Our next showcase is this Sunday evening at Club DeVille! Some great bands are playing and there will be free beer for those who show up early enough. Click the poster for more details and to RSVP.

Wednesday, May 23
Great Lake Swimmers In-Store Performance
5pm • Waterloo Records, 6th and Lamar • Free
Free show and free beer from Shiner.

The Wine Down at ACL Live: Hudson Moore
5–7pm • ACL Live at Moody Theater, 310 W. 2nd St. • Free
Free show with food from Cru.

KVET Free Texas Music Series: Cory Morrow
6:30pm • Nutty Brown Café, 12225 Hwy. 290 West • Free

The Kinks Hoot Night
8pm–2am • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th St. • $5
A tribute to the music of the Kinks, featuring Cowboy and Indian, Leopold and His Fiction, The Memphis Strange, Dumb, Sideshow Tragedy, and Johnny Coconu.

Free show: Equals, Roger Sellers, Goat of all Texas
8pm–2am • Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E. 6th St. • Free

Step Into the Black Music Series
9pm–12am • Mercury Hall, 615 Cardinal Ln. • Free; RSVP required (now closed)
Free Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum cocktails and performances by The War on Drugs and DJ Rapid Ric.


Thursday, May 24
Mamma Jamma Kick Off Party 2012
6–8pm • GSD&M, 828 W. 6th St. • Free
Free snacks and drinks at a party to kick off fundraising for the annual Mamma Jamma Ride, an event that benefits Texans with breast cancer.

Mohawk Beach Party Series Presents: Braves and Babes
6–9pm • Mohawk, 10th and Red River St. • Free
Beach-themed dance party in honor of Miguel Angel/uLOVEi’s birthday, with Frank hotdogs, cake, candy, drink specials, pools, games, and ticket giveaways.

Austin Social Affair’s Memorial Weekend Kickoff Event
6–10pm • Dogwood, 715 W. 6th St. • $5 donation
Complimentary Stoli cocktails from 6–7pm at a benefit for the Wrapped in Love Foundation.

Hot Glass Cold Beer
7pm • East Side Glass Studio, 507 Calles Street • Free
Glass blowing demonstrations and beer tastings from Hops and Grain.


Friday, May 25
Tortoise & Blonde Launch Party
4–8pm • Eastside Supply Co., 1105 East 6th St. • Free
Free beer, music and Sanctuary Printshop T-shirts (while they last).

Indoor Campout Party and Product Launch for Campsite #5
6–9pm • The WonderCraft, 1601 E. Cesar Chavez • Free
Free beer, food, s’mores and music. Take home free cacti and succulents from Tree-House while supplies last.

Missbehave Boutique’s 3rd Birthday Celebration
6–9pm • Missbehave Boutique, 237 W. 2nd St. • Free
Complimentary champagne, food from Cantina Laredo, manicures and special discounts.

Art Show: Austin Series Vol.2, Brushed Medium
7–10pm • Gallery Black Lagoon, 4301 A. Guadalupe St. • Free
Complimentary drinks provided by Deep Eddy Vodka, Circle Brewing Company, Texas Tea & Texas Springs at the opening reception for several local artists.

Free Show: Oh No Oh My / Sunsquabi / The Cartographers / Big Words
8pm–2am • Frontier, 2421 Webberville Rd. • Free
Free vodka drinks from 9-10pm.


Saturday, May 26
Saints of Valory EP Release Show
8pm • The Belmont, 305 W. 6th St. • Free
Free show with Maggie Koerner.

The Good Music Club V
7pm • The ND, East 5th at Brushy St. • Free
Free show with The Boxing Lesson, Good Field, White Dress, and Mr. Lewis & The Funeral Five.

Méduse Jellyfish Lounge Soft Opening Party
9pm–2am • Méduse Jellyfish Lounge, 219 Congress Ave. • Free
We don’t have many details on this one, but suffice it to say the bar has a 350-gallon jellyfish habitat.


Sunday, May 27
CoolinAustin Presents: Megafauna / Airplanes Above Us / Girl Dreams
6–11pm • Club DeVille, 900 Red River St. • $5 donation
Join us on Sunday for an evening showcase featuring three of Austin’s most badass rock bands. In honor of Memorial Day weekend, proceeds from the show will benefit the Texas VFW Foundation, a nonprofit that supports veterans and their families. Doors are at 6pm, and set times are: Girl Dreams at 7pm, Megafauna at 8pm, Airplanes Above Us at 9pm. Stay tuned for more announcements!

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Wednesday, Feb. 29
CityBidz.com Happy Hour Mixer
6–8pm • Draft Pick, 1620 E. Riverside • Free; RSVP requested
CityBidz.com hosts a happy hour with food, beer and networking.

Macallan Whisky Tastings
Wed. 6:30–8pm / 8:30–10pm; Thu. 6:30–8pm • The Marchesa, 6406 N. IH-35, Ste. 3100 • Free; RSVP required
Private tastings of The Macallan Single Malt.

Top Chef: Texas Finale Viewing Party
9–11:30pm • Uchiko, 4200 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 140 • Free
Watch Uchiko chef Paul Qui compete in the finale of “Top Chef: Texas,” with a special menu for the occasion. (Get there really early — like 7pm — to have any chance of getting seated).

