Here's Part 2, the wrap of our pre-Mardi Gras ramp up. Austin's Carnival culture seems a lot less active than in recent previous years, but there are plenty of day-trippable destinations if you still want to get in on the fun. Here are some links to NOLA walking (and less-mainstream) groups, as well as a few other Galveston and Lake Charles go-sees. Read More | Comment »

It's Mardi Gras season – next Tuesday, Feb. 21 is Fat Tuesday – so I'm gathering some old posts and updating them for all you last-minute revelers or Mardiday-dreamers. This post, from 2008, is about beads. Read More | Comment »

Here's a heaping helpin' from some Carnival vets (in their own words) to get you in the mood, whether you are celebrating here or somewhere east. Minor Mishap Marching Band, beary/cubby DJ Collin Bass, and party goddess and blogger extraordinaire Angeliska Polacheck are among the many Austinites headed that way. Read More | Comment »

Journeys usually start with a setting of the scene, specifically, the homeplace. But how do you talk about a journey to a place that feels like a second home – a special geography of the heart that is no hero's journey, but rather more like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride via Exposé? Read More | Comment »

Ready to laugh your pants off? Want to see sexy women up on the stage making you giggle 'til you can't breathe? Well, come on down to Lipstick24 this Saturday, June 11 to see TV comedian Julie Goldman. Read More | Comment »

Hey guys, it's been a minute. It's that holiday time of year again, when I work myself into a tizzy over prezzies and crafts for a month solid and wonder how many hot glue sticks I've managed to burn through in one sitting. Let me preface this by saying I'm known by my in-laws for being the most meticulous in the family when it comes to Christmas lists, so here goes: Read More | Comment »

We had a contest. And Sonny Chaidez won it! Read More | Comment »

This Tuesday, 8pm at the ND @ 501 is the time and place to wig out at this sexy-fab, do-not-miss fashion frolic, wig-in, and costume showcase: 12 Dangerous Women. Let's have a li'l chat with Mz. Coco Coquette herself, shall we? Read More | Comment »

Art exists not as a luxury but a necessity and tool for revolutionary re-envisioning. At least that's what Audre Lorde said, "[Poetry] forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action." IOW, queermos, poetry is the way we exist. Read More | Comment »

Haven’t made any Friday night plans yet? What’s wrong, you holding out for a hero? Why not cut loose at Cheer Up Charlie’s tonight? Because – and we don’t want to oversell the thing – this sounds like almost paradise. Read More | Comment »

Tell everyone you know. Today's the day. The Prop 8 decision happens today. Equality Across America-Texas calls all y'all to rally or protest. Which it will be will depend on a California judge. Read More | Comment »

Bravo's strident answer to its lost "Project Runway" may not be the best showcase for co-host Isaac Mizrahi's otherