Magic mushrooms, an obsessive tie wearer, astonishing Vermicelli, pottery of the gods, bastards of baseball, and one of the world’s greatest rock studios...let’s do this. Here’s your Saturday Six Volume XXVIII
EAT: SAIGON LE VENDEUR
Located in Austin on East 7th Street and operating out of a well finished out shipping container, SLV is for sure one of our favorite lunch stops. The simple menu and fresh ingredients (it’s like the veggies are straight from a backyard garden) make it a top of the list go-to. The toasted bread on their Banh Mi’ and the Vermicelli serve as perfect hosts to their uniquely seasoned pork and addictively flawless tofu. The shrimp and the fish are also surprisingly fresh and uniquely seasoned, making pretty much the entire menu exemplary. If it’s not a gagillion degrees outside, have a sit in their back shaded area - it’s a peaceful oasis from the busy city streets.
LISTEN: MICHAEL POLLAN INTERVIEW WITH TERRY GROSS
We’re sure you recognize Michael Pollan’s name from one of his highly acclaimed books, The Omnivore's Dilemma or In Defense of Food (two of his five NY Times Best Sellers), or you’ve probably even read one or more of them. Because of his deep knowledge and valid reputation, his new new book and studies are not only intriguing but have been causing quite a stir particularly in fields of medicine and psychology. Pollan has always been curious about psychoactive plants, but his interest increased when he heard about a research study in which people with terminal cancer were given a psychedelic called psilocybin — the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" — to help them deal with their distress. "This seemed like such a crazy idea that I began looking into it," Pollan says. "Why should a drug from a mushroom help people deal with their mortality?" Pollan started researching different experimental therapeutic uses of psychedelics, and found that the drugs were being used to treat depression, addiction and the fear of death. Here’s a link to an article about the book, but be sure to give his Fresh Air interview a listen. It’s definitely trippy. Get it? (Sorry that was bad but just too good to pass up.)
FOLLOW: RAINIER JOHN
This guy is awesome. We’ve been following him for some time now and he just keeps on going and going. Simply put, he’s “a guy who likes to play dress-up and take pictures of his chest every day.” Yes, every day. He primarily alternates jackets, ties (pocket squares/kerchiefs almost always included) and throws an occasional sweater into the mix. His taste and style is impressive. He states that he’s an engineer so that kind of makes sense to us for some reason, but either way, his feed is impressive and totally amusing to say the least. Check him out and, if you’re as impressed as we are, give him a follow.
SHOP: KEITH KREEGER STUDIO
The pottery of Keith Kreeger is stunningly beautiful and growing in demand by the day. Designed and made in Austin, we’ve visited his expanding studio multiple times and walk through oohing and aahing every time. KK says that they make porcelain wares for your favorite chefs, restaurants (we guarantee you know some of them or have even eaten off of his wares) and homes, but that’s not all. The vases and other fabulous pieces are works of art that can simply be displayed as just that - works of art. We raise our Keith Kreeger porcelain cups in admiration to the man himself and cheer here here!
WATCH: THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL
“Long before steroids and multi-million dollar contracts there was a truly independent ball club.” This is a story about ejects and leftovers from their hard knock lives getting second chances and becoming the greatest minor league baseball story of all times. This documentary is a true story of the 1970’s Portland Mavericks, a scrappy, independent, underdog baseball team brought together by actor Bing Russell. This is more than just an amazing story - it’s an anthem for making life as fun as it can be. Almost too good to be true, you gotta see this one.
ADMIRE: DANNY REISCH
Danny Reisch is a producer/engineer/musician from Austin, TX (and a longtime friend/fan/neighbor to HELM). His production and engineering credits read like a roll-call of Austin's most celebrated bands since the early 00's: White Denim, Okkervil River, Shearwater, The Octopus Project, Grupo Fantasma, David Ramirez, The Bright Light Social Hour, A Giant Dog, Erika Wennerstrom (of Heartless Bastards), Dana Falconberry, Bayonne, Bee Caves, and loads more - as if that’s not enough already. After running his studio, Good Danny's, on the east side of Austin for 10 years, he moved his operation 30 miles south east to Lockhart, TX, a quaint little 1950's time capsule of a town known as the “BBQ capital of Texas.” Small town living hasn't slowed his pace, however. The studio has become a first call destination setting for artists looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and focus on their art. This summer/fall you can hear his work in theaters, most notably in The Octopus Project's score for The Zellner Brothers new film Damsel (starring Twighlight's Robert Pattinson) and in Robert Redford's final film performance in David Lowery's The Old Man and The Gun. Check out D.R’s site at www.gooddannys.com and his current “best of” music here. KEEP ON ROCKING, Danny Boy!