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What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The story behind Louis Black’s career as co-founder of the Austin Chronicle and South By Southwest Festival
• Why passion is the most sustainable motivational force
• Why creativity and collaboration is the most important SXSW export

Louis Black is an Austin media legend: co-founder and long-time editor of alternative newspaper The Austin Chronicle, co-founder of SXSW, film producer, and original board member of the Austin Film Society.

In a twist of ironic genius, Black’s locally-focused content has always maintained a broader vision and influence. He has impacted media on a national scale by influencing other outlets to train their gaze on their local culture – the music scene, the film buffs, the creatives in their own backyard – and pen stories about what’s happening in their own zip codes. Co-existing contradictions are common in Black’s narrative: a poor student but a successful graduate of UT’s film studies program; illegible handwriting but a strong writing voice; a childhood full of insane and interesting opportunities marked by depression; success met with an anxiety to do more, better.

So what weaves the basket that’s capable of holding all these disparate things and reconciling these contradictions? Turns out, it’s passion. 

“I was always driven by passion,” Black mentions throughout his conversation with host Dan Dillard, in which he explains how he went from a comic and film nerd, sneaking out of his New Jersey hometown to watch films in New York City theaters, to the co-founder of one of the most reputable and respected multimedia festivals in the world. “We cared [about the creative content] so much, which made [the work] a privilege.” 

Black was writing for the entertainment column of UT’s The Daily Texan when he decided to branch off with a friend and found The Austin Chronicle in 1981. Inspired by The Village Voice and wanting to create an alternative media source for Austin, Black and his friends really “knew their stuff,” but it was a decade before the paper saw any success. He explains that he was “used to failing,” having had a difficult time in school as a child and an ingrained sense that he was “worthless.” He credits his low self-esteem with why he was willing to take chances, make mistakes, and work for little money without losing any momentum or steam – “I had a drive to make a paper I wanted to read,” he explains, and said that there’s no better way to learn than to “make an idiot of yourself,” seeing what most call “failure” as opportunities to learn and improve. 

When HEB wanted to stop distributing The Chronicle over controversial content, readers across Austin protested, and it proved (especially to advertisers across the city) that The Chronicle was more than just a “punk” paper – it had a core, dedicated, and passionate readership. This led to more advertising and generated more revenue for The Chronicle, but Black and his writers and editors always prioritized the content over the money, and regardless of what was going on with competition they had one objective: “to put out the best Chronicle possible.” 

Black lauds his writers at the time as excellent, highlighting the specific strength that they were “locally engaged.” When his partners approached him with the idea of making a regional festival, the venture was separate from the Chronicle but operated in a similar local vein. Black admits that he was hesitant at first, but in 1986 he finally entertained the idea, provided the festival would have two major tenets: that the audience and the attraction would not be that different from each other, and that it would be a place that celebrates creativity and collaboration. 

The first SXSW festival was in March of 1987. Expecting 300 people to show up, Black and his co-founders were floored when 700 people showed up. Attendance increased exponentially from there, and the festival began incorporating films in 1993 and adding more and more attractions, always keeping the audience experience central to their decisions. Now, there are tens of hundreds of thousands of people drawn to the festival’s output each year. 

But what shocked Black more than the attendance was the influence. He saw that musicians started to release albums around March so that it would coincide with the festival, and people were turning their attention to the local media generated in their hometowns. 

He explains that the reward was never the money, prestige, or power – it was about being able to hear new music, watch awesome films, and see things that excited him creatively. “We live for that moment that something excites us,” he says, hearkening back to the lightning bolt of inspiration he’d get as a kid around comic books and films. 

Blessed to be a part of the Austin community, Black encourages creatives to collaborate and find “a community that cares about the work.” Listen to the full episode to hear the epic storyteller share his journey and advice, including: don’t have an ego about what you’re not able to do; there’s no better way to learn than to make an idiot of yourself; and that people who stick with their passion no matter what go on to do great things.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a fellow music, film, and media lover!

Masters and Founders is a founding_media podcast created in collaboration with foundingAustin.

Host: Dan Dillard

Guest: Louis Black

Transcript:

this is a founding media podcast welcome to another episode of masters and founders this week we are sitting down with Lewis black as one of the founders of the Austin chronicle and the south by southwest festival Luis has had a hand in shaping what Austin is today Lewis is also directed a documentary executive produced a few films and was a founding member of the Austin film society let’s jump in and hear more about how Lewis came to be the king of Austin culture thanks for being with us thanks for having me I’m really excited to chat with you because I’m kind of going on a similar path that you’ve already gone so just learning from you is is is gonna be my treat well I did everything wrong so I’m great to learn from I I really truly believe that the reason we succeeded so well as in the first ten years the chronicle everything wrong you could do we did mostly just once a couple things twice in one thing three times but usually with I mean there’s no better way to learn the making it easier for yourself it’s it’s an education every time you you have just one of a kind of this way and you just get more efficient I had it I had a real rotten I mean this I had a tough childhood in terms of learning in terms of school I was remarkable in other ways but I’ve always been really grateful because I was used to failing

