CoolinAustin
The Week Ahead: Dec. 12-18

Holiday party season is in full swing. This week you can make your own chocolate martinis, stumble around East Austin dressed as C-3PO, and squeeze back into that ugly Christmas sweater for another year of yuletide festivities.


Monday, Dec. 12
Dub Academy’s First Annual Christmas Party
8pm–Midnight • Parkside, 301 East 6th St. • Free; RSVP required
Complimentary drinks and raffle tix for people who wear ugly holiday sweaters; photo booths; games with prizes; live music.


Tuesday, Dec. 13
Candy Lane Cocktail Party
6–9pm • Langford Market, 249 West 2nd Street • Free
Complimentary candy-inspired cocktails and mini-candy bar. Accepting donations for the Capital Area Food Bank.

Austin Chronicle Presents: Paper Cuts
7–9pm • The Palm Door, 401 Sabine St. • Free; RSVP required for priority admission
Complementary Shock Top beer, desserts from the Frisco Shop, and Bacardi Oakheart Rum. Music by Marmalakes. RSVP to reserve your spot; additional guests will be allowed in starting at 7:30 if the party isn’t at capacity.

It’s Made Of People: One Year Anniversary Variety Show
9pm • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • Free
Free variety show featuring sketches, comedians, and bands.

Coal Vines Wine-Down Holiday Bash
6–10pm • Coal Vines, 314 W. 2nd St. • Free; RSVP requested (RSVP Email)
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine specials, and live music. Bring a wrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.


Wednesday, Dec. 14
Austin Social Affair Holiday Launch Party
6–9pm • TenOak, 409 Colorado St. • $5 minimum donation
Free Grey Goose cocktails from 6–7; $5 after that. Benefits the Wrapped in Love Foundation.

Gabrieldoes: A Christmas Party
6–10pm • Cazamance Café, 1102 E. Cesar Chavez • Free
Free drinks while they last + food, and holiday music. Feel free to BYOB.

2011 Austin Holiday Formal    ***Event of the Week***
9:30pm–2am • American Legion Hall, 2201 Veterans Drive • $10 donation
Free drinks include Fireman’s 4, Sierra Nevada, 360 Vodka, Wiser’s Canadian Whiskey, and El Zarco Tequila. Also: make-your-own chocolate martini bar, live music, photo booth, and raffle. Dress fancy! Donations benefit Austin’s Children’s Shelter.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Santy Panty Party
10pm–1am • Nomad Bar, 1211 Corona Dr. • Free
Complimentary drinks for anyone who dresses up. Featuring comedian James Patrick Robinson, DJ sets, and dancin’.


Thursday, Dec. 15
The Liberty 3rd Annual Christmas Party
4pm–2am • The Liberty, 1618 E. 6th St. • Free
Details TBA.

Beer O’Clock – Austin Community Happy Hour hosted by The Daily Dot
5:30–8pm • Clive Bar, 609 Davis St. • Free
Have a drink or two on The Daily Dot, “the hometown newspaper of the World Wide Web.”

Social Media Club Austin Holiday Party 2011
6:30-8:30pm • Molotov, 719 West 6th Street • Free; RSVP required
Free food from Roll on Sushi + drink specials. Dress “holiday fancy” and bring a new toy to donate to the Toy Drive for Austin.

Beer Society Strikes Back
8–11pm • Jackalope, 404 East 6th • Free; RSVP required
Free pints of Boulevard IPA, courtesy of The Onion Society for Beer Enjoyment.

Volstead Lounge at Hotel Vegas Holiday Party
9pm • Volstead Lounge at Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th Street • Free w/ RSVP; $5 without
Free beer and egg nog while it lasts, plus music by Alpha Rev, Levi Weaver, and Saints of Valory. Christmas sweaters encouraged. RSVP for free admission.


Friday, Dec. 16
Film Night at Green House
8pm–Midnight • Green House, 701 E 53rd St. • Free
Movies, free cocktails and popcorn.

Qua 4th Anniversary Party
9–11pm • Qua, 213 W. 4th St. • Free
Complimentary cocktails from 9–11, half-price bottles all night.

Christmas Sweater Party Champagne Jam
10pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • $2 if you wear a holiday sweater; $5 if not
Champagne, photo booth, live improv holiday karaoke by Zorch; DJ sets by Kon Karne, Lee Roi, and Butcher Bear.


Saturday, Dec. 17
Thirsty Planet Brewery Tour
11am and 1:30pm • Thirsty Planet Brewing Co., 11160 Circle Drive • Free; RSVP required
Free tour and beer tasting. Make sure to reserve a spot online.

The Backyard Bizarre Bazaar Bizart Show
6pm–Midnight • Green House, 701 E 53rd St. • Free
Art show, fashion show, live music, drinks and food.

I Wanna Be Your Dog II
8pm • 29th Street Ballroom, 2906 Fruth St. • $5 donation
Free food from Frank; music by The Fleshlights, John Wesley Coleman, Bad Lovers, Foreign Mothers, Dead Space, and Sweat Lodge; raffle to win SXSW wristbands; silent auction. Benefits Austin Pets Alive.

Han Shots First Pub Crawl
8pm–2am • Starts at The Liberty, 1618 E. 6th St. • $5 suggested donation
Dress up as your favorite Star Wars character and go out drinkin’ on the east side. The crawl (which also features games, a raffle and Star Wars trivia) will have stops at The Liberty, Rio Rita, The Brixton, Violet Crown, and Shangri-La. See the event page for schedule info. Benefits Child’s Play.

Secret Show at Hotel Vegas
9pm–2am • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th Street • Free w/ RSVP, $5 without
Music by Stereo is a Lie, The Boxing Lesson, and a mystery headliner. RSVP for free admission.



