Austin’s newest improv training center, the Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation, launched its first series of classes at the recently-opened Salvage Vanguard Theater this past Saturday. ...

Thursday, June 28 artOpening Reception for Whitney Lee: Power Craft at Women and Their Work, 1710 Lavaca Street (6-8pm) artOpen House Work Viewing at Atelier 3-D, 2209 Pasadena Drive (4-10pm) artArtistic License: Josefina Guilisasti at The Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress Ave (Free, 6-8pm) booksAmanda Eyre Ward presents Forgive Me at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedyPat Dixon with Brendon Walsh at Cap City Comedy Club comedyParallelogramophonograph with special guests Look Cookie at ColdTowne Theater (8pm)......

Monday, June 25musicGreat Northern, Experimental Aircraft, Seaholm Electric at Emo’s musicWhen Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Pataphysics, The Jimmy Buffet Experience at Emo’s music"Wet Hot American Summer" with Friends of So at Beauty Bar film"The Princess Bride" Quote-along at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown filmMusic Monday: "Nashville Girl" at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown......

Few forms of entertainment elicit such fanatical, diverse opinions on what warrants the label of being "good" as comedy does. To this day, the mere mention of Andy Kaufman's name can set off a heated debate on whether "genius" or "talentless asshat" is more applicable, and the perceived injustice that the Freaks and Geeks fan club was dealt when network suits and critics downed one of Judd Apatow's earliest efforts still has teeth. All this......

Coldtowne Conservatory's Tami Nelson and Chris Trew are Hurricane Katrina transplants who also happen to be pretty damn funny improv artists with a sold out FronteraFest 2007 show - one a.m. Austinist got up close and personal with these two cut-ups, and this is what we found out: Tell me about the background and history of Coldtowne Conservatory. Tami Nelson: So, Tami Nelson and Chris Trew are in Coldtowne and one a.m. is the......

You know those kids in high school who made AP English bearable with some well-played Grendel jokes? The dudes you met at the GWAR show senior year who won UIL awards in Band? That funny girl in art class who was actually good at art (and wasn't there to make bongs out of driftwood)? Local improv troupe Parallelogramophonograph are those guys. Equal parts socially-observant geek and dry-witted freak, the Austin-based comedy troupe recently won......

Seminal O.C. gutter punk icon Mike Ness has been fucking the Man for almost 30 years. He's done all the stuff punk kids nowadays try to emulate—drug addiction, erratic behavior, jail time. And a rival punk rocker even bit off part of his ear, Tyson-style, in a fight. Further, we heard he eats 100th wave wannabe suburban Blink 182 boys for breakfast. Ness's band Social Distortion has released six studio recordings, enduring a revolving......

After a little over a year in town, Austin's hardest-working improv troupe has not only been voted a Best of Austin 2006 pick, but also achieved a feat virtually unheard of in such a short period: opening their own theatre space. After the success of this summer's Test Pattern—a week-long series to test potential programming at the new theatre—Coldtowne will officially kick-off full operation of the Coldtowne Theatre this Saturday, October 28th. The 30-seat, black......

With Out of Bounds - Austin's premier improvisation and sketch festival - quickly approaching (August 30th – September 4th, 2006), the Austinist gets you acquainted with the hometown scene through this weekly series highlighting ensembles, players and shows about town. (Didn't know there was a difference between improv and sketch? Waste valuable work time looking it up.) Week in Review - July 20th -22nd This past weekend, we saw some great shows, the highlight being......

It started yesterday, but you still have three chances to catch the 4th Annual Out of Bounds Improv Comedy Festival. And Miniature Golf Tournament What, you say? Out of Bounds brings together some of the nation's best sketch/improv comedy groups at the Hideout Theatre on Congress Avenue, and even features a tournament of mini-golf, wherein performers compete against one another for the highly coveted, uhh, "Ridiculous Jacket". We have no idea what that entails,......