For those who haven’t scoped out Solange’s latest album drop, A Seat At The Table is arguably her best work to date. While the combination of cool spoken word and seriously badass beats makes the album shine, the music video for Cranes in The Sky is equally as rad. The video production squad landed hot and heavy in the little Hill Country town of Kyle, Texas during a deluge of August rain and captured Solange dancing in a modern steel structure with the tropical southern backdrop in all its lush glory. This rad architectural spot is none other than one of our favorite Texas venues, The Plant at Kyle.
Venue owner Mark Holzbach recently caught up with us about hosting the film production at his property and filled us in on a bit of behind-the-scenes action. He also has a few recommendations for anyone making the trek to Kyle.
Words by Mark Holzbach
How did this amazing partnership come about? What was your reaction when you found out your venue was going to be featured in Solange's next video?
When we were approached by representatives of Solange and Alan Ferguson, we were beyond thrilled because we so admire their work. Less than a year ago Detroit-based artist, Tunde Olanrian performed at The Plant and it is part of our intention to try to make The Plant a venue for mind-expanding cultural events.
Anything interesting happen on set?
The entourage braved the August 2016 flood waters of Louisiana and Texas to shoot some footage in the Hill Country before heading on to Lubbock. Despite the chaos of the weather, Alan Ferguson, Solange, and their crew managed to create this stunning and ethereal video! They arrived in enough time to catch the end of the day at The Plant at Kyle. As it came into view, the camera crew expressed delight at the structure and the ambiance. They took advantage of the twilight to craft a few sections of the mesmerizing video. Some of the dancers, on the road for days, expressed that it was one of the coolest places they had been.
What is your favorite thing about your venue?
My favorite thing about our venue is its surprising (1989, before-it-was-cool) story of adaptive reuse architecture using salvaged steel from the decommissioned Alamo Cement Plant in San Antonio.
What are 3 local tips of cool spots in the area from restaurants, cafes, shopping, landmarks, historical sites, anything that you loved while visiting?
These are all within 10 minutes of The Plant at Kyle:
-Salt Lick BBQ
-The nearby charming town of Wimberley, Texas - Including our famous "Boot Whisperer"
-Blue Rock Studio (destination music venue)
-A gorgeous natural swimming destination, The Blue Hole
If we know anything about Solange, it’s that she’s always ahead of the curve. She did start the whole all-white wedding craze, after all. Whether or not the Hill Country outside Austin is the next big destination spot remains to be seen, but we’re sure to be keeping an eye out just in case. In the meantime, we’ll keep rocking out to her music and trying desperately to learn some of those dance moves from the video.
You can check out more of Solange’s music video backdrops in our round-up of all the spots from Louisiana to Texas where this Knowles sister captured some solid ethereal moments. You can thank us later, y'all.
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Where are the other locations "A Seat At The Table" was filmed at? The entire collection of filming locations can be found here.
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Credits:
Venue: The Plant at Kyle | Photography: Saint Heron Records & The Plant at Kyle