Bleach Online Issue Launch
9pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • $3 before midnight, $5 after
Free popcorn from Cornucopia, drink specials, giveaways, and DJ sets by Grimes, Markus Diffee, and DJ Forever 21.


Thursday, March 1
Ultra8201 6th Anniversary Party
10pm–2am • Swan Dive, 615 Red River • $5
Performances by TV Torso, Politics and Young Girls, plus photos and DJ set by ULOVEI. Sign up here for a chance to win a pair of tickets.


Friday, March 2
Austin Monthly Music Issue Release Party
7:30pm–2am • Emo’s East, 2015 E. Riverside • $5 suggested donation; RSVP requested
Music by Wiretree, Dana Falconberry, Marmalakes, Not In The Face, Soul Track Mind, Graham Wilkinson, and Akina Adderley & The Vintage Playboys. Benefits Help Clifford Help Kids (American Youthworks).

Represent Austin’s Texas Independence Day Party
8pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • Free until 10pm; $5 after
$1 Lone Stars and music by Guns of Navarone, Este Vato, So Long Problems, Tiger Waves, and JD Clark.

Total Crush 2 
8:30pm–2am • Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E 6th St. • Free
Free show by The White White Lights, New Roman Times, Magnificent Snails, and Boy + Kite.

Less Volume — More Valium
9pm–2am • Dive Bar & Lounge, 1703 Guadalupe St. • Free
Free show with The Pons, DJ Czech One, and Bravo, Max!


Saturday, March 3
Thirsty Planet Brewery Tour
11am and 1:30pm • Thirsty Planet Brewing Co., 11160 Circle Drive • Free; RSVP required
Brewery tour and tasting.

Independence Brewing Company’s Texas Independence Day Party
1–3pm • Independence Brewery, 3913 Todd Lane • Free
Show up early to get a wristband good for three complimentary beer samples. Live music by Sam Sliva and BBQ from Smokin’ Rose of Texas.

Good Libations Brewing Co. Beer Tasting
3–5pm • Old Koenig Engraving & Gifts, 900 Old Koenig Lane #114 • Free
Several Good Libations beers available for sampling, including: Kolsch Style, Chocolate Porter, Honey Pale Ale, and IPA. Co-hosted by PubGlasses.com.

CoolinAustin Presents: All My Friends, Knifight, Media, and DJ Geoff Millions
9pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • $5 if you Like us on Facebook; $7 if not
Celebrate the weekend before SXSW with an all-local lineup including Austin’s favorite LCD Soundsystem tribute band. Get there early to score some beverages sponsored by Cinco Vodka! Don’t forget to head over to our Facebook page and Like us to get the discounted cover.


Sunday, March 4
The Contest: The 3rd Annual Seinfeld Quiz
7pm • The Highball, 1142 S Lamar Blvd. • $5
Teams of up to six players vie to become master of the Seinfeld trivia domain. Winners take home cash prizes of up to $500.


Monday, March 5
Michael Ian Black at BookPeople
7pm • BookPeople, 6th and Lamar • Free
Make it your beeswax to attend this talk and book-signing. Black will speak and sign copies of his collection of essays, “You’re Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death and Other Humiliations.”



**Make sure to check out our list of SXSW open bar RSVPs, and stay tuned to this site for even more leading up to the fest**

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

Shoutouts: Amber Demure, Partay Peeps, Do512 Free, Austin Free Events

Our next showcase is this Friday! Click the poster (designed by CiA’s own Eric Pulsifer) to RSVP on Facebook.


Wednesday, Feb. 1
Wine Down Wednesday
6–8pm • DuO, 225 West 2nd St. • Free
Complimentary glass of wine from Cru wine bar while you shop at DuO. Afterwards, head to Cru with your DuO receipt and get 20% off your meal.

Living Record Music Documentary Night Presents “Don’t Look Back”
7pm • Jo’s Coffee, 242 W. 2nd St. • Free
Free screening of DA Pennebaker’s documentary about Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of England, hosted by the Austin Film Festival.

Tom Waits Hoot Night
8pm–2am • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th St. • $5
A Tom Waits tribute night with performances by Shakey Graves, Charlie Faye, Rob Franco of the Venus Illuminato, Johnny Dango of The Memphis Strange, Jack Wilson, Kurt McMahan of King Biscuit, members of Cowboy and Indian, Shane Bartell, Taber Maine, and others.


Thursday, Feb. 2
Anthony Green In-Store Performance
5–6pm • Waterloo Records, 6th and Lamar • Free
Free show + free Shiner.

Groundhog Day Happy Hour
5–8pm • Mohawk • Free
Drink specials + Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day on repeat.

Big-Ass Social Happy Hour (BASHH)
6pm • The Ranch, 710 West 6th St. • Free
Laid-back happy hour with all kinds of cool folks from Austin’s social media community and beyond. If you get there early enough, you can get a free drink ticket.

First Thursday: February Fun
7–10pm • Goodie Two Shoes, 1111 S. Congress Ave. • Free
Complimentary drinks, snacks, styling and sales.

