Is this Halloween accursed in some way? Under some spell? If things were going well, this would be a current photograph instead of one from a prior year.

Last night, some creature gnawed giant pits in the pumpkins that were going to be carved after work today. In places, the hull has been taken right down to the flesh inside. There’s no “good” side left. Candidates with teeth include gray foxes (unlikely), opossums (unlikely), and raccoons (probable). All these critters and more are to be seen frequently. They have accounted for all our cantaloupes thus far. I’m not even ingenious enough to carve faces in these cucurbits that will incorporate the gouges. They’re just all the wrong places. We’ve always left pumpkins out on a porch until carving time comes and nothing like this has ever happened.

And, then, there’s the trouble with the cakes. At this season, now that it’s a bit cooler, I bake a lot of Breton chocolate pound cake. The old tube pan is so dented and mis-shapen that it’s a bit of a disgrace. So I invested in a new Bundt pan. The first time, all was well, But since that initial success, the pan has been reluctant to release the cake. Every single cake has come from the pan in two pieces, and this is not one of those cakes that can be glued together with frosting and hidden under more frosting. It goes to the table pretty naked, so that people are fooled into thinking that it’s something that’s harmless to their diets.

So I don’t know whether I have the time or inclination to invest in two more pumpkins, and there’s a cake in the oven now (mixed this morning, batter chilled all day) and I’m in suspense about how it will emerge. I’m pretty certain that the cake will taste delicious, no matter how it looks, and Halloween will be fun, whether or not there are jack-o-lanterns on the porch. I always think of this as the national holiday of Austin and am just one of the many thousands who look forward to it every year.

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This is The Pit Barbeque at 4707 Burnet Road. Every time I’ve ever been by there, it has not been possible to stop, or the brisket has been sold out, or it’s been a Sunday. So today was a first. Even so, the small counter dining space and all the tables were occupied. So it had to be takeout. There was a line, a fast-moving one. In a corner and not too loud, there was a TV showing business news. Except for an older, probably retired, couple, everyone seemed to be stepping out from work.

The most prominent decor items were a homemade clock on a background of a wooden jogsawed shape of Texas, plus a lit plastic sign touting the three portion sizes of banana pudding and of peach cobbler. I like it that each table has its own napkin dispenser.

We left with a pound of the extra lean brisket and a large chopped-beef sandwich. These were very pleasing items, with no evidence of “ketchup-y” stuff anywhere to be found. The menu contains all the customary items. I’m happy that this was the luncheon destination today. We saw a lot of happy people there, including the staff. Since it took so long for The Pit’s schedule and location and ours to coincide, I suppose that it may be a while before they do again. I’ll be very pleased when that happens.

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Opening one last time this Sunday for a clearance sale, P&K Grocery, which has become a southside institution during its all too brief existence, will close its doors forever. Even the building is for sale, along with its catering and commercial refrigeration equipment. No asking-price is noted, but selling points should be that the renovation was by the Mell Lawrence architectural firm and the landscape design, by Gardens. It’s announced that the catering staff, under the name Spoon and Co., will carry on offering the prepared dishes that have been a big attraction here (see Metblog account one and account two if you’re wondering what you’ve been missing).

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Congress Avenue was made wide just for parades, but there aren’t as many of them as there used to be. We love bands here in Austin, as evidenced by the turnout for the Alvin Patterson Battle of the Bands and the regional high school marching-band events hald at Toney Burger Center and elsewhere. I made it home just in time from St. Iggy’s Family Affair (all those baked goods!) and the pumpkin patch at Grace United Methodist Church (one block east of South Congress) just in time for the new show from KNCT, 91.3 -FM radio, easily heard in Austin. Today’s featured band is the Second Armored Division Band. Tune in now and hear the remaining 45 minutes of this spirited music. Concert Time USA has been broadcast only about a month, but we try to hear it every week, Saturdays from 5 to 6 pm. KNCT offers streaming audio.

Update: Concert Time USA has its own Web site. Now up is streaming audio for last week’s complete show (October 13), with amazingly accomplished performances by three Texas high school band ensembles.