yeah and so it one is to use the failing ICANN stop what’s what they’re going to battle and I was able you know I’ve and the the could she did really well in school I was in school and then after that that thank god because you know the I didn’t have any success until very late in the game yeah and and so it you know most of the paper I just soon would fail everything I’ve ever done with the well I I really was intrigued by the things that you have found it and and I know just in my research of only touch the tip of the iceberg of what you’ve done but the Austin chronicle obviously and then south by southwest so I want to I want to start with the Austin chronicle I could give you the idea to like begin the spherical I’m a low self esteem is a real plus for anything and and and and not taking yourself very seriously so I I actually my friend Joe dictionary and Nick barber decide to start the paper and they approached me on the first higher one is sometimes I redo my history is a revision them book of voters in the Russian Revolution which starts at like forty commissars ins of a just fallen that’s my ambition I might tell the story not on but they approach me and and I agreed and then they they put some of your so six of us and stuff started we worked at the daily Texan the allocation into Monday entertainment supplement called images and it was not uncommon that Sunday like two articles and fall out and I would write one and some in NYC my right the other somebody else and so we were really good right we didn’t we didn’t sell ads we didn’t have to do a personal book we think we do a publication because we can right which turned out to be dim witted but so they produce is we spent months talking about what it would be and then launched in September of nineteen eighty one and I thought I’d be there about a year you know I thought of a man and I email I don’t think I looked up for a couple years and and during the second your neck and I tried to give it away literally in that process discovered and nobody else really instead of put us and so I kind we can reconcile there’s going to be there for awhile and then eighty seven we started south by which one can reconcile those who in Austin for what I need up until then I’ve been live in different places yeah when I came to Austin and so that’s what I thought I’d be doing but a you know to certain viral load cockles not to move in southwest not going to yeah so the idea really was we work for the daily Texan and we thought of the crime and also needed papers like The Village Voice which is the inspiration for all those papers

so we thought we’d start and really I mean we we are not even pay is astonishing because we thought we’d started and others we would take it you know to do other things and and that that didn’t work it’s amazing how though of this happens every founders got their own journey and use what you think you start out with just evolves and changes involved in changing before you know it will this is not what I had in mind but awesome yeah I mean you know it and what with the John is that life is what your it happens you what you’re waiting and I’m that I’m in that ridiculous position where this is Malaysian so much better than ever would have imagined I mean it’s like I didn’t dream of being a rock star trek can’t sing again plans for and and you know and with it but yeah sure but that wasn’t real in terms of what I was really into I don’t think I knew right and I’ve ended up getting to some incredible things with amazing people over really long period of time and the paper was the kind of the first step in that direction the real first step was I came to you to do to be a graduate English student because I my undergraduate degree I really and I grow up when I was twelve it can really difference the guy named Leonard Maltin who then went on Entertainment Tonight and for all those TV movies books and was a famous film historian and we’re still friends and what he needs and people in the film department so when I start hanging out there a little bit this is seventy six seventy seven and they said you know anything more going to graduate film students and I thought collagen study film calling not been watching films fanatically since I was nine years old and when and I had been going to New York since we were twelve seem to any weed that at that point I had seen am I will watch in silence and we’re watching Sir real chat said nobody else was watching we were just the boat and so I really knew my stuff and another semester his English rested I realized I couldn’t go onsite transfer in the film I wanna became a Film Registry U. T. I became like an academic star for the first in and I’ve been academic failure I mean I didn’t hardly in school attend then well in college

and also I’m like not I knew the stuff and I was very well highly regarded one part of explain this is my older sister net whose it eighteen months already you’re ahead of me in school is an academic superstar fueling she literally is her name is come up several times in conversation if you talk about education on the east coast she ran Melnick Tammy she ran a school Columbus and started a school project wasn’t working so they hired her she shows up in all these places you know so you know I like when I was in junior high we change our classes the first day of class the Acadia Lewis black a unit blacks rather and and and you just know it’s going to be out there is that shadows so I’m not only ate them badly but it that badly in a context where was obvious I was doing right and then so when I started at UT it was great I mean I I was having a grand time and then my friend just said let’s start this paper and so I should surely started the paper and then I was you know ten years later it was yeah I woke up from it wasn’t bad for ten years except for me I mean I think I think you things got better along the way but I think it was really six or seven years I tend to be focused and focus on the negative on what what’s not working and so was a long time before I appreciated that things were working that’s awesome one of the things that we like to highlight in the masters and founder shows really master of the craft and the in the day to be economic it be just found the company you are creative and and they get you know user in the story about you and your sister reminds me of that photo where you got the elephant go go climb this tree she was well as a monkey doing that but is to use their own right so in in in this case you find your path in your passion for through the a different course than than you know academics I will I was lucky at IBM I tell myself how to read in the second grade because I paid of terrible school I know tensions band and I taught myself how to read because it was a summer program at the library where like eight eight one year via train thing red can look that one stop on the train and another ten to stop or be like an ocean voyage

and my sister did in one year and got all at and if you just got one stop the the ice cream and my sister did it and of course went all the way but the next year I took at ten books and bottom and they make you all the books make sure you’ve read that and I was making great stories when they see you have read any of these have you and so I went home and I remembered if this was a city on a landing in the house to myself and to read so I can get ice cream and then by third grade I was reading like on I was flunking even reading because I was reading on such and I was removed I would not ring Lassie come home I would during those first few reading right I couldn’t spell to save my life I didn’t understand what grammar but I was reading on it you know everything laid my hands on and and then when I met land I was in junior high school so I was twelve which are going to New York almost immediately every week to watch movies and when I was fourteen I was also a somatic about popular culture and so I was really in the conference as a combo collector was fourteen I’ve found that there was in the town S. relive the guy was a combo of writer non artist a writer but he was like a major figure and so I don’t know where I ate Rotuman asked this someone like me whatever so that interview for what I have no idea I mean I wasn’t right he said sure and I went over there and and he became a mentor them was out of danger and he wrote for example of much of the many of the original captain Marvel yeah also like all the weird shipments that in the fifties like if you know some math is our world and all that’s all I know I mean any with everybody knew him so and I when I was a kid I go to the very earliest comical conventions with them yeah and so it’s in the bar and like Stanley would come by federal Jack Kirby so my whole life I was driven by passion I would and I was I couldn’t I I lose I read everything I lay my hands on it so I remove a good seat I read it I mean I was just driven by just stop one and no and so I was always learning and I and I did it and set against us like the terrible in school I had I could dance dyslexic slightly I like this a slightly don’t have braces really dyslexia but I would like take spelling test when I was in elementary school teacher called my mom up to say we got all twenty five words wrong but he put sampling on the top not spelling so yelling and then and that was like the amazing so so I could then radios is foreign parents

