Fiddler fundraiser

Fellow musicians to play Jan. 12 benefit for fiddler Ruby Jane Smith

Ruby Jane
Photo by Kelly Wendt
Photo by Kelly Wendt

A few weeks after being carjacked at gunpoint in Houston, Austin-based musician Ruby Jane Smith and her mom JoBelle are trying to move on. They've got things to look forward to; Ruby Jane's Kickstarter campaign, aiming to raise $10,000 for a new CD has, reached that goal with more than two weeks left to go. The musician and her mom spent a quiet Christmas in Mississippi with JoBelle's parents and are, no doubt, hoping 2012 starts off in a much better way than 2011 wrapped up.

One event they are looking forward to is a Jan. 12 benefit at Antone’s featuring Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, a band the 17-year old fiddler has played with many times. Austin favorites Dale Watson, Bob Schneider and Cowboy & Indian are also lending their talents to help Ruby Jane and her mom recover some of what was lost in the carjacking.

Many friends and fans have been anxious to help the mother and daughter, but JoBelle says they still have a lot to recover.

The Smiths were outside a friend's Houston condo complex after a gig on Dec. 8th when a man held a gun to JoBelle's head. He ordered them out of their vehicle and drove off with their SUV and everything inside. That included tens of thousands of dollars worth of instruments and equipment, including a violin custom made for Ruby Jane, a mandolin and a 12-string guitar. The guitar was recovered a few days later, the SUV a few days after that.

Despite JoBelle's tireless efforts searching dumpsters and pawnshops in Houston, her daughter's prized violin is still missing and nothing else has been recovered. “I'm never gonna give up looking, especially for the fiddle,” JoBelle says.

The two women weren't physically harmed in the incident, but it did leave them shaken. JoBelle says part of what is helping them heal is the outpouring of support from family, friends and the Austin music community. Two benefits have already been held to help raise money to buy instruments and equipment so Ruby Jane can continue to make music. (JoBelle says the Fire Marshall was called to the benefit at Victory Grill earlier this month, because so many people showed up.)

Head on down to Antone's on Jan. 12 to see some of our favorite local acts and show your support for Ruby Jane.

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Advance tickets for the benefit are $20. For more information, go to antones.net and for more on Ruby Jane's Kickstarter campaign, click here.

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Party Is Over

Half of Austin's Party City locations close in national 'winddown'

Party City

A chain of stores where the party is always going on is closing down: Party City will close its stores and has initiated layoffs, effective immediately. According to CNN, CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees that Party City had to “commence a winddown process immediately,” and that Friday, December 20, would be their last day of work for the company.

However, the actual store locations will be open until February 28, and some of Austin's are staying open indefinitely — but with some significant changes. As KVUE and KXAN separately report, two Austin locations at Balcones Woods and Sunset Valley Village are locally owned, so they won't be closing.

As San Antonio's KENS5 explains regarding the area's four local stores, as independent franchises they were not fully controlled by the Party City corporation, even though they bear its name. MySA got insight from San Antonio store owner Don Lasseter, who will transition his locations into independent party stores rather than Party City franchises.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, Party City is largest party goods retailer in the U.S. — the go-to destination for every type of celebration, with more than 700 company-owned and franchise store locations across North America selling home decor, candles, balloons, wrapping paper, tableware, bulk candy, baking supplies, and more.

A typical Party City store ranges in size from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet and carries approximately 30,000 items. Halloween accounts for as much as one-quarter of yearly sales, but they celebrate all seasonal holidays, from New Year's Eve to the Fourth of July to Father's Day to Super Bowl Sunday, and offer a wide array of merchandise for birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, wedding and bridal showers, and baby showers.

Party and costume merchandise has become more competitive in recent years, with companies like the budget-focused Spirit Halloween expanding beyond its Halloween pop-ups into “Spirit Christmas” stores, as well as competition from Amazon and other online retailers.

In 2023, the chain filed for bankruptcy, then emerged with a plan that included transitioning into a privately held company and canceling nearly $1 billion in debt. At that time, there were approximately 800 U.S. stores.

There are 64 stores in Texas, with four in the Austin area, as follows:

Capital Plaza — closing
Southpark Meadows — closing
Balcones Woods — independent
Sunset Valley Village — independent

holidays closings