Arts & Entertainment

Last night, French pop stars Phoenix took the house down at Stubb's. Our photographer Pooneh Ghana was there to catch all the action from this legendary show. more ›

Austinist is proud to present Owen Pallett at Mohawk tonight—see below for the giveaway entry form—as he's touring in support of the excellent Heartland, his first album under his own name (you may know him better as Final Fantasy), and undeniably his richest, most demanding and virtuosic release yet. In preparation for that batch of complex violin-looping and meta-commentating storylines (in the album, Lewis, an "ultraviolent farmer" from an imaginary world, contends with his God and creator, Owen Pallett), we had a little chat about the music industry, narrative, and, of course, Lady Gaga. more ›

One man musical entity Dosh has a strong reputation for flouting genres, and on his fifth album Tommy the musician slices into everything from smooth jazz to progressive rock with equal opportunity. Tonight, he's hitting Emo's with a triple bill ripe for the musically adventurous. more ›

The fifth annual "Art in the Garden" spring show and sale takes place this weekend, just in time to pick up some handmade Mother's Day gifts. Presented by the Handmade Austin Women collective, this family friendly event boasts an eclectic and high quality mix of craftmanship including milliner and clothing designer Chia, ceramic work from Melanie Schopper and unique handmade jewelry from Jaime Jo Fisher, among others. In addition to handpicked artisans, attendees can enjoy marionette matinees and musical performances throughout the day. more ›

Back in 2008, we said: "Philadelphia's Dr. Dog have been honing a sound based on a love of classic 60's rock and psychedelia. Pick up any album, and you'll see a love for Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, and The Zombies interwoven through all of the material in a loving but graceful manner. There's no doubt that the band are less concerned with being cool or indie and more interested in emulating what they love about the geniuses in their record collection." more ›

Leading up to Pachanga (May 21st and 22nd at Fiesta Gardens), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Austin’s Brownout. more ›

Owen Egerton is an accomplished local writer and comedian who works freely between humor and heartbreak, pathos and poop jokes. Egerton is lately celebrating the release of The Book of Harold, the Illegitimate Son of God, a novel ten years in the making which gleefully explores the life of a Houston-area man who claims to be the messiah. more ›

It is safe to say that Mel's many-years-running RTC has been the lighthouse for those who crave the I Want My MTV songs to sing along with, to sweat all over, and to go dancing like rabid apes on for a few hours. Congrats on #38 Mel! more ›

Galveston, Texas, has a pretty exciting past: its long list of state firsts (first post office, first opera house, first telephone, first bakery, first insurance company, first Masonic Order chapter); the devastating hurricane of 1900; the sin city days of gambling, prohibited liquor, and prostitution; the recent proliferation of adorable gift shops. 1950s Galveston—back when it still had a reputation for wildness—is the setting of Austin writer Carolyn Osborn’s new novel, Uncertain Ground (Wings Press), which she’ll be reading from this Sunday at BookPeople. more ›

Mono is another stellar band from Japan that never fails to include an Austin stop on its U.S. travels and the 2010 tour is no exception. The explosive post-rock outfit was here last October in support of 2009’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind and turned in a typically fiery set, garnering many new fans along the way, no doubt. Later last year, the band was joined on stage by an orchestra at its 10th Anniversary Show back home in Tokyo. Mono also celebrated the occasion while in New York during that 2009 tour, this time accompanied by Wordless Music Orchestra. The result is a brand new CD and DVD, Holy Ground: NYC Live with The Wordless Music Orchestra, released this past Tuesday on Temporary Residence Limited. Although the 24-piece orchestra won’t be in attendance this Friday, head down to Emo’s regardless and watch the gifted musicians from Mono meticulously conjure up the calm before the storm before delivering an aural assault that engulfs you in the storm itself. Doors open at 9 p.m. -- be sure to get there early for Balmorhea’s beautiful, euphonic compositions; check out our review of Constellations here. more ›

Catch a whole bundle of bands tonight at the Mohawk in support of a good cause. Tonight's Show N Tell: A Benefit for Groundwork Music Project will help Groundwork provide free and low-cost music classes to preschools with limited means. more ›

On Thursday night as part of the Epistrophy Arts spring concert series, Jordan will appear in a trio with drummer Hamid Drake and Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, one of Austin's newest artist residents. Jordan and Drake have played together in various groups before, but this will be his first meeting with Flaten - expect the power-trio pyrotechnics to deliver handsomely. more ›

Phoenix, like our own local-to-international stars Spoon, found mainstream success gradually, churning out one slick tune after another until, finally, as if angels called down from heaven to startle slack senses into awareness, the likes of "1901" and "Lisztomania" made sure that the band would never again be overlooked, nor unheard in the finer Cadillac commercials and movie trailers of our lives. And they won a GRAMMY, for God's sake! Who does that? While playing rock and roll!? Crazy! But anyway, they will be playing some of their songs for us tonight at Stubb's, with the quite good Irish band Two Door Cinema Club opening. It will be awesome. But get ready to haggle streetside, because someone apparently bought all the tickets already. more ›

Tonight, beginning at 6:30 PM, three Texas writers whose works similarly cross boundaries between fiction and non-fiction gather at the O.Henry Museum for Writers in a Room, a program which invites agenda-free conversation between writers and their audience. more ›

Leading up to Pachanga (May 21st and 22nd at Fiesta Gardens), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with San Antonio’s Piñata Protest. more ›

We're always excited when locals The Church of the Friendly Ghost announce a new type of performance, whether it's their female-centric Ladyfriends series or a party celebrating YouTube's birthday. The ambitious minds working behind the scenes at the Church never stop, and they've got a big fish to fry this summer - a festival called N.M.A.S.S. (New Media Art & Sound Summit) to take place from June 17 - 19. Read more about the festival and how you can contribute after the jump. more ›

The last installation of From the Mind of Adi was satisfying on a number of levels: intellectual stimulation with art upstairs and local music downstairs, plus gastrointestinal stimulation with free food from Frank. And then the braver amongst us ventured onstage for Indieoke, but that's a story for another time. more ›