I was always an insurmountable eighteen because I want them on the other hand has gone into your to watch movies that are saying a lot of and meeting all the com guys and then when I kind of got into rock and roll was already so used to going to New York so I I had a blessed childhood that I didn’t know was I was like Italian my thirties I never saw ray had bad my child and I was telling slaves in the year well on Saturday’s lan I would go see movies all then and Sundays at hand without it in the middle of kind of explains I realized yeah yes there’s a downside when leisure one right what drove me was passion and I didn’t do stuff I didn’t want to do right but I was I would just when I got into something like that the medical and I one note every need to know when I was probably twelve years old went to visit my uncle and my dad’s brother many gave me twenty five cents to go buy converse of the drug store and one of the ones I bought was fantastic for number three and in Fantastic Four number three the union toward any note this is the very beginning of moral site no spider man yet now that is I don’t even know where I was buying but looked interesting in the middle of Fantastic Four number three they’re in a flop house and on the Barry yeah and the human torch lights distinguish saves this guy who turned out to be the sub mariner and they make reference to forties comment and I’m sitting there and when I read said that the comes in it all conflicts I mean I can tell you would like a a Rico moment that was and so then I began reading everyday find what comes in the morning that auto been there through all of it it was amazing and then with land I was in love I found love with news at them the transition my when I was nine years old as my grandmother’s house and likely New Jersey in order to go out the back way you have to go through her bedroom she wasn’t there because I couldn’t stand there and if you’ve been there we would only spend summers there she was far away but on that fifteen was on and it was a movie and I climbed up on the bed to watch just a little bit of a it was the front cover of Los arise and I watch the whole film and the when I left the room I was a film person well I mean it was literally that can happen just hit you it was like I just need them I I want to see more movies was it watching or was it like I once or did you want to know I never wanted to I I I don’t I don’t have that I didn’t think I was capable of anything so I really didn’t think that the direct threat I just wondered I I I kind of knew I was an academic it later and I was you know a good academic but I just wanted to know I listen I had so few skill sets like one poem deaths I mean you can read my handwriting much less draw I’m totally not engine sports which alien my dad

no and and he I didn’t literally nothing I did look like it whatever leading right so I was you know I’m happy but on the up one one hand but on the other hand I was like on this quest that I didn’t realize until much later yeah and so and was amazed when I mean then I would go in the city with around fourteen street when the strand bookstore is now do you see forty used bookstores hold on book bro by the time we were there was maybe twenty we started early in the morning because we go looking book we don’t we both read a lot and then also Leno’s had little film magazines so he was we would go to the place where you buy movie stills dozens doing articles so I had to find you know movie stills go along and we and then let the very funny talking about all these different places mark reaching the Mexican band the vote one but so we would go there and one of his frequent was a political movie star news where was informing flight leaves our name was very sweet not nice as many as people and like many years later lends a me a clipping because what I didn’t realize was on movies are news ups there’s a brother Irvin close during a baby page bondage photos and I’ve always thought that when I taken a wrong turn we’d both be dead I mean we were the most naive it’s been the severed fossel come to Daddy page tied up would win all four start out of the Perot and then we would go there was a morning show at that museum on art and after each other having heart for which is it news on fifty ninth street a late afternoon show it back at moma museum modern art and then we might go see a commercial movie and then we’ll go to film studies class so we might come home like one or two you’re just consuming I will just assume in city was safe you know I mean we would be on a subway at the clock and one transform your lap for one thing you learn really quickly the invisible yeah now he’s gonna get in your face if you’re not yeah and so we’ve had all these at a you know we saw amazing stuff then we met and that was always writing when when when he sold his first TV movie clips the summer that I will graduate from high school in you know I was looking for yeah I do nothing and then he sold the book every year was in college of the film history and so he’s becoming more more well known he always had the magazine says and so we would go over collectors houses to watch I mean we’re having this insane childhood which I just you know at again was depressed through which I think is a stretch the but I was passionate

and I got to do a lot of I mean you know I really was driven and so everything comes together when I come to you T. income graduate film students only like I’m writing for the daily Texan running on music and film and you know and and I’m on of succeeding academically and then in eighty one and they can and joking that started the chronicle and so we started that and that was like going back into the the end of the world full down for awhile because it was like there’s no money when you know you tend to use of your friends not intentionally but right a lot of people leave none the best and then more than they should and and was it was painful it was really and and the thing was that I think when I was young I I wouldn’t rarely finished anything and a certain point I was determined and so when I signed on to do something I wasn’t that I was there to make it happen and and I didn’t have I really like the lack of self worth again is it sounds like you but I really didn’t think much of me right and so we we just stayed in you know and then the ten years the chronicles are doing well which starts out by in eighties searching them November eighty six with the first one eighty seven someone one touch on that so the purpose in your mind for the chronicle was what what is this when I was it was a you know was kind of I I was not that I never thought it through in in ways in terms of like conceptualization branding I was very shocked to discover late like the one of my strengths is branding because I understand what I’m doing even when iron explain to myself so that I do is create a village which kind of paper for Austin and we’ve been kind of doing some of that the daily Texan but this was like the big move away from the university right and to really create a quality paper frosted although I’m not sure who would have articulated and that well and so when we started it was every other week for a long time and the first issue was a disaster it’s actually very good issue in terms of content the cover was a photo rocking her picture was big in Austin one of the places where everybody you know come and dance long every sure Brian had a new movie coming out called shock treatment and the coverage for three one have a virtual Brian’s face from rocky our and one half from shop for an art director Michael priest you just passed away recently but to be great for a little bit of purple each of corners each I’d say look the man except the way he wrote the descriptions was to leave a little bit of white and you try and have the rest of the cover purple the for a long time the car was not allowed in the office who doesn’t mean I mean we had done a lot of Germanic ground right there now and everybody said forget it is another pump that you know and and when you when I go back now I look at the first year of the chronicle the even that issue had great stuff and I mean already the writing was really good you know

