We've got less than a week to go and if you're still getting your New Year's Eve plans together, here is a number of concert options in Austin.

TX chillwaver Neon Indian returns to town, and as mentioned, is playing an outdoor show at Mohawk with Silent Diane and S U R V I V E. The show will have "New Year's Eve libations provided by your host at midnight, neon cocktails, tarot card reader, confetti cannons, toasting & more info to come!" Tickets are on sale now.

Local country legend Willie Nelson and friends are playing two nights (12/30-31) at Moody Theater with support from The Mavericks on night one and Iron & Wine on night two (aka NYE). Tickets for night 1 and night 2 are available.

Synth/psych legend Silver Apples is playing "a psychedelic new year's eve celebration in space" at The Museum of Human Achievement with some solid support from Zorch, Xander Harris, SLEEP OVER, Amphibian Lark, and Soundfounder. Tickets for that show are on sale.

Old school hardcore bands Adolescents and Youth Brigade are playing an outdoor show at Red 7 with American Heist and Lower Class Brats. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Ringo Deathstarr are teaming up with Japanther for a NYE show at Frontier Bar with The Boxing Lesson, Megafauna, Residual Kid, and M.

A bunch of good bands will be teaming up for a show at Cheer Up Charlie's including Deep Time, Hundred Visions, Love Inks, The Sour Notes, Mirror Travel, Pompeii, The Laughing, and a DJ set by DJ S.I.R. to close out the night. The first 100 drinks will be sponsored by Tito's Vodka and there's a champagne toast at midnight. $5 at the door.

Three Austin venues Hotel Vegas, The Volstead, and Pine Street Station will be presenting a 1984-themed NYE party with the music of New Order, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Gang of Four, Adam Ant, Violent Femmes, X, Prince and The Revolution, Gary Numan, The Go-Go's, Van Halen, The Smiths, Gun Club, Spinal Tap, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, The Replacements, Tina Turner, Run DMC, Dead Kennedy's & George Thorogood...performed by members of: Bad Lovers, Dikes of Holland, Dead Space, Windsor for The Derby, The Pharaohs, Holy Wave, The Bad Lovers, Foreign Mothers, Feral Future, The Nouns, Poor People, Sexploits, P-Tek, American Sharks, Sweat Lodge, Lola Cola, Bobby Jealousy, Naw Dude, Ugly Beats, DD Dagger, December Boys, Moonlight Towers, Strange Attractors, Crisis Hotlines, Gory Details, Ghost Knife, Church Shoes, Tijuana Bible, Space Camp, Sweet Talk, Motel Ball Band, Ghetto Ghouls, and These Are Words. Tickets, which gain you access to all three venues, are on sale now. There will be two vans to shuttle you between the venues. More info HERE. Trailer video below.

Altercation Comedy is presenting an End of Days Bash at The New Movement Theater with Chris Cubas, Jake Flores, Rise Against's Zach Blair, Krum Bums' Dave Rodriguez, Mack Lindsay, The Lizard Man, Satan from Stanhope's Unbookables, open mic lap dance with Burning Angel XXX star Miss Genocide, and more. Altercation Comedy's JT Habersaat will be hosting. Tickets are available.

The Red Eyed Fly is hosting two shows: one outside with Mike Truth & The Replacement Killers, Gidzillah, Agave Love, and Audiolight ($5 adults/$8 minors); and a free show indoors with Kingdom, Black Ladder, and Estelline. Both shows are all ages.

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears are playing Emo's East with Jesse Dayton and Wild Child. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Austin's Quiet Company will be performing at a NYE celebration on the second floor of the W Hotel, which also includes a live set by The Tontons and DJ sets by I Wanna Be Her and Bird Peterson. Tickets gain you access to the music, plus dinner, an open bar, and a midnight toast. VIP tickets incude a meet and greet with the artists, complimentary valet parking, and "premium bar offerings."

Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma, who have backed GZA on tour a few times recently, are playing Beauty Ballroom with Foot Patrol. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

T Bird and the Breaks and Henry and the Invisibles are playing Stubb's BBQ (indoors). Tickets for that show are on sale.

What did we miss?

Head to Showlist Austin and Do512 for more.

In NYC or Chicago? We have guides for those too (at the links).

Trailer video for the 1984 party below...