German reedman Peter Brötzmann is a welcome guest in Austin on Wednesday night; he's appeared in town with a number of different groups over the years as one of Germany's - and Europe's - best known ambassadors of jazz and creative music. more ›

While the news that People broke this morning about Ms. Bullock's adoption of a baby boy comes as a surprise, the news of her filing for divorce against Jesse James is much less of one. According to TMZ, Sandra filed Friday, April 23 with Travis County Court (claiming her Texas residency), using the initials "B.A.S." with Mr. James referred to as "J.J.G." [TMZ] more ›

After being delayed by the Icelandic volcano, Bristol performance duo Action Hero made it to the states on Friday ready to perform their A Western in the Great Nation of Texas. Our hero and his lover used various parts of the historic Victory Grill to stage their epic western romance. Playing with formulaic components of westerns, the pair took turns narrating scenes - "So, this is the scene where our hero walks into a crowded, noisy bar, and everyone stops talking". As the audience, we obeyed the pertinent stage directions and took turns various playing the parts of The Bad Guys, A Card Player, A Good Man in a Shoot Out, etc. The playful performance went beyond parody and Action Hero's enthusiasm for the genre was evident. Now, this is the scene where we ride off into the sunset. more ›

Currently showing at The Austin Museum of Art is American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print, a collection of works from the legendary Nashville-based letterpress shop. Started in 1897 by two brothers, Hatch Show Print is a still-functioning letterpress shop that is perhaps best known for its posters of Grand Ole Opry stars. The show is presented in conjunction with the Smithsonian and the Country Music Hall of Fame, the latter of which now owns and operates Hatch Show Print. more ›

When Bill Maher called Sarah Silverman "the bravest girl I know" he was referring to her having never made 'concessions for political correctness' and for taking shots at the Vatican in her cute and scorching way. Her courage to so hilariously mock such substantial institutions centers around her self-deprecating humor which endears her to nearly everyone. With titles like Jesus is Magic, The Sarah Silverman Show, and "I'm F*cking Matt Damon", we've watched her mock her religion, herself and her relationship in a sugar-sweet voice that hits hard and fast. On her book tour which stops in Austin today at BookPeople, Ms. Silverman exposes yet another personal characteristic for fodder, one that she shares with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Michael Landon, and Jeffrey Dahmer. In her new memoir, "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee," Ms. Silverman explains how she absorbed the humiliating experiences of being a bedwetter into her early teens into becoming today's most audacious comedienne. more ›

Tonight at the Hotel San José, Amelia Gray and Austin Kleon will appear at the Fusebox edition of Teleportal Readings. Teleportal Readings, the brainchild of Monofonus Press, are monthly multimedia events for those “who love reading but hate readings.” That means that instead of soporific recitations from a lectern, Teleportal delivers a dynamic experience that includes musical guests, video clips, and a pop-up shop from Domy Books—all of which you can experience with, perhaps, a Modelo or champassion from the San José’s bar. Things kick off at 8 p.m. more ›

The record is absolutely brilliant and beautiful, and Pallett's live shows are no different. He uses a looper to create layers of violin and vocals. He's also known to cover a Mariah Carey song once in a while, so you don't want to miss it. Pallett will be at The Granada Theater on April 29 (buy tickets here) and the Mohawk on April 30 (see link above), so buy your tickets now -- this one will sell out. Want to take your chances on a pair of free tickets to the Mohawk show? more ›

Austin Psych Fest 3 happened over the weekend at Mohawk, and the spectacle did not disappoint. Austinist contributing photographers were on hand to document the entire weekend. Here's a look at night one. more ›

Austin Psych Fest 3 happened over the weekend at Mohawk, and the spectacle did not disappoint. Austinist contributing photographers were on hand to document the entire weekend. Here's a look at night one. more ›

What’s the Deal: We’re bringing you another international band you should know this week. Choir of Young Believers are a sometimes haunting folk rock group from Copenhagen, Denmark. Their members rotate, but always include singer/songwriter/guitarist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis, and can also mean a backing choir of what we can only assume are indeed young believers. We know that their Danish homeland believes in them, so much so that they’ve backed the band to score some No. 1 hits and at least one Danish Music Award. more ›

Austin Psych Fest 3 happened over the weekend at Mohawk, and the spectacle did not disappoint. Austinist contributing photographers were on hand to document the entire weekend. Here's a look at night one. more ›

Leading up to Pachanga (May 21st and 22nd at Fiesta Gardens), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Austin’s Vallejo. more ›

Last night, Beach House and Washed Out performed at Emo's downtown. Austinist contributing photographer Pooneh Ghana was there to catch all the action. more ›

Fusebox Festival's first weekend schedule is packed with must see performances, but since the multi-disciplinary contemporary art and performance festival takes place all over town, you might have to do a bit of planning to be able to witness all that is has to offer. Just promise us you'll check out a few things - many of the performances are free and open to the public and ticketed events are pretty darn affordable. All-access passes are available for $125 and since the festival continues through next weekend, they are still a good value for those who can attend many performances. The full schedule of Fusebox Fest events is available online, and here's a rundown of this weekend's performances that we're most excited about: more ›

Flip through the Austinist Weekend Music Preview Slideshow for information on a number of events in town this weekend. more ›

We hope you’ve been enjoying all our interviews leading up to this weekend’s Austin Psych Fest at The Mohawk. Today, we bring you our conversation with Christian Bland, guitarist for The Black Angels and a member of The Reverberation Appreciation Society, curators of this emerging festival. The Black Angels will headline the outside stage on Saturday the 24th and perform again on Sunday at 7 p.m.; expect to hear healthy portions of their new record (if not the entire record!) during their two sets. The album is set to be released this July. more ›

Local Natives' lush arrangements, harmonizing vocals, and sensitive-but-not-toooooo-sensitive California five-piece approach give energy to their passionate, tightly-wound pop songs, and it's no wonder that not only did this show, a mere six weeks since their SX blitz, have to be moved from Emo's inside to the much larger Antone's, but that the show (a late one, and opened by Suckers) is dead straight sold out. So best of luck to you in corralling a couple tickets to this one. That said, do your best: it's pretty much guaranteed that this show is going to make for a fantastic evening, and, who knows, at the rate they're going, it may be the last time you can catch them before their crowd doubles yet again. more ›

