Kick off this weekend early on Thursday at Antone’s with music from Black Joe Lewis, Bankrupt and the Borrowers, and The Best Love In Town on the special occasion of The Versatile Syndicate’s “Launch Party.” The entity is now open for business, and their agenda is to aid any artist in pursuing their dreams and professional development via booking/tour management, consulting, live production, and so on. This event is a part of the Austin Music Foundation’s Love Austin Music Month and cover for AMF members is $5. The rest of us mere mortals can get in for $10. The shindig also marks AMF's 6th Birthday; free cake and food (courtesy of Whole Foods Market) and free 2008 She Rocks Calendars while the goodies last....

A gagillion cities have performance spaces named The Paramount Theatre: Oakland, Charlottesville, Seattle, hell, even Shreveport had a theatre named the Paramount at one point. But ours is the only one that is hosting its first EVER Poster Sale and Silent Auction this Saturday! Harumph! After its renovation in the mid 70’s, the Paramount began squirreling away classic movie and theatre posters—as well as signed memorabilia from performers such as BB King, Ravi Shankar, and......

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......

Tonight, Screen Door Film and the Austin Museum of Art present Screen Door's Best Short Films of 2006. The winners were chosen by audience vote from among the 41 shorts presented by Screen Door Film throughout the past year. All of the eight films being screened tonight are national or international award-winners (including awards from film festivals like Palm Springs, SXSW, Sundance, Melbourne, Tinklai, Palm Springs, Tribeca, IndieWire and more) and three of the winners......

TUESDAY [24] film • The Best of Sex-Ed with Owen Egerton at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm, $9) film • Chocolat Feast at Alamo South (7pm, $50) film • AFS Essentials: Laura at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • The Yes Men at The Space (8pm, Free) film • Young Frankenstein at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) tv • SXSW Presents: The Dreams of Sparrows on KLRU (9pm) film • Bubba Ho-Tep at Alamo Village (9:45pm) music •......

We all know that "Austin City Limits" is one of the finest television shows in the country. The intimate venue provides an enchanting atmosphere in which musicians can feel at home. Ever since we started watching it as wee ones in the 70s, we've been in love. It seems others share our passion. Paste Magazine's The Best 24 Hours on Television issue has named "Austin City Limits" the best place for music on television. "Austin......

As we scourged all the theatre listings this week, endlessly digging for all the dirt on all the shows in all the venues from all the companies in all of Central Texas, we realized…there is no spoon. There’s also practically nothing opening this weekend. But never fear, dear theatre goer, there’s plenty, plenty of shows that are still running from previous weeks that – if you haven’t already seen them – will forever haunt......

FRIDAY [19] [music] Cross Canadian Ragweed w/ Micky & the Motorcars at Stubb's (link) [music] Clint Small Jr. Middle School's Phat Cats Jazz Ensemble at Waterloo Records (Free, 6pm) (link) [music] Moth Fight! at End of an Ear (Free, 7pm) (link) [music] Faceless Werewolves, Hotrails, Tokyo Nites at Beerland (link) [music] Dynah CD release at Red Eyed Fly (link) [music] Wilco Hoot Night with "many, many Austin bands" at Trophy's (link) [music] Pudge Zeppelin with......

We've been so slammed with work these last few weeks after SXSW that we haven't had the chance to properly review the pile of CDs stacked next to our desk. But here are a few noteworthy albums that we're really digging -- actual reviews will appear shortly. The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever [online player] [myspace] [mp3] "Be Gentle With Me" The Lovely Feathers - Hind Hind Legs (4/18) [myspace] [mp3]......

As mentioned earlier, the Austin Film Society begins selling tickets at 8 a.m. today for QT7: The Best of Quentin Tarantino. Sales are restricted to AFS members only (you can buy one for $20), and a sellout is expected. Passes cost a hefty $145 but are good for 7 nights of screenings, including one outdoor evening @ The Backyard. Tarantino will be in the house to introduce and discuss most films, and you'll probably......

As if SXSW didn't just bring enough film love into your life, the Austin Film Society and the Drafthouse have announced some new events to entertain you this spring. First, the freebie. The Alamo Drafthouse will be screening classic films at The Glenn @ The Backyard. The Glenn is apparently a new, smaller outdoor music venue on the Backyard grounds on Highway 71. "Rebel Without A Cause" (April 6), "East Of Eden" (April 20),......

Sale information on wristbands for SXSW will be announced by the Austin Chronicle in this Thursday's issue -- we'll have it posted here as soon as we find out! Arab Strap - The Last Romance Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not Asylum Street Spankers - Pussycat: Bootleg Series V.2 Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - The Hidden Land Billy Bragg - Box Set V.1 Billy Bragg -......

We love our Sunday morning ritual of waking up slowly, putting on our big fluffy bathrobe, grabbing a cup of strong black java, and settling into our favorite chair to listen to the KUT (90.5) lineup beginning at 9:00 with "This American Life", followed by "Selected Shorts" at 10:00 and then - if our dogs aren't absolutely insisting that we get our lazy asses up and take them out to do their "business" -......

Owen Egerton takes a crack (for the second hilarious time) at goofy sex ed films from the 40's - 70's. It's called "The Best of Sex Ed" and it happens tonight at 9:45 at the Alamo Downtown. Spend a couple of hours getting your jollies, and perhaps learning some important information. Like how premarital sex could lead to insanity. But you already knew that. We remember our own sex ed class in grade school,......

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......

Shaking off the morning-after hangover with tacos from Mi Madre's over off Manor. That tangled mass on the right side of the plate is a demolished Number 14, a.k.a. The Best Crispy Taco in Town. Congrats to the 2005 Longhorns, and good luck, Vince!......

: : FRIDAY : : [music] Early Man, Atomic Bitchwax, Lions and Black Earth @ Emo's [art] "A Pairing:Exhibition of Works by Women of Wine & The Men Who Adore Them," 5:30pm-8:30pm @ Gallery Lombardi [music] St. James, Andy Davis and Matt Wertz @ Stubb's [music] The Ugly Beats and American History Project @ Beerland [music] Beta Valentine CD Release with Super Sonic Soul Squad and DJ Bigface, 8pm @ End of an Ear......

Delaware is just a place one drives through for five minutes or so on a highway connecting Maryland to Pennyslvania (have you actually ever met anyone from Delaware?), but something magical must be happening there because this place we got in town called Delaware Subs makes THE BEST SUB SANDWICH EVER. So, yeah, we go there a lot. And because they make a point of being affiliated with an eastern state, they offer customers......

Some more new music for the week to get you through the weekend... Deathray Davies – The Kick and the Snare This Dallas based sextet delivers their best record yet, full of power pop hooks and catchy indie-rock fun. I bet Weezer wishes this was the kind of record they would have released last week. We will enjoy blasting this in our car during those hot summer days to come. The Deathray Davies are......

Two years ago, Forbes claimed Austin is The Best City for Singles. Austin was also number one on America’s Best Cities for Dating list. Austinist wants to know what you think. Is Austin truly a dating haven? Where are good places to meet people? What about dating disasters? Talk amongst yourselves.......