Antonio Buehler, 34, was stopping for gas on his way home early Sunday morning when he and his friend heard a woman scream. “We look over, and we see the cop violently yanking the female out of the car,” Buehler told KVUE. As seen on the video -- taken by a cell phone from across the street -- the woman had her hands pulled straight out behind her back. Buehler said, “It just looked extremely painful.” Buehler began taking pictures of the scene, which caught the attention of the officers. Officer Oborski approached Buehler and accused him of interfering with the investigation before pushing him into the white truck seen on the video. Buehler was then taken to the BAT (Breath Alcohol Test) bus and asked to take a breathalyzer. Buehler was the designated driver that morning and had not been drinking. more ›

True to form, Red 7 is bringing in high caliber heavy hitters to ring your ears into the New Year. Instrumental trio Russian Circles balances bombastic, soaring riffs with metallic feedback lullabies and swirling atmospherics that seem to spin across the horizon into foggy clouds of dust, the likes of which those who witnessed their exceptional performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 will not soon forget. more ›

There are a plethora of great shows on Saturday, at which you can rock 'n' roll into the new year with style and belligerent grace. But allow us (or at least this writer) to humbly submit to you that few NYE happenings will surpass the NYE 1977 show thrown by Spider House and Hot Burrito No. 29. The concept of the show is something like this: imagine that instead of a bunch of 2011 bands bringing you into 2012, you had a bunch of 1977 bands vamping and New Wave-ing and punking it up. Why? Why not? 1977 was an awesome year. Those gathered at the 29th Street Ballroom-cum-musical time machine on Saturday will be treated to a selection of Austin's (and some from Dallas) best punk and rock bands impersonating some of 1977's best bands period. more ›

Earlier this month, Hotel Saint Cecilia decided they'd host a New Year's Eve party. As with all things Saint Cecilia, though, they've opted to keep it rather under the radar and exclusive, so we're not really supposed to tell you about it. But now you know. more ›

Happy New Year! more ›

Still looking to nail down your New Years Eve plans? Holding out for an extra special party? Well, try Malverde’s NYE party sponsored by Hornitos Tequila. The party at this casual 2nd Street bar starts at 8pm and includes a top shelf open bar, mischievous Hornitos cocktails all night long, a midnight champagne toast, and hors d’oeuvres provided by La Condesa. There will also be music by DJ Big Face and a Michael Jackson tribute at midnight. Tickets for this event are $125, but Austinist is going to give you a chance to win a pair of tickets at no cost to you. Well, maybe at the cost of your shame. more ›

Austinist presents a very special New Year’s Eve party tonight at The Mohawk. more ›

There's never any shortage of options for fun stuff to do on New Year's Eve, but your realm of possibilities just opened up a little wider. Austin's own up-and-coming fun and bluesy Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears will be ringing in 2009 with some soul at Stubb's inside Wednesday night. You can come enjoy the buffet and a champagne toast, and if you get there early enough, you can even catch San Antonio rock and roll outfit Hacienda. more ›

Legendary folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens will be performing two shows in Austin on January 16th. For tickets and more information, visit One World Theatre's Web site. more ›

Photo by smellyknee on flickr
• Sorry, Kucinich fans: Federal judge rules that he won't be on the Texas ballot.
• Downtown oil-spill sends 1,500 gallons of oil into Waller Creek, and it is still unclear where the oil came from.
• City of Hutto signs U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

The Blanton Museum's B Scene events happen once a month and celebrate the arts by combining music, drinks and socializing to rejuvenate the sometimes stuffy fine art scene. Their unique approach to reaching out to the public this way includes showcasing local musicians and DJs, and each B Scene event offers a different genre representation from Austin's diverse musical culture. more ›

Photos from this year's First Night Austin, which took place last Monday. The family-friendly New Year's Eve festival relies on volunteers and local performers. To find out how you can help with next year's festivities, visit their website. more ›

New Year's Eve at Mohawk, photographed by Nash Cook: Brazos, Pink Nasty, White Denim and Black Joe Lewis. more ›

Besides the wonderful events highlighted by the flyers above, there are a few other shows on New Year's Eve in Austin worth noting: more ›

We asked Chet about The Atlas, his affinity for dated pop-culture, The Onion's New Year's Eve party, and petty larceny. He obliged us, and it’s all transcribed below for your eyeballs’ pleasure(s). more ›

After the jump, check out featured artists and installations. more ›

Spider House and the United States Art Authority, along with yours truly, want to keep you away from downtown this New Year’s Eve. Sure the shenanigans on 6th St. is always stirring but keeping within the cozy confines of the campus area is arguably safer and largely less expensive. Spider House hosts a solid line-up of DJ’s with a couple of live acts thrown in for good measure. Doors are at 8 p.m. and the $12 tickets can be purchased in advance via Front Gate Tickets. more ›

5th Annual Big Reds and BubblesTuesday, November 27Driskill Hotel (604 Brazos St.)6:30-9pm; $75 general admission, $60 for members[info] | [tickets]With Thanksgiving a mere two days away and the holiday season right around the corner, this time of year brings fine wine to all foodie minds. Wine lovers traditionally splurge in December on fancy bottles for both holiday toasts and New Year's Eve celebrations. To welcome this time of year and the wines that complement... more ›

HBMG Foundation is still inviting folks to apply for the 2007 ArtSpark Festival, a twelve-week-long creative festival and competition that pits teams of theatre junkies, video game developers, and visual artists against one another to create awesome new works. At orientation, each team is given a "spark," an object which serves as the catalyst and inspiration to jumpstart the team's creative process. If you'd like to apply but can't find a team to join,... more ›

Sunday. Usually, a quiet, contemplative day in the Blogosphere. But not here in the Ist-a-Verse. Nonono! Just look below and see all of the wild and crazy stuff our staffs are up to. In Austin, bands are beginning to confirm for SXSW and the rumor mill is up and running. Good thing, too, because we all know how much Austinites love live performances. Austin also found itself in the national spotlight, with Longhorn Legend... more ›

DJ Mel packed the house at the Parish on New Year's Eve. more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

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... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

While on tour, New Orleans sextet Galactic provide support for some serious funk and jazz artists, from The Meters to Medeski Martin & Wood. And their contemporary and ex-labelmate, North Louisianan slide guitarist Papa Mali has worked with some of the most famous funk musicians on the planet, from Cyrille Neville to Burning Spear. So it's safe to say that fans of those groups will gravitate to La Zona Rosa for the New Year's... more ›

SATURDAY [23] music • Wintershow Benefit for SafePlace and Capital Area Food Bank with Bill Callahan (SMOG), Shearwater, Nick Hennies (Weird Weeds) and Brian Sookram at The Mohawk (Doors at 3pm, Music at 5pm) film • Sinus Show: Die Hard at Alamo Downtown (7 & 10pm, $12.50) music • Everyone Knows Everyone Winter Party, with music by Visitors, Rory + the Artificial Hearts, Pompeii, and Mars Wars; art by Carlos Rosales-Silva, Justin Cox, Jay... more ›

Official Poster of First Night Austin 2007 by Peat Duggins After the tremendous success of last year's inaugural festival, First Night Austin returns to downtown this New Year's Eve with an all-day program full of music, art, theatre, dance, and more. Begun in Boston back in 1976 as a massive public gathering to ring in the new year through "art, ritual, and festivity," First Night events are now held all over the world, from... more ›

It's the time of year to get out and make some connections. The cool weather has arrived, and the holidays are just around the corner. No one wants to spend New Year's Eve alone sober, so it's time to find someone more booze. Until then, you can just kick back with the best of last week's Missed Connections... one leg, all heart - m4w you were on your cruches and whistling at the homeless... more ›