THURSDAY [28] music • Ratatat, Envelopes, Panther (outside), Maritime, Ghost of the Russian Empire (inside) at Emo's ® music • Clap Clap at Whisky Bar music • Jonny Lang at Stubb's music • Jose Gonzalez w. Death Vessel at The Parish Room ® music • AUX, Red Leaves, Belhome at Flamingo Cantina music • Boy Band Hoot Night with Single Frame, Golden Bear, and more at The Mohawk (912 Red River) ® music •......

TUESDAY [26] political-rockstars • Howard Dean speaks at Scholz Garden (5pm-6:30pm, $50/$20) pol/booze • "Drinking Liberally" weekly meetup for liberal and progressives at Dog & Duck Pub (6:30pm) books • Drew Banks presents Able Was I at BookPeople (7pm) music • The Queers, Hard Ons, Toys That Kill, Signal Lost at Emo's music • "Cool Brittania," By Wayne (Calla) and ex-Yuppie Pricks -- Brit Pop, Rock, Punk, Psych, Metal, and Prog from 60s-90s at......

MONDAY [25] music • Art Brut, We Are Scientists, Spinto Band at Emo's ® music • The Audrey Hepburn Heroine at Hole in the Wall (10pm) music • Tony Joe White at Waterloo Records music • Open Stage Hosted by Abi Tapia & Graham Weber at Cactus Café (7:30pm Signup) music • The Doug Moreland Show at Continental Club art • Show & Tell Part III, A Digital Slide Jam at Women & Their......

The Tommy Chong, at BookPeople tonight, reading from his new book, "The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint." About the only thing we can thank John Ashcroft for is Chong's book, which he penned after the feds decided it was more important to fight bongs than terrorists. Chong gave a great off-the-cuff talk to a packed house before signing some books. Summary: The secret to life is love, laughter, and a few puffs. It's......

FRIDAY [18] music • Benefit party for Loaded Gun Theory's new zombie rock opera with Midori Umi, The Lord Henry, Golden Bear, and the Zombie Rock Orchestra (The Unbearables, members of Tammany Hall Machine, a choir and horn section) -- snacks provided, too -- at Red's Scoot Inn (8pm-2am, $5 or $3 with zombie costume) ® film • Sinus Show: Point Break at Alamo Downtown (7 & 10pm, $10) ® theatre • The Sweetest......

So, SXSW Film begins tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. Austinist realizes that we just freaked you out by saying so. Don't worry, though: we watched about 50 previews for the film festival so that you wouldn't have to. Having emerged a little bleary-eyed, we suggest the following less-heralded films as picks worthy of your time and attention: A/K/A Tommy Chong: Who's in it? Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, Bill Maher, Jay Leno What's it about? Tommy Chong......