last weekend for 'flea'

August 23-29

Six shows are not enough. I want to be Darcy Snelgrave for at least a year. I've never loved a character the way I love poor Darcy, the lusty old tart. She has her issues, that's for sure, but you gotta admire anyone who can learn to say YES as well as she does.

Thanks to those of you who have come to the show. I've seen some of you, and I expect others of you were there as well. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, this weekend is your last chance. Make a little time for it. It will be time well spent.

The Chronicle gave it a fabulous review here, and I'm still shaking from the excitement of it all!

And I have exciting news. I wrote the music for the show, and now there's a medieval ensemble called Heralds and Minstrels that wants to play it in their concerts, along with some of my other compositions, yee haw! I love, love, love it when one project sparks another. The minute the show is over, I will be hard at work arranging music for them. (You can hear two clips from the show here.)

Now here's a little something you might enjoy. Nothing medieval about this one. It's two French dudes doing a Lindy routine with some hiphop moves thrown in. Amazingly talented dancers!

Thursday, August 23

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

Seth Walker
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10 pm

Johnny Gimble
Guero’s / 1412 S. Congress; 447-7688 / 6:30 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 / 6:30 pm
No cover, so please tip the band.

Jesse Dayton
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 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 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 24

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

Jim Stringer's AM Band
Patsy's Cowgirl Cafe / 5001 E. Ben White; 444-2020 / 7:30 pm

Slavadillo Vocal Quartet
Triumph Cafe / 3808 Spicewood Springs / 7 pm

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

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

James Hand
Broken Spoke / 3201 S. Lamar; 442-6189 / 9pm


Saturday, August 25

Italian Festival
Laguna Gloria / 3809 W. 35th; 345-8941 /5:30-11 pm. $10; $5 for kids (family)
Food, wine, fashion, Ferraris, live music & dancing.

An Irish Summer Night
Cactus Café / Texas Union, UT campus, 23rd at Guadalupe, 475-6515 / 7:30 pm; $15 advance/$20 at door
Featuring legendary Irish fiddler James Kelly, along with Gregory Grene with Andrew Harkin and Darren Maloney. Also starring Gregory Grene with Andrew Harkin and Darren Maloney. Also starring...The Tea Merchants, Jeff Moore, Mairtin De Cogain. Click here for tix.

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

The Eggmen
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail 266-2442 / 7 pm


Sunday, August 26

Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival
Waterloo Park / 12th and Red River / 11am - 5:30pm (family)
Featuring live music by The Hydmen; Anthropos; Buttercup; Two Hoots and a Holler; The Mother Truckers. Admission is free with three non-perishable food items for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.

Irish Noon Concert
Walsh Ranch on Brushy Creek / noon-2 pm
Same line-up as the Cactus show on Saturday. Click here for full details & tix.

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)
This is the season finale and will offer a mixed program.


Monday, August 27

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

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


Tuesday, August 28

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

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

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


Wednesday, August 29

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

South Austin Jug Band
Threadgill’s / 301 W. Riverside; 472-9304 / 10 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 24
The Derailers
Gillespie County Fair / Hwy 16, 2 miles south of Fredericksburg / 9 pm
Click here for a full calendar of events.

Gruene, TX
Tuesday, August 28
Two Tons of Steel
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 9:00 pm $12

Gruene, TX
Tuesday, August 28
Two Tons of Steel
Gruene Hall / 1281 Gruene; 830-606-1281 / 7:30 pm $4

COMING SOON

Friday, August 31
Brave Combo
Threadgill’s / 301 W. Riverside; 472-9304 / 9 pm
How fabulous is this!!!!

see ya on the dance floor,
chris

Ain't misbehavin' (dang it!)

July 26-August 1

Mr. Ben is currently visiting a friend in Vermont, so I'm at home by myself this week being a bad girl. Well, I would be being a bad girl if I didn't have rehearsals to attend, music to record and the new Harry Potter book to read, and if I didn't have a toothache from which I'm only now just beginning to recover after two full weeks of crippling pain. About the naughtiest thing I've been able to drum up is feeding the cat my way instead of Mr. Ben's way. How boring is that! Sheesh! Maybe, just to sew my wild oats a little, I'll pop in with friends over at El Sol y La Luna and share a pitcher of sangria. Oh yeah, baby, baby. I'm living life large. Working without a net. Taking a walk on the wild side.
And speaking of bad... have you seen this video of Philippine prisoners rehearsing for their big dance number -- Michael Jackson's Thriller? These bad boys are pretty damn cool! Rehabilitation through dance. What have I been saying all these years? If more people were dancing with each other, fewer people would be shooting at each other. It's the truth. Witness for yourself.
Thursday, July 26

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

DJd Milonga
Copa / 217 Congress Ave. / Austin, TX / 479-5002 / 9 pm
There will be a free lesson at 8 pm if you would like an intro to tango.

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

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

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

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


Friday, July 27

Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies
Ross' Old Austin Café / 11800 N. Lamar; 835-2414 / 7:00 pm

Ted Roddy
Ginny’s Little Longhorn / 5434 Burnet Road; 458-1813

White Ghost Shivers
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

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 Ghandaia, with their mix of Funk, Rock, Pop, Reggae, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian.

Jesse Dayton
Continental Club / 1315 S. Congress; 441-2444 / 10pm



Friday -Sunday, July 27 -29

American Repertory Ensemble
McCullough Theater / UT campus / 8 pm (F&S); 2 pm (Sun); $20 (adv), $22 (door)
We're lucky to have an ensemble of this caliber based in Austin. It's a collection of some of the finest dancers and musicians from around the nation. If you haven't seen then yet, you really should. I think I'm going on Sunday afternoon. See you there? 477-6060 for tix, or click here.


Saturday, July 28

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

Paris 49
Central Market / 4001 N. Lamar; 206-1000 / 6:30 pm (family)

Jessie Lee Miller
Patsy’s Cowgirl Café / 5001 E. Ben White; 444-2020

Two Hoots & A Holler
The Oasis / 6550 Comanche Trail 266-2442

Marshall Ford Swing Band
Lambert’s / 401 W. 2nd; 494-1500 / 6:30 pm; no cover

Global Harmony
Ruta Maya / 3601 S. Congress; 707-9637 / 9 pm; $12
This world music celebration of Africa features (in order of appearance) Lannaya, Atash, and Rattletree.

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

Sunday, July 29

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 light classical music with their large string ensemble.


Monday, July 30

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

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, July 31

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

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

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

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

Jim Stringer's AM Band
Jovita’s / 1619 S. 1st, 447-7825 / 8 pm (family)


Wednesday, August 1

The Brew
Speakeasy / 412 Congress; 476-8017

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


ROAD TRIPS

Gruene, TX
Tuesday, July 31
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 / 7:30 pm; $12
"There's something about Wallace's evocative poetic language, something about her insight into human nature, her unflinching exploration of ugliness and her surprising discovery of hope and beauty that can leave one breathless." Anna Rosenstein (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). [And is this not an uber cool graphic? Though you may not be able to see it in this small version, all those little black things that make up the shadow are tiny skulls & bones. My daughter-in-law, curlwunder, designed it for us (in case you ever need a graphic artist)]. 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.)

see ya on the dance floor,
chris