Even the airplanes on approach to Bergstrom looked fake, forced by the low ceiling to approach at a tight angle, like models from a Japanese monster movie, their blinking forms visible in great detail as they fell inches above wet rooftops, the heavy air muffling all but the lowest drone of the engines....

It's here it's the end it's almost over. These are the final days of Emo's 15th Anniversary Weekend, an eight-day extravaganza (of sorts) celebrating the 6th and Red River venue that is so near and dear to our hearts. We tantalizingly talked it up, and you responded. In fact, rumors circulated that even those on the guest list for the sold-out Ghostland Observatory show couldn't get in. Whatevs, man -- there is still a......

THURSDAY [19] benefit/music • Do512 and Direct Events co-host a benefit for Groundwork Music with Tammany Hall, The Boxing Lesson at La Zona Rosa (RSVP for Free Entry, $5 Cover Otherwise) books • "The Art of Travel and Travel Writing" with Lonely Planet writer Alex Hershey and Stephanie Elizondo Griest at Intellectual Property (5:00pm) books • The Texas Monthly Author Series presents Ian Rankin at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • Movies in the Park: "Talladega......

THURSDAY [18] Beware of possible cancellations today and tomorrow -- call ahead! film • Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival 2007 at Alamo Downtown (7pm, 9:30pm) film • Terror Thursdays: Revenge from Planet Ape at Alamo Downtown music • Carrots, Darling New Neighbors, The Sleepwalkers at Emo's music • Spaceinvader Orchestra, Supercontinent, Kosmodrome at Emo's Lounge music • Shuttle Debris, Matson Belle, Ear of Anon at Stubb's music • "Smash" video release, Chingo......

Come 12:01am on Monday morning, downtown Austin will be a madhouse of drunken revelers and even drunker artsy types. You could opt to shell out plenty of dough to get into the swanky parties, but why bother? You probably won't remember it the next day. Below are our top choices for fun things to do this New Year's Eve, all with reasonably-priced cover charges and, more importantly, within stumbling distance of one another. Get there......

FRIDAY [15] ballet • Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at Bass Concert Hall (Check website for details) music • Baby Robots, Horse + Donkey, Foot Foot, DJ Blip at Emo's Lounge music • Moonlight Towers, The Fall Collection, Buttercup at Emo's music • Mice & Rifles CD Release, Texas Sapphires, Adam White (The Personals) at Stubb's music • Crawling with Kings, Ian Moore, Lossy Coils, Future Clouds in Radar at The Parish Room music • Papa......

The following is a weekly column by guest contributor Laurie Gallardo. Hear her, Friday evenings, on KUT 90.5FM. -- The Editors Shalom, hepcats, and a Happy Hanukkah to you. I listened to Adam Sandler this morning because I truly appreciate his renowned tribute to the season, “The Hanukkah Song.” I appreciate the fact that he updates it every year, too. Put on your yarmulke…  I’ll feature groovy music this evening on KUT 90.5, in my......

The following is a weekly column by guest contributor Laurie Gallardo. Hear her on KUT 90.5FM, Friday evenings, from 11pm-3am. -- The Editors Hello, music lovers! I’m all a-twitter because, once again – and happily so, I’m in a whirl over the shows going on all over the place. It’s especially groovy for yours truly because it helps me pull my humble radio gig together – in that ragtag, scatterbrained method I’m so used......

MONDAY [4] film •The Royal Tenenbaums at Austin Java (9pm, Free) film •Fuck: A Documentary at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film •The Conformist at Texas Union (7:30pm) film •Blue at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film •The Da Vinci Code at Café Mundi (8pm, Free) film •Sound Unbound 2: Modern American Composers at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm, $2) music •Bound Stems, Rahim, The Shells, Quiet Company, Bello Ragazzo at Emo's music •Moonlight Towers, The Alice Rose at......

This year's Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on Sunday evening at 6pm. Constructed using one of Austin's few remaining Moonlight Towers, the Zilker "Tree" stands over 150 feet tall, with over 3,300 individual lights connected up to a 10-foot-wide double star. Other fun facts are available here. Photo by The Ginger Kitty on flickr......

FRIDAY [28] [books] Mike Henry presents a 24-hour Nonstop Slam at Progress Café, 500 San Marcos (8pm) LINK(Postponed) [dance] Improvisational Movement Project at Blue Theater (8pm, $8-$20) LINK [theatre] "Petra's Cuento" at Dougherty Arts Center (8pm) LINK [theatre] Edward Albee's "The Play About the Baby" at play! Theatre (8pm, $10) LINK [theatre] "Radio: 30" at Hyde Park Theatre (8pm, $13-$15) LINK [theatre] "In On It" at Off Center (8pm, $17) LINK [theatre] "American Fiesta" at......

Our comprehensive theatre guide can be found here M O N D A Y [13][film] Ralph Nelson's "Tick…Tick…Tick" at Drafthouse Downtown (7pm) (link) [film] Alamo Music Mondays presents "Fela Kuti: Music is the Weapon" at Drafthouse Downtown (9:45pm) (link) [comedy] "Richard Pryor Live in Concert" at Drafthouse South Lamar (10:15pm) (link) [film] "Coachella" at Drafthouse Village (9:45pm) (link) T U E S D A Y [14] [party/music] The White Ghost Shivers Valentine's Day Ball at......

SXSW.com released an updated lineup for this year's SXSW Music Festival earlier today, and it's one hell of a list. The SXSW committee hastens to note that "This is a partial list of performers confirmed to appear at the 2006 SXSW Music Festival. This list is current as of 1/13/06. All of this information is subject to change." International acts include: Masahiro Nitta, DMBQ, Ellegarden, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, PE'Z, The Emeralds (Japan)......

[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,......

* new! and improved! * : : FRIDAY : : [music] Book of Shadows & Devil Bat, 6pm @ End of an Ear - Free! [charity/music] Benefit for the victims of Hurricane Katrina with Attic Ted, The Vivian Girls, 8pm @ Monkeywrench Books [music] Zykos, Phosphorescent, Canoe, 9pm @ Emo's OUTSIDE - Free! [music] Voxtrot, Loxsly, Belaire, 9pm @ Emo's INSIDE - Free [charity/music] Crescent City Soul and R&B 45's by Waxploitation! DJs, 6-8pm......

The Black Angels will be playing a show with the Moonlight Towers at the Continental Club tonight. This is the Angels' first show in town since touring the West Coast in support of their "Sniper at the Gates of Dawn" EP. We've heard that while the shows went well, generally speaking, the Angels spent the past few months skiing along the precipice of disaster, and at least one Angel was poisoned. In other words,......

FRIDAY [fun] Austinist contributors Katie Spence & Reed Becker will be wandering around Austin's "financial district" wearing Ken Lay masks in support of the new documentary film, "Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room" - 2ish this afternoon [art] Tex-Mex Casserole Opening Party at Flux (new collaborative work from Dennis Hodges & Brandon Petree. 6-10) [music] Crack Pipes Record Release party at Beerland (with John Schooley & His One-man Band) [music] True Penny at El......