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Since soccer season started on Saturday, we arrived at Zilker Park in the late afternoon to the sounds of Blue October and Stephen Marley. After grabbing food, we parked ourselves between the AMD and AT&T Blue Room stages. Andrew Bird was a decent discovery while we waited for Arctic Monkeys. I can’t say the same about Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah, who followed Andrew Bird. As others have noted, the singer’s voice took on an annoying quality in the sound mix. Arctic Monkeys gave a good performance, but nothing that blew me away. I wasn’t close enough to see, but I suspect the large white lights behind them were borrowed from Arcade Fire’s stage decorations. The family and I parted ways for Arcade Fire since they didn’t want to miss any of Muse. I stayed to watch what I consider the best performance of the festival of the acts that I saw. Arcade Fire mixed great visuals with an amazing performance. I’d heard a few of their songs, two of which they played (“Black Mirror” and “No Cars Go”). The red lighting and kinescope-like images added well to the mood of the performance. It was often difficult to count the number of band members on stage, but the average seemed to be around 10. One guy pointlessly pounded the crap out of a cymbal for an entire song that none of us could hear, but poor sound at the AMD stage was a problem throughout the festival. I was impressed by multi-instrumentalist, Régine Chassagne, who played drums, accordian, and pipe organ among other things. I left Arcade Fire in time to catch Muse’s last few songs. They stepped into the headliner slot after The White Stripes canceled and they did an admirable job. I’m not a big fan of theirs from what I heard on the radio, but they impressed me Saturday night.

Sunday was our only full day at the festival. We arrived at noon to catch Fionn Regan at the Austin Ventures stage. His song, “Put a Penny in the Slot”, was an iTunes free download several weeks ago and I liked it enough to check him out. He put on a good show, but I found myself being distracted by the cacophony that Yo La Tengo was putting out from the AMD stage. This was the first of two times that I wished I could be two places at once on Sunday. After Fionn Regan, we relaxed at the “beach”, had lunch and let the kids run amok at Austin Kiddie Limits.
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Bouldin Creek Coffee House just got a little competition in the funkiest restaurant on S 1st St. department. Torchy’s Tacos has relocated its taco stand to a vacant lot across from El Mercado. A few tables have been set up away from the road along East Bouldin Creek for a leisurely al fresco dining experience. Local vendors are encouraged to hawk their wares nearby. A recent attempt to offer live music went somewhat awry with the neighbors upset about the late-night noise but after a flurry of email apologies and explanations owner Mike Rypka demonstrates that he wants to be one with the vibe of the hood. And he delivers.

The 3-time Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce champion serves up some tasty tacos. We stopped in for lunch last Saturday and fell in love with his green chili pork taco. The slow roasted pork is cooked with Hatch green chilis until meltingly tender and flavorful then topped with onions, cilanto and Queso fresco. I also liked the fried avocado taco (“Mmmm. Fried avocado….”) but AJ had only a lukewarm reaction to the Big Tex, stuffed with a grilled jalapeno sausage. Neighbors have recommended the beef barbaco.

Torchy’s Tacos is just the thing after hitting the South 1st St’s chic boutiques down the block. (AJ interjects that if you dare call this area SoFi then you are SoStupid.)

Location: 1207 S 1st St
Hours: Daily 7AM-11PM

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Went last night to the Pete Yorn/Dixie Chicks concert at the Erwin Center and was completely blown away- while the Chicks may have had to cancel Texas shows outside of Austin but they received multiple standing ovations and came back for an encore. Of course the Chicks have Austin ties- four of their children were born here, they shot a very famous photo here at Austin Studios, etc. I went with Leah and Brandon, and since we’re all from east Texas/northwest Louisiana, so all the songs are about us. We came out in full force, bumpkins dressed in cosmopolitan clothing, as if we didn’t have a coutry bone in our body. Meanwhile the people next to us looked like they were at the symphony or something. Whatever. Highlights from the setlist included a rollicking “Sin Wagon”, a stunningly lush “Top of the World” and a wry, energetic “Goodbye Earl”- in between songs Natalie treated us to her thoughts on Britney and K-Fed and amusing quips about where the songs came from and what they meant. We were sitting in a top section but it felt like we were just hanging out in their living room.