Right now, Austin is covered in art - quite literally! Magda Sayeg and her enterprising crew of yarn bombers, Knitta Please, have swathed artist Carl Trominski's Moments (the blue signs along Lamar at 6th Street) with custom knit cozies. Art Week culminates with this weekend's Art City Austin, a two day downtown festival featuring nearly 200 juried artists, more installations, live music, great food, family art projects, and more. Daniel Patrick Morrison's photo-mosaic Carboard Sky will debut this weekend. Art City Austin will take to the streets (Cesar Chavez Street, from Colorado to Lamar including the 1st Street Bridge, to be exact) on Saturday between 10am and 6pm and on Sunday from 11am to 6pm. Tickets can be purchased at the entrances of the festival. more ›

It should come as no surprise that the First Lady of Dream Pop, Victoria Legrand, is a world traveler. Much of the appeal of her deservedly lauded vocals lies in the way she employs them as a kind of teleportal audio device for the listener. At times her voice seems to waft in on Mediterranean breeze, at others turning deftly to deliver an icy chill evocative of Northern climes. Yet it's hard to imagine a more fitting name for this Baltimore duo. Though their eponymous beach house may sit on an unchartable location flitting back and forth between balmy tropics and the rocky Hebrides, it's virtually impossible to refute the pair's uncanny ability to build a space for their audience to visit. Beach House's sound is both unabashedly domestic and youthfully undomesticated. more ›

As part of Austinist's Psych Fest coverage, we're running some interesting interviews with participating bands written by our friend, Ryan Muldoon. Here's his interview with Daughters of the Sun. more ›

Danish duo the Raveonettes sound a bit like someone put one of Quentin Tarantino's soundtracks in a blender. Fifties and sixties riffs are coupled with bursts of noise, hypnotic drum beats, Everly Brothers-inspired harmonies, and guitar lines that range from the surf rock sublime to riotous solos straight off an early Dinosaur Jr. record. more ›

rt Week Austin heats up with Pecha Kucha Night Volume 8 this Thursday. In the Starr Building, starting at 8:20 pm sharp, a line-up of 12 local mavens will have just 600 seconds each to provide insights about their respective creative fields. This Tokyo-born tradition of straightforward slide presentation keeps things dynamic with a time limit of 20 seconds per image. more ›

We caught up with Rose this past Tuesday to learn more about his time in Brooklyn and find out which artists have the honor of being sampled on Explains It All. more ›

Let's get this out of the way right now: The Dutchess and The Duke owe heavy debts to the early Rolling Stones and, to a lesser degree, (Van Morrison's) Them. The harmony vocals, guitar picking, and simple but brilliant direct arrangements feel like they should be coming from a scratchy 45 - which isn't a bad thing at all. The duo's 2008 debut She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke earned praise from Pitchfork and Tiny Mix Tapes for the organic approach to recording employed (they used an 8-track) and the resulting effort, which was described as simultaneously "dated" and "classic."

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Though rehearsals for City Theatre's adaptation of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told have yet to begin, a handful of Texas-area Christians are already expressing their disapproval for the flamboyant retelling of the most tried-and-true Bible stories through threats, menacing cries of immorality, and, we would imagine, a great number of "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" picket signs. more ›

Oh, hello. Just taking a moment here to update the Wikipedia Extreme Sports page so it will include Literary Death Match in its listed activities. Not an extreme sport, you say? Well, it says there that extreme sport is "a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger". Opium Magazine's Literary Death Match, happening this Thursday at the Speakeasy in Austin, encourages four local writers to ignite their words with acerbity and wit while their opponents either swallow them whole or chew them over before spitting them back hotter than then before. No subject is off limits so there's no telling how quickly it will be before the whole place goes up in flames. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (this weekend at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Austin’s The Tunnels. more ›

As part of Austinist's Psych Fest coverage, we're running some interesting interviews with participating bands written by our friend, Ryan Muldoon. Here's his interview with The Meek. more ›

Pink Mountaintops is the doe-eyed, experimental psych rock mistress to Stephen McBean’s other outfit which the songwriter, guitarist and co-vocalist helms, Black Mountain. An argument could be made for the reverse as well, however, being that both bands emerged at roughly the same time and have been nipping at each other’s heels in terms of album release schedule ever since. It’s a special treat for McBean’s fans though, who get twice as much music to lose themselves in than usual. more ›

The New Pornographers won't release Together officially until May 4, but here in Austin, we've got the advance and we're ready to share. Austinist, The Onion and Flux-Rad are proud to present a New Pornographers Get Together & Listening Party tonight at the Scoot Inn. more ›

Fusebox Festival officially starts today with what will surely be an epic display of Texas pride unfolding on the steps of the capitol this evening at 6:30pm. Choreographer Allison Orr and composer Graham Reynolds (whos previous collaboration, The Trash Project, blew us away last year) have teamed up to present T is for: Two Hundred Two-Steppers on the Steps of the Texas Capitol. A fifteen piece Texas swing orchestra featuring vocalists Dale Watson and Christina Marrs will accompany the dancers for their thirty minute performance. For the evening's final "All-Step" piece, audience members will be invited to two step their big Texas hearts out as well. Show up early - Stubb's will be on site serving up free BBQ to nourish ravenous dancers and audience members. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (this weekend at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Brooklyn’s The Vandelles. more ›

Art Alliance's Art Week Austin is in full swing with many exhibits and happenings taking place around town today. Down in the 2nd Street District, Rachel Cook and Claire Ruud have curated the multifaceted exhibit, One swallow doesn't make a summer. Taking it's name from former mayor Kirk Watson's assertion that "One swallow doesn't make a summer, and not even a dozen development projects make a Great Downtown", One swallow hopes to invigorate our developing downtown by inviting artists into unique exhibition spaces for many to enjoy. Various artists have pieces on display at 210 Guadalupe, 400 W. Cesar Chavez, 117 Lavaca, and 233 W. 2nd St. - work ranges in scope from large painted canvases to sound and video installations. One swallow's gallery spaces are open from 11am to 6pm today through Saturday with curator walking tours taking place at 12:30pm daily. more ›

