I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!

SEPTEMBER 14-20

Hi there boys and girls! You thought you'd seen the last of me, but.....I'm BACK!!!! And in a new format which I hope you will find readable and useful. I appreciate your patience while I was away doing Puppet Government (and which you can read about by clicking on the link). It was an adventure from start to finish, and I'm really, really, really glad we did it. Now I'm really, really, really glad to not be doing it.

The pinnacle of the trip for me was on my last morning in New York. The puppets and the puppeteers had already come back to Texas and I had taken a few days to myself to decompress (which is, by the way, damn near impossible in Manhattan). I had gone back to the Imagine mosaic and was sitting there writing in my journal, trying to find answers to all the questions that were racing around in my mind: did we accomplish what we came here to do? what did we come here to do? how would I do it differently? what's next? and on and on and on. Restless thoughts rattling around in an anxious mind, thoughts that had been plaguing me since before we ever left Austin and which would not let me rest. Then, giving credence to the magic I always expect when I visit this place, a man across the mosaic from me picked up his guitar and started to play and sing. The song was Let It Be. There was my answer. And for the first time during that entire trip, I finally relaxed.

I'm home now, and at the moment I am relatively (though not entirely, of course) project-less, so I hope to be out on the dance floor again a little more frequently, yee haw! Are you guys ready to have some fun? I sure am!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14:

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel; http://www.austinswingsyndicate.org/ 8pm

Chaparral
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189

Cerronato
Manual's / 10201 Jollyville Road; 345-1042

Glovertango
Cipollina / 1213 West Lynn; 477-5211 / 8-10 pm

Cornell Hurd
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st, 447-7825 / 8 pm (family)

Ed Miller CD Release Party
Cactus Cafe / 23rd at Guadalupe; 475-6515 / 8:30 pm

Two Hoots & a Holler
Ego’s / 510 S. Congress; 474-7091 / 11 pm

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15:

Donn & the Stationmasters
Donn's Depot / 1600 W. 5th; 478-0336

Oliver Mtukudzi & The Black Spirit
Threadgill's / 301 W. Riverside; 472-9304 / 11 PM; $16 adv; $20 door

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, SEPT 15 & 16:

EarthDance
Nia Space / 3212 S. Congress / 443-3013
Live music, dancing, drum circle. This is a benefit for Ravens Grove Foundation, an organization that helps vets with post traumatic stress disorder, something I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of. Suggested donation $15 for one day; $25 for two.

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, SEPT 15 - 16:

ACL Freebies
Waterloo Records / 6th & Lamar; 474-2500
We all know that the ACL Festival is this weekend. Many of you probably have tickets but just as many (or more) don't. Not to worry. There will be a steady stream of performers at Waterloo Records starting at 12:45 each day. Folks like Nickel Creek; Oliver Mtukudzi; Los Lobos; Matisyahu and more. Click here for the full line-up.

Land of the Feathered Serpent
Santa Cruz Center for Cuylture / 1805 E. 7th; 474-TIXS (family)
Aztlan Dance Company's fall performance looks intriguing. Shows are at 8 pm on Fri & Sat; 2 pm on Sun

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16:

Oliver Rajamani
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies or Lucky Strikes
Treehouse Italian Grill / 2201 College Ave; 443-4200 / 7:30 pm
Hmmm. Both these bands have this date and time on their website. Might be worth a phone call. Or just show up because either one of them would be great.

Dale Watson
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189

Jim Stringer
Ginny's Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Rd; 458-1813

Cornell Hurd Band
Nutty Brown /12225 Hwy 290 West; 301-4648

Augustine Ramirez
The Oaks / 10206 FM 973 N, Manor; 278-8788 / 8 pm; $10
Tejano hall of famer.

Third Saturday Contradance
St. Paul Lutheran Church / 3501 Red River / 7:30 pm; $8
Live music this month by the Young Family Strings.

Two Hoots & a Holler
Beerland / 711 1/2 Red River; 479-7625 / 10:30 pm

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17:

Monster Big Band
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

The Brew
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail 266-2442

Heybale!
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10 pm

Dale Watson
Ginny's Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Rd; 458-1813

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18:

Paris 49
Continental Club /1315 S. Congress;441-2444 / 6:30 pm

Dale Watson
Continental Club /1315 S. Congress;441-2444 / 10:00 pm
He's back in his old slots, but you guys probably already knew that, right?

Bayou Cajun Band
Evangeline Cafe / 8106 Brodie Lane; 282-2586 / 6:30 pm

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19:

Marc Devine & Denia Ridley
Reed's Jazz Club / 9901 Cap of TX Hwy; 342-7977 / 6:30 pm

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel / 9:45 / no cover
Free dance after Four on the Floor’s classes. http://www.fouronthefloor.com

Erik Hokkanen's Laboratory
Flipnotics / 1601 Barton Springs; 322-9750 / 8:00 pm

Druha Trava
Cactus Cafe / 23rd at Guadalupe; 475-6515 / 8:30 pm; $10
Everybody’s favorite bluegrass band from the Czech Republic!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20:

Cella Blue
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189

Seth Walker
Jovita's / 1619 S. 1st; 447-7825 / 8 pm

ROAD TRIPS:

Gruene, TX
SATURDAY, SEPT 15:
Seth Walker
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 8 pm; no cover

Granger, TX
SATURDAY, SEPT 15:
Ricky Calmbach
Cotton Club / 212 E. Davilla (the main street in Granger) / 9 pm; $10

COMING SOON:

FRIDAY, SEPT 22:
Polka Freak Out
Jovita's / 1619 S. 1st; 447-7825 / 8 pm
This is another of Bubba Hernandez' projects, so it's bound to be good.

SATURDAY, SEPT 23:
Will Taylor with Strings Attached
Nutty Brown /12225 Hwy 290 West; 301-4648
They're doing a repeat of their tremendously successful "White Album" performance. Click here for tickets. I got mine! See you there?

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, OCT 13-15:
International Accordion Festival / La Villita, San Antonio
Put this one on your calendars now. It is simply the best.

See ya on the dance floor

Chris

PS. RIP Ann Richards