but I it took me several years to recover from the problem with that first if and it really was I mean you know and now I can look at the cover yeah when one by their points probably at three things through windows blinds little temperamental but but once we started there’s no stopping we’re going to do it and it was really painful and vision change because it in to begin with your like I’m gonna build is a solid or less I I I thought I’d love lives thank you know and I never thought of selling because of what I did was being more than that will build it in the module will take over and take it over we work with the daily so we were kind of you know yeah we did we came in we let other people think so I can socialize a bad I thought I was going to leave got it and then at a certain point I realized that was it this second year when we were kind of trying to get away and somebody come and be a publisher and with as simple and we had a falling out and at that point Nick and I both realize we got the paper not any not everybody else did and in fact both those that the paper away almost nobody else that we can just what is supposed to be and both nighters care about making money this key because when you’re following your passion yeah you’re not really caring about making money it’ll all work out but you put the quality good writing for content every time I’ve ever done to make money it has been a disaster as a as a kid early on my roommate was dealing drugs and I got a block of hash and selling I realize there’s not gonna for retail immediately but yes everything I’ve ever done I did because as the I wanted to do it or is the right thing to do I think it needs to be done yeah Ames then then archery I’ve never ever looked at the tar in the we’re gonna make money and make money you know and and and these weightings for yourself up by trying to make money and and it wasn’t what I feel worthless so was great because the I think it will Barlow well yeah and I wasn’t deprive myself of anything I think I mean and and if so was it was dramatic you know a one point like five six seven years into it I went to lunch I was friends with Greg curses that affect us monthly and we’re good friends and we were at lunch and you would never hire Texas monthly and the realities is an editor I can’t spell I don’t understand grammar I’m not a micro editor young I’m kind of a of a visionary or a macro editor and he does now means like what yeah at one forty one lives with the with the I was in a good writer at that point and and I expect that he wasn’t like the rest of what exactly what I thought and I really think I mean some reset the once in one of the great if you never fail to do the fearlessness and no strange when you always fail because then nobody can stop you construct is that if you expect that’s when you’re fearless is like yeah it is a matter of fact there’s just I think she was doing a podcast last week with some scientists from Austria and the I love this comic was like I don’t like to look at things started opportunities

it’s just like if you think about how scientists do things always testing things and is not considered a failure in the science will assist the test in the info or sending a business in the many years later I came to the realization that there was no failures as just opportunities but I think that field long time to get there and it is it’s like I used to think of somebody left the would be the end of the paper and they would leave enough enough new people come in and things would would change and it was like you know I was suddenly running the thing Joe’s gonna run and he left after year and became a very successful phone produce a lot of interesting films but suddenly Nick and I were in charge and it was and I had none of the skills needed for the day and I learned on the go usually doing things operating badly but I was driven by passion I mean I literally was I I was I I really doesn’t drive to make this the paper I wanted to read yeah and and and in the early days as a maze with no money and I fire writers right one time three writers came in to meet them yet we really weren’t paying enough and I set a freelance basis that’s great because I don’t the body is everything they weren’t good enough I mean and I would I expect people to do was the fifth was had to do with my vision of a new one if there was a vision right you know I mean it really was pedal to the metal kind of obsession and a lot of mental disease but you know and so and then when you know after about ten years when the chronicle Sir doing well is great because Nick and I both felt the same way in which was our sponsors for the best favor possible and take care of the staff and worry about other things later on and we had to DO fifteen eighteen year run that was great to you in survival mode for awhile and then I started in real original us calling is last year we were talking about how you know at one point you know a to be because of whatever it is everything out out of a TV because of of some mark we’ve was anti porn activists yeah anyone at the age we’re discrimination he went they should be and he said look they have no HIV positive males to be HIV positive and mediation encourages status of I think even the housewife in protest they were thrown in but mark protest and action ironically I thought that was one of our country this is a community right if you know he wanted people two of them on the honest and up front to deal with each other yeah but we got thrown I’m walking around all the radio and TV stations I got a ton of a list of the and then we were carried like a tax upon plays like that with we paid a guide you through this there and he called them up basically to nurture information would you still want to distribute them and you can imagine the fourth not right in the middle of this Nick I made one decision and the decision was this is H. U. B. as a right for us out we resent mark we we sent that to me not getting to make these decisions but we’re not gonna take eight ever right our staff and and that when I went to France with my my wife

