So You Think You Can Dance, the FOX dance competition show, has become a summer reality staple for some of us. If the crowd at the touring show Sunday night at the Erwin Center indicates anything, it's that SYTYCD fans are a diverse bunch. We had a chance that afternoon to chat with a small sampling of the dancers, including Gev Manoukian and Courtney Galiano, who had been the underdogs in the competition and seem to be enjoying themselves on tour. We asked them about their experience on the show and post-tour plans....

Of all the platinum-level rock acts that rose to prominence in the early '90s, Nine Inch Nails are in many ways the last band standing. Breaking up was never an issue, as Trent Reznor has been the sole director of NIN since its inception, but neither have they become a greatest-hits dinosaur act, an Axl Rose-esque caricature, or one of the many drug casualties littering the last twenty years of rock history. ...

If you are as big a fan of the show as we are, you may have already been to the tour schedule and seen that (finally!) the top ten will be dancing our way. The show will be at the Frank Erwin Center in October, with tickets going on sale this Saturday morning. Austin 360's Idol Chatter says tickets will cost from $35 to $54.50....

The world's just not as much fun as it used to be, what with all the global warming, credit crises, genocide, and other assorted world events that get us down, bum us out and convince us that, yeah, totally—the sky is falling. Thank goodness for Joe Hartman's new one man show, Overwhelming Underdogs, in its second strong week at Arts on Real. Hartman's writing and acting, Kirk German's directing, and maybe a glass of wine from the in-theatre bar is the perfect antidote to thinking about all that other stuff....

Mid-March, or SXSW rather, is a time when Warehouse District bars turn into rock venues and 6th St. meat markets become home to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see that next big thing at a smallish venue. We’ve never made it to Ninety Proof Lounge but all that might change when Zizek comes to the hotspot that is “upscale without the attitude” on March 13th. Zizek is a regular shindig in Buenos Aires that provides artists an opportunity to display their genius -- reggae, hip-hop, cumbia, folk, dancehall, electro, you name it, they got it. The intent is to provide an Argentine slant on the various genres and showcase the talent that lies within the country. And of course, party hard, dance the night away, and take the show on the road!...

Wednesday at the Drafthouse Downtown, Japanese documentary filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda will be on hand to introduce his documentary, Campaign (Senkyo), a fine look at campaign ethics, the dirt of politicking (we love when that's a verb) and contemporary Japanese culture in general....

Photograph of Michael Strahan, coach Tom Coughin (holding the Vince Lombardi trophy) and quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning by Tien Mao Gothamist was amazed after the Giants won the Super Bowl, the city went wild, and it witnessed a ticker-tape parade.Barack Obama drew 20,000+ ahead of Seattle’s Saturday caucus.Londonist had Super Tuesday too.Elusive guerrilla street artist Banksy revisits Los Angeles.After the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and came this close to making......

Photo by ferguweb on morguefileAfter last night's sold-out Band of Horses show at La Zona Rosa, former Austinist co-editor Matthew Odam happened to witness a precious exchange between the seven-time Tour de France champ and the door guy at the Backstage Bar. Armstrong, evidently operating under the notion that he was exempt from pesky TABC laws, attempted to leave the club with drink in hand. When Sean Higgins, the door man, stopped him, Armstrong quickly......

Rogue Wave plays to a sold out audience at The Parish in Austin, Texas. ...

The tour, which launched in 2003, is a roving exhibit featuring work from a variety of contemporary artists from around the world. For four years the tour has evolved, and each year the mediums showcased in the exhibit have changed. For Installation 4, the theme, It's a Beautiful World, was interpreted by each artist and includes paintings, photography, sculpture and collage. ...

With the faith of a thousand men, Pastor Richard Gazowsky set out ten years ago on a divine mission: to make the greatest film ever made. Nevermind that the first film he ever saw was The Lion King, at the tender age of 40. Nevermind that he had absolutely no background in directing, editing, or producing an epic so grand that it's concept was enthusiastically described as "The Ten Commandments meets Star Wars." Nevermind that his only solid source of funding was the generous tithes of his congregation at the Voice of Pentecost Church....

