Psychedelic music came of age in Austin in the 60’s thanks in large to The 13th Floor Elevators and the emergence of The Vulcan Gas Company as a community and a venue to support the genre. (Check out this site for a history.) The Vulcan Gas Company (316 Congress Ave.) shut its doors in the 70’s but lately there has been a renewed interest in the era in part due to Scott Conn’s Dirt Road To Psychedelia documentary. The Black Angels must also be blamed thanked for this rejuvenation; the local outfit has paved the way for a new generation of psychedelic acts with their impressive 2006 release, Passover. A full-length follow-up is expected this May....

Chicas, it's your time to get girlie. Birds Barbershop is hosting its second annual Ladies Night with Austin Tidbits at its new location on Burnet on Thursday. If you have two X chromosomes, treat yourself to a few Birds Berry Beauty cocktails (think of umbrellas and bright colors) and achingly sweet treats by Hey Cupcake! and Luxe Sweets. Enjoy the "ladylike" sounds of Michael Hooher and Zykos' Catherine Davis behind the turntables. And get......

Just when we thought Birds Barbershop couldn’t get any more creative, they give us two more awesome reasons to walk in and rock out. Starting today, the Burnet location is hosting “Bubblegum Humpday Happy Hours” every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. DJ Super K is breaking in the turntables with his collection of bubblegum and saccharine-sweet pop 45s from the 60s. Even if you're not getting your hair cut, shake your tail-feather and sample......

Sampaio's (Brazilian Cuisine) Location: 4800 Burnet Rd. [map] Phone: (512) 469-9988 Cost: Lunch entrees: $9 - $16, Dinner entrees: $12 - $29 Atmosphere: Intimate, casual patio. Romantic interior. Food: If you've reached that point where you just need to eat some yucca, there's no better spot in Austin than Sampaio's. Located just west of Hyde Park on Burnet, this place blends delicious Brazilian food with a comfortable, intimate setting that manages to feel more relaxed......

*Editors' Note: Clearly Austinist does not encourage anyone to get soused in front of their children, thereby damaging their fragile psyches. For those responsible enough to kick a couple back without ultimately taking the kids on a dangerous and terrifying road trip, we offer the following:* If your version of the three martini playdate is to sit and sip microbrew near a playscape in the heat, Austin options abound. Whether you are a stay at......

Maru (Japanese) Location: 4636 Burnet Rd [map] Phone: (512) 458-6200 Cost: Starters $5-8, Maki Rolls $6-13 Atmosphere: Not much to speak of, as it's on a nondescript part of Burnet Road in some modest and anonymous white-walled digs. Food: There are three reasons to visit Maru, and they are simply the freshness of the fish, the affordability of high-quality sushi, and the modest $5 corkage charge. Maru's decor is as plain as can be,......

The kids at Top Drawer Thrift will host their second annual fashion show, Top Drawer Couture ’07 on May 6, 2007. Almost Impatient Productions and local fashion designers will create a runway show featuring both original works and items taken from the racks of the store. The Austin Chronicle’s Stephen MacMillan Moser will play host with the most again this year. Organizers say the evening will feature drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a DJ, and live......

This Sunday two local interfaith events will take place. The first and largest gathering of the two is the Annual Interreligious Thanksgiving Service. This service is sponsored by Austin Area Interreligious Ministries and has been held for 22 years now. It is an amazing opportunity to see all the diverse faiths of our city represented under one roof. Our favorite part of the service is the call to worship, which has in the past......

Just overheard at the office: "The best Tacos al Pastor in town are at Arandas on Burnet Road." Fact or fiction? Discuss! Taquerias Arandas #3 6534 Burnet Rd......

If you're in the mood for free olive and olive oil tastings, demonstrations by local chefs, and a reason to eat rich food and drink good wines in the middle of the day, Texas Culinary Academy, Central Market and Slowfood Austin will host Austin's first Mediterranean Festival this Saturday from Noon-4pm at the Texas Culinary Academy campus. Joyce Goldstein, James Beard Award-winning author and chef, will present a free lecture on Mediterranean cooking from......

John at Blue Star Cafeteria and Emily at Ranch 616 reminded us this week that, yeah, the food is the thing, but fantastic table service can make first-class food out of this world. Don’t let the word cafeteria fool you - Eddie Bernal’s handsome and fresh Blue Star Cafeteria, the little sister of 34th Street Deli and Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina, put a great big selection of comfort foods in front of our......

Completion of the first leg of the new Capital MetroRail is less than two years away. The 32-mile-long Red Line will run between Leander and Downtown Austin, with stations positioned strategically near the new Northwest Austin development, Highland Mall, Lakeline Mall, Plaza Saltillo, and more. Currently, both the rail vehicle and many of the stations are still being designed, but they're already promising that the former will include Wi-Fi connections. Over the next two weeks,......

There is a Delicious Barbecue Sandwich alert going out to Central East Austin, where, over the weekend, it was discovered that the tiny Pig Out! Restaurant (which specializes in catering as well as eat-in) at the corner of Manor and Rogge has a chopped beef sandwich that should be inspected post-haste by all area barbecue nerds. In an effort to stick it to July, it's recommended that all thirsty patrons suck down a gallon......

We're pretty sure this is what Derek Zoolander was getting at when he said there's more to life than being really, really good looking. On Sunday, May 7th, Top Drawer Thrift Store is hosting their very own runway fashion show, "Top Drawer Couture", an event to raise money and awareness for Project Transitions. Austin’s Almost Impatient style team is creating the clothing for the event, taking items found in the thrift store and altering them......

Sure, Starbucks is tasty and easy and, heck, some of them have drive-thru's! Damn Starbucks. But our frappuccinos and our soft tacos from Chipotle and our special Make Your Own Pasta dish from Macaroni Grill should only supplement our visits and purchases from local businesses. Not only is it the right thing to do, not only does it help benefit and support our local economy, but Austin has a heaping number of fantastic businesses......

We have some ambivalence about reporting on a restaurant that features meat. You know, being vegetarians and all, it feels like we're kinda traitors to the cause. But we can't help but get excited when a place that specializes in pig parts on buns, offers up all of their specialities in non-pig-part options. Enter Dog Almighty, located behind the new Brentwood Tavern at the Historic Farmer's Market at 6701 Burnet Rd. It a smallish,......

Tomorrow, June 4th, our beloved neighborhood gourmet market/coffeeshop/wine bar/gift store Parallel is shutting it's doors, for what it says is some rethinking of their strategies. We are so gonna miss them, especially now that we've come to rely on them for our quickie, microwavable gourmet meals, which were always delcious. We will miss the 50 cent coffee, the gourmet breakfast tacos (asparagus and parmesan!), the delicious homemade muffins. We will miss Saturday morning story......

There is a place on Burnet called the Knife Sharpist. It's a knife store. They deal with knives--kitchen knives to fantasy knives. No, we don't know what fantasy knives are, you'll have to ask them. Oh, and they also carry swords. Gotta love a place that stocks swords. I don't think you can get them at Wal Mart, you know. We admire a mom and pop shop keeping the dream alive. Austin is full......

One of the Austinist's favorite pick-me-up spots is Pacha on Burnet Road. Pacha is a small, colorful, family-owned coffeeshop/cafe that boasts a menu of espresso beverages, smoothies, empanadas, homemade soups, salads, quiches, and so much more. They also serve beer and wine, if a different sort of pick-me-up is what you crave. The South American inspired decor is bright and welcoming, and the owners buy many of the Bolivian crafts on display from two cooperatives,......