Who Is Scott Austin?

Ok, so another thing I recently decided to rekindle was my photography hobby! Over the recent holiday break I found myself geeking out and pouring over dozens of web sites and magazines researching all of the latest cool new cameras… and I found THE one!

Here’s the thing… I’m a busy guy. I also hate clutter and anything that adds “stuff” to my life. In fact I even have a “stuff” removal plan, where I insist on getting rid of something for every new thing I add. Seems crazy I know, but it works AND I keep my sanity.

So, back to the camera, it’s the G11 by Canon and it rocks. It’s a digital slr but without all the bulky lenses / attachments / etc. The smaller size (though still bigger than say a Powershot) means I’ll actually drag it along on walks etc AND the picture quality is impeccable. And the coolest thing about the camera is that it’s completely unpretentious. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not and isn’t all that flashy. In fact it almost looks “military”.

I know what you’re thinking… Show me a pic! So here you go, more to come!

AND

How cool is this?! I want to get a corner penthouse that overlooks… well, nothing!

BMI and Authentik Artists present: Truth Movement featuring Corey Feldman, hosted by Ed Begley Jr. plus special guests. A Green Carpet live premier event helping to raise funds and collective consciousness for our environment. $20 gets your ticket and a portion of the sale goes to Global Green USA. Purchase tickets at the Key Club box office or at www.ticketmaster.com

Hope to see you there!

Another year, another trek to the annual South By Southwest Music fest in Austin, Texas. As usual, I am going to skip the bla bla blogging and go right to the pics!

Bloody Mary’s with The Kin at the BMI Brunch @ Four Seasons

Charging up with Dear Future on some AMP, courtesy of the AMP rolling ice chest girl

Strolling down 6th with …

Waiting for another meeting, are you seeing a pattern here?

(p.s. shot over 4 days so give me a break!)

So the Holidays ended up being some of the the most amazingly relaxing times I can remember in recent history… This despite the fact that they took smASH and I on adventures that began at the Annual Holiday Party in LA and continued through New York City, Vermont, Newport Beach, Las Vegas, Big Bear and back!

Special thanks to all of our friends and family who provided new memories and good times abound.

In photos:

Scott Austin and Kevin “Better Than Ezra” Griffin

Scott Austin and Mike “Einzett” Mankarious

Scott Austin and Bob “o” Bradley

Steve Stephens, smASH, Scott Austin and Kevin Griffin

Lindsay Gores, Brandon Rogers and Scott Austin

Scott Austin, smASH and The Brightman Family

Scott Austin, David Post and Dave Woeckner

Scott Austin and Octavio “Rok” Gallardo

JFK Terminal 5

The Younger Set making fun of the Older Set

Santa on CNN.COM

smASH and Beastly

Scott Austin and smASH

Fashion Island Tree, in all its glory 2008

Martini overlooking the Las Vegas Strip

Mom Austin, Sis Alex, smASH and Scott Austin in Vegas Baby Tram!

and finally…

Congrats to the unstoppable force that is smASH on her first official gallery showing…  The Hollywood Blvd. Gallery was full of freaks, geeks and chics alike with the cocktails flowing and good vibes abound.

Here’s smASH talking to a potential customer:

And though the highlight of the night was smASH basking in the glory, there was also this:

 Life Imitating Art.

If you’re in the Hollywood, CA area on November 20, 2008, be sure to stop by The Highlands to witness the dawning of a new era… No, not really, just me hosting The Hollywood Music Awards…

Would love to see y’all there!!!

I’m pleased to announce that I have been asked to moderate “It’s Broken, Fix It”, a panel featuring multi-platinum Record Producer/Record Mogul Dallas Austin (Madonna, TLC, Pink, Kelis), Steve Yegelwel, President, S-Curve Records and other industry leaders at the 2008 CMJ Music Festival taking place in New York City next month.

This is the first year I’ve been asked to speak at a coveted CMJ engagement and I am truly honored. I am proud to add this amazing focal point to the growing list of opportunities where those in the know including EXTRA, G4 TV, Style Network, Music Connection Magazine and others, have asked my advice on music industry issues.

If you’re going to be at CMJ in NYC this year, hit me up and let’s grab a cocktail.

How cool. Last night after a delicious Italian meal in old town Pasadena, one of my favorite towns in L.A., smASH and I had the distinct pleasure of happening upon a place she has been trying to get me to check out for a few weeks now.

Wish Tree for Pasadena was setup by Yoko Ono and it’s literally a collection of trees surrounded with tables with boxes full of tags and little pencils where anyone can scribe their thoughts, wishes or otherwise and hang them on tree branches for the whole world to see. We spent a good 20 minutes wandering around and reading the thoughts and hopes of those who had already contributed.

If you’re looking for one small reminder of why we’re all here, grab a coffee and wander around the thousands of wishes and hopes, but try to do it at night!

You gotta love Burbank airport… Not only is it uber-convenient for valley-centric folks such as myself, it’s also a hotbed for entertainment industry folks who don’t want to hassle LAX.

I was screaming into my bluetooth getting some down and dirty biz done before my flight to SF this weekend when I noticed the incomparable Mini Me boarding a flight out of the gate next to mine.  Some quick-footed thinking led me to grab a quick pic of the legend, with a guest appearance by Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong on my ensuing flight.  The uber-fan Southwest attendant looking after us asked me if I was a “rocker”, due in large part to the ‘hawk, to which I provided ample encouragement for him to go and get the autograph I knew he would regret not getting later.

Right Time, Right ?