here I am and I thought when I came back he would be gone and remember this like when you were in France you can communicate right you know we have cell phones you know I’m used to know so I thought I was going to die and I was ready it was like eight or nine years I’ve made very little money I was worn out and and and I I don’t know where it’s going to do but I yeah we got back in with the whole foods back when it was on Lamar where the item and it was a good will I don’t even know I think slogan will for we and we’re going there shopping in two different Republican check back to life I had no idea what I need and want that communication is the world was so different in terms of what you knew I mean people now they were called to talk to their parents every day I tell my parents like more once or twice a month but in terms of like now I would know everything because I would even you then with the dial fonts and and some people do and the wind turned out that we’ve been like back in the fifties and the and I think people spontaneously protest I’m feeling like time together and take it right right for us yeah no that’s that’s an amazing experience and experience and and the wild this part of it was we had a great paper I mean we have so many good writers we care move politically engaged we’re certainly culturally engaged totally focused on awesome music I mean my not review the new Grateful Dead at what we covered everything is being released local I’m Lou we had a vision and I think that we had a readership but now they know it I mean every time though we like the punk street thing exactly and all of sudden for to publish all anybody was talking about the product and so about and I don’t really know this is a major figure some period of time they could even months it could be year suddenly advertising took off and just kept growing because I think people start realizing when my audience read this paper yeah and we should advertise Allen’s best kept secret yeah yeah and and mark had given is this amazing gift Amazon at the same time people always come to us and said you know you can make money doing this soon verily didn’t work but one of the other papers the star doing telephone personals where you know you you paid something called of them the personal messages and may come to us was that okay and that then after making money was recently started selling advertising and around so this is about nineteen ninety one suddenly things begin to happen it will be at the best fave Basel fun I one point one want weekly finally like eighty eight another paper which had been a monthly Austin down powers are all became the Austin weekly

yeah then more more money than we did I mean they have a lot more so they had boxes in the color covers and more pages and I walked in Phoenix office and I was just terrible what are you gonna do they have boxes of color covers a more pages than we do and it was me said I think we’ll do we’ll use that represent the best combo possible and in two million dollars in three years later they were gone one I love the the part that what you just said you were actually grateful to mark for what he did so many times we we we look at a failure or oh my god this is the the something that is going on in my business a career or whatnot and it’s like so uncomfortable but then turns out to be a lesson I was not one to lunch with my son recently and is it okay if you could redo your youthful would you do differently and I was really unhappy I mean I can tell you the story sounds amazing incredible things but I was free and having I said nothing I have no idea I know that all that any misery I had in the beginning contributed to where I am now and I wouldn’t be any other you know I’ve not I would be I would say you know I get rid of this was who the hell knows what makes you who you are exactly you know literally I was in the Netherlands giving a talk at something and that when the boyfriend of the woman who is running things would work with attention deficit disorder children I think I have a deep attention deficit disorder not that the Senate’s model disorder it’s a different way paying attention and it certainly is paid off for me I mean it’s a totally different way paying attention and I and I think that I have it if you can and mazing and and I think it’s really fun lots of one for number seven it’s a different way of paint and what he was telling me how you know how Brady they were the kids now and all the stuff they do and one of the things that I’m not doing the right thing because maybe it’s better for them to have the have a house party is not you know no way if I if I when I came up I was I wasn’t even a D. D. I was an underachiever which can make you we were probably relations to believe the menu relays and so on and I was the one the other issues that the evil eye I use this label

I would just wait and and it was a blessing you know I I mean I’ve dealt with a lot of things and and again at the time I would just change that it was a science fiction story of how a poster we’re like a guy you know aliens leave like a pod the I. thirty going there from exactly one of the it’s a dream about that happening so I’d like to play sports and I thought it did you know literally that that misery that was you know live which was the fuel for everything that they let faith in and and and and get very few people have got to do what I’ve got to do right and enjoyed it as much because I I got a nine X. value notifications and the answer is great when you turn that directing when I was a bag of fossilized sector moving to make a film one like a basic undergraduate because I think thought if I’m gonna write about film and study finds no film so I wrote you produce I got everything together I was doing with two friends one of whom was shooting it and so the first they were all set up and them my friend and Larry’s doing with dentures okay where you want the camera does the very first shot and I just stood there and I thought I have no idea no do I can’t hurt I’m not a director and he directed it and I would have the and I never wanted to be director I mean which is you know I I wanna be a rockstar whenever one of the actors I knew I didn’t have the chops which is ironic because later on I corrected Linkletter doc and now they’re to correct some other films but because I know what I can and can’t do knowing what you’re after one of the early things that what I was very good it was and what I could and couldn’t do and I knew what I couldn’t so you hire people to do reserve created all I mean you know really was I could probably write a book on success napa said backed into everything but yeah anyone and you know I literally I never if I can do what I am to ten I didn’t have an ego I couldn’t do it I ended early prior life like that everything I do is kind of like a road runner cartoons Michael I would go off the cliff and now sometimes amazing

I run in there for a long time it’s not your fault you were going to die as soon as of yet you want to die and the worst thing is having you lose money I had none or be embarrassed I was I was in Paris I love that and that meant to lose a talk about your resume and jumping off a cliff Bennett of Dylan personally down but I love the road runner I was a you know I get the ground a number of times and then after while I use that example first one and then hit the ground very me more often than not we had these for easy ideas and because this is an extraordinary community you know I was always lucky is like at the work tell about south by southwest because now it how how many years it and thirty eighty seven is the first one so so the new music seminar in New York is the big deal and Roland Swenson had worked for a record label one in one hundred years working for the chronicle went out there and he’s very high on it and the guys thing that starting a regional branch thank god for cocaine because they didn’t and Sir Roland Swenson who worked at the chronicle Louis Myers is matter of bands came the naked eye one day and said why don’t we start on a regional conference and my first reaction was now shows this morning because you’re still slow and on weekly and we’re arm and a cash flow was horrible and I was terrified that would be biting off more than you could shoot but it is certain point one I’ve yet to get the idea more importantly they suggest the next to the last day of this event to be I am a softball tournament yeah and so I know is that in the water and Nick getting fancifully softball even though you know he’s going to do that you love sports so Soriano said fine but I did if you if you anybody says I said that first yes I said men and then early on in this in this is like around November of nineteen eighty six side to do it and then basically it’s a lot of me and Louis Myers and and neck and Roland sitting and rolls kind of the visionary who really got it sitting around talking about what it would be I was gonna be for only five stages regional school south by southwest is usually going to be Texas and Colorado and Louisiana can remember and we’re saying that what trying to come with the name I don’t think of north by northeast the fact and I so what about south by southwest in Roland peach favourite S. X. S. W. like within a minute and I was like okay that’s it the concept