**SAVE THE DATE: January 2** CoolinAustin’s very first Free Week showcase is set for Monday, Jan. 2 at Swan Dive. We’ll announce the details later this week, but suffice it to say, it will rock yo socks off.

Plugs: Like us on the Facebook, Tweet at us on the Twitter

Shoutouts: Amber, Jeremiah, Do512 Free, Austin Free Events

ACL Weekend Events: Sept. 15-18



Whether you want to enhance your ACL experience or avoid the fest altogether, here are some events that will let you keep your party going and cost little or nothing to attend.

Thursday, Sept. 15
Grand Opening of Prize
5–8pm • Prize, 202 Colorado St. • Free, RSVP required
Complimentary cocktails and sushi. RSVP by emailing info@prizeaustin.com

LePA Grand Re-Opening Cocktail Party
7–10pm • LePA Skincare, 2520 Longview St. #314 • Free
Complimentary wine, hors d’oeuvres, treats, and giveaways.

Art Disaster 15
8pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th Street • $3 RSVP / $5 Door
Eight bands and three DJs on two stages: Crooks, Wild Child, SORNE, The White White Lights, Schmillion, Boyfrndz, Sleep Good, Sundress; DJ sets by Thick as Thieves and DJ Orion; Miller Lite drink specials all night.

Free ACL Kick Off Show at The Parish
9pm–2am • The Parish, 214 East 6th Street • Free
Free show with performances by Eyes Burn Electric, Electric Touch, The Canvas Waiting, Bk and Mr E.

The Soapbox Spellbinders Live at Red Eyed Fly
11:30pm–2am • Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River • $5
Full disclosure: These guys are friends of ours. But we’ll be damned if Tristan Shinnick is not the best guitarist in Austin right now. Prove us wrong.


Friday, Sept. 16
Deep Eddy Vodka Garden (Event of the Week)
11am-Midnight; Friday, Saturday, Sunday • 1707 Barton Springs Rd. • Free, RSVP required
This one is not to be missed – a three-day, all-day party with free cocktails, snacks, live music, and god knows what else. For now, all you have to do is Like the Deep Eddy page on Facebook and you’re on the list. We’ll update with more details as they become available.

On the WAYCL
Time TBD; Friday, Saturday, Sunday • 1800 Barton Springs • Free
Free shows all weekend long, including: FM Campers, Knifight, The Nouns, Bali Yaaah (Friday); Diagonals, Kay Leotard, Sleep Good, Night Viking (Saturday); Shakey Graves, Holy Wave, The Act Rights, Zoltars (Sunday) — plus several others.

GAYCL: The Independent Alternative
6pm–Midnight • Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 East 6th St. • Free; donations welcome
Free show with performances by Follow That Bird, Rickey Jean Francois, Boy Friend, Kay Leotard, Agent Ribbons, and The Great Aware. All proceeds benefit Equality Texas.

Peligrosa with Chief Boima
9pm • Scoot Inn, 1308 East 4th St. • $5
Even more dance party goodness.

Disco Dive Party ACL Edition
10pm–2am • Dive Bar & Lounge, 11th and Guadalupe • Free
DJs Czech One and Zack Highwire playing Indie Rock/Pop, 80’s, Old School Hip Hop, R&B, Nu Wave.

80s Dance Party at The Highball
11pm–2am • The Highball, 1142 S. Lamar • Free
A free 80s party for those who didn’t get their fill of dancing on ACL Day 1.


Saturday, Sept. 17
Shiner Biergarten
10am–3pm, Saturday and Sunday • Flipnotics parking lot, Barton Springs Road @ Kinney • Free
Live music, $2 Shiners, and a chill place to hang out when you need a break from the fest.

Ditch the Fest Fest 2
2pm–2am • Cheer Up Charlie’s, Red 7, Beauty Bar, Scoot Inn & Club De Ville • $2 at each venue or $5 for a wristband to get into all venues
Ridiculous amount of bands for ridiculously little money. Free Shiner Bock (while it lasts). Video games, black light painting, performance art, photobooth, screen printing… is this real life?!

Echotone Remix: A Louder Fight for a Louder Night
9pm–2am • The ND at 501 Studios, East 5th and Brushy St. • Free
Three teams of DJs and VJs remix footage and music from the film on a 25-foot screen. Featuring: DJ Orion, 4th Wall, Manolo Black, Jay Smith, and Kid Slyce

Learning Secrets and Silverton Partners Present: Metro Area
10pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 East 7th St. • $5 RSVP / $8 Door
Dance party with Metro Area DJ set; performances by Indian Jewelry and Rickey Jean Francois; photo booth

Karaoke Underground Post-ACL Party
10pm–2am • Dive Bar & Lounge, 1703 Guadalupe St. • Free
Free karaoke night with more than 500 punk and indie classics to choose from


Photo by Kevin H. (Flickr)

More ACL parties! RSVP now!

Music Lounge and Rock the Vote parties
Free booze, burgers, ice cream, lawn games and other crazy stuff at two parties this Saturday during and after ACL
The Music Lounge: Noon-6pm
Rock the Vote: 10pm-2am
It all goes down at the American Legion Hall, at Lake Austin Blvd. & Atlanta Street (by the MoPac pedestrian bridge, right across the lake from the festival)
Music lineup includes The Riverboat Gamblers, Sock Hop DJs, Ume, The Soldier Thread & DJ Thibault
RSVP REQUIRED. Email musiclounge@bmfmedia.com
This is gonna fill up really quickly so sign up now!

Laser-Beam Dance Party, feat. Nasa and Vega
Free ACL after-party at the Mohawk
Saturday night, 8pm-2am
Sponsored by Hornitos Tequila, so maybe some free booze?
Mohawk, 912 Red River
RSVP required: http://www.jellynyc.com/nasa/