Thursday Night Social Club: Great Comedy, Free Beer
8pm • ColdTowne Theater, 4803-B Airport Blvd. • $5
Every Thursday in January, ColdTowne is opening early to provide free beer and snacks before the improv comedy show.

DJ Honeycomb and Malverde Present: Shuffle Shuffle
10pm–2am • Malverde, 400 W. Second, Ste. 400-B • Free
Every Thursday this month, DJ Honeycomb and Malverde present Shuffle Shuffle. This week’s guest DJ is DJ Chicken George.


Friday, Feb. 3
Free Wine Tasting with Esprit du Vins
4-8pm • East End Wines, 1209 Rosewood Ave. • Free
Free tasting featuring: Trimbach Pinot Blanc ’07, Lamarque Grande Cabanes Rose 2010, Ch. De la Chaize Brouilly ’09, Lamargue Syrah Les Grand Cabanes ’08, and Trimbach Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardives ’01.

The Asteroid Shop @ Fox on First
5pm • Fox on First, 1906 S. 1st St. • Free
Free show by the Asteroid Shop + free food + free beer.

Beauty Goes Red: Austin Beauty Week Kickoff Party
6:30–9:30pm • Speakeasy, 412 Congress Ave. • Free w/ RSVP
A red-themed party with complimentary red drinks provided by Bacardi Dragon Berry and sweet treats by Sara Belle’s Bakery. Plus: swag bags for the first 50 guests, silent auction, chair massages, and music by DJ Big Rich. Benefits Central Texas Go Red for Women.

Art Opening — Dimensions: Constructed Exploration & The Painted Print
7–10pm • Gallery Black Lagoon, 4301 A. Guadalupe St. • Free
Complimentary drinks (Deep Eddy Vodka) and food (The Parlor & Austinuts) at a gallery reception featuring new works by Jonathan Sanders and David Lujan.

CoolinAustin & Austin Writes Music Present: Shot Through the Heart   **Event of the Week**
9pm–2am • Frank, 407 Colorado St. • $6
That’s right: It’s time for another CiA/AWM showcase. The all-local lineup features Royal Forest, Your Friendly Ghost, Dead Black Hearts, and Little Radar. We hope to see you out there!


Saturday, Feb. 4
Independence Brewing Co. Brewery First Saturday Tour and Beer Tasting
1–3pm • Independence Brewing Co., 3913 Todd Lane #607 • Free
Free tour and tasting. Bring cash if you want to buy merchandise.

Be Our Valentine: Annual Valentine’s Trunk Show
2–7pm • Plain Ivey Jane, 408 W 2nd St. • Free
Complimentary drinks, treats from Sugar Pop Sweet Shop, and local shopping.

We’ll Go Machete, Cabra, Aetherhawk, Honey & Salt
6–10pm • Trailer Space Records, 1401 Rosewood Ave. • Free
Free show + free beer.

Red Bull Skooled Tour
8pm–2am • Scoot Inn, East 4th @ Navasota • Free
Texas indie rap groups A.Dd+, The Niceguys, Worldwide, Kydd, and DJ Sober
make a stop in Austin on their six-city tour through Texas. The free show features Cold Cris.

Good Field Album Release Party w/ Jesse Woods and Sleep Good
8pm–2am • Baby Blue Recording Studio, 1522 E. 12th St. • $5
Cover includes free keg beer.


Sunday, Feb. 5
“Material Girl” Super Bowl Party
5pm • Side Bar, 602 E. 7th St. • Free
Madonna-themed Super Bowl party with complimentary food and Corona for the first 50–100 people. Plus: best dressed Madonna talent competition (with prizes), projections of the game, and a Material Girl after-dance party with music by DJ Czech One.

Super Bowl Watch Party at The ND
5pm • The ND, East 5th St. at Brushy St. • Free
Watch the game, supplemented with music by DJ Orion.

Airplanes Above Us with the Madisons
7pm–2am • Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St. • $5
Also featuring Kiddoo & The Dude, The Holler Time, and Tippus.

Plugs: PSST! We’re up for a Statesman Social Media Award — if you’re a fan of what we do, we’d be eternally grateful if you could throw a vote our way!

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

Shoutouts: Amber, Partay Peeps, Do512 Free, Austin Free Events

Announcing CoolinAustin’s first showcase: Broken Resolutions

We’re insanely excited to be co-hosting Broken Resolutions, an evening of killer local music right smack in the middle of Free Week. Come out to Swan Dive on Monday, Jan. 2 to cancel your plans for living a respectable life in 2012. I mean, just look at the squid guy in the poster. It’s Day 2 and he’s already back to hitting the brandy and the pipe. And so can you!

To get you on your way down the road to self-sabotage, allow us to present the face-melting musical stylings of The Soapbox Spellbinders, The White White Lights, Little Radar, and Royal Forest. No cover, no excuses, no mercy!

Big thanks to our esteemed co-presenter Austin Writes Music, as well as all the bands, poster artist/magic man Eric Pulsifer, whitesiren presents, and Swan Dive.

Here’s the Facebook event page — RSVP and make sure to invite your friends!