I'm baaaaaaaaaaack (and it's hhhhhhhhhottttttt)!

May 29-June 4

Vacation was fun, fun, fun. I really like cool, dry air. I like high desert. I like tarantulas and antelope and art and caves and history and ghosts and ghost towns, and I really, really like $1 thrift stores (yes, you heard me. All clothes $1, except for shoes which were 10 cents -- got a great pair of suede boots for 10 cents). I also like Native American jewelry (Chris's guide to buying Native American jewelry: reveal to the merchant's husband, who happens to be in Disaster Management, that your son is a fire bomber [who left yesterday to fight fires in Arizona]. Wildfire fighters are held in Very High Regard in places where wildfires happen. Instant discount. LARGE discount. I wasn't sure how authentic the discount was until I looked up the jewelry online. DANG!)

The trouble with vacations is this, though: I have NEVER been away from home long enough that I was ready to come back. And I had to come back to (1) HEAT and (2) insurance adjustor. Yup, we'll be getting a new roof thanks to that nasty hail storm. I don't look forward to it, but at least the insurance company is paying for it.

The good part about coming home, though, is that I've got not one, but two plays coming up this summer. I'll be learning lines for both at the same time (one Shakespeare, one not), so I'll probably be feeling a little schizophrenic soon. I don't think it's contagious, but you might want to give me a wide berth the next few months.

Lots of exciting stuff coming up (another reason to come home), so let's cut to the chase, shall we?


Thursday, May 29

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

Johnny Gimble
Guero's Taco Bar / 1412 S. Congress; 447-7688 / 6:30 pm (family)

Del Castillo
Shady Grove / 1624 Barton Springs; 474-9991 / 8 pm
Del Castillo unplugged. Lower volume, same high level of energy. Should be great!

Shearwater
The Parish / 214 E. 6th; 474-0474 / 8 pm; $12-$14
Not only are these guys conssumately listenable, but they'll have a special wind & string ensemble joining them for this special CD release show and my bassoon teacher will be playing with them, yee haw!

Dale Watson
Ginny’s Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Rd; 458-1813 / 9 pm

DJd Milonga
Thai Passion / 620 Congress, Suite 105 / 9:30 pm

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

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel / 8 pm; $2-$5
The Swing Syndicate offers this weekly DJd dance with complimentary lessons at 8:15. This week there is a special Contra Dance going on in the "side room" featuring live music by Left is Right. Interesting combination.


Friday, May 30

Son y No Son
Central Market (central ) / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Just Deserts
Copa / 217 Congress / 7 - 10 pm
A little tango happy hour. Nice.

Seth Walker
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail; 266-2442 / 7 pm (family)

The Eggmen
Patsy's Cowgirl Cafe / 5501 E. Ben White; 444-2020 / 8 pm; $7 (family)
Can your kids sing every word to every Beatles song yet? If not, then get them to this show and start their education!

Atash
Ruta Maya / 3601 S. Congress / 11 pm; $10
Indrigit Banerjee and Gourisankar Karmakar open at 9. Sounds like a great evening of world music.

Two Tons of Steel
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10 pm

Saturday, May 31

Seth Walker
Central Market (central ) / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Nash Hernandez Orchestra
Donn's Depot / 1600 W. 5th; 478-0336 / 9 pm; $5
One of the best bargains in town -- two dance floors, a big band, a ladies room in a real caboose, a friendly staff, and a reasonable cover. Such a deal!

Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
The Oaks / 10206 FM 973 (Manor); 278-8788 / 8 pm; $20
What a treat! Just be sure to drink plenty of water, as this is an outdoor venue.

