The Mistress and the Muse

Danika Boyle’s unique gathering takes its name from the two women who drove the salon’s theme. After falling in love with Paris at a young age, Boyle thinks of herself as the city’s mistress: she enjoys the benefits of an intimate relationship without the bureaucracy and harsh winters that come with living in Paris, but she also sacrifices “the deeper connection, the miracle of spring understood only after experiencing winter.” The Muse, on the other hand, was the woman who inspired Boyle to bring her stateside salons to Paris—singer-songwriter Kat Edmonson, whose sparkling sound was made for the City of Lights. After hearing Edmonson perform in Austin—the singer splits her time between Austin and Brooklyn—Boyle instantly knew “how perfect [Edmonson] would be in Paris; how the French and American expats would love her if they could experience her.”

The evening in Paris, which concluded a culinary tour of the south of France and Paris that Boyle led through her tour company, Petite Pêche & Co., was a perfect mélange des traditions—paying homage to the origins of the salon and to the expatriate culture of the 1920s. Like the très sophistiqués Parisians of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries who met in private apartments to discuss the arts, as well as the “lost generation” of international artists and writers who met in Gertrude Stein’s apartment, Boyle’s guests gathered to converse and to hear Edmonson sing. For Boyle, the salon is a means of “curating the right artistic experience for the right audience,” which she calls a “new ‘old’ way of connecting people around their gifts.”

Boyle’s first salons developed organically when she and her husband, music producer David Boyle, lived in New York City. They found themselves surrounded by musicians, who would often stay for dinner and end up in the living room, gathering for jam sessions around the Boyles’ Steinway. This sort of intimate performance, Boyle notes, “promote[s] not just the art but the artist.” Boyle later began hosting salons in Austin, which has become for her what Paris was for artists in the 1920s, “fostering creativity through collective interaction with other great artists.”

To that end, the Mistress and the Muse was not only an opportunity for music lovers to enjoy an evening of conversation and performance, but also for both Austinites and Parisians to engage with one another. Throughout the evening, sounds of conversation both in English and French filled the apartment, which was rented by guests Charlotte Warren and Dale Cole as a donation in kind. And the perfect apartment it was, from the archetypal Haussamanian façade of carved limestone and wrought iron balconies, to the herringbone parquet floors, double vitrage windows and spacious rooms for entertaining. Large prints from contemporary fashion photography provided a lovely antithesis to the antique French and Oriental furnishings.

In contrast to the quintessentially Parisian location, Boyle’s menu honored American heritage. Along with the fruit, cheeses, pâté and baguettes requisite of a French soirée, Boyle served guacamole, miniature hamburgers and hotdogs. And to drink, what could be more American than a mint julep? For dessert, Sandi Reinlie, Pastry Chef at Vespaio and Enoteca, followed the same culinary theme, creating a pecan pie bar and chocolate brownie with raspberry ganache.

The Mistress and the Muse marked Reinlie’s fourth trip with Boyle, and the pastry chef takes cooking in Paris as a welcome challenge. “I come on these trips when I’m looking for the inspiration that keeps me going in the everyday life in the kitchen,” she says. After exploring French pastry and working within the constraints of an unfamiliar kitchen, she “goes home a little bit better of a chef.”

Like so many Americans before them, guests from Austin were inspired by the beauty of France. For Lisa O’Neill, this spanned from the exquisite interior of the Palais Garnier opera house, to Monet’s water lilies at the Orangerie, to the countryside and the mountains of southern France. Photographer Charlotte Warren was equally struck by “the romance of Paris.” What makes the city special, she says, is “the beauty and the evocative feelings of history and culture.” As she prepared for her performance, however, Edmonson was most moved by the dedication of Parisian artists to their craft: “There’s plenty of passion here in Paris,” she says, smiling.

Her own passion for her art is evident when she performs, and when heard in Paris, Edmonson is simply enchanting. As the evening came to an end, Boyle’s muse sang a selection of classic and original pieces (she released her second album in March), accompanied on the guitar by David Blenkhorn, an Australian expat whom she had met the night before. Sitting on the edge of a large, antique dining chair, Edmonson leaned forward and sang to the guitar, her voice, at once creamy and piquant, filling the salon. And though she sang that she was not in love—“I don’t believe in Paris or spring”—guests couldn’t help but fall for the city and the salon rich with such culture, beauty and joie de vivre.

