Following tonight's performance of Troades, the Vortex is hosting a reception in honor of Sean T.C. O’Malley, composer of the show's original score. // Every Wednesday night in March, all seats for Speeding Motorcycle at Zach are $15! // The Heroes of Comedy's Improvised Shakespeare, Saturdays at 8pm at the Hideout, is so popular that they had to extend the run through the end of March. // Mortified is back!...

Here's your chance! In conjunction with Maker Faire, HEYA (Toyota's collaborative youth program) is hosting an interactive art car build with Harrod Blank, art-car artist extraordinaire. Blank is the dude behind the Camera Van, which will be cruising through central Austin tomorrow—so get out your, uh, cameras. The build will run throughout the weekend, and anyone attending Maker Faire can participate. The goal is to transform a Toyota Matrix into a "music-themed piece of art......

Tonight, after you've enjoyed the soothing Scottish sounds of Travis @ La Zona Rosa, head over to Emo's Lounge for an after party featuring the dance-pop goodness of Scissors for Lefty. Their latest album, Underhanded Romance, features more of what fans have come to love (and expect) from the band ... toe-tapping tunes full of indie-pop swellness and contagious hooks that are sure to please a sweaty Austin crowd. You guys all like that......

We totally wish we were 16 or under again, 'cuz the folks at Fantastic Fest have just announced a kickass new contest called “Reel Heroes: the Fantastic Fest Trailer Competition”. The basic idea is this: individual youth filmmaking teams will write, shoot and edit a short film (25 to 45 seconds) featuring an original concept superhero. The film must explain the powers of the superhero, and must end with the superhero saying, “(Name of superhero)......

Soundcheck has grabbed our attention constantly over the last year with colorful covers presenting regional talent like Voxtrot and Midlake. However, the glossy magazine features national acts as well, while keeping a close eye on major festivals -- both home and away. Soundcheck also incorporates additional flair into its usual, stellar content every month. An “Artist Perspective” feature (from the likes of Ramesh Srivastava) and columns such as Hometown Heroes keep this local ‘zine hip......

FRIDAY [1] party • Rare Magazine Summer Issue Launch Party at Mean Eyed Cat (5:30pm) bikes • Republic of Texas Biker Rally at All Over Austin dance/benefit • Project Transitions Hosts 12th Annual Texas Swing at Saengerrunde Hall and Scholz’s Beer Garten ($40, 8-Midnight) art • Opening Reception: Cantanker/us, the Cantanker Magazine staff show at Else Madsen Gallery, 411 Brazos, Suite 99 (7-11pm) art • The B Scene at The Blanton Museum of Art,......

As part of the "Last Month at the Original Alamo" festivities, Ain't It Cool News and Fantastic Fest have just announced a special sneak screening of Eli Roth's highly anticipated new horror film Hostel Part 2 this coming Sunday night. A longtime friend of the Alamo, Roth will be in attendance to introduce the film, and the AICN announcement suggests that there'll be some other fun surprises as well. Though we have no idea what......

The fine folks at the Alamo Drafthouse have just announced a special, last-minute QT Fest (kinda) to be held at the Alamo Downtown next week. As a tribute to the historic Colorado St. location, Quentin Tarantino will take over the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown for one last run of QT-style grindhouse triple bills, including a "Sex Comedies" night, a "Regional" night and a "Swinging" night. The series—dubbed "Last Night at the Alamo Grindhouse"—will run May 10th,......

THURSDAY [1] party • Learning Secrets hosts Optimo's JD Twitch (Glasgow, UK) at Whisky Bar (10pm-2am, $5) art • Public Tour: The Geometry of Hope: Montevideo in the 1930s at The Blanton (7:00 - 8:00 PM) art • Curator's Tour: The Geometry of Hope at The Blanton (12:30-1pm) art • Texas Biennial Opening Reception at Dougherty Arts Center (7-10pm) art • Art Fix: Enjoy an introduction to Latin American wines with Seth Pollard, Central......

