Say Yes to Sweet Dreams

I take my dreams seriously, ya'll. So does Tender Nightmare, a new improv troupe that takes suggestions from your dreams and puts them on the stage for everyone to laugh at...I mean...enjoy. Sunday night, FREE, 7pm, at Coldtowne Theater, so ya'll know the drill: BYOB and drive responsibly! If you'd like to submit your dreams to the show, e-mail a short 3-5 sentence description to dreams@tendernightmare.com.

Here are a couple of my dreams for inspiration:

today i dreamt that the world ended. someone had an invention to show us that the world was coming to an end, but no one would pay him any attention. finally the world was visibly collapsing, the sun was coming closer and the earth was shrinking. it was a weird feeling knowing it was the end. i was holding on to something, so that i wouldn't blow away. but then everything was kind of calm as i closed my eyes and saw how the world would be when it ended. quiet, dark, and everything starting over, just a bunch of tiny, colorful amoebas.

then i dreamt that i was back in school in savannah and i was with this girl and she was scared that it was going to rain and flood. we were in the dorms alone, the power was out, and no one else was around. it thundered really loud and she was screaming and crying and i slapped her in the face and shook her and told her to calm down. but before i had time to say anything, it started to pour down rain really hard, and i looked to the right and there was this HUGE wave coming towards us. so we grabbed hands and somehow climbed up to the roof and by the time we got up there, the water had already risen to the top, nearly touching us. i was freaking out about my materialistic items. everyone else from the dorms was suddenly there too and we were all on the rooftops freaking out while the water was rising.

at one point we were driving through whatever city, it was kind of a mix of san fransisco and omaha. ha. they had these buildings that were like dollhouses. meaning they didn't have the fourth wall. they were hotels, each room set up just like a house, and people stayed in them, and everyone on the street or in their houses could see them. the decor was so awesome and bright and modern. people on the street would shout to the people in the hotel "hey, go to bed!" "hey, you're up early today!" i loved it so much i was squealing, like i usually do when i see new things.

my most fun dream was about solving a mystery involving postal workers and long boards and alleyways.

Okay, enough random insight into my brain. See you at the show!

Say Yes to Spring...Fever!

Well ya'll, I'm curled up in bed with some Nyquil and the Cosby Show. I think I'm getting too old for all this SxSwearmeout stuff. Since I can't make it out this week, I need some Say Yes agents on the street enjoying it up for me. Here's where ya gotta go:

Tomorrow, check out the gallery opening of Legacy at WonderCraft from 7-10pm. Teachers and students of the Dougherty Art School will be showcasing their art and live music by Whiskey Shivers will keep ya rockin'.

Do you like...cupcakes? Austin on Two Wheels is hosting a Cupcake ride Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm. Go green and get a sugar buzz!

The Highball is just crankin' out (FREE) entertainment left and right these days. Saturday night, check out We Will Rock You, where Magnifico, a Queen cover band will be rockin' and a mustache contest will take place. Galileo! Galileo!

Sunday is for my ladies! Check out the Texas Rollergirls at the Austin Convention Center at 4pm. Kids under 12 are free, otherwise tickets are $12-$15. Afterwards, drop the kids off at home and head over to Cindie's. Cindie's is throwing an RSVP/ladies-only party at their South Lamar location. Take a belly dancing class, get 10% off products, enjoy free drinks and snacks, and henna body painting! This Sunday, the 27th, from 6-9pm! RSVP at cindies_lamar@yahoo.com. Bow chicka wow wow!

Monday Night, it's back to The Highball for TV Dinner, where we all get to watch the four best episodes of a show, plus games, trivia, and FUN! This week is Saved by the Bell! All for free. 7pm, ya'll. The Tuaca Body Art Ball will also be happenin', at the new Moody Theater. 21+, 9pm, and a mind-blowing show of painted performers bridging the gap between the human body and canvas. I have an extra ticket if anyone wants to join me!