Continue reading "A guide to New Year's Eve shows in Austin (Willie Nelson, Silver Apples, Neon Indian, Ringo Deathstarr, a 1984 dance party & more)"

words by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Scenes from Fun Fun Fun Lucky Lady Bingo via Adi Anand's Instagrams 7/11/2012

While we've had some teasers in the last few weeks - Wednesday night was the night for BINGO - and the full Fun Fun Fun Fest reveal.

On 7/11 (Happy Slurpee Day!) Fun Fun Fun held their bingo-to-reveal-the-artists event, and while we already knew about Run DMC reuniting and some others, there were quite a few surprises in the massive list of musical acts and comedians announced (Public Image Ltd., Youth of Today, De La Soul, X, Bob Mould, Saul Williams, and Hannibal Burress to name a few).

The headliners (in addition to the aforementioned Run DMC reunion) are an electic-but-looked-forward-to group: Santigold, Refused, and for Comedy David Cross.

Three-day and PIP passes go on sale on Thursday at 10AM CST and will no doubt move fast. Get them here once the clock passes 9:59...

See the full line-up below.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest full 2012 line-up; 3-day passes on-sale"

Though there's enough comedy at SXSW this year to keep us satisfied for a little while, in just about two months, the first Moontower Comedy & Oddity Fest will be held in Austin. The festival, scheduled for April 25- 28, is "four nights of stand-up, improv, sketch, and musical comedy throughout the city" includes performances by Aziz Ansari, Steven Wright, Seth Myers, Hannibal Buress and many more (all listed below).

Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival presented by the Paramount Theatre brings to Austin, TX some of the funniest, wittiest and oddest world-class comics from around the globe. This marathon of side-splitting nights throughout the city is slated to bring over 60 comedians doing everything from stand-up and sketch to improv and musical comedy. National headliners, up-and-comer and local Austin-based comedians ensure that there are options for every type of comedy fan; die-hards to those just looking for a fun night.

Moontower will be held across the city at some of our favorite venues including:

Paramount Theatre
Stateside at the Paramount
29th Street Ballroom
Beale Street Tavern
Cap City Comedy Club (where Kevin Nealon and Anthony Jeselnik are soon performing)
Mohawk
ND @ 501 Studios
New Movement Theater
The Parish
Velveeta Room

When asked "Why Moontower?" the festival presenters at the Paramount Theatre said:

"Because Austin is a little blue oasis in a very red state. Because we live in a college town that knows when to skip class. Because we have a guitar, but never got around to taking lessons. Because comics and their fans are people of night. Because we will cast a beacon of light on the genre of comedy. We're an anomaly. And we can take a joke like no other city. But more importantly we know funny and we know festivals. We know how to throw a party the world wants to attend. We know how to ignite locals and how to be a destination. So get your ticket. Grab a seat. Silence your damn phone. And remember to tip your bartender."

Four-day passes to the festival, as well as VIP passes are on sale now. Single performance tickets will be available for purchase TODAY (2/23). For instance, Aziz Ansari tickets (early and late) are on sale at 10am.

More badge & VIP ticket info and the full lineup below...

Continue reading "Moontower Comedy & Oddity Fest (4/25-4/28) -- lineup & ticket info (single show tickets on sale TODAY)"

by Klaus Kinski

Reggie Watts @ Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Hello BV Austin readers! How's it going? Getting your bunz in gear for the impending arrival of SXSW and the multitude of activities it presents you with? Man, I'd hate to be in your shoes. So much to see. So much to hear. So much to eat and drink. Comedy. Music. Cinema. Workshops. The stress of creating an itinerary for myself would be enough to drive me to suicide. Rats off to ya!

Anywhoozle, great comedy is always a part of SXSW. However, this year the mofos at SXSW are going to be dropping a freaking A-Bomb of comedy on y'all. Like, literally, twice the comedy than last year. The SXSW Comedy assplosion will happen from March 10th through 17th and boast a roster of 62 comedians. I mean, shit, you guys are getting Doug Loves Movies, The Benson Interruption, the cast of Bob's Burgers, Risk!, The Chris Gethard show, and more. There's also going to be a whopping 8 live podcast recordings including WTF with Marc Maron (featuring Jeffrey Tambor) and Comedy Bang! Bang!, hosted by Scott Aukerman. Sketch, stand-up, improv, panels, podcast recordings... Y'all are getting spoiled to death! Stop setting jealousy traps, SxSW!!

Schedule and comedian lists below...

Continue reading "lots of comedians are playing SXSW Comedy this year"