Kinfolk's Spring Panic

Opening up a volume of Kinfolk magazine is like a journey into an enchanting world of food and friendship. Built by an international community of creative people, the magazine celebrates the beauty of simplicity and the magic of gathering friends around a table. It was only natural to transform this philosophy into an evening of cuisine and conversation, shared by the people who inspire and are inspired by the magazine.

This year, the Kinfolk staff traveled the country from coast to coast, seeking out communities that embody the magazine’s manifesto of collaboration and craftsmanship. “The magazine draws on contributors from all over the world, revealing the ways we commonly enjoy spending time with friends and family,” Features Editor Julie Pointer observes. However, the community Kinfolk brought together with each volume had maintained many of its relationships online, and it was time to bring them face-to-face through the kinds of gatherings the magazine espouses. To that effect, Kinfolk launched a series of 12 dinners in order to bring together contributors, artisans and creative individuals in a different city every month. Each dinner, Pointer notes, has had a character of its own, whether Portland’s festive ambiance or Brooklyn’s social atmosphere. In March, drawn by the city’s support for small businesses and enthusiasm for craftsmanship, Kinfolk headed to Austin for a beautiful spring picnic at Johnson’s Backyard Garden. “We knew we would get many interesting folks on board,” Pointer remarks. “Austin has a really inspiring, small-scale community of artisans—and that’s what Kinfolk is all about.”

Austin’s creative set indeed came alive for the Kinfolk dinner, which was shaped by diverse artisans in every corner of the city. “We were connecting with the people who were connecting with us,” Pointer says. “We were excited to meet with them in person and feel like part of a whole community.” Though an installment of a nationwide series, the picnic boasted a distinctly Austin vibe: from Mara Ambrose’s handdyed napkins to stunning floral arrangements by Nouveau Romantics and jars of blackberry cobbler from Blackbird Bakery, local artisans worked together to craft every aspect of a perfect evening. Complete with picturesque, open fields and a magical feast laid before the guests’ eyes, the picnic was a scene straight from a storybook. Beneath a canopy of aromatic, century-old pecan trees at Johnson’s Backyard Garden, the 35 dinner guests found creamy picnic blankets on either side of a low, wooden board fashioned into a makeshift table, laden with jars of pâté from Contigo, wine from the Robert Mondavi Private Selection, fresh spring salads and more. Delicate wood burned salt cellars by Natalie Davis of Tool & Tack decorated the table, while a curious dog or two wandered among the guests, who were beginning to settle on the blankets and pour wine. “We always try to make the dinners really familiar-feeling and welcoming,” Pointer says. “Everyone is meant to feel as though they belong here, and when you’re sort of sprawled on the ground in a beautiful setting, it becomes easier to talk with someone and have a real conversation.”

To complement the relaxed atmosphere of the evening, Alice Crow and Ann Lowe of Any Style Catering developed a rustic menu of picnic fare with a Texas twist. Guests passed around family-style plates of muffaletta sandwiches made with meats from Salt & Time, pickled vegetables harvested from Johnson’s Backyard Garden, deviled eggs and decadent strawberry mascarpone ice cream. “The menu was very simple in the sense that it was picnic-ready fare, but very beautiful,” Pointer observes. In fact, “simple but beautiful” was an underlying theme that colored the entire dinner, which focused not so much on creating an haute cuisine, Michelin-starred experience, but rather on taking pleasure in sharing a meal with a vibrant group of people in a beautiful space. As the sun began to set, against a backdrop of flickering candlelight along the length of the table, Rob Lowe and Michael Muller of the acclaimed instrumental group, Balmorhea, treated guests to an enchanting, sonic feast, both plaintive and lush. After dinner, the guests lingered late into the night, not quite ready to break the spell of the intimate gathering.

There is, in fact, something magical about a beautiful evening in a pecan orchard, enjoying good company and the gentle strumming of a guitar under the night sky. Forgoing elaborate place settings and extravagant cuisine, the Kinfolk picnic was an invitation to Austinites to rediscover the city’s vibrant, creative community through the simple act of sharing a meal outdoors. “Sometimes, we get caught up making entertaining a big affair, when it can be effortless and easy,” Pointer admits. “I hope guests realize that bringing people together doesn’t have to be ornate or complicated.” As with each Kinfolk dinner, the intent of the picnic was thus to inspire and remind guests that connecting with friends and family can be both unfussy and elegant: “It really can just be as simple as going into your backyard with a picnic blanket and a couple of boards to set your plate on,” Pointer remarks. Ultimately, as the evening wound down and the candlelight began to dim, Austinites left the picnic reacquainted with the art of gathering and the brilliance of simplicity.