Set your alarms: tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., ACL Fest will start selling tickets for this year's festivities. Early bird tickets went quickly this morning, so be sure to get over there early for tomorrow's on-sale. Three day passes are $185 this year. more ›

At age eleven, Angella Nazarian was in exile. Having fled Iran during the revolution of 1979, Nazarian arrived in Beverly Hills (of all places) with understandably complex feelings about identity and culture. more ›

Sticky, pungent and green - spring and its accompanying weather are here in full force, and today we celebrate that special day wherein it becomes almost non-criminal to celebrate the existence of a plant called marijuana. more ›

Art Week Austin is warming up with an opening Art Talk taking place tonight at the Carver Museum. This evening's speaker, Dan Cameron, is a New York based curator with ties to the New Orleans. After Katrina, he organized Prospect New Orleans, the premiere biennial of international contemporary art in the nation. The first Prospect, which took place at the end of 2008, temporarily turned the Big Easy into a contemporary art metropolis. Tonight Cameron will be in Austin discussing Prospect New Orleans and how it helped invigorate our neighbors to the east. An accomplished curator himself, Cameron will also provide insight into current trends in the vast (and often daunting) world of contemporary art. He will also discuss the selection process for the next Prospect New Orleans which is scheduled for November 2011 through February 2012. more ›

Last weekend, the Old Settler's Festival took place at the Salt Lick Pavilion. Austinist contributing photographer Steve Hopson was there to capture some of the friendly faces around the grounds. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (this weekend at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with L.A.’s Sky Parade. more ›

Considering that it is going to be generally miserable outside tonight, we suggest that you stay indoors and take advantage of your Time Warner Cable box by Video-on-Demanding Lovers of Hate, the Sundance and SXSW 2010 darling by local filmmaker Bryan Poyser. This evening is your final chance to have this film at your fingertips in your very own living room and we don't want you to miss out on seeing a film the New York Times called "viciously amusing." If you need a primer, you can read the interview we did with Poyser here and you can check VOD availability in your area here. Lovers of Hate will be stopping by the Alamo Drafthouse again sometime in June, but you probably won't have the added luxury of sporting just underwear to any of those screenings (actually, we're not sure if the Alamo has a dress code, but just in case, we suggest you get your underwear-only-Lovers-of-Hate-viewing out of the way now). more ›

It's record store day again! We love our independent record stores in Austin, and this Saturday marks the third year in a row where consumers and musicians get a chance to give big ups to their favorite hot spots for discovering new sounds, digging through crates of vinyl and otherwise geeking it up within the wide world of sound. more ›

Feminists, cultural pundits, and contemporary artists of all forms have discussed it ad nauseum: Fairy tales are fucked up. Snow White? Saved from a poison-happy cannibal queen by a pedophile. Red Riding Hood? Jailbait stripper (seriously, this is how she escapes from the wolf during their first rendezvous). And Sleeping Beauty? Raped in a coma. It's this version of the story that one would naturally expect to be fodder for a show at the Vortex, a home-grown theatrical empire built on, among other things, musicals featuring whacked-out “soundscapes”, rapes, and blood-drenched breasts (see: Vampyress, Pink Sun, Hole, etc). Instead, the company’s latest endeavor ventures into softer, more Disneyfied terrain with a vivid, winking little spectacle stuffed with messages about choosing your own destiny and respecting nature despite having a large part of your life stolen from you by some petty sprite dressed up like a tamarind. Stuff like that. more ›

How did Silver Apples become one of the most influential bands of the late 1960s? Why, a guy in the East Village named Simeon Coxe III began to sing weird modal tone poems over a vintage 1940s audio oscillator, which eventually grew into a homemade synthesizer monstrosity of 12 oscillators stacked on top of one another and manipulated through a total of 86 manual controls, which he dubbed ‘The Simeon,’ of course. (As you can see from the picture, The Simeon appears to be a nightmarish, postwar German version of something The Octopus Project might play, something that’s probably worth the price of admission even disregarding its stellar musical progeny.) more ›

It's freaking insane to think that Aqua Teen Hunger Force has been rotting our brains for almost a decade, delighting us with a reliable array of nonsense, random-ass characters, and jokes that only the initiated (or high as hell) would understand. The show predates Adult Swim itself, and, really, we're not sure what exactly a live version would entail, but we do know the two dudes heading up the performance are Dana Snyder, who is responsible for the incessantly self-centered and generally dickheaded Master Shake, and Dave Willis, who voices the innocent and oft-tortured Meatwad, as well as everyone's favorite animated New Jersey-ite, Giants fan, and possessor of exceptional shoulder hair, Carl Brutananadilewski. Snyder and Willis also have their hands in another inexplicably confounding Adult Swim show, Squidbillies, with Willis doing the writing and Snyder voicing the Grandma squid. Thinking too hard about the phrase "voicing the Grandma squid" probably will get you close to understanding the type of surreal, whacked out stuff that's sure to show up at the Paramount this Saturday. more ›

What’s the Deal: The other night while sharing some late night drinks with the lovely Amy Cook, a visiting journalist from MTV Canada and a few others, one of the courteous young lads from Mother Falcon caught the Le Diamant ear. Really all they had to say was that there was a 17-piece indie rock band playing violins, cellos, a bassoon, accordion, saxophone and any other beautiful instrument they could find. Did we mention they are a U21 band? Impressive, no? more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Austin’s Rayon Beach. more ›

On Wednesday night, Julian Casablancas performed at La Zona Rosa and our contributing photographer Pooneh Ghana was there to capture all the while. more ›

If you're looking for a way to spend that well deserved tax refund, look no further than the Lone Star Ladies Present: Shop Austin event. Back in its second year at Saengerrunde Hall (located in downtown Austin next to Sholz Garten), the event boasts over fifty local vendors, purveying all the handmade goodies your heart could desire. more ›

