So you’ve just moved closer to downtown to be near your institution of employment or what have you. The five minute drive to work in the morning is priceless but damn that late night rock music coming from the bars in the vicinity. Or maybe you've always lived there and you've always found the nightly din a bit much. Well, you’re going to have fight (not literally we hope) the artistic community and the related downtown service industry that thrives on Red River St. (and the adjoining areas) for your voice to be heard....

FRIDAY [18] festival • Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrations at Palmer Events Center (11:30am-1pm) party • Nightster Launch Party with Riverboat Gamblers at Scoot Inn (Free Bud 8-9pm, Show at 10pm, 21+) art • Closing Reception: The Puppet Show - Puppets and portraits of Mexican artists by fourth-grade students at Sanchez Elementary at Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, 211 Congress (4:30-6pm) books • Milton Burton presents The Sweet and the Dead at BookPeople (7:00pm)......

FRIDAY [20] dance • Requiem at Intel Shell (8pm, $20-$30) party/gay • Q Monthly Magazine release party at Oilcan Harry's (5-9pm) art • Chris Campbell: Surface/Depth Reception at Gallery 3 at the Co-Op (5-7pm) art • "The Stones": Art of Ronnie Wood Reception at ART on 5th (6-8pm) drag/party/various • International Drag King Extravaganza 8 at Venues Around Austin music • Oakley Hall, Brothers & Sisters, Li'l Cap'n Travis, Pink Nasty at Emo's music......

It's the Saturday Hatha instructor at YogaYoga South, or the rocker guy with spikey hair at Walgreens. It's one of the Lone Star Rollergirls, or your favorite downtown gallery owner. It's your local secret crush. After some rather arduous searching/sleuthing (dang, y'all!), our recurring interview series continues with "the hot blonde" at Austin Java on Barton Springs. She's a dog person, a Chai person and has a penchant for southern rock. It's this edition's featured......

A beautiful and excited crowd politely stormed the gates of The Paramount theater Friday night to catch one of indie-rock's most unlikely superheroes, Sufjan Stevens. Arguably the most anticipated and talked-about show of the year this side of The Stones, Sufjan and his prodigious backing band provided a salivating audience of Austinites a glimpse into their corn pone mystique, and we weren't disappointed. If anything, as many questions were raised as were answered about one of recent music's most curious and potent success stories....

FRIDAY [8] theatre • Salvage Vanguard Theater's The Intergalactic Nemesis at UT PAC's Hogg Memorial Auditorium music • Ghostland Observatory, Lions, and Crash Gallery at Trophys ($8, 10pm) ® film • Sinus Show: Xanadu at Alamo Downtown (7pm & 10pm, $12.50) film • Raiders of the Lost Ark at Paramount Theatre (9pm) books • Mark Wangrin presents Hook Em Horns: The Story of Texas Longhorn Football at BookPeople (7pm) ® music • Cruiserweight, Rory......

FRIDAY [12] [art] The Furman Collective presents "Taking Back the West" at Bolm Studios (Opening 7-11pm, Through Sunday) (link) [music] Paul Green School of Rock - Austin Presents Funk and Reggae at RedRum ($10, 7pm) (link) [music] Blood on the Wall, Psychic Ills, My Education, Ume at Emo's (link) [music] Zykos, Quien Es Boom!, The Lemurs at The Parish Room (link) [music] Alejandro Escovedo at Waterloo (Free, 5pm) (link) [music] Steve Arceri CD release at......

MONDAY [8] [music] Art Brut, Birdmonster, The Robocop Kraus at Emo's (link) [music] She Wants Revenge and OKGO at Stubb's (link) [music] The Lashes at Waterloo (Free, 5pm) (link) [film] Amelie (with FREE crème brulee) at Alamo Downtown (7pm) (link) [film] L.A. Confidential at Austin Java (8pm, FREE) (link) [film] Anime Monday at Ventana del Sol (7:30pm, FREE) (link) [film] Wet Hot American Summer at Rounders Pizzeria (6pm, FREE) (link) [film] School of Rock at......

» [politics/GLBT] Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus Candidate Forum and Endorsement Meeting for the 2006 Primary Elections at the Travis County Commissioner's Courtroom (7pm) (link) » [music] The Stones We Throw, Idle Kids and more at Snake Eyes Vinyl (6pm) » [karaoke] Karaoke and "Twin Peaks" happy hour at Beerland (7pm) » [music] Elizabeth McQueen and Jason Roberts continue their residency at Threadgill's World Headquarters » [music] Open Stage at Cactus Cafe, hosted by Abi Tapia......