David Berman, the head honcho behind the massively influential Silver Jews, made a turnaround these past couple of years that has both shocked and delighted his many loyal fans. While Berman became renowned through Silver Jews releases like The Natural Bridge and American Water, not to mention a turn at poetry with 1999’s Actual Air, he more recently experienced a religious rebirth and crawled out of his “hell-hole life,” as he described it, discovering an only hinted-at passion for Judaism as well as a renewed appreciation for everyday life....

Photo of Emily Tindall and Leslie Chastain courtesy UT Dep’t Theatre & Dance Ashes, Ashes8pm Saturday, 2pm SundayWinship Drama Building (UT Campus)[info] | [tickets]Ashes, Ashes, closing this weekend at UT, is the most visually-impressive theatrical work we’ve seen anywhere in quite awhile. We’ve even been to lower-end Broadway productions that didn’t have half the visual whammy of this retro-futuristic extravaganza. We simply couldn’t tear our eyes away from the post-Victorian steampunk fantasia created by the......

ACL Previews Interview: Ghostland Observatory Previews: The Broken West, Big Sam’s Funky Nation & Rose Hill Drive Previews: Billy Joe Shaver and Fionn Regan Previews: Brandon Rhyder and Ocote Soul Sounds Interview: The Broken West Previews: Sylvia St. James, Jeffrey Steele, and Amy Cook Interview: Bloc Party ACL Fest Updates: Google Mashup, Contests, Eco-Chic Previews: Augustana, Amos Lee Interview: Peter, Bjorn, and John ACL Band Clash, Round 3: Wilco Vs My Morning Jacket Travis......

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......

THURSDAY [12] music • The Carrots, The Interest Kills (LAST SHOW) at The Mohawk music • ME TV's monthly Austin Music Foundation benefit series, "Emerging Artists," with The Dedringers, Nakia and His at Antone's (8pm, $5) music • Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band, Jeff Klein, The Normans at Emo's music • Twilight Broadcast CD Release Show with Loss Rayne, Goldcure at Stubb's music • DJ Omari's Soul Party, with the Rock and Roll......

WEDNESDAY [11] books • JoAnna Barrett presents The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • Texas Doc Tour: "Fish Kill Flea" at Alamo Downtown film • Open Screen Night at Alamo Downtown film • Weird Wednesdays: "Marta" at Alamo Downtown film • Jim Jarmusch Film Series: "Dead Man" at Alamo Village film • "Babe" Organic Vegetarian Feast at Alamo Village film/discussion • Screening of Israeli film director Eytan Fox's "Walk......

'Tis the week of the fest here in A-town, and making the biggest bang is Refraction Arts' Fuse Box Festival, starting this Friday. Fuse Box is a three-week smörgåsbord of performance and other types of arts, featuring artists from around the globe. We've got this one covered, with pointers to a few things that stood out to us this week. Along those lines, this Saturday's Blue 60 — the Fuse Box fundraiser and kick-off party......

TUESDAY [10] music • Brand New, Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra at Stubb's music • Richard Swift & Sons of National Freedom, David Vandervelde & the Moonstation House Band, Zookeeper, the Gigantic Rubber Band at Emo's Lounge music • Gurf Morlix at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • DJ Trevor, A Few Nice Things at Beauty Bar music • Radioland Murders, Pack of Wolves at Whisky Bar books • Randall Pinkett presents The Campus CEO......

MONDAY [9] books • Jillian Robinson presents Change Your Life Through Travel at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy • 22nd Annual Funniest Person in Austin Contest, hosted by John Ramsey at Cap City Comedy Club dance • Spank Dance's "4Red Lines" at Secret Location, Check Austinist's Clues (5:30pm) film • "Harold and Kumar" with All-You-Can-Eat Mini-Burgers at Alamo Downtown film • Music Mondays: "Times Square" at Alamo Downtown film • Jim Jarmusch Film Series: "Dead Man"......

Creativity thrives at the University of Texas Department of Theater and Dance, and they're out to prove it in a big way: next week, they're hosting the fourth biennial Cohen New Works Festival, a seven day whirlwind of original performances, readings, choreography, guest artist panels, and workshops. Founded in 2001 in honor of David Mark Cohen, a UT Professor of Theater and Dance and respected playwright, the Cohen New Works Festival celebrates original works......

UPDATE: You can now reserve your ticket to Senator Barack Obama's speech to take place on February 23 at The Gregory Gym on The University of Texas campus. It's fast and easy and you can even sign up your friends! Just click here and follow the instructions. Good luck! Senator Barack Obama will be making his second trip to Austin in less than five months, speaking at The Gregory Gym on UT Campus, Friday......

