Gimme EAT! Like, for the next two months -- INCLUSIVE!

November 2-8, 2006

Somebody sneaked November into the schedule without telling me. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled to have cooler days and cooler nights. But you can't deny it -- with the advent of November comes the advent of Advent; and Advent is the advent of Christmas. So once again I am starting to panic. Holidays turn me into a food-frenzied basket case on who loves the parties, loves Loves LOVES the food, and really does not love the heavy sense of obligation that I try to drown in the overeating. Surely if I eat enough I can get through the obligatory bits, right?

Yup, that lethal time of year is definitely here. Got those little Halloween hors d'oeuvres going on, whetting the appetite for Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings and finishing off with a double/triple/quadruple serving of Christmas desserts. Holy moly. Doom is nigh. Maybe the trick is to only choose the parties where there's more dancing than food. Maybe I should get started now.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Mundi CD Release Party
Barr Mansion / 10463 Sprinkle Road / 7:30 pm; $12
Not only is the music absolutely fabulous, the venue is too. And there will be tapas. (see what I mean about the food!) Check this one out for sure, for sure! Click here for advance tix. See you there?

Bayou Cajun Band
Cypress Grill / 4404 W. William Cannon / 6:30pm (family)
Peter Schwartz will be sitting in, aaaaaiiiiieeeee! Hi Peter!

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel; Austin Swing Syndicate / 8 pm

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

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

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

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

Tania Pérez-Salas Compania De Danza Contemporanea
Hogg Auditorium / 24th at Guadalupe / 8 pm ; $28-40
One of Mexico's leading contemporary dance companies. Click here to buy tix.

thru NOVEMBER 5

Requiem
Intel Shell / 5th at San Antonio / 8 pm
LAST CHANCE! If you did not see this performance this during the summer, then don't make the same mistake this fall. The work is stunningly beautiful, and this is the final weekend. Tix are $20 and $30 and you can reserve yours by calling 512-474-8497.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Austin Celtic Festival Kick-Off Concert
Cactus Café / Texas Union, UT campus, 23rd at Guadalupe, 475-6515 / 7pm; $12
This concert should ROCK. You'll be hearing The Prodigals, John Williams $ Dean Magraw, and The Tea Merchants. This should get you totally primed for the festival!

Los Texas Wranglers
Dario's / 1800 E. 6th / 8 pm; no cover
Have I mentioned Dario's tortilla soup? mmmmmmmmmmm. Damn near perfect.

First Friday Contra Dance
Carpenter's Hall / 400 Josephine / 8 pm (7:30 for newcomers); $8
Live music by Mockingbird. Contact sealantsby5@aol.com for more info.

Seth Walker
Nutty Brown / 12225 Highway 290 West; 301-4648 / 8 pm; $5 (family)

Beto y Los Fairlanes
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Dale Watson
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 9 pm

The Therapy Sisters
University Presbyterian Church / 2203 San Antonio (room 210) / 8 pm; $10 or 2 non-perishable food items
This concert will benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. When's the last time you heard these gals? It's been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4

Austin Powwow
Tony Burger Center / 3200 Jones Road / 10am-10pm (family)
A celebration of Native American music, dance, arts and culture for the whole family. Free admission.

Danny Barnes and Shane Decker
Flipnotics / 1601 Barton Springs; 322-9750; 9 pm
I'm sure you all remember Danny Barnes (Bad Livers), and some of you may remember Shane Decker. They're going to doing tag-team music at Flips, with some overlap in the middle where they do duets. Should be nice evening for a hot drink and some great tunes.

Gulf Coast Playboys
Big Red Sun / 1102 E. Cesar Chavez / 8:30 pm
This is a benefit for The Montessori School, so you'll have an opportunity to contribute to a good cause while you're having fun.

Two to Tango
First Unitarial Church / 4700 Grover / 7:30 pm
Michelle Shumann, piano, along with an 'all star cast' which include, among others, Mike Maddox, will be performing the music of Astor Piazzolla, Argentina's most (originally) controversial but (now) beloved composers.