and you know and and part of it was the notion we’re very punk and the whole notion is there’s no differently who’s on stage and who’s in the audience except for that for the hand that the state and that you learn best from you know the like we sort of Amy one like eighty five or eighty six we’ve gone to the can there’s alternative newsweeklies convention and we went after the love the Phyllis dory it was in name only flew in the bus and drove out the main like it before women like they were T. shirts and torn jeans a but I had a a button shirt the site of an image regular thing but I think that the site looks good will walk in and is mostly like address and publish and they’re all really well just I love the negative well you’ve met the future and you you will not well dressed but we learned stuff there I mean and and actually and we didn’t get a reply from members leading get in and rather than going cursing them we said that’s right let’s get better and we worked our asses off and got in the next year and eventually get one you know one of the most successful papers in the organization but it was really like you know when people were criticized for size so you can get Matt well sometimes you bring in a better I mean the iron and the the great the sweetest thing is when people tell you can’t do it and I had a life of people getting together for me couldn’t do it and I’ve done it and then in an instant because it’s been the fool or the right thing to do so we agreed to do south land and we and we will never like we’ve never learn like this you know and we have put in a convention we just we send people letters would call of like record company execs SO they would be in a panel and the and at the end if they said yesterday they have expensive packing invert faithfully forty dollars can you buy one so the other notion was so one was no difference between the audience and things on stage in the otherwise you learn best from other people you know that you know especially people working so those are the two pharmacists and we did the first one in March of eighty seven and we thought maybe three hundred people show up and seven hundred people showed up and and then it just works I mean at the end of that month I had money in my pocket for the first time since we started the chronicle not a lot but you know a couple Bucks and as I like to save you from is the glue started seven of care for the chronicle there was no cash let me but you know we can barely pay our bills yeah we serve no money but it was it it was an idea and we’re passionate about it and we spent an enormous amount of time talking about every detail and then the what and then an F. as Virgil yes okay let’s do that again so that we do it better and we spent an incredible amount of time talking to the far row is nothing new for real as more than a six hour meeting is a seven hour meeting and I’m like a seven minute meat

you know I’m not that I’m like Google now yeah but in an internal way all these different talents lose Meyer said run clubs with advanced your book bands Roland is that certain visionary thing but she we offer no oil but the forest together were very different people but we turn out to be a great team and so it starts out by entirely early on it became parents in a work I didn’t know this is like the third then I can face the fruit but like the third or fourth year is that a swing for the hotel and I was apologizing to somebody and Mr like crazy the best experience all year and I always I just focus on what’s not working yeah that’s my responsibility is that that work at Powell once and I’ve had better do not tell me to relax before it’s out I want to wake up at three in the morning and go over everything in my head because I would rather not sleep they have something wrong it is the highest quality standards or production and I was always it was never run making money it was really is best served in the audience and doing the best job possible and so we really I mean we we love the music we really cared about it we love that energy that interaction Maryland member with this panel on sign to draw everybody thought you got signed and then you’re in heaven so we did the panel has when you get signed and drop that that doesn’t happen and and was really was an incredible experience it was was a lot of work but unlike the chronicle if you kind of knew was working early I I mean I because everybody else that believe three seven hundred in your first show expecting three hundred and it’s it was it was yeah and then it was like and it just kept growing and you do you have an idea what what the numbers are now if add tens of thousands I really don’t know I mean because now it one they fry the integrator everything I’m not as involved as I used to be and and if they try to integrate everything together I mean I know like you know tens of thousands coming then hundreds of thousands of the offices near the numbers are probably amazing what I’d just not on top of him but it what what was seen the numbers it was that would be and then you could see the and for impact you can really see like one on one Roland said why don’t get papers like ours to co sponsor so I reached out to fourteen papers in the those of states and that of course monster and they ran ads what do you really think through they’ll most of most of send somebody I mean which I mean Ron smart of time for that and so all these guys were about rock showed up and then the probable and they said wait the running about Austin is they’re not writing about the rolling stones of the Grateful Dead when we read about our local if you look at what happens that and is the hold the I. why things that but the and and and more more of of the writers both with weeklies and the slicks would come to Austin and there was a certain you know thing where we were covering the music and are long and Michael corporate writing a musicomh who’s making fun of the music so not only were covering local music you know it’s something I mean I think the came and they want I think many of them but they died and gone

