Imagine Dragons playing the Frank Erwin Center on February 20.
Photo by Chad Wadsworth
Fresh off the buzzworthy "Radioactive" performance with Kendrick Lamar at the Grammys, Imagine Dragons made a tour stop in Austin on February 20. The Las Vegas-based rockers wowed an enthusiastic crowd with a power-packed performance at the Frank Erwin Center.
Playing in support of the first full-length album, Night Visions, the identically named tour then made its way to Dallas before heading to Nashville, Tennessee. Austinites that didn't catch the band's Frank Erwin Center performance have another chance to see Imagine Dragons in Austin this spring.
It was announced last week that Imagine Dragons will join the likes of Coldplay, Pitbull and Keith Urban at the iTunes Festival, which will take place during SXSW in March.
The Naked and Famous playing the Frank Erwin Center on February 20.
Photo by Chad Wadsworth
The Naked and Famous playing the Frank Erwin Center on February 20.
You can't talk about old Austin without mentioning John Aielli.
An award-winning, locally made documentary celebrating the legacy of Austin public radio icon John Aielli is finally coming to a screen near you. Faders Up: The John Aielli Experiencewill be available for digital purchase and rental across various streaming platforms starting Tuesday, September 30.
Faders Up initially premiered at South by Southwest in March 2024, and won the SXSW 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award, a category dedicated to "films showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians."
The documentary, directed and produced by Sam Wainwright Douglas and David Hartstein, explores Aielli's life and his 50-plus-year career at Austin's non-commercial music station KUTX 98.9. Aielli hosted an all-genres show, Eklektikos, which spanned all types of music and live performances that piqued his interest — even some that don't sound like music to most people.
The show also earned notoriety for Aielli's famously unprepared interviews, long stretches of dead air, and the occasional curse word, thus making the radio host a polarizing figure among the local community. Listeners either loved his antics or they hated them. But at the heart of it, Aielli was unapologetically himself.
"We've been in love and obsessed with John since first hearing his unique voice almost 25 years ago," said co-director David Hartstein in a press release. "By that point he'd already played such an important role in the artistic landscape of this city. To be able to bring that to light in the movie and demonstrate John's contribution to the open, tolerant Austin of today feels like a fitting tribute."
The documentary not only details Aielli's life in and out of the sound booth, it also serves as a look back at what made Old Austin great and classically "weird" while separating it from the tech-driven, "polished" Austin that has been evolving since. In the release, KUT/KUTX programming director Matt Reilly said Aielli was a vital component of "the fabric of Austin."
"Over his 50-year career, John did his part to shape Austin’s personality without intentionally doing so," Reilly said. "It’s such an amazing story. I’ve known Sam and David for several years and always been a big fan of their work. Not only are they great storytellers but have a great visual sensibility. It seemed natural that they should tell John’s story. I know we’re all in for a treat."
For those who want to catch Faders Up on the big screen before it hits streaming services, the film has two showings scheduled in September. The first screening will take place today, September 11, at Hyperreal Film Club (301 Chicon St.) at 7:45 pm. The second screening will be held at Austin Film Society Cinema (6259 Middle Fiskville Rd.) on Sunday, September 21, starting at 3 pm. Austin Symphony Orchestra conductor Peter Bay and a few special guests will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
Faders Up: The John Aielli Experience will be available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, and Fandango At Home.