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

The Gourds
Nutty Brown Cafe / 1222 US 290 S; 301-4648 / 7:30 $12


Saturday & Sunday, May 31 & June 1

Jewsapalooza Austin
Dell Jewish Community Campus / 7300 Hart Lane / 7-9:30 pm Sat; 1-3pm & 5-9:30 pm Sun (family)
Don’t miss Austin's First Jewish Heritage Music Festival, featuring two days of music, including rock, jazz, klezmer, soul, American folk music, and Jewish standards. The performers include Noah Budin, Sababa!, Yom Hadash, Hazzan Neil Blumofe, Mark Rubin and His Jews of the Golden West, and Sam Glaser. The event will also include a benefit for the family of Paul and Annie Skelton to help with Paul's medical expenses, as he is battling lung cancer. Individual tickets range from $18-25, family concert tickets are $5-7, weekend passes are $32-40. Click the link for full information.


Sunday, June 1

Tex Thomas & His Danglin' Wranglers
Guero's Taco Bar / 1412 S. Congress; 447-7688 / 6:30 pm (family)
I'll be the first to admit I've never actually heard this band. But I'll also be the first to admit that I love their name enough to put them on the list!

Texas Swing Kings
Artz Ribhouse / 2330 S. Lamar / 6:30 pm (family)

Monster Big Band
Ruta Maya / 3601 S. Congress / 7 pm; $7

Marshall Ford Swing Band
Momo's / 618 W. 6th; 479-8848 / 8 pm

The Brew
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail 266-2442


Monday, June 2

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

Charles Thibodeaux & The Austin Cajun Aces
Evangeline Cafe / 8106 Brodie Lane; 282-2596 / 6:30 pm

DJd Milonga
Esquina Tango / 209 Pedernales / 9 pm; $5 (advance); $? at the door
Call 512.524.2772 for at-the-door rates. Guest DJ is Silvia Ceriana, DJ at Canning in Buenos Aires (if you've been to BsAs, you've probably been to Canning, one of the great old ballrooms of the Golden Age of Tango).


Tuesday, June 3

Dale Watson
Belmont / 305 W. 6th / 457-0300 / 6:30 pm

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

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

DJd Swing Dance
The Fed / 24th at San Gabriel / 9:40 pm
This is the weekly FREE dance after Four on the Floor's lessons.

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


Wednesday, June 4

Oliver Rajamani
Pharas Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Restaurant / 111 E. North Loop / 8 pm

Atash
The Red Fez / 209B W. 5th / 11:30 pm
I believe there will be dancers with this show as well.

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

Lucky Strikes
Joe DiMaggio's / 11410 Century Oaks Terrace (The Domain) / 7 pm

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

Roger Wallace
Ginny’s Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Rd; 458-1813 / 9 pm

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


ROAD TRIPS

Kerrville, TX
Thru - Sunday, June 8
Kerrville Folk Festival
Quiet Valley Ranch
Click on the link for all the info about this perenniel favorite.

New Braunfels
Saturday, May 31
Del Castillo
White Water Amphitheatre / 515 Fm 2673 / 8 pm
Guy Forsyth opens.

Granger, TX
Saturday, May 31
Ricky Calmbach
The Cotton Club / 212 E. Davila; 512-859-0700 / 9 pm; $10

Jarrell, TX
Sunday, June 1
Texas Pioneers
Possum Creek Dance Hall / 7705 FM 1105; 512-930-9633 / 4 pm
This is a relatively new venture, and one that is definitely worth supporting. You can never have too many dance halls.

Gruene, TX
Tuesday, June 3
Two Tons of Steel
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 8:30 pm; $4
Two Ton Tuesdays have started up again. This is a great little, quick little mid-week get-away.


COMING SOON

Friday, June 6
Brave Combo
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st; 447-7825 / 8 pm (family)
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, June 21
Texas Polka Jamboree
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 2-6 pm
Yes! Polka party at the Spoke! Live music by The Fabulous Polkasonics; Texas Slavic Playboys; and Conjunto Los Pinkys. Dance lessons will be available as well, so mark your calendars and come on out!


See ya on the dance floor (when I get back from VACATION),

chris