Viva Las Vegas

July 12-18

I'm posting this a day early because this time tomorrow I'll be on a plane to Las Vegas where Mr. Ben, my daughter Lulu Wonder, and I will be headed to see the Cirque du Soleil Beatles show called Love. WOO HOO! So there may be a few omissions in this week's calendar, but that's why God made the Chron, right?

It's going to be a very short trip. Vegas has never held much appeal for me, and the 115 degree temperatures are not particularly enticing, either. (And I have a play to rehearse.) Still, I'm hoping a little of my mother's luck will travel with me as I visit the casinos. She and my dad used to be regular travelers to LV, and she nearly always hit some sort of jackpot or other. I'm hoping it's hereditary!

Since I couldn't find a C du S video that I liked well enough, I'm going to show you this one which you may have already seen but which certainly bears watching again.

Thursday, July 12

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

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

Lucky Strikes
Treehouse Italian Grill / 2201 College; 443-4200 / 7:30 pm

Glovertango
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 7:00 pm

Jesse Dayton
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 9 pm

The Lowells
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 7 pm
Man, this is almost enough to make me rearrange my trip to Vegas, except that I've already spent a boatload of money on airline and show tix. These guys simply don't play often enough, and that's a fack, Jack!

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel / 8 pm
Read all about the Austin Swing Syndicate and their activities.

Marc Devine & Denia Ridley
Reed's Jazz Club / 9901 Cap of TX Hwy; 342-7977 / 8:00 pm


Friday, July 13

The Eggmen
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st, 447-7825 / 7 pm (family)
Ouch!, the Ruttles tribute band, opens at 6. Good times!

Music Under the Star
Bob Bullock State History Museum / 1800 N. Congress / 6 pm; free (family)
This is a great opportunity to hear (and dance to) live music and view the exhibits for free. This week features the Flying Balalaika Brothers. What fun!

DJd Milonga
La Tazza Fresca / Guadalupe at 37th (519 W. 37th); 453-0403 / 9 pm

The Derailers
Threadgill’s / 301 W. Riverside; 472-9304 / 9 pm; $10

Mr. Fabulous & Casino Royale
Reed's Jazz Club / 9901 Cap of TX Hwy; 342-7977 / 8:30 pm


Saturday, July 14

Bastille Day Celebration
French Legation / 802 San Marcos; 472-8180 / 6:30 pm (family)
I lived in Austin as a student, and then as a young married person. My babies were born here. I came back in 1987 and consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool Austinite. Yet I have, much to my shame and regret, never been to the French Legation for a Bastille Day Celebration (or for any other reason, actually). This year will be no exception, as Saturday is a travel day for me. But you can go and enjoy if for me! Live music by Paris 49, and of course other things French as well. Fun for the whole family.

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

The Eggmen
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail; 266-2442
They're playing twice in one weekend, and I won't be able to catch either show. That's OK, as I will have seen 'Love' by then, aaaahhhhh.

Marshall Ford Swing Band
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 7:00 pm

Monsoon Mehfil
Carver Cultural Center / 1165 Angelina; 448-2149 / 8 pm; $15 (adv); $20 (door)
Well, we've certainly had the monsoon this year, so why not celebrate? The official blurb says it so much better than I could: This multisensory evening will present classical North Indian performing arts. Featured are Kathak dance, with delicate gestures, vigorous footwork, and flamboyant spins; singing, the lustrous sitar and soulful sarangi; and tabla, the heartbeat of the dancer’s art.

The Derailers
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 9 pm

The Studebakers
Artz Ribhouse / 2230 S. Lamar; 442-8283 / 7:30 pm (family)


Sunday, July 15

Heybale!
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10 pm; $6

The Brew
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail; 266-2442

Austin Symphony Orchestra
Wooldridge Park / 9th & Guadalupe / 7:30 pm; free (family)
The Sunday evening concerts in the park continue. This week they'll feature a patriotic theme with their brass quintet.

Dale Watson
Ginny’s Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Road; 458-1813


Monday, July 16

Paris 49; Dale Watson
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 6:30; 10 pm ($5)

Bayou Cajun Band
Evangeline Café / 8106 Brodie Lane; 282-2586 / 6:30 pm (family)
Fiddler Peter Schwartz will be sitting in this week.


Tuesday, July 17

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

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

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

Planet Casper
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 6:30 pm
I haven't heard these guys myself, but I have it on good authority that they're definitely worth catching.

Dr. Zog
Alligator Grill / 3003 South Lamar; 444-6117 / 6 pm

Jitterbug Vipers
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 6:30 pm

The Lucky Strikes
Belmont / 305 W. 6th; 457-0300 / 6 pm

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


Wednesday, July 18

The Brew
Speakeasy / 412 Congress; 476-8017

Marc Devine & Denia Ridley
Reed's Jazz Club / 9901 Cap of TX Hwy; 342-7977 / 7:00 pm

Erik Hokkanen and his Gypsy Tribe
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 6:30 pm

Hand Me Down
Flipnotics / 1601 Barton Springs; 322-9750 / 8:00 pm

Mr. Fabulous & Casino Royale
The Belmont / 305 W. 6th; 457-0300 / 6 pm
This is an every Wednesday happy hour.


ROAD TRIPS

Taylor, TX
Saturday, July 14
Czech Melody Masters
Taylor SPJST Hall / 5025 FM 619; (512) 352-9139 / 7:30 pm

Gruene, TX
Saturday, July 14
Dale Watson
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 9:00 pm; $10

Gruene, TX
Tuesday, July 17
Two Tons of Steel
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 7:30 pm $4


COMING SOON

Saturday, August 11
Angels Knocking at the Tavern Door
Texas School for the Deaf Auditorium / 1102 S. Congress / 7 pm; $15/$30/$50
This is going to be a wonderful evening of music (Mundi and Kourosh Taghavi) and poetry (Coleman Barks and Robert Bly). If you missed Coleman Barks when he was here a couple of years ago, you really, really, really missed something. Get tix here.

Thursdays-Saturdays, August 16-25
One Flea Spare
Dougherty Arts Center / 1110 Barton Springs / 8 pm; $12
"ONE FLEA SPARE is built to provoke, not to distract, and it doesn't surrender its meanings easily. But the play's powerful sexual subtext and its beautiful poetic surface reveal an original theatrical imagination. Whether Wallace will find a big audience remains to be seen. She has a big talent, though. Wherever her plays are mounted, they're worth finding." (John Lahr, The New Yorker) For reservations call 512.708.1893 or email reservations@gobotrick.org.


AFTERTHOUGHT

The hurdy-gurdy arrived last Thursday! Mr. Ben and I are both becoming h-g proficient. You'll be able to hear him perform in 'One Flea Spare.'

see ya on the dance floor,
chris