Disneyland heaven for rockers he came to Austin in the was barbecue and there was a Mexican food in their boots and cowboy hats and amazing music in the early days I used thank you for that and so I think south or south was succeeded because anybody can get laid in Austin Texas within the S. response and so that is the policy but let the fact that that bruising mazing instruction because what we can we’ve got that it was Austin but most importantly I mean we’re talking I’m from real one is to be clear about what you’re doing and an eight and if it’s going to fail you can you can you can buy okay I mean the same thing was one of my favorite directors in the family model was then to your house justified at the end of your days you don’t you’re supposed to do and that was the goal I would yeah I wanna into my have justified and so we were we like love the music we love and and was it amazing that watch the path and then the incredible things with them and one early on people who sign we never in the earliest would never stand because is rarely thirty walks in sees an axe in silence and that happened right sometimes it would and following that for a while the sun which I think this is good publicity or they’ve started watching which out find products we let the axe clean sung earnings again popping up a lot of places it was an honest with them right and then the other thing was that it was a major was suddenly March became a month a new albums got released one is the three feelings I was that you know it was like okay through and it was but the bottom line was we love the music and and the bank will be who died a few years ago I think certainly you know was one of the saddest and progress Brian Lewis Myers I tell you stories often the Lewis Myers who ran the music vessel left after the first six or seven years they just he had turned down too many bands and was kind of overwhelmed and I are friends and Berkeley you’d been muse gathered the chronicle we known took over and brand really was an amazing person and I am in random music music festival for years and years but like two days after south by I would go to Waterloo because I’m just succeed where my gonna do hi more records and and and almost always front would be there too because that’s what the report was in in and and so it was an ex incredible it’s very involved to be on music center we always the son wanted to film and because we’re phone guys I mean literally Munich and I may just regular phones so we want to feel without have a little boutique from vessel and so ninety three was the first year we did a medic I mean do you win burners and you should do it a new media as well interactive N. and CD roms you know whole with and so he did a track on CD roms with their track on film and then next year we just did inter action games on that but so we did film and the first sure number the the statement were the music for it was not a fan of mine the reason is that I will give you look at the line of it looks like the friends of Lewis black and I thought

well that’s the idea and they were all friends family who were the Texas chainsaw massacre and Michael knows with the reduced reformat and happily most able to become a good friend yeah but we had we thought would do a little boutique you know there were five hundred film fest and we kind of had really thought through that I reckon that it was this is ari ninety four Rechlin players artillery Klingler and which amazing not only a great filmmaker but he’s a catalyst is these very involved in the U. doesn’t lead down after slackers these very involved in the community loves to remote independent filmmaking is really admired by young coming up they’ll make a slacker inspired so many people and so rich in town and so ninety eight or ninety nine and we’re having a party in my house and look around and it’s on Steven Soderbergh Kevin Smith Robert Rodriguez Rick Linkletter when Tarantino Clinton again with the Toro I mean you know and and I had two thoughts one of which is that the roof caves in an American inventor films in very good health but then the one that’s most indicative of me was or what the hell did you fear I mean this is great but that they should look like fools because we can’t match this ends in took off I mean and it was again we we can’t so much was made of privilege I mean you know literally I’ve done life has been really really kind to me yeah but if if the out for certain things and work that I’d still be pretty okay when I think is is cool the way you see life I saw something online single time it’s like building a business hard life is hard you know if you keep your vision saying that that’s what it is and you don’t see that life is actually easier kinder that cut this is the attitude that you actually when I edited the Littler doc and then it ends just poured into relief I realize like early on five percent to percent work ninety percent then towards the end like ninety five percent working fibers and did I thought it was a disaster because I was from someone in war and in the end to that eleven I almost bought a congestive heart failure one hospital and I never saw the look what I was doing so if you’d asked me I’ll tell you that I felt because of all the things I thought what we I should say and do when things I’ve been through these walls I wanted and then kind of when I came out and and an intriguing really well which I didn’t expect I am interested people age was the editor of the chronicle and like you know people wonder need to consult on film Sir compartment and was that it took five PM

this is that it is I’m still in this process of kind of coming to terms with this a little loose flak reasons the hang out with me people have feelings for that item for them and it was really bizarre and he was so completely bizarre because up until then I was just driven and and and I was scared to death always you know and and I was worried about next five in doing it right as word retain your the reason we’re doing and when I stopped to look around it was like in thank god I am with brown earlier with a full I think it’s amazing that you start off with a concept and now you know thirty years later companies launch at south myself was not just because the closest film it’s startups come and lunch at this event because yes so many people there so it’s just one yeah and and like you know when now I would sit on Twitter when that again they launched itself it was a big deal what I’m really proud of those is where he can feel Madeline when many film or form the group there’s I I wish I remember the guy’s name there’s a guy I’ve been approved who have been kind of successful with it falling apart he was waiting on life and there’s a group of young kids are very high that the band is very out of there then they start talking feedback Max that’s this I mean does the story yeah I mean don’t you have the money thing that’s okay and margin okay what I it’s it’s have creativity and serve at how we work together and I really have a hard time now because you know it’s very in being cynical is very cool and and I and I have the problem of motion my life I want people say I want to do this and the ones who stuck to it not all of them and seven fate was fooled the some of them but most men they’re doing extraordinary things they were determined to do it in watching Rick Linklater come into his own you know it was you know he he does the first really does is you can learn to plow by reading books and basically he would put the camera turn it on turn sand on his belt nickel acted for any he was teaching myself how to make a film it was a feature anyone make sure you do a feature and that’s his first film and I was interviewing Kevin Smith for the dock on reckon Kevin those were both compa guys from New Jersey and so we’re we get along so does what I like to get to see plowing Rick first met maybe and I’m like well no I didn’t and how can you hear me the screen plow when you first met and now I feel like using Austin Cablevision facility so I had a promise of a couple screening you know nine at but I’m really screen and I think I probably resented the first real screening at the first that by southwest news as looking for films but I know he will meet the lamest first film or the worst first novel of force for anyone chills dude and Leslie or watchin and Rick didn’t even show it next film slacker