Poetry, when done correctly, is intimidating and exclusive. The torment of the poet is a sophisticated affliction, rarely understood by a casual reader of poems. The best poets have already lived and died, rendering modern poetry completely irrelevant. Poetry is dead. Of course, it is comforting to know that none of this is true and truly, there are wide-open spaces for wordsmithing on all levels for the enjoyment of a much larger community. Fortunately this also describes the 18th Annual Austin International Poetry Festival, which kicks off city-wide this Thursday, April 15th. more ›

Given that you aren’t already mellowing out to reggae or shopping at one of our finer record stores in town, The Austin Public Library Friends Foundation has an event called The New Fiction Confab that should satisfy the burning urge you have for hot new fiction. more ›

White Rabbits and Here We Go Magic performed at the Independent last night. Our contributing photographer, Trent Lesikar, was there to catch all the action. more ›

There’s the pleasure of watching tragedy. There’s the pleasure of being tragic. And then there’s the pleasure of watching characters taking pleasure in their own tragedy - which is a lot like comedy. Steven Gridley’s new play Post-Oedipus somehow manages to work effectively on all these levels, making it difficult to know exactly how to react to this genre-bending revision of Euripides’ Phoenician Women. But it also allows this genuinely unsettling show to be genuinely fun (and funny) to watch. more ›

Just as hipsters all over town are completing their post-SXSW Master Cleanse, yet another festival is about to begin. Reassure your aching liver, Fusebox Festival is a tad less beer soaked and requests a bit more sobriety from its audiences - which is not to say that the twelve day, city-wide, performance and art fest won't be a trip. Each spring, Fusebox brings some of the most innovative contemporary artists and performers to Austin - you may have never heard of them before the fest, but be assured, you'll be talking about them afterward. The eclectic nature of the festival means that some performances are free and accessible to hundreds of viewers while other works are presented intimately to a few dozen ticket holders. more ›

We’ve been fans of Learning Secrets for quite a while now. Besides constantly hosting bumping residencies around town (currently every Friday at Red Fez), LS regularly brings in revered DJs and the like. This Thursday, at Republic Live, LS presents Erol Alkan, disc jockey, producer, musician, and all-around bad-ass purveyor of pulsating beats galore. Somewhat of a legend, at least in the U.K., Alkan was an integral part of the fabled Trash events in London, and has worked with acts such as The Long Blondes and Boyz Noize. He has also remixed material by a whole slew of luminaries including Franz Ferdinand, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Chip, Justice, and Klaxons. A rather impressive resume, if you ask us. Don’t miss out on this inevitable dance party -- get your tickets here. And check out this hilarious promo video by the LS team. more ›

Daniel Morrison, an architecture student at UT, will be exhibiting "Cardboard Sky", an installation that the artist considers to be similar to a "very large puzzle". Nearly 20,000 pieces will be laser cut from discarded cardboard boxes and when assembled, will reveal a photo-mosaic that will decorate the streets during Art City Austin. Morrison and Art Alliance Austin are rallying volunteers to help assemble "Cardboard Sky". The pieces will be pre-cut and relatively simple to fit together, so everyone is encouraged to come out and lend a hand. The community puzzle piecing will take place at 416 W. Cesar Chavez Street from 6-10pm on Thursday, April 15th. Stop by to lend a hand - come for the art, stay for the free beer! more ›

There are two big, ginormous, stupendous reasons you should make your way down in a hasty ramble to Mohawk tonight, the third installment of the From The Mind Of Adi series immediately followed by Indieroke. more ›

This year's festival focuses on the interconnections between far-flung improvisers, planting seeds of action and community and netting them together. Hence, the subtitle "Seeds and Systems." more ›

The mild weather has stuck around for awhile now creating probably the longest record of known Springery here in Austin. Usually, it seems like there are only about 2.5 of these perfectly sunny-but-not-too-humid-with-a-spot-of-wind days before we creep into the blazing ball-busting heat of summer. Get out and enjoy it while you can, Austin. One delightful way to spend this particular Spring evening is heading to the White Rabbits show at The Independent. This six-piece indie band based in Brooklyn is a sweet combo of enchanting vocal harmonies and powerful rock beats that's slightly reminiscent of the Cold War Kids. more ›

Last night, The Temper Trap performed at Emo's here in Austin. Our contributing photographer, Ali Bagheri, was there to capture all the action. more ›

Austin Art Garage recently debuted local artist Graham Francoise’s newest work in their freshly expanded exhibit space. Featuring whimsical characters that seem to have stepped right off the pages of a book, Francoise's imaginative scenes spark flights of fancy about mysterious back-stories begging to be told. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Houston’s Indian Jewelry. more ›

A four-piece with just one EP to their name, Warpaint have nonetheless managed to impress the music world at large. Rough Trade Records have signed the band and are planning a release of their first LP, and the disparate modes behind their songwriting have impressed fans with their their sound fluid, ever-changing, and apparently "psychedelic" sound. more ›

Legend has it that for some poor souls in the 1960’s, there existed the belief that smoking dried banana peels would result in a pleasant, hallucinatory experience (“They call it mellow yellow,” sang Donovan). Let this misguided belief be caution to any Austin Psych Fest enthusiasts who threaten to fall victim to pure nostalgia (“Be here now!” said Ram Dass). more ›

In honor of next Wednesday's Earth Day, several local environmental groups have teamed up to program a week's worth of eco-aware events. Things kick off tomorrow with an early evening benefit concert at Stubb's featuring the Old 97’s and Ben Kweller. Tickets for the show are $18 in advance or $20 at the door, and help out Hill Country Conservancy and the Sierra Club. more ›

No, this is not the cast of the Coen Brothers' True Grit. Except for Jeff Bridges; that’s accurate.
• There are very few barriers to entry these days in filmmaking and the Austin Film Society's Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund wants to help remove one of the last roadblocks: money. If you've got the dream, along with the skill and creativity to make it a reality, then they may have (some) of the cash and are now accepting applications for their 2010 grant cycle.
• Joel & Ethan Coen's True Grit has time-warped Granger, Austin's small-town neighbor to the north east and Joe M. O'Connel, a film industry columnist for the Dallas Morning News and professor at St. Edward's, has documented the transformation. No signs of Matt Damon or Jeff Bridges just yet, but we are sure they are soon to populate those dusty streets.
• The University of Texas' own John Pierson has been named one of the country's top 10 Leaders in Learning by Variety. Pierson, whose better half is SXSW Film Producer Janet Pierson, leads the advanced film production class at UT. He also curates and hosts a Master Class, which happens to be hosting filmmaker Spike Jonze tomorrow night.