Emo’s Free Week has come and gone, but the venue and the city march on with a buffet of mouth-watering shows available for consumption tonight. Eclectic beats from Dan Deacon pace Emo’s inside stage (as a part of the Ultimate Reality Tour) while Steamroller, She Craves, Killer Crocs of Uganda, and The Banner Year rock Emo’s Lounge....

The first big non-SXSW show announcement of 2008 is here, and guess what: it's a massive dance party. Straight out of Paris, the electronic duo known as Justice will kick off their US tour at Stubb's on Monday, March 3rd. This is actually a small venue for the band - just a week after the Austin date, they'll headline Madison Square Garden. If you've not already heard Justice, start with Daft Punk or MSTRKRFT as sonic reference points, then add some scruffy beards and leather jackets. Justice also revel in the rock 'n' roll imagery, so their live show features a huge backlit cross (pictured at right) and stacks upon stacks of Marshall guitar amps to blow everyone right out of the venue. The band are touring in support of 2007 album †, which spawned the hit single "D.A.N.C.E." and was quite the critical darling as well. Their set at Coachella '07 was widely praised as a festival highlight, so this March gig should be something special....

Image courtesy of Nacional RecordsThe first annual Ground Zero Texas fest kicks off their weekend schedule of events on Thursday, with the opening ceremony at Sound On Sound Records at 6 p.m. (featuring a performance by the official GZT mascot NOBUNNY), followed by opening night action at Beerland with music from The Spits, The Wax Museums, and The Hibachi Stranglers. Denton’s The Reds will also re-unite and rock this special evening. The plethora of local......

Photo from ImageAfter Starting today, we'll be publishing a weekly roundup of various arts & entertainment news that we've come across. Most of these developments, whether national or international, have a direct relationship with something local, whether it be an organization, individual, or our collective culture. In any case, it's a nice chance to broaden our world view -- a definite bonus (or necessity, some might argue) for a city that revels in creativity! --......

Photo from LiveStrong.orgIs Austin hero and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong mulling over a possible gubernatorial bid? Some folks seem to think so. After championing last month's pro-cancer research bill, Prop 15 (which passed almost unanimously, despite the fevered efforts of some vocal neocons), and hobnobbing with the likes of President George H. W. Bush, Armstrong seems well-positioned to run for political office in the next few years. Both State Sen. Kirk Watson......

Blue Bowl by Ryan MckerleyRyan McKerley with Lisa Crowder and Edmund Martinez (2710 E Cesar Chavez) A full-time studio potter since 1995, Ryan McKerley has been a fixture of the East Side Studio Tour since its inception. He makes contemporary functional stoneware and porcelain vessels, fired in a wood or soda kiln and decorated with earthy colors. Ryan really loves what he does, and it shows from his work. You won’t get a warmer welcome......

Image from Team Fabrication’s MySpace Emo’s is just one of the places you could be this Friday evening. Local experimental act, The Octopus Project released their latest full-length, Hello, Avalance on Peek-A-Boo Records last month and will be providing nuggets of electronic mayhem from the new album and past releases, no doubt. Cue and Horse+Donkey round off this bill of unique Austin acts on the outside stage. Inside at Emo’s, Those Peabodys will be on......

Image from EAST East Austin Studio TourSaturday, November 17 - Sunday, November 18Various Venues (Austin)Free, 10am-5pm Daily[info]The 2007 East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.) is happening this weekend, and over the next two days we'll be previewing a handful of the artists whose works you'll be able to check out. Here's our guide to E.A.S.T. 2007: The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. With 113 studios and over 200 artists......

Image courtesy Okay Mountain Opening Reception for Introduction to Mountain Making: Okay Mountain StaffSaturday, November 17Okay Mountain Gallery (1312 E Cesar Chavez)7pm[info]In its two years of existence, East Austin's Okay Mountain hasn’t been big on exhibiting pieces created by the small group of local artists who run the place—instead, the gallery usually brings in artists from around the country to show work. But this weekend, Okay Mountaineers will have their day in the sun. In......