which I’m in thank god because he S. of I would be in and and at that point and then a couple of films and they were tedious and not fun and again I’m like I’m so it will respond a film makers of film program refuse Austin film society at that point the program for sale but that day I said often with any room in the store and as that was throwing said paranoid newspaper reader lock perfect for that number is more paranoid than I am thank god I went night showed up and I’m and so I have I made seven seconds and a flag and when he gave it to me this story that I pull some of them but I I watch it I VHS and I’m fast forwards I love bong eight seven was long takes about eighty eight and I watch my parts a couple times but I think about it and then a writer wrote something for the chronicle which we started on the cover of the rich and I read in the late this films about something I thought it just my friends as I had to watch it again and I really liked it but I didn’t get it until dazed and confused when I watch days ago views I remember seeing that they all he is the only thing you could see the similarities and even later than that why I love this movies but late in the game I remember thinking you know and was never the ninety eight the newshour and breeds contempt I was always a fan remember thinking when they should know sorry if I didn’t know Rick Linklater he one of my favorite directors you know if you ask me cool I’m I feel my we have put kind of I was lucky I saw it in nineteen seventy six or drive and I sucked H. T. which is Jonathan Demme’s first from the blew me away if years later I sent him balance of academic stuff I’d written on it and we became very good friends from eighty one until he died in two years ago and and and I think Rick and Jonathan are very similar in terms of their career in that every project they did deterrence own terms and they’re not that similar if you look at these down the stones are signs of lands Melvin and Howard stop making sense you if you watch the mall you one sale I know that it’s the same director I mean either and the same thing with a lot of Rick stuff and so when I say rich one of my favorites I mean Jonathan clearly we’re still tied at our lives you so much for that but those two guys I know and and they’re calling my favorite directors because what March their stuff is their passion and the fact that take a room the material on some terms some credible and just I can just sit here for hours and this is this is this is this is been wonderful sure

truly a master of craft and and long life of just kind of doing things and and and keep continue to improve and really appreciate you sharing I think you know people say a lot of credit I deserve some of it and that’s a lot of it was luck Milan or not like without without knowledge of that the spill over that devotion as meaning but it’s a lot of its lock right but more importantly I will function in the community for thirty years now where they care about the work there are not music politicians or film politics like a middle of the top three LA is low it laterally New York national it was actually with Brooklyn better about this the other night at dinner and it was like we need any cleaning the two guys who tried to don’t volunteer they didn’t care about the work they cared about power and prestige in the glory these and they last yeah this is a community where what are you done and it’s not like what he done lately it’s what if you do that and if you come up if you come in you have chops you know if you’re a great story they have to be a pretty damn great songwriter be noticeable in a town is lousy with amazing song writers or you’re good filmmaker everybody wants to know about it you know as in one point then by the Phil Miller the crown chronicle to book people were the blindfold them and to go some place in Burmese efforts because I’m the I had suppressed their talents which one is kind of weird and I told him when he comes I would have fallen a Christian rock but it was like wouldn’t you know there’ve been council we have in life we’ve written bad reviews we live for that moment that something excites us yeah and then we can we you call each other you know I mean are a year with one of the things that Jonathan was and he was turning on stuff I was certain I was coming out of Randall’s on lake Austin Boulevard the phone rang and others my wife complaining about me having forgotten something I was Jonathan who find the listings the Daniel Johnson stuff I’ve been giving him and I’ve had to stand there with one arm like for the grocery bag finally put it there for half an hour before he took a breath

as you just tell me how amazing Daniels well that’s what you live for yeah that you live TV live for that passion and used to work with other people have that act hi I’m serious you know I’m I can be a singles next guys seem to be you know harmful things I have experience for the precious few of them living in Austin in more often than not I’ve watched people come together seven needs help everybody’s there at seventy support everybody’s there yes as you need to a benefit the term used to be a formidable phone calls because our friends what radio stations that article and is it and and give their because you recognize that it’s collaborative in its cooperative H. community I don’t usually listen I want more see words but it is also packed right which is not a little apple even if any password miss packed up and it really and knowledge I mean one thing I loved about Austin was always that if you’re in film review expected in the past which button of rocky arcs around which the rave on you know you were engaged in the future and you had a responsibility you’re engaged in the present and your responsibility to future right but after slacker repeats the film’s Saigon two people can see films yeah yeah we start he called me up and blade nineties and there’s no there’s no longer any federal state funding for the arts let’s start the Texas my production fund will raise money and we’ll give away just and it was like of course and and you know and I get is a lovely world that then we have a crazy president we have an irresponsible Congress I’d lived in a very special cook coon for a long time where this day I wake up and it’s like what’s the days you know and actually in the last I was concerned you know what whatever looking district something else and nevertheless six months a couple things have happened they’ve been unexpected and wonderful right and not I noticed because the community and I know I when I die tour with films usually I go to the office and the less you talk about Austin and at this point subject I I I get you think I’m full of it that I’m lying the year they did they they’re sleeping with animals are feeling of strange drugs are stealing from each other with Alice is even better yeah I did maybe doing all those things not on my time is the joy we get in the music community and the film dreams seen feather ma and we don’t see each other line workers were usually working yeah I know the other night one of the no Charlie section Bob Dylan’s band leader in those the Austin music awards last an hour underestimated and we just sat there telling stories and we offer the same way which is we’ve been blessed beyond reason yeah we got to be part of this community thank you so much for being with us really gained an audience gained a lot of knowledge from your experience and I’m looking for this year’s south by southwest and continued to chat with you you know you more great I’m looking for to to live not as involved as Morris fries thank you very much I could have kept talking to Louis for hours thank you Louis for sharing your journey with us and I’m so inspired by your passion and your obsession with good music film and culture Austin is a better place because you are here the masters Vandersteen includes me damn Dillard producer Mariah gossip and audio engineer J. Wallace also thank you everyone is counting us and for your support want to connect with other masters and founders fans make sure you are a member of our Facebook group the link is in the show notes in our user reminder to share the show with a friend or lose a review on I tunes to help others find the show thanks for listening