To paraphrase something I read once, in print, there exists two factions of Beach Boys fans: Dad-types in striped suits dreaming about fun in the sun, and pale, obsessive sorts pining over “lost tapes.” Given that you are neither the owner of every Beach Boys bootleg in existence nor the sort of person who still uses the word “Woody” in casual conversation, you, dear reader, most likely exist somewhere along this spectrum of the painfully freewheeling to the painfully dedicated. more ›

On Saturday and Sunday nights, Yeasayer were at La Zona Rosa. Our photographer Pooneh Ghana was on-hand for the Sunday gig and captured all the madness. more ›

This year is no different: Timmy Hefner has curated what is undoubtedly the strongest lineup to date, and has also expanded the event to include more venues than ever before. Beginning May 27 and going until the 30th, Chaos in Tejas will blister Red River with the wide range of styles punk and hardcore fans have come to know and love. more ›

While technically Bensussen hews closely to the sample-delic sounds of mid-90s production, he brings a notably un-hippie-ish sense of aggression, if not outright hostility, to his overall aesthetic. He named his latest EP My Troubled Mind, if that's any indication. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with New York’s City Center. more ›

Vincent Van Gogh once said, “I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” And if he hadn’t have died about 120 years before the formation of the Seattle-via-Texas trio known as The Night Beats, we’d think for sure he was referring specifically to their brand of psychedelic stomp. (Of course, there’s also the whole missing ear thing, which may or may not have kept the painter from falling head-over-heels for ugly garage rock.) more ›

In August 2009 I had the good fortune to be cast in the show and later this month I get to travel to Chicago to perform at the Second City Skybox stage with some of the Dusk cast. As a relatively new contributor to Austinist, I wanted to share some insight into my experience with Dusk last year and getting ready to go perform in Chicago. In August 2009 I had the good fortune to be cast in the show and later this month I get to travel to Chicago to perform at the Second City Skybox stage with some of the Dusk cast. As a relatively new contributor to Austinist, I wanted to share some insight into my experience with Dusk last year and getting ready to go perform in Chicago. more ›

Last night, The Big Pink performed at Parish with A Place to Bury Strangers. Austinist contributing photographer Steve Hopson was there to capture all the action. more ›

A parody ideally strikes a nice balance between poking fun of its subject matter and holding true to the tenets of the genre it's deconstructing. Apocalypse!, Gnap! Theater Project's current main stage show, does a good job of striking that balance. Apocalypse! is a completely improvised play in the style of the post-apocalyptic genre. What exactly is that? It's the story of a world which has experienced a complete catastrophic destruction of society, exemplified by such diverse films and novels as The Road Warrior, The Road, and 28 Days Later. Austinist got a chance to take in the show on Saturday April 3. Overall, the show was impressive and a whole lot of fun. Despite a few small complaints from that night, Apocalypse! is highly recommended. more ›

Dell Lounge has a pretty awesome video series going featuring the clubs of Austin's past. In the video above, Ume performs near what used to be Club Foot, and writer/musician Jesse Sublett talks about the scene in Foot's hey-day. Other episodes of Dead Venues Live features footage from The Ritz, Liberty Lunch, and Armadillo World Headquarters. more ›

Though the sailboat persona both ironically and unironically embodied by the New Yorker-four is cruising just as strong as ever, and is still as magnetic for shot in the dark criticisms as ever (note: all the easy ways there are to make fun of them), it turns out the instantly-catchy pop delight of their self-titled first album was no flash in the pan—their second album, though not as sweetly lovable, shows they are here to stay, and, in fact, may be becoming more talented by the minute. So if you want to sing along to a bunch of great ditties (surely you know most all the words, yes?), stroll on down to Stubb’s, where you can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Of course, you’ll have to buy your ticket from someone on the street, or via other means (Craig's List, anyone?), because, dear lass or lad, this puppy is straight hella sold out. more ›

As we mentioned earlier this week, Neil Young will be performing at Bass Concert Hall on Saturday, June 5. Tickets are now on sale, and you can get them at Texas Performing Arts.org. more ›

Ezra Feinberg from Piano Magic and Tim Green from The Fucking Champs created Citay back in 2004, initially as a studio project. Green departed recently but Feinberg remains, and has added new members for the band’s latest tour in support of Dream Get Together, released this past January. And Austinites are in luck because the current seven-piece incarnation of the San Francisco outfit will set up shop at The Mohawk on Saturday to concoct its blissful soundscapes. Streaming electric guitar riffs, complementary acoustic plucks, a dash of the keys, a touch of the drums, all arranged to perfection -- it amounts to some very sublime ear candy. Head down to the 'hawk tomorrow night to enjoy this euphoric collage of infectious harmonies and agreeable melodies; pick up the new record to boot. Citay’s pleasing palette will be preceded by The Tunnels’ soothing psychedelia and Salesman’s eclectic Americana on the inside stage this evening. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Austin’s Christian Bland & The Revelators. more ›

One day London filmmaker David Bond got a letter from the government saying it had lost some of his baby daughter’s information. This prompted him to wonder two things: A) how much information could there possibly be out there for a baby, and B) why did the government need so much of it? We sat down with David when he was in town for the festival to hear a bit more about how hard it was to disappear, and what that might mean to us in the future. more ›

Maybe you've already worn the grooves out of your copy of Matador's Austin compilation Casual Victim Pile, or perhaps you're just jonesing to see some of the perpetrators behind the comp live. Either way, the lineup at Beerland tonight will satisfy any desire for pure, Austin-built rawk. more ›

Last year we were a bit blindsided by the masterful Psychic Chasms - Neon Indian's debut album and one of our favorites by 2009's end. A dance record that also embodies the best of bedroom recording and sample-based experimentation, we were lucky enough to witness Psychic Chasms in the flesh at a few live shows last year, including Fun Fun Fun Fest. more ›

