture there on Tuesday, March 18, at 6 PM. The William Randolph Hearst Fellow Award honors individuals with distinguished careers in communication; former Fellows include Helen Gurley Brown, Walter Cronkite, Spike Lee, and Dan Rather. The free event will be held at the Austin City Limits studio on campus and is open to the public. For more information, visit utexas.edu.
Fans of The Wire are still coming to grips with the fact that there are no new episodes left to look forward to. Writing in McSweeney's, über-fan Scott Blaszak tells of his humorous, fictionalized (one hopes) efforts to encourage his nearest and dearest to catch the series finale, suggesting extreme (and perhaps extralegal) measures to spread the good word about "the smartest, most resonant drama in the history of television." Even for those who've missed the show, now's a good time to catch up on seasons one through four on DVD and prepare for the release of the fifth season on DVD while listening to the show's soundtracks.
And for those who are fully caught up through the end, Chicago Tribune's television critic Maureen Ryan has a loving and thorough run-through of her favorite moments from all five seasons. Countless fans are sure to share her sentiment when she concludes:
From the mayor's office to the police department to the grungiest back alley, The Wire showed us people so richly nuanced and detailed and real we wouldn't be surprised to meet them in the street. After five seasons, it's exceedingly hard to let them go.
To read the article, visit featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com.