The thrill of an open mic lies in a comic’s ability to capture or lose an audience in mere minutes. For a performer, this means either the elation that comes with leaving a crowd wanting more or the cold comfort of knowing your set is, if nothing else, at least mercifully short. Whether you’re a stand-up looking for some stage time or you’re in search of new, under-the-radar acts, we recommend stopping by one of Austin’s many anything-goes comedy nights. more ›

As the days go by, things get more intense at Slam Central. Each night, votes for the team bouts are tallied, and teams and individuals learn where they stand. The scores as of the wee hours of Wednesday morning have been posted, and while it's way too early to start popping the bubbly, we're excited to see Team Ego's in second place! First is Team Killeen (please tell us there's at least one slamming soldier among them...how cool is that??); third is Team Berkeley. You can see the entire list of scores from Tuesday's bouts here. more ›

Another day, another schedule of packed-to-the-gills programming for the National Poetry Slam. It's extremely tough to pick just one or two things to highlight, but here're the events that most piqued our curiosity. Daytime Programming All daytime programs are FREE, so if you live or work downtown, consider popping in for one of these events. NPS won't be in Austin again for a very long time, so this is something of a one-time chance. It... more ›

Banner week for SFist as the site's new editor introduced himself -- hooray for Brock! While the NY Times weighed in on SF's mayoral race, only SFist had the (insert tongue firmly into cheek) hard-hitting latest on candidate/activist Josh Wolf. Coverage of a protest vs. gentrification spawned a fantastic debate amongst SFist's readers. Finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous: video of a man that confused a Board of Supes meeting with "open mic... more ›

Friday, July 6artB Scene - Too Darn Hot! at Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress ($5-$10) booksAlan Porter presents Before They Were Beatles, with Beatles cover band Daytripper at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedyJohn O’Connell with Jesse Pangelinian at Cap City Comedy Club comedyPunchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) comedyLovey and Lovey at ColdTowne Theater (8pm) comedyWeekly Improv Cage Match! at ColdTowne Theater (11:30) film"Bonnie & Clyde" and "White Heat" at The... more ›

FRIDAY [15] juneteenth/parade • Alvin Patterson Battle of the Bands and Drumline Competition at Congress Avenue (2pm) books • Lama Surya Das presents Buddha is as Buddha Does at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy • Billy D Washington with Doug Mellard at Cap City Comedy Club comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) dance • Constellation, a site-specific dance work from Sally Jacques at Pickle & Thornberry Federal Courthouses (9pm) dance... more ›

FRIDAY [8] music • DJ Krames (Cobra Kai), Prince Klassen at Beauty Bar (Free) books • Dominic Smith presents The Beautiful Miscellaneous at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) film • "The Secret Mirror" at The Paramount film • Master Pancake Theatre: "The Breakfast Club" at Alamo Downtown film • "Severance" at Dobie Theatre food • Central Market Cooking Class: Manicotti Workshop with Foodie Barbara Sampson at... more ›

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,... more ›

FRIDAY [25] party • The Onion's "Summer Fun Blast Blowout Extravaganza!" Party with Clap!Clap!, Crash Gallery, Devil in the Choir, DJ Rubix, Prince Klassen, and a chance to win a scooter from Scooter Revolution at Beauty Bar ($2, 9:30pm) theatre • Rubber Repertory presents A Thought in Three Parts at The Vortex (8pm) music • Emissions From the Monolith Fest at Emo's music • Voxtrot, Au Revoir Simone, The Black, Zykos at Emo's music... more ›

FRIDAY [4] party/bikes • Yellow Bike Project's Second Annual Bike Art Show with music by DJ Orion, DJ Katherine at Gallery 1906 (Free, 7pm-Midnight) art • Opening Reception: memoria/memoir: Carol Flax at Volitant Gallery, 320 Congress Ave., Ste 100 (6-9pm) art • B Scene at the Blanton Museum of Art 1st Anniversary Celebration at Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress ($5 members, $10 non-members, 6-11pm) art • Opening Reception: Tunnel Vision: Parading Down the... more ›

FRIDAY [27] music • While You Were Out, presented by Bueno Music Bureau, with The Unbearables, She Sir, The Scripts, Friday After Dark at Club de Ville ($5) books • Anita Gonzalez, Ph.D., presents Dancing Between Myth and Reality at CAAAS (UT - Jester A232) (3:00pm) comedy • Tig Notaro and Steve Burr at Cap City Comedy Club comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) dance • Fetish and Other... more ›

FRIDAY [20] benefit/music • Ashera-Blare-A IV with All In the Golden Afternoon, The Heirs, The Minderchucks, and The Otters at Club DeVille beer/party • Black Star Co-op's Craft Beer Celebration with Pong, Opposite Day, The Second Line Social, and fine craft beer from around the country at Fiesta Gardens (8pm-Midnight, $10) comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) dance • Room, part of Refraction Arts' Fuse Box Festival at The... more ›

FRIDAY [13] fashion • RARE Magazine Spring Fling Fashion Show at The Belmont Hi-Lo (Moved due to rain) art/music • Take That!, a show of new images by Lance McMahan, plus music by Amanda Jones, Connie Ball, & Teddy and Marge at The Opera House (7-10pm) art • Hot and Cold: The Best of Canadian Contemporary Art at Art on 5th, 1501 W 5th (10am-6pm) art • Opening Reception for abstract paintings and encaustics... more ›

In a city where gadget geeks and analog-loving musicians abound, we're surprised that there aren't more of these events taking place: tonight, the folks behind Austin Dorkbot are hosting an evening of open-source, DIY audio and "seriously strange sounds." Taking place at Brentwood Tavern, "Transparent Mike Night" is presented in an open mic format and showcases a spectacular salmagundi of zany instruments, recording devices, mixing tools, and other, never-been-done-before kind of audio devices. At... more ›

THURSDAY [2] film • Austinist, PartyEnds.com, and a bunch of other folks team up to host a free screening of the Vice Guide to Travel at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek (7:30pm, Free!) fashion/party • Prototype Vintage celebrates their first anniversary on First Thursday, with snacks and beverages, DJ Little Joe, and more at Prototype Vintage (7-10pm) art • Celebrated Skin: Tatoo Art and Artists Opening at Julia C. Butridge Gallery @ DAC (6pm) art... more ›

Starting today (actually, you are probably missing some of it right now, so hurry up and finish reading) The Queer Students Alliance of The University of Texas at Austin will be kicking off their sixth annual Pride Week. Until next Monday, October 16th, the QSA will be holding events from early in the morning til late in the evening--from rallies, conferences, workshops, movies and an AIDS walk at Waterloo Park. The theme for this year's... more ›

FRIDAY [25] food • Hatch Chile Festival at Central Market North Lamar (8am-9pm) shopping • Flipnotics Clothespad celebrates its 14th anniversary by hosting a big sidewalk sale, with $10 "Stuff a Bag" vintage threads for the ladies and 20% everything else (8am-9pm) books • Robin Meyers presents Why the Christian Right is Wrong: A Minister's Manifesto for Taking Back Your Faith, Your Flag, Your Future at BookPeople (7pm) music • Gorilla Biscuits, Terror, Comeback... more ›

Austin's teams finished second and tenth (out of 73 total teams) in last night's first prelim rounds for the National Poetry Slam. To put it in perspective, a perfect score is 90; TeamAustin/NeoSoul (which we've erroneously been calling South Flavas, mea culpa) scored 87.2, and TeamAustin/Ego's scored 80.9. We'd like to point out that NeoSoul is competing in their first nationals ever. Way to kick some ass! We're mighty proud of our local poet... more ›

Today at noon the National Poetry Slam officially kicks off with opening ceremonies at City Hall. Mayor Will Winn and 2006 NPS Artistic Director Mike Henry will be there to preside over the ceremonies, hosting an "estimated 500 competitors, coaches, staff members, and volunteers". Dang. That's a lot of poets. And poet friends. Folks with NPS badges get free lunch! more ›

Post by David Nunez Tonight at 8PM, nerds are beaming down to Cafe Mundi for the second gathering of Austin's latest art, technology, and culture forum: Dorkbot Austin. Dorkbot is a monthly meeting of artists (sound/image/movement/whatever), hackers, designers, engineers, students and other interested parties who are involved in the creation of electronic art (in the broadest sense of the term). Dorkbot was started in New York in 2000 by Douglas Irving Repetto and has since... more ›

Salvage Vanguard Theater is about to get big -- real big. Long established as one of Austin's fringe theatre giants, SVT is going national with a full-scale tour of their Intergalactic Nemesis series (not to mention a possible commercial run in NYC). They'll return home just in time to move into their brand spankin' new performance space and mount Nemesis again at the 1,200 seat Hogg Auditorium here in town. But according to Jason... more ›

M O N D A Y [ 9 ] [film/music] End of an Ear Presents "Shield Around the K," which "profiles the birth and growth of influential Olympia-based punk rock DIY record label K Records," at The Drafthouse Downtown (9:45pm) [info] [film] Super Happy Fun Monkeybash DX Gaiden (Vol. 2) at The Drafthouse Downtown (7pm) [info] [art] Check out the new gallery exhibit, Liz Ward's Aqueous, at Women and Their Work (All Day) [info] [music]... more ›

It’s rare to find a musician that has performed for thousands at the Austin City Limits Festival, is a classically trained cellist, and still gets on stage at open mic night with his best friends for a touching rendition of “Man Beers,” the holiday classic they composed moments early during a MGD shortage. Austin Hartley-Leonard, front man for local rockers St. James, is one such artist. It should be obvious that their upcoming Momo’s... more ›

We woke up this morning to find this e-mail in our inbox, in reference to the totally bearable The Unbearables: more ›