MONDAY [26] film • Squeegee Your Third Eye: Remembering Bill Hicks at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown books • New and Noteworthy Book Club discusses Snow by Orhan Pamuk at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • Wonderwall at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown meeting • Austin Music Foundation's Music Industry Boot Camp at Gibson Guitar Showroom (3601 South Congress G400) music • Aloha, Pompeii, The Politics, Low Line Caller at Emo's Lounge music • Shoot for the Stars, iKiLLcaRs, Bones......

THURSDAY [22] art • Opening Reception: Owen McAuley at d berman Gallery (6-8pm) comedy • The Frank Mills perform their new sketch show, "One Classy-Ass Show," at Blue Theatre (DEETS) party • Misprint Magazine's Beard & Moustache Competition with performances by Sharp Dressed Men (ZZTop Tribute Band), hosted by Matt Bearden, DJ sets by Stay Gold at Club de Ville (9pm) art • Artistic License: Blanton artist Fabian Marcaccio discusses his work, which is......

Senators and 2008 presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain will be in San Antonio today for the opening ceremony of the Center for the Intrepid, a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center for veterans recovering from severe injuries and amputations. Construction on the 60,000-square-foot facility began in October of 2005, with most of the project's $50 million cost covered by private donations to the nonprofit Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Newsweek later ran an article about the......

MONDAY [22] books • The Ludicrous Speed Book Club discusses The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Cold Hearts: Icelandic Music Shorts at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • "24" at Alamo Drafthouse Village film • "Heroes" at Alamo Drafthouse Village film • St. Edwards University Paper Project at St. Edwards ® indicates a recommended event.......

We've been a bit lax in our celebration of Austin's bloggers, but we're back, baby. Our favorite posts for this week of November 27th: Austin Real Estate Blog ponders real estate east of IH-35. Sarah at BondBlog caught the quick reference to the Alamo Drafthouse on Heroes Monday night. Rocky Balboa has caused some strong audience reaction already, Jette at celluloid eyes noticed. It's probably not the reaction the studio is hoping for. Red......

As if being named the Best Movie House in the Country by Entertainment Weekly was not enough, our friends over at the Alamo Drafthouse recently got some more national attention when they were name-dropped on NBC’s Heroes. In case, like some of us, you've never seen "Heroes," it's a drama that features ordinary people who discover that they have superpowers. In the episode that aired on Monday the 27th, Hiro, a male character from......

MONDAY [20] film • Cine Las Americas presents Letters from the Other Side at Carver Museum (6:30pm, Free) film • Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • Mouchette at Texas Union (7:30pm) film • "City of Men," Episodes 5 & 6 at Spider House (8pm, Free) film • Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film • Who Killed the Electric Car at Café......

The Lonesome Heroes have recently initiated a weekly residency at Headhunter's to showcase Austin’s alt-country offerings. Appropriately titled the Alt Country Showcase, the communion occurs every Wednesday with an agenda to build a practical platform for the genre’s oft-scattered acts and create a unified arena for the emergence of new talent. The latest bill features the country sounds of six piece The Skeletons, as well as Leo Rondeau’s Americana anthems. Supporting will be the......

WEDNESDAY [6] film • The Stunt Man with Richard Rush Live in Person at Alamo Downtown (6:45pm, $10) food • Angel Valley Organic Farm Farmstand at Asian American Cultural Center, 11713 Jollyville Road (10am-2pm) film • TerrorStorm with Alex Jones Live at Alamo South (7pm) film • Before Sunrise at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film • Zatoichi: 7 & 8 at Spider House (8pm, Free) film • Quai Des Ofevres at Paramount Theatre (7:15pm)......

Winning auction bid for a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar custom painted with Butthead's face and autographed by Beavis and Butthead-creator Mike Judge: $3,550...

Two days ago, Austinites David Broyles and Rush Vann successfully completed a 12.5-mile swim across the Strait of Gibralter, from the Spanish coast to Morocco. The extraordinary feat took just under five hours. In the days leading up to the final crossing, the two were unsure as to whether water and weather conditions would hinder their attempt -- a July 15th journal entry on the official site tells of formidable wind and waves, the former......