They showed a trailer for their documentary Shut Up and Sing, and to think about what they’ve gone through for the things they’ve said and yet they’re still touring and singing…they’re so inspirational. Even my dad, who bought me Wide Open Spaces, sighed with disapproval when he found out I was going to the show. The times have changed for the Chicks, but they’ve weathered the political storms and fickle fans to grow as musicians and stand by their message. The Dixie Chicks are heroes. They put on a great and moving concert, and they rocked my face off.

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Two of the freebies will tempt those there to spend a bit in a good cause. South Austin’s photogenic pumpkin patch one block east of Congress at 205 East Monroe, does sell those pumpkins, today and other Saturdays from 10 am to 8 pm, Sundays from noon to 8 pm, and weekdays for as long as they last from 2 pm to 8 pm. Your bucks benefit Grace UMC and, through Pumpkins USA, the Navajo Nation agricultural enterprises in the Four Corners region. Starting at 8 am today, St. Iggie of The South Austin H-E-B (St. Ignatius, Martyr, 126 West Oltorf) will serve up food, music from local groups such as Los Texas Wranglers, games, pony rides, and much, much more at its free fund-raising jamaica, just past the Tips house branch of Wells Fargo, off South Congress at Oltorf. Anything spent at this fall festival goes to programs and activities of the church and its associated school. Bring your camera along to the Austin Art Car parade that starts today at 11:30 am and wheels along from 300 Congress downtown, all the way to the Congress Avenue Baptist Church (1611 South Congress, at East Monroe), just a block away from that pumpkin patch we mentioned earlier. This is the fourth year. If the past is any guide, there’ll be two- and three-wheelers of several kinds, not just cars and pickups. The “Car-nival” afterward will be located behind the church. Events will run until 4 pm. I love a triple-play of events within walking distance of one another.

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Another installment of the links you lurve. I’m breaking it up into two posts (with another one later today). Enjoy.

• Apparently, Texas skiers like to go for broke on the slopes.
• See what it’s like when 20+ hobos get together on a stage at Emo’s.
• Yet another article wooing tourists to check out the Austin music scene.
• The Toronto Star interviews the filmmakers of "Metal, A Headbangers Journey," which will be showing at SXSW.
• "Slam Planet: War of the Words" (which was almost lost in the Guadalupe Arts Center fire), will also be premiering at SXSW.
• Apple has the trailer for the documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnston," which opens on March 31st.
• The San Francisco Chronicle does a story on local bands heading to SXSW.
• Those who can’t go to SXSW program their own private festivals.
• Give thanks to the Damage Control crew for creating the best hip hop SXSW experience ever.
• Brit acts are getting 500 grand from their government to go to SXSW. Beat that, Yankees.
• Wired covers the behind-the-scenes action during the making of Richard Linklater’s "A Scanner Darkly."
• Whole Foods’ CEO John Mackey gives a new agey speech (he’s a Libertarian–who knew?) fusing Ayn Rand with responsibility and starts a political movement called FLOW (Freedom Lights Our World).
• Laurie Gallardo’s "Before the Break" podcast covers Austin buzz band SOUND team.
• Vince Young: On sale for $99!
• Though Dixon Edge Coulbourn died last year, Ryan Richardson has resurrected his all-encompassing Idle Time and Pop Group sites [via] .
• Now entering its second printing, George Hurchalla’s punk masterpiece Going Underground has a sample chapter (PDF) available chronicling the Austin punk scene.
• UT Tunnels ends with a cryptic message.

More to come…

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If he looks this alarming by day, he’s sure to look at least a bit frightening when illuminated tonight for the first time. There are more where he and his siblings came from and will be right up until 8 pm tomorrow evening, Halloween night itself. This year, the tools of choice are a serrated blade for carving and one of those blue-enameled metal kitchen spoons from Mexico for scraping. I think that a serrated blade (like the one used for scraping scales from a fish) does work better than the plain thin and sharp blade used last year.

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