South Austin Jug Band
Nutty Brown / 12225 Highway 290 West; 301-4648 / 8 pm; $7 (family)

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

The Gourds
Threadgill’s / 301 W. Riverside; 472-9304 / 10 pm; $12

The Recliners
Donn’s Depot / 1600 W. 5th, 478-0336 / 9 pm

Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies
Tree House Italian Grill / / 2201 College; 443-4200 / 7:30 pm

The Eggmen
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st, 447-7825 / 8 pm (family)
How can you NOT take your kids out to hear this fabulous Beatles tirbute band? Everyone knows that the more Beatles songs your kids can sing, the better parent you are. It's a proven fact. Hell, even my Grandkids know a zillion Beatles songs.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 & 5

Austin Celtic Festival
Fiesta Gardens / 2101 Bergman / 11 am - 9 pm (family)
Music, dancing, crafts, games, men in kilts. Yup, something for everyone. Frankie Gavin will be here, as will James Keane, Dervish, the Prodigals, plus tons of local talent like Cluan, Mundi, Silver Thistles and more, more, more. Rain or shine!

Ticket Give-Away: I happen to have in my possession a pair of tickets good for either Saturday or Sunday -- AND there's a raffle ticket attached, so win the tickets and you may even win the raffle (but no guarantees about that; it's just a possibility, that's all). So how do you win the tickets? Be the first person to click on 'comments' below and tell me what animal that occurs in many of the Irish myths was originally used in warfare (trained to drag soldiers out of chariots and off horses), used as a hunting animal, and then nearly became extinct? Easy peasy!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Don Walser Memorial Fund Benefit
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 4-9 pm (family)
Please support the Walser family during their time of grieving and huge expenses. There will be great music all afternoon/evening by The Pure Texas Band; Texas Swing Kings; Jon Emory; and many guests sitting in. If you can’t make to the show or you just want to donate to the fund by mail, here’s the info -- Donations to off-set medical and funeral expenses can be made to: (donations are not tax deductible)
Don Walser Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 90306
Austin, TX 78709-0306

Monster Big Band
Ruta Maya / 3601 S. Congress; 707-9637 / 7 pm; $6 & 7 (family)
This is another one of those occasional Sunday evening dances that is family friendly and way too much fun.

Texas Swing Kings
Artz Ribhouse / 2230 S. Lamar; 442-8283 / 6:45 pm (family)
If you don't get enough of the Swing Kings at the Don Walser benefit, you can catch them again at Artz.

Heybale!
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10:30 pm

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6

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

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

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7

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.

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

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8

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

Gulf Coast Playboys
La Palapa /Hwy 290 @ Cameron Road / 7:30 pm

Broken Spoke 43rd Birthday Dance
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / no cover
I'm older than the Broken Spoke?!?!?!?! Dang!!!!! I hope I don't look as 'distressed' as it does!

ROAD TRIPS

New Braunfels, TX
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, NOV 3-12
Wurstfest
Oompa oompa, it's that time of year again. This would be an excellent choice for your pre-holiday aerobics overkill. All ya gotta do is polka till you drop.

Kendalia, TX
SATURDAY, NOV 4
Zydeco Blanco
Kendalia Hall / 8 miles south of Blanco on RM 473/ 8 pm
OK, I don't normally do this, but the invitation to this event is so clever, I want to share it in its entirety.

Hey everybody!
And all Y'all!
We're playin' near Blanco
At Kendalia Halle!

This place was put up
In nineteen-oh-three
In Kendalia, Texas
R.M. four-seven-three

From Blanco go south
Eight miles on two-eight-one
Then seven miles west
Till you hear all the fun

Two thousand square feet
Of hardwood dance floor
Gave spring to the step
Of dancers of yore

By horse and by buggy
They got themselves here
By Ford and by Chevy
You come and you'll hear

Zydeco Blanco
Playin old dance tunes
Come early and dance
Till she starts to swoon.

It ain't nothing but
a big ol' party,y'all!

COMING SOON

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Art Party
Art Amici / 78 San Marcos / 8 till late; $10-$40
You guys need to know about this one. My pals at Yellowtape Construction Company are throwing a party complete with dinner, wine, art auction, performance art and live music. I will be helping them out in the role of 'Gracious Hostess' (or possibly 'Restroom Attendant'), so come help me support them. Those of you who have seen their work know that they are THE up and coming arts company in Austin.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Veteran's Day Dinner Dance
Commerative Air Force Hangar / San Marcos Airport / 6:30 pm; $30 (includes dinner)
The fabulous Sentimental Journey Orchestra will be playing for this one, so you know it will be good. Click link above for full details.

See ya on the dance floor,

Chris