The band's critically-acclaimed debut, All Hour Cymbals, caught many listeners off-guard. Their eccentric mix of Far Eastern sounds, dance beats and thick low end undertones stood out, and eventually took the band on a world-wide tour to support it. Needless to say, fans and critics alike were eager for the group's sophomore effort. Odd Blood did not disappoint. more ›

Austin Hip Hop Scene has launched an iPhone app featuring news, music and more straight from the heart of Austin's burgeoning scene. The app is free, and takes blog entries from Austin Hip Hop Scene, the site's calendar of events, and streaming radio. From the team: "Ever since I moved to Austin from Houston, I've always been disappointed with the lack of a good hip hop radio station like 97.9 The Box. I remember my first semester at UT, I called into the "hip hop" radio station at the time and requested "Dear Mama" by 2Pac and guess what they told me?! It was too ghetto. Well, several years have gone by and Austin still hasn't progressed... until today." more ›

UT student radio station KVRX, 91.7 FM is having a benefit event at Karibou Ethiopian restaurant on April 9. The community-supported station will be raising money for their upcoming digital archiving project, which will preserve the hundreds of incredible live performances they've recorded over the years. more ›

Set to take place at the Fiesta Gardens in East Austin again this year, Pachanga will kick off on Friday, May 21st at 6:30 p.m. on one stage, and then revert to the usual multi-stage bonanza we’ve come to expect the following day. The lineup boasts Columbia’s Bomba Estéreo and Mexico’s Carla Morrison, along with a whole slew of Texas talent such as Bobby Pulido, Grupo Fantasma (scheduled to perform with New York legend Larry Harlow), Davíd Garza, Girl In A Coma, and Brownout, to name a few. We’re especially pleased to note that underrated local rockers Amplified Heat and exciting San Antonio popsters Hacienda are also on the bill, and we’re delighted that Mariachi Las Alteñas is back to woo more hearts this year. Arizona’s Y La Orkestra and Brian Lopez, California’s Pilar Díaz, and Missouri’s Making Movies ensure that other U.S. states are represented as well. more ›

The locally-filmed TV show is searching for paid extras to play Dillon football team-members for season 4.2. Requirements: you must be between the ages of 18-23 (young enough to look like a high-schooler), taller than 5'7", a Texas resident -- and have proof -- with football experience (but you can't be a current/future college player), have a flexible schedule from today through July, and can't currently be in school or have a full-time job. If you fit these specifics and are interested, fill out a talent application at this site; it's requested that you upload at least 2 pictures of yourself and put FOOTBALL in the special skills section. See you on TV! more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Brooklyn’s Von Haze. more ›

Last night, King Khan & the Shrines performed at Emo's on 6th St. Austinist contributing photographer Pooneh Ghana was there to capture all the action. more ›

We all know that for the most part, summer action flicks aren't really about compelling stories or interesting dialogue—we would equate them to being 17 and letting the quarterback feel you up in the backseat of his older brother's car—they're cheap thrills and nothing more. Of course, every once in a while we are treated to a real action movie gem. Remember 2008's The Dark Knight or last year's Star Trek? Don't get excited, Clash of the Titans is no gem. more ›

The soulful, cosmically chilled-out and lightly funky music of Austin’s Ocote Soul Sounds has been a valued addition to the local music scene for years now. Explaining their sound as “psychedelic Latin folktronic funklore,” the project is led by Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma) and Martin Perna (Antibalas) with a little help from their friends adding a colorful quilt of sounds and rounding out their retro, Afro-Latin beat vibe. more ›

Though Jónsi is best known for his work with the dramatic and heart-stopping tunes he wrote with Iceland's Sigur Ros, his solo work shines with equal brightness. Comprised primarily of tunes that he's written but that haven't quite fit into the Sigur Ros landscape, Go finds Jónsi ecstatic, pop-smitten and larger than life. It also features the artist singing primarily in English, a first for the Icelandic lad. more ›

Austin Psych Fest (at The Mohawk, April 23rd - 25th) has released its schedule for Sunday -- check it out via the official website. We’re especially excited to have another opportunity to catch legendary New York band The Silver Apples, who were last in town in 2007. Other talent on display on the final day of the festival includes The Gaslamp Killer, The Warlocks, and The Dutchess And The Duke, along with Austin’s own All In The Golden Afternoon and Rayon Beach. Get your tickets today! more ›

After contributing music to a whole slew of television shows in L.A. for a good part of her career early on, Amy Cook moved to Texas in 2005. She spent time in Marfa but now calls Austin home, and our city’s musical landscape is all the more richer for it. This week, she released her latest album, the Alejandro Escovedo produced Let The Light In. Chock-full of beautiful folk-pop songs marked by personal tales and intimate lyrics, Let The Light In is bookended by two introspective, turn-things-around gems that point to a place in life we’ve all been to. Opener “Get It Right” and the amazing title track which closes out the record offer hope and encouragement, and will undoubtedly strike a chord with most listeners. more ›

Legendary folk singer Neil Young is hitting the road in 2008 on the Twisted Road tour. A few dates had been released prior to this posting, but today we're happy to announce that Young will indeed be performing in Austin, at Bass Concert Hall, on Saturday, June 5. These dates mark his first in this region in over a decade. British-by-Scotland folk legend Bert Jansch (Pentangle) will open the shows. more ›

The band's set this evening at Emo's will include the entirety of their 1989 album Bizarro, and the band no doubt has left some room for other high points of their career. Opening for The Wedding Present are locals Ringo Deathstarr, who have been supporting the band on the road as well. more ›

Join us at Club DeVille on Tuesday night for a special Jónsi album release and listening party. We'll be spinning the Sigor Ros frontman's debut solo record, Go, having a few drinks, and giving away some sweet prizes. more ›

They say it takes two to tango - apparently, it also takes two to create a massive wall of over-driven, electronic, ear-splitting musical beauty. Or at least that’s what the two members of Screen Vinyl Image have a reputation for doing. more ›