QueerBomb

On June 28, 1969, at a nondescript bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, a riot broke out. Though New Yorkers in the 1960s were no strangers to sociopolitical upheaval, this riot was different: for the first time, LGBT patrons and supporters resisted police discrimination, sparking a movement that endures today. 80 years later, Austinites pay homage to the Stonewall Riots with QueerBomb, an annual, explosive celebration of the city’s vibrant LGBT community.

Like its predecessor, QueerBomb was born from a shared desire for change. Dissatisfied with the increasing corporatization of Pride celebrations across the country, the founding members of QueerBomb sought to mobilize the local community and create an event that truly honored the historical foundations of the LGBT movement. “We felt strongly that there should be zero sponsorship, that it would be forever and always free,” says committee member and Hotel San Jose GM Bobby Johns. “We wanted QueerBomb to be open to everyone who wanted to come and celebrate.” The result was an evening unlike any the city had seen before—a fearless street rally and procession honoring both the diversity and the solidarity of the LGBT community. When over 1000 people took to the streets to march for the first ever QueerBomb—the expected turnout was 300—the founding committee began to appreciate the magnitude of the movement they had inspired. “We realized,” Johns says, “that we had created a community.”

Two months ago marked the third annual QueerBomb, which began at the Pine Street Station. With its eclectic, historic vibe, the East Side location was the perfect complement to the people who gathered there that evening. “It sang to us,” Johns smiles. The décor was simple and largely handmade, celebrating the DIY spirit of the event: sheets spraypainted with the QueerBomb logo fluttered in the breeze, and members brought decorations they had been crafting all year. As the sun set over the downtown skyline, guests trickled into the yard, some in jeans and t-shirts, others in vivid costumes, from glow stick hairpieces to papiermâché rooster heads. Honoring QueerBomb’s manifesto of unity, diverse nonprofit organizations, including AGLIFF and PFLAG, welcomed guests at their tables, as they prepared to rally.

“Austin is just one of those cities that’s cooking,” committee member Paul Soileau—better known for his performances as Rebecca Havemeyer— observes. There is a revolutionary new generation ready to fight for equality, and “if we can tap into that energy for a good cause, we can create something magical.”

Once the sun had set, the rally began, centered on a bare, understated stage with a microphone. QueerBomb attendees gathered to hear the stories of four speakers, each of whom came from the local LGBT community. “We don’t bring headliners in from out of town,” says Soileau. “We wanted it to come from Austin.” This year, Soileau emceed as Rebecca, but in the last few minutes of his speech, he removed his wig—a gesture that paid tribute to the drag queens of the 60s and 70s. “It’s a reminder that I may be a clown, but I’m also up here to deliver a message to you,” Soileau notes. And that message was powerful indeed: “I want people to look back at QueerBomb and think, ‘They were about love and joy and happiness and nothing else,’” Johns says.

The last speaker of the evening was Patrice Mallard, an African-American lesbian activist who had grown up in the Jim Crow South. When she announced her daughter was celebrating her own coming out that night, the outpouring of support and pride from the audience was tremendous. “You could see the activism reignite in her,” Soileau recalls, “and it charged the crowd.”

With that, QueerBomb burst onto the street and headed for the heart of downtown Austin. As they marched along East Sixth Street and under I-35, cheers erupted, reverberating beneath the tunnel and along the procession of people, which spanned five blocks. Unlike many Pride celebrations, confined to areas commonly frequented by the LGBT community, however, QueerBomb sought to bring the march to the forefront of Austin nightlife. Accompanied by a raucous drumline and the bold sounds of the Minor Mishap Marching Band, the march arrived on Congress Avenue, in full sight of the Capitol. “You can feel the excitement in the air,” says Johns. “The cars are going the other way and honking, and we all start screaming. The noise is incredible.”

Despite the summer heat, the energy upon returning to Pine Street Station was equally unforgettable. Marchers of all stripes and colors flooded into the backyard, embracing one another as tears streamed down their cheeks. Exhilarated cries of “We did it!” echoed throughout the after-party, which culminated a momentous day of action and solidarity. Guests danced the night away to a lineup of DJs and mingled with QueerBomb participants from across the country. That night, no one was turned away, as people from all walks of life joined together in a movement for acceptance, a celebration of difference. “This is the new wave of the way it should be,” Soileau says, “and it’s working beautifully in Austin.”