Tuesday night check out Antique Limax (say it fast) at Kick Butt Coffee for some clean, fun, improv! Show is at 7pm at the Airport Location. These guys will bring down the house....trust me!

Wednesday night, it's time for the Found Footage Festival 2011 at Alamo Ritz. It's exactly what it sounds like. Some dudes sift through dumpsters and find old videos so we can enjoy them on the big screen! Shows at 7pm and 9:30pm, and tickets are $10.

And then it's April! Rubber, an official Fantastic Fest 2010 Selection, will be playing at the Alamo Drafthouse all week starting April 1st. The movie is about an abandoned tire in the desert that comes to life and begins to possess special powers that help him destroy anything in his path. So um, basically....Awesome!

Can ya handle it? Good! Seeya next week!

South by Serenity Now

Oh you guyyyyyys. SXSW wore me out. What? It's still going on? You guys are party animals! I'm taking it easy tonight but might see you out and about tomorrow. What do you have planned?

I don't have any kids, but I know some people do and that you are starting to sweat summer break already. I want your kids to keep Austin weird, so I found a couple of events to keep them entertained.....until dinner time.

You all know how much I love improv. During the Coldtowne Lock-In not too long ago, I saw a troupe called The Lindas, which was a group of two adult women and one eight year old girl. These girls brought down the house like I have never seen before. I don't know why kids making things up on the spot is funnier than when adults do it, but this style really works. So, I encourage you to drop your kids off at Improv Summer Camp at Coldtowne Theater this June. Classes run from the 10th-13th, and your middle or high school student can participate. Your kids will get funnier, gain confidence, and make friends. And if you get inspired, don't forget that you can always take a free improv class from my besties at Coldtowne, The Institution Theater or The Hideout.

I also want your kids to keep Austin artsy, so sign them up for classes or a week-long camp at Austin Museum of Art. Children as young as four can join in, and tons of classes on Photography, Drawing, and Sculpture are available. Yes, you can play too! They have parent/child classes for your youngins, or sign up for an adult class. Don't forget that Second Saturdays are for families at AMOA, and from 12-4, you can take a family yoga class, create art, or explore the galleries. Get in while you can, as sadly, AMOA downtown will be closing its downtown location.

Speaking of Goodbye City, Kyoto has closed. I don't know why, and I'm really sad I could never make it for the 45 minute happy hour. This city is evolving so fast, you gotta cram everything in as fast as you can!

Back to the art: I love city-wide, city-interactive art, like when Knitta, Please took over our city and knitted up a storm. Art Alliance Austin is bringing our city Play Me I'm Yours, which will be a month long exhibition that invites you to explore the sounds of our city. Starting April 1st, keep an eye out for random pianos around Austin, and then play them! Tomorrow is the last day to donate your old rusty piano if you've got one. You can't make this stuff up!

Have ya'll ever been to Co-Lab? It's this great art space in East Austin that brings in amazing exhibitions from near and far. You don't just hang a couple pictures on the wall and call it art here. The space changes for every show. Walls are painted, things are built and taken down within a day, people are dancing, and pretty soon: sleeping on the floor. On April 23rd, I invite you to check out Comfort Sessions. A mixed media performance by Katelene Hernandez that involves her larger project, Lullaby Sessions, where she sings to children, the lonely, or the sick. You are encouraged to wear your pajamas and bring sleeping bags. I can sleep and be part of art? I love you, Austin. Comfort Sessions runs until the 30th.

P.S. - I'm also a photographer! I recently wrote an article about Texas High School Football for St. Edward's University. I took all my photos in Austin except for one game in Galveston. My photos are up on Flickr if you're interested, and I'll be back with more info about my exhibition in July! You guys have to come see it cause it's my birthday.

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Love you and enjoy your SXSW day drunk 6th st pizza live music overload twitter feed best wurst detox!

South by Say Yes!

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