Rachael Ray Defends Her Indie-Rock SXSW Party, Featuring Raveonettes, Holy F--- And Mac 'N Cheese

'People think I'm like this food robot or something, but music is a huge part of my life,' TV host says.
By James Montgomery

Rachael Ray
Photo: King World

Attention bloggers, indie snobs and all forms of Internet naysayers: Rachael Ray does not have time for your hateration.

And that is a very good thing, especially considering the storm of controversy the TV host and "30 Minute Meals" mogul kicked up last month when she announced plans to throw a day party at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. It seems the holier-than-thou music community didn't take too kindly to her invading their most sacred of sacred cows (or maybe they just weren't fans of EVOO), and they let her know about it through a series of snarky posts and general unpleasantness, the point of which seemed rather lost on the celebrity chef herself.

"I'm not aware about what blogs were saying about me," Ray told MTV News on Tuesday (March 4). "To be honest, I have five jobs, so I'm aware of what I have to do for them when we get up in the morning. But I don't see why we'd be out of place down there, when we're just fans of music who decided to put on a show. I guess if they don't like good music, and they don't like good food, they don't have to go."

So there! If you're not a fan of acts like the Raveonettes, the awesomely named Holy F--- or the Cringe (the band fronted by Ray's husband, John Cusimano), or if you don't want to try some of Rachael's South by Southwest Seven-Layer Sliders or Austin Mac and Cheese Suizas, then don't bother attending her SXSW party, which, incidentally, will be held March 15 at the Beauty Bar in Austin.

And for those wondering whether or not Ray actually listens to Holy F---, well, the answer is yes. Sort of. In fact, she finds it rather difficult to understand why people are amazed that she's an indie-rock fan.

"My husband and I listened to a bunch of discs and picked our favorites," Ray explained. "We also have Sirius, so we're always listening to the Left of Center program, which is how we heard the Raveonettes. With a band like [Holy F---], I have to say that it was the name that got us listening. But we're glad we did. They're pretty good.

"And I don't understand why that's so surprising. I find it weird that they find it weird. People think I'm like this food robot or something, but music is a huge part of my life," she continued. "I'm a huge fan of rock music in general — all kinds. I like indie stuff, my favorite band is the Foo Fighters. When I first met my husband, he told me what he made for dinner the night before, and I thought, 'OK, well, he can cook.' And then he told me he had a band and I was like, 'Aw, jeez. I hope they're good,' because I couldn't deal with someone who didn't play good music."

So, if her SXSW soirée is successful, will Ray consider taking it on the road to other indie-centric events, like Coachella or CMJ? Or has the blogger backlash proven to be too much for her? Well, to be honest, if she does throw another party, it'll have more to do with her schedule clearing up, and less to do with what a few message-board meanies have to say about her.

"I have so many commitments and so many jobs that it'd be really hard for me to sneak out and do this again next year," Ray sighed. "So this might just be a one-time thing. And to be honest, the food is more of what I care about."

Related Artists

• The Raveonettes

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1582742/rachael-ray-defends-sxsw-party.jhtml

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