Sol-Art SOL-ART @ E.A.S.T. Austin Studio TourNovember 17 from 10am-11pm and November 18 from 10am-5pmSOL-ART (1141 Perry Rd)[info]Central Texas living meets sustainability in a new development project called SOL, or Solutions Oriented Living. The new green oasis is three miles east of downtown and will consist of architect-designed, environmentally conscious homes surrounded by 5 acres of oak trees. Some of Austin's finest artists filmmakers, writers, photographers, musicians, and other creative souls will gather in full......

Flyer from BGirl City Championships Home Slice Pizza celebrates its second anniversary (happy birthday, guys!) with a giant Pizza Carnival—expect pizza tossing acrobats, pizza eating contests, "Great Calzoni the Slice Reader," and more, with proceeds going to benefit Young Texans Against Cancer The 6th annual East Austin Studio Tour returns, featuring more than 200 artists at over 100 studios—ride your bikes this year! VICE Magazine, Gomikitti, and Scion throw a killer free party at Antone's......

Album cover of McLemore Avenue, Booker T. & The MG’s The hilarious kids of ColdTowne bring their audience-driven film/music/improv spectacle, 3, 2, 1 Kill!, to the new downtown Drafthouse digs Austin Music Commission hosts a very important town hall meeting tonight at Momo's on the resurrected sound ordinance proposal, which could dramatically transform our city's live music landscape -- and not in a good way Stitch, Austin's ultimate gathering of D-I-Y fashion and design, takes......

Mac Lethal has been called a “contemporary cross between a folk singer and a stand-up comic” by Rolling Stone – and that dichotomy of inane observation and thought-provoking insight defines his debut album, 11:11. We spoke with Mac Lethal from his tour bus while on the road for the Everybody Loves a Clown Tour with label-mates Grayskul and Atmosphere. That tour bus is currently parked outside of Emo’s, where the Everybody Loves a Clown......

The SMART car, one of Europe's most eye-catching two-seaters, is finally coming to the states next year. If you can't wait to get behind the wheel of this fuel-sipping sub-$12k urban commuter, head over to Bookpeople post-haste. As part of its pre-US-launch promotional push, SMART is taking the European version of its "fortwo" vehicle on a 50-city road show. Austin is the final leg in its Central Tour, which started in Minneapolis back in June.......

Austin artist Michael Schliefke—of Bolm Studios and one of the driving forces behind the annual East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.)—recently unveiled a new comic book side project that takes aim at all of the development shenanigans happening on the eastside. "Towards the beginning of this year, I got the idea to do some drawings of East Austin before it was entirely cleaned up and was completely overrun by condos and lofts," said Schliefke. "My idea......

Interested in finding out more about the actual options for living in downtown Austin? The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association has its 4th Annual Downtown Living Tour this Sunday, September 30th, from noon to 5 pm, featuring a combination of existing residences, units in new buildings, and sales models of upcoming developments. The tour will start at noon at the lobby of the Carr-America building located at 300 West 6th Street (across from The Belmont). Non-VIP......

Fall is here, the weather is cooling, and the prospect of an outdoor food and wine tasting has mentally moved from "it's too hot!" to "that sounds perfect." One of the marquee wine events of the fall, Tour De Vin pairs eleven chefs and over 100 wines in a "sip and stroll" format tasting on Thursday, October 4th. This is the fifth anniversary of the event, and the wine lineup looks to be the......

You bring up the idea of “art”, and you’re definitely begging for some heated shit talking. Opinions are the first to fly, then potentially followed by epithets, then perhaps some brass knuckles. All metaphoric in form, of course. Why must these disagreements come to pass? Notorious MSG comes to mind. It could be said that this is exactly what art and artists, as functional cogs in the machines of social industry, are supposed to......

On Mondays and Thursdays, we syndicate comic strips from around the IST network. If you're an artist and would like to share your works with our readers, please email us. Today's comic is by Austin artist Travis Nichols, whose work we first stumbled upon during the East Austin Studio Tour. An illustrator, designer, and cartoonist, Nichols works primarily with acrylics, spray paint, and ink, often using a variety of recycled/reclaimed materials—wood, discarded matboard, thrift store......