opening night tonight

August 16-22

One Flea Spare opens TONIGHT, aaaaaaaggggghhhhh! Are we ready? Why does it never FEEL like we're ready until the house lights go out and the first actor utters the first word? And then, BOOM! It's over, and the evening has flown by like a whirlwind. (Einstein was soooooo right about that relativity thing he did.)

Pictured above are the two men in my character's life -- the husband and the sailor. Now I ask you: why in the world would an aging -- er, that is to say, mature -- woman choose a young virile sailor over a foppish old prig? What would you do, given the choice?

I'm excited and nervous and excited and worrying about all the things that could possibly go wrong and excited and a little panicky and excited and obsessing about my new zit and excited and, and, and, well, excited, y'know?

There are two places on this earth where I feel absolutely, completely at home, perfectly centered. One is on the dance floor, and the other is on stage. What an odd place to be so comfortable, but what can I tell you? There it is. And I hope you'll be there to see my beautiful dress.

Check out the preview article in the Chron!

Now here's a little something you might enjoy. It's called "Music for One Apartment and six drummers."


Thursday, August 16

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

Cerronato
Dona Emilia's / 101 San Jacinto; 478-2520 / 7 pm

The Brew
Copa / 217 Congress Ave. / Austin, TX / 479-5002 / 10 pm
A little Thursday salsa to heat up your summer nights.

Glovertango
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 7:15 pm
No cover, so please tip the band.

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

The Fabs
Guero’s / 1412 S. Congress; 447-7688 / 6:30 pm (family)

Jim Stringer's AM Band
Ginny’s Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Road; 458-1813 / 9 pm

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

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

Thursdays-Saturdays, thru August 18

The King and I
Arts on Real / 2826 Real / 8 pm
No, this is not the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical extravaganza. This is the Forklift Dance Works dance extravaganza. It has already been through two iterations and is now even bigger and better than ever. It is worth the cost of a ticket just to see the dancers making fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches! AND... there are 20% more sequins in this new expanded version. Full info here.

Thursdays-Saturdays, thru August 25

One Flea Spare
Dougherty Arts Center / 1110 Barton Springs / 7:30 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." (John Lahn, The New Yorker). There are only six performances, and we're expecting full houses for each one, so make your reservations now. Call 512.708.1893 or email reservations@gobotrick.org. (and please note that the performance is at 7:30, not 8 pm.) [for some reason I'm not seeing the beautiful graphic on certain browsers, so just click on it and it will open in a new window.]

Friday, August 17

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

South Austin Jug Band
Threadgill’s / 301 W. Riverside; 472-9304 / 10 pm

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

The Eggmen
Nutty Brown / 12225 Highway 290 West; 301-4648 / 7 pm (family)

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

Kat's Meow
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 6:30 pm

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

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


Saturday, August 18

The Killdares
Fado / 214 W. 4th; 457-0172 / 10 pm
This is a really good Irish band out of Dallas.

Third Saturday Contra Dance
St. Paul Lutheran Fellowship Hall / 3501 Red River / 8 pm; $5-8
Live music by the Lost and Nameless Orchestra. Beginners welcome. No partners needed. 453-8936 for more info.

Two Hoots and a Holler
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail 266-2442 / 7 pm

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

Tribute to the King
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10 pm; $20
One show only this year, featuring the usual suspects: Shaun Young's New Blue Moon Boys and Ted Roddy's King Conjure Orchestra.

Sunday, August 19

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

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

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 the brass ensemble.


Monday, August 20

My friend Mike's birthday! Happy birthday, Mikey.

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

Princess Bride
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 8:30 pm (family)
Last free Central Market movie of the summer.

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


Tuesday, August 21

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

DJd Milonga
Cuba Libre / 409 Colorado / 9 pm
Cancelled due to water damage.

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

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

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


Wednesday, August 22

The Brew
Speakeasy / 412 Congress; 476-8017

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

Elana James
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 6:30 pm

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


ROAD TRIPS

Fredericksburg, TX
Saturday, August 18
Hangar Dance
Hangar Hotel / 155 Airport Road / 830-997-9990 / 8 pm; $20
With live music, of course. By The Flashbacks. (And yes, the hangar is air conditioned, aaaah.)

Gruene, TX
Tuesday, August 21
Two Tons of Steel
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 7:30 pm $4


COMING SOON

Something pretty damn spectacular, I would expect, but I haven't found it yet. Stay tuned.


see ya on the dance floor,
chris