Senator Barack Obama will be making his second trip to Austin in less than five months, speaking at The Gregory Gym on UT Campus, Friday February 23. Everyone wants to get their hands on this presidential hopeful--University Democrats, African American Cultural Committee and Texans for Obama are all sponsoring the event, billed as one of the first stops on his recently announced campaign trail. This is a free event, open to the public, but......

THURSDAY [18] Beware of possible cancellations today and tomorrow -- call ahead! film • Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival 2007 at Alamo Downtown (7pm, 9:30pm) film • Terror Thursdays: Revenge from Planet Ape at Alamo Downtown music • Carrots, Darling New Neighbors, The Sleepwalkers at Emo's music • Spaceinvader Orchestra, Supercontinent, Kosmodrome at Emo's Lounge music • Shuttle Debris, Matson Belle, Ear of Anon at Stubb's music • "Smash" video release, Chingo......

WEDNESDAY [18] party • Cut Club with The Young Professionals (Prince Klassen, KidIndie) at The Mohawk dance • Requiem at Intel Shell (8pm, $20-$30) film • Bad Education at Arbor (1:10pm & 6:50pm) ® film • Live Flesh at Arbor (4:10pm & 9:30pm) ® film • Norman Mailer: Beyond the Law at Alamo Downtown (7pm) ® film • The Films of Joseph Cornell at The Space (8pm, Free) film • Back to the Future......

May your withdrawals subside now.... We did indeed miss a day of NPS countdown, so today's tips are for tonight and tomorrow night. Choosing from tonight's offerings is tough, but for our top pick we've got to go with the man who introduced us to slam, Big Poppa E. He'll be hosting a Haiku Battle at 8pm tonight on the rooftop at Zen's south location. FREE. (Sheesh, there sure are plenty of First Thursday......

From the moment we woke up, something was different. Our fingers delicately tip-toed across our bedside table; we nimbly caressed our oddly rhythmic alarm into silence. Gone was our everyday stumbling stupor as we arose from the bed like a bird on a spring. ‘Twas replaced with physical ease – how nice – as we spun and we twirled, dipping and diving, shuffling gracefully to our morning…pee. (Ahhh.) This is no week in theatre,......

We used to laugh at the gals we saw in the student section of the stadium at UT football games who wore spike heels and then had to stand in them for the entire game (ouch). Well, this guy probably loves that stuff. UT Campus Police have put a warning out for the UT female student population to keep an eye out for a man taking photos of feet on campus. C'mon, you know......

A slew. A smorgasboard. A swarm. A bunch. A lot. All right, people. After a little bit of a lull last weekend, we’re back on form here in theatre-land. Dance, drama, debate, big cheesy musical adaptations of classic MGM films – it’s all here, and it’s all waiting. For you. Always for you. That being said, big ups to our Austinist Pick of the Week, Kathy Dunn Hamrick’s And Then There Were Twelve. Every......

UT's South Mall -- you know, "the Six-Pack" -- is playing host to some filming action today. It's for The Hitcher (2007). You can check out what iMDB has to say about it here. Apparently it's about a hitch-hiker -- an evil hitch-hiker -- and some unassuming morons who pick him up. Filming has evidently taken place on 290 East and at UT. They've decked some presidential statues with shrubs, USA Prez George Washington......

Between 300,000 and 500,000 people marched peacefully through downtown Dallas yesterday in support of, among other things, immigration reform that allows for a path to citizenship. More protests are planned for today in more than 50 cities across the country. Austin actually has two demonstrations. The biggest of the two will probably be the 4 p.m. march from the capitol building, where everyone is encouraged to come. The march beginning at 11 a.m. at......

Tonight, the James A. Michener Center for Writers at UT is hosting a special reading by author Jonathan Lethem - he of such critically acclaimed novels as The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn, as well as various and sundry pieces in The New Yorker, McSweeney's, Rolling Stone, Granta and more. Special thanks to Greg for the heads-up! Jonathan Lethem Thursday, March 23 UT Campus - Avaya Auditorium, ACES 2.302 (24th and Speedway) 7:30 pm......

Austin has joined the national fray in honoring one of the greatest jazz guitarists in history, Django Reinhardt, with a festival inspired by the French legend. The festival runs from today though the weekend at the Cactus Café on UT Campus. Artists to perform include the John Jorgensen Quintet (Los Angeles), Angelo DeBarre (France), the Dave Biller Combo, the Robin Nolan Trio (Amsterdam), Django's Moustache, Paris 49, Angelo DeBarre, and the Hot Club of......

You know how you’re always like, “Damn, yo, why I can’t never get tickets to an Austin City Limits taping and stuff? Like, I woulda given my right arm to see Damien Rice in that little bitty studio with the great sound and the Austin skyline in replicate!” Well, here’s your chance to get in on the action. East Texas’ own Miranda Lambert is appearing tonight and performing her original country tunes that have......