Lovers of liberty and cutting-edge film unite! The Alamo Downtown - that righteous purveyor of cinematic bad-assedness and, um, beer - needs your help! After ten years at 409 Colorado, the Alamo Downtown’s lease is almost up. Facing doubled rent and tripled property taxes, owners Tim and Karrie League have formed a non-profit organization called The Heroes of the Alamo Foundation in an effort to keep the nationally renowned theatre’s doors open. You're all......

MONDAY [10][karaoke] Monday Karaoke at Beerland (Free, 9pm) (link) [film] Monday Movies al fresco, with 'Heavenly Creatures" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" at Sidebar (link) [comedy/books] David Sedaris at Bass Concert Hall (8pm) (link) [music] Elizabeth McQueen at Theadgill's (Free, 8pm) (link) [film/drinking] FUSEBOX Happy Hour at Blue Theater (6pm, $5, screening of short films by Austin's Zellner Brothers as part of the ongoing FUSEBOX Festival) (link) [theatre] "Durang/Durang" at Mary Mood Northern Theatre (8pm,......

The SXSW flood begins tomorrow with Interactive and Film, but Music is still a few more days away. But this is not the time to sit by idly in silence. Get those ear drums and dance moves up to par with some great shows this weekend. Friday night it is time for noise, glorious noise, at Emo’s. The Lord Henry’s raucous dance rock opens up the bill for The Real Heroes and Cruiserweight. Work......

[documentary] Grammy-winning classical percussionist Evelyn Glennie is one hell of a musician. She's also deaf. Check out Thomas Riedelsheimer documentary as he follows her across the States and around the UK in "," part of Austin Film Society's Texas Documentary Tour. At the Drafthouse Downtown. (7pm) (link) [film] Another screening of Werner Herzog's "Wheel of Time" at the Drafthouse Downtown. (9:45pm) (link) [film] Alamo Weird Wednesdays screens "Pigs," Marc Lawrence's cheesy horror flick about man-eating......

[festival/music/art] First Night at Congress Avenue (All Ages, 2pm, Free/$10) [info] [tickets] [music] Nic Armstrong and the Thieves, Moonlight Towers and DJ Polecat at Club de Ville (21+, $5, Call 512-457-0900) [fabulous] Studio 54 Par-tay! at Rain (21+, Call 512-494-1150) [info] [music] White Ghost Shivers and The Small Stars at Blue Genie Art Industries (21+, 9pm, $37) [info] [tickets] [music] Flametrick Subs with Satan's Cheerleaders, Slick 57 and Basin Street at Emo's (All Ages,......

: : FRIDAY : : [art] Coy Poage and William K. Stidham Art Exhibit benefiting the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Austin, 7pm-10pm @ Barocca Studios - $15 donation [music] Mae Shi @ Elysium [film] New Films! @ Your Local Theaters [music] Andy Rourke of The Smiths @ The Parish [music] Loxsly, 8pm @ Red Fez [music] AM Syndicate with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Cue and Dear Nora, 8pm @ Beerland [books] Douglas......

If you’re looking to have your funny bone tickled this weekend and you can’t get us on our cell phone, head on over to The Hideout Theater for the Out-of-Bounds Comedy Festival. We checked it out last night, and as you would expect, some groups were stronger than others. Both the upstairs and downstairs stages run acts simultaneously. Last night there was improv upstairs and sketch comedy downstairs. The absurd and cute Rat Girl......

Billy Joe Shaver is one of America's greatest songwriters and a true Texas legend, just ask him. He penned such classic as “Ride Me Down Easy,” Black Rose,” and “Honky Tonk Heroes.” He appears on Fresh Air today to discuss his music career, having a heart attack on stage at Gruene Hall, his dogs and the loss of his son to an alleged heroin overdose. He tells the story of how Willie Nelson and......