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 [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......

» [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......