Another talented Austin band The Strange Boys gets things going on the outside stage and San Francisco’s The Fresh & Only follow with still more infectious fuzz-pop nuggets. But it is Arish Khan a.k.a. King Khan who will surely reign supreme at Emo’s this evening. A genuine international man of mystery, Khan was born in Canada to Indian parents and lives in Germany now. And boy, does he have the Midas touch at the moment. Besides being an integral member of The King Khan & BBQ Show and The Almighty Defenders, both compelling in their own right, and squeezing in an enticing collaboration with GZA, the prolific Khan leads the irresistible nine-piece known as King Khan & The Shrines. Arguably the most enjoyable of all of his projects, The Shrines’ psychedelic-garage-soul stylings allow Khan to parade around stage in his trademark novel outfits and bestow his considerable persona upon the adoring masses. The music itself is nothing short of inspirational either, a stirring conglomeration of a whole slew of genres that we all love. more ›

James Murphy, aka LCD Soundsystem, keeps himself pretty busy. When he's not recording his own music or remixing others, he's running the highly successful DFA record label. It's been a awhile since we had a new full length from LCD Soundsystem to get excited about, so when Murphy announced that This Is Happening would be coming out on May 18, the news was indeed buzzworthy. more ›

On Friday night, Hockey performed with The Constellations and The Postelles over at Emo's. Our staff photographer Pooneh Ghana was there to catch all the action. more ›

We first stumbled across CA's Local Natives after the UK release of their fantastic debut, Gorilla Manor. We knew it wouldn't take long before folks in the U.S. caught on, and we were right. This year, Frenchkiss Records (home to Antlers, the Dodos, Les Savy Fav and more) released a stateside version of the album. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with L.A.’s Spindrift. more ›

Desire, on exhibit at the Blanton through April 25, invites us to see all emotions as the continual orgasm of being. With a wide range of work from some of the top names in the world of contemporary art, the show exemplifies the nuanced contexts of desire beautifully. Stop by the Blanton tonight between 6pm and 10:30pm to enjoy Desire's final B scene party. The event will feature Texas themed food, drinks, and dancing with music from Jeff Huges and Chaparral. Tickets to the B scene cost $12 for the general public and $5 for members. more ›

What’s the Deal: During the chaos that is SXSW it is hard to pick one band out of the pack as a musical leader of the pack for that week. But, if anyone had the chance to catch Denmark’s Kashmir, they were likely won over almost immediately. There’s also a strong chance many were already familiar with the band, named after the Led Zeppelin song, due in part to the fact that they’ve been active since the early 90s. The rock quartet has achieved substantial success in Denmark, winning several Danish Music Awards over the years, including ‘Best Danish Band’ and ‘Best Danish Album.’ Kashmir’s latest album and sixth full-length, Trespassers, made landfall in Denmark in February and made it to #1 on the Danish charts and even charted in Mexico. It’s their first album since 2005’s No Balance Palace, a recording produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Thin lizzy, T. Rex, Morrissey) and featuring guest performances by Bowie and Lou Reed. more ›

As part of Austinist's Psych Fest coverage, we're running some interesting interviews with participating bands written by our friend, Ryan Muldoon. Here's his first contribution, an interview with Ringo Death Starr. more ›

If you're an early-20s jock able to break out in a 'roid rage on cue, you're probably a perfect specimen for MTV's 25th season of The Real World, which, unbelievably, still endures some 23 seasons later despite dwindling ratings and a seeming loss of purpose. Still, when we saw the casting notice for tomorrow's Austin auditions—the only session that MTV will be holding in Texas, for that matter—we couldn't pass up the opportunity to share. more ›

This Friday night ColdTowne Theater's newest main stage sketch revue, Shanty Town Lake debuts. Shanty Town Lake, the successor to ColdTowne Theater's first main stage sketch revue, Eye for an iPhone, is described as "a mix of social and political satire, music and straight up nihilistic comedy." The writer/performers have been developing the show's material through improv in front of audiences in addition to writing sessions. The show consists of two acts for a total run time of 90 minutes. Count on well thought out sketches and an improv set, which may wind up featuring scenes that are mined for future sketches. more ›

Leading up to Austin Psych Fest 3 (April 23rd - 25th at The Mohawk), we’ll be spending five minutes with many of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival. Today, we catch up with Austin’s Cry Blood Apache. more ›

Headliners Red Sparowes hail from Los Angeles and were in Austin as recently as last November, performing at the beloved Fun Fun Fun Fest. Sometimes considered a side-project, an erroneous detail refuted during our pre-Fun Fest interview with members of the band, Red Sparowes is comprised of respected veterans such as Bryan Clifford Meyer (Isis), Greg Burns (Halifax Pier), Dave Clifford (Pleasure Forever), and Andy Arahood (Angel Hair). Meyer’s fellow Isis band mate Jeff Caxide and Neurosis’ Josh Graham were both a part of the original lineup as well; guitarist Emma Ruth Randle joined the band last year following Graham’s exit. Red Sparowes’ two full-lengths adroitly package controlled chaos into stirring doses of euphoric rock. The band’s third LP is due next Tuesday so expect plenty of new material this evening at Red 7. more ›

Boy, it seems like just yesterday that the boys from Harlem had released their debut LP, Free Drugs ;-), and told us in an interview that "unless somebody wants to help send us to South America or Australia, we will probably stay in Austin until spring." more ›

While Austin is well known for having a strong arts and theater community, the same can't really be said for its surrounding suburban and rural areas. However, things may be changing in Austin's neighbor to the north, Round Rock. In 2000, according to the census, there were slightly more than 60,000 people in Round Rock. Today the city estimates just under 100,000 residents. With this kind of population growth one can expect to see industries and communities of all kinds flourish, including the arts. Round Rock has been home to Sam Bass Community Theater since the early 1980s. Outside of that venue, there hasn't been much by way of live theater in Round Rock in the past. Now there are several individuals working hard to create a vibrant live theater scene in Round Rock. In the not too distant future Penfold Theatre Company hopes to find a home in downtown Round Rock, and in the immediate future The Lair is opening up its doors to showcase improv and other forms of alternative theater. more ›

Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth. more ›