Voodoo Cowboy

By Michael Barnes

Epic.

That’s the word for the Live at Seaholm After-Party.

The decommissioned smokestacks lit up like inter-planetary transportation devices.

The concrete ribs of the generating room outlined in blue, recalling urban clubs set up in old industrial sites.

Ben May, Juliana Azar, Kristin Owen

Hundreds — perhaps thousands — gathered around the stage for the three musical acts, culminating in Broken Social Scene.

Katie Clark and Alan Case (Generationals)

We spent some time with the Generationals band members. They come from New Orleans, Jesuit-educated and, therefore, pretty worldly yet other-worldly. When we pointed out many musicians had settled here after Hurricane Katrina, one said: “Send them back. We need them.”

PJ Raval, Heidi Bollock and Megan Gilbride

Rare Magazine’s Taylor Perkins, his partner in production, Jason Hicks, and Voodoo Cowboy’s Mark Mueller beamed with pride. (Also expressing pride was Taylor’s father, an oilman down from Houston.)

They should be pleased.

They built the most buzz-about event outside ACL this week. And, as far as I know, it went off without a hitch. We heard members of Phoenix, Kings of Leon and other ACL bands dropped by, but we were out by the witching hour.

by Erik Adams from Austin Decider

Photo by Norman Wong

Echoey spaces and the multilayered sounds of Broken Social Scene might not be a match made in heaven, but that’s not stopping the Canadian musical collective’s upcoming gig at the Seaholm Power Plant from running away with the title of “coolest unofficial ACL Festival after-show.” The Art Deco-style plant—built in the 1930s, decommissioned in the 1990s—will play host to the after-hours revelry Oct. 2 and Oct. 3, thanks to the collective powers (wocka wocka) of WOXY, Rare Magazine, and Voodoo Cowboy. No word yet on who will join Broken Social Scene on the bill, but considering that these shows are supposed to go from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., there’s still plenty to be announced. The show is free with RSVP; click here to do so.

Bands will play at ACL afterparty at Seaholm

* Erin Cargile

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin City Limits Music Festival afterparty is generating plenty of buzz – the venue is drawing as much attention as the bands.

After jumping through hoops, Rare Magazine secured the historical Seaholm Power Plant, which was built in the 1950s to generate power to the City of Austin. The party scheduled for Friday and Saturday night is being called the Live at Seaholm Afterfest .

“I think anybody that’s in the events business has always dreamed of doing something in here underneath the big huge smoke stack-looking structures,” said Jason Hicks, Director of Events for Rare Magazine.

The dormant building will provide a backdrop for Canadian indie rock band Broken Social Scene , Generationals , and the Austin rock band Corto Maltese . The first 4,000 fans who RSVP will get a spot on the lawn, and Hicks said the list is long and growing. No doubt, fans will be focused on more than the music.

“I think a lot of the draw is just gonna be the building itself,” said Hicks.

But only people with VIP passes will get a peek inside where a lounge will be set up. A light show will also shine through the original windows and illuminate the historic equipment still hanging from the 65 foot ceiling.

Securing the spot came at a cost sonsors were willing to pay, and plenty of security will be on hand. Event planners can only imagine the energy that will fill the old power plant in a few days.

There are long-term plans for the city-owned property that sits on an 8-acre site off West Cesar Chavez. Developers with Seaholm Power, LLC are working on a site plan and subdivision plan that includes a hotel, condos, restaurant, retail and office space. Construction is slated to begin in the middle of 2010.

“Even though it’s taken us four years to get it started, everything that’s going on around here is just dynamic and exciting and just really will make this a lot more successful in the long run,” said John Rosato, Managing Partner with Seaholm Power, LLC.

New condos and cranes surround the land that runs along Lady Bird Lake. Rosato said it is only a matter of time before energy will be restored to the old power plant permanently.