Time travel

February 14- 20

Happy Valentine's Day. Will you be mine? I think I've recovered enough now from The Seasonal Sickness that there's no health risk in saying yes, so please by my valentine.

Even though we were both still hacking and coughing last weekend, Mr. Ben and I made a pilgrimage to the Buckholts SPJST hall for the monthly dance of the Cameron Dance Club. Due to said hacking and coughing, we didn't dance much, but that didn't stop us from having a wonderful time. And...we learned that NEXT month's dance just happens to fall on MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! SO.... I'm issuing an invitation to every single one of you to join us in a field trip Sunday, March 9 (dance is 3-6:30; if you leave Austin around 1:30 you'll make it just in time). The Chris Rybak Band will be playing, so you know it will be good. The dance floor is much larger than I remembered (and smooth, smooth, smooth). The average age of the membership is right around 80, but they LOVED having us youngsters there.

Here are some charming things we learned/observed:

• The hall pictured above is the THIRD Buckholts SPJST Hall. The first one was destroyed in a storm. The second one was burned to the ground by some bank robbers who robbed the Buckholts bank while the citizenry was putting out the fire at the dance hall (let's get our priorities straight, after all!). This third hall -- the one in the picture -- was built by 5 men in 3 months, and we had an opporunity to talk to Frank Tomascik, the only one of the five still living (and father of one of my high school friends).


• They have just had a Texas historical marker approved and will be dedicating it in June.


• They have a raffle drawing for door prizes at their dances. Members donate prizes such as a box of Fiddle Faddle; a package of cookies; a small box of Valentine chocolates. Mr. Ben (pictured at right dancing with our granddaughter Little Princess Luluchild) won a coffee mug with hard candies in it. One of the regular members won a box of Pepperidge Farms cookies and did her part to make us feel welcome by generously sharing with us. I plan to take something to contribute to the raffle next time.


• My youngest grandson now has a new grandmother, "Grandma Virginia", who took over watching him all afternoon long so my daughter could dance.

It really was like stepping back in time. My invitation to you is genuine -- not just to help me celebrate my birthday, but to share this little slice of the past. These places are dying out and I'd love for you to take this opportunity to see a little piece of history and find yourself some dance joy.

If we're lucky, Schroeder's Place in Thorndale will be open and we can stop for a kick-ass hamburger on the way home. We were fortunate enough to be able to that last Sunday, mmmm. I hadn't been there since I was a kid when we used to buy fish bait, beer and burgers on weekends. They've dropped the bait; but other than that, the menu has not changed.

Since I've gone on so long today, I'll skip the video and move on to the dance ops at hand. But seriously, folks, please put March 9 on your calendar. I would be so, so happy to share this little part of my life with you. The Buckholts SPJST Hall is where I learned to dance many, many years ago, and it Looms Large in my Legend.

(BTW: I know that several of you have March birthdays as well [including my son-in-law, whose BDay is the day after mine; he and his family will be sharing the day in Buckholts] -- remember when we used to get together and have a group birthday party/dance? Wanna do it again this year in Buckholts?)


Thursday, February 14

Christine Albert's French Valentine's Show
Cactus Cafe / TX Union Bldg; 23rd at Guadalupe / 8 pm; $15
All I can say is, I hope you've made your reservations, because this is an immensely popular way to treat your Valentine to something wonderful.

Valentine's Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel / 8 pm
Dust off your semi-formal Valentine attire (something red probably, right?) and take your sweetie dancing. Emily Gimble & the Marshall Ford Swing Band will provide live music for this swing dance brought to you by the folks at Austin Swing Syndicate.

Glovertango
Lambert's / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 7 pm
They're baaaaaaackkk.

Hot Club of Cowtown; White Ghost Shivers Valentine's Massacre!
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 6:30 pm; 10 pm

Cornell Hurd
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st, 447-7825 / 8 pm (family)
One can only imagine the Valentine mayhem Cornell will dish out.

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

The Brew
Copa / 217 Congress Ave. / Austin, TX / 479-5002 / 10 pm

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

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



Thru Feb 16

Frontera Fest
Various times/various venues
Short Fringe at Hyde Park Theatre; Long Fringe at The Blue Theatre; Mi Casa es Su Teatro at various venues. Click the link for all the details as this festival winds to a close.


Thru Feb 17

Ballet Austin's New American Talent/Dance Competition
Paramount Theatre / 713 Congress; 472-5470 / 8 pm Thur, Fri, Sat; 2 pm Sun; $15-$19
Sort of an American Idol format for dancers and choreographers. Hmm.


Friday, February 15

The Studebakers
Artz Ribhouse / 2230 S. Lamar / 7:30 pm (family)
The Studebakers invite you to extend Valentine's day into the weekend. Why not?

Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies
Treehouse Italian Grill / 2201 College Ave; 443-4200/ 7:30 pm
Every night is Valentine's at the Treehouse.

DJd Milonga
Texas Union Quadrangle Room / 23rd at Guadalupe / 8 pm; no cover

DJd Swing Dance
Go Dance / 2525 Anderson Lane (in Northcross Mall) / 9:30 pm; $7 & $10.

Ricky Calmbach
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 9 pm


Saturday, February 16

Dead Sweethearts Ball
Ego's / 510 S. Congress; 474-7091 / 8 pm
The Dead Sweethearts are comprised of some of Austin's finest -- Terri Joyce, Roger Wallace, Jim Stringer, Lisa Pankratz, T Jarrod Bonta and Kevin Smith. This is sort of the ANTI-Valentine's event we all sort of secretly crave, featuring songs of murder and loss.

Marshall Ford Swing Band
Lambert's / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 6:30 pm

DJd Milonga
Esquina Tango / 209 Pedernales; 524-2772 / 9:30 pm

Albert & Gage Band
Donn's Depot / 1600 W. 5th; 478-0336 / 9 pm

Ricky Calmbach
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 9 pm

The Eggmen
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st, 447-7825 / 7 pm (family)
Come early because Ouch! opens at 6 pm.


Sunday, February 17

Fabulous Polkasonics
Mother Egan's / 713 W. 6th; 478-7747 / noon - 3 pm
A little Polish, a little Irish, a lot of fun.

Ridgetop Syncopators
Central Market / 4001 N Lamar; 899-4300 / 12:30 pm (family)

Marshall Ford Swing Band; Warren Hood & The Hoodlums
Momo's / 618 W. 6th / 8 pm; 10 pm

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


Monday, February 18

Uptown Swingsters; Dale Watson
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 6:30 & 10 pm

Charles Thibodeaux & the Austin Cajun Aces
Evangeline Café / 8106 Brodie Lane; 282-2586 / 6:30 pm (family)


Tuesday, February 19

Celtic Women
Frank Erwin Center / 1701 Red River / 7:30 pm; $42-$62 (family)
Oh man, you do not want to miss this!

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

Planet Casper
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 6:30 pm

Dale Watson (aka Dean Bob Sinatra & Swang Thang)
Belmont / 305 W. 6th / 457-0300


Wednesday, February 20

The Brew
Speakeasy / 412 Congress; 476-8017 / 9:30 pm

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


ROAD TRIPS

Uhland, TX
Friday, Feb 15
Dale Watson
Club 21 / Hwy 21, Uhland, TX / 9pm
It's been a while since I've been to Club 21. Great place this time of year before it gets too hot.

Elgin, TX
Sunday, February 17
Vrazels Polka Band; Fritz Hodde & the Fabulous Six
Elgin SPJST Hall / 702 N. Hwy 95; 512-285-3100 / 2-7 pm

San Antonio, TX
Sunday, February 17
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Coldstream Guards
Lila Cockrell Theatre / Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center; 200 E Market St. / 7:30 pm (family) $20-$50
If you can't go to SA to see them, they'll be at the Frank Erwin Center on the 21st.

COMING SOON

Saturday, Feb 21-24
Big Joe's Polka Show
Big Red Barn / on Hwy 237 between Round Top and Carmine / noon each day (family)This is a four day taping session for the Big Joe Polka Show featuring a zillion polka bands (including my personal favorite, Brave Combo). Taping starts at noon each day, and we're all invited to come be part of the polka dancing live audience. Tix are $15 per day in advance, or $17.50 at the door. Click the link to see the phenomenal line-up of non-stop polka bands! WOW!!!!!

Friday, Feb 22 - Sunday, Mar 2
Betty's Summer Vacation
Main Stage / ACC Rio Grande Campus; 1212 Rio Grande / 8 pm Fri & Sat; 2 pm Sun
I'm doing sound design for this outrageously over-the-top comedy about a summer vacation gone horribly wrong. If dismembered penises and gratuitous explosions are your cup of tea, then this is the play for you! Not recommended for kids. (El Jeffie -- I expect you'll love this one.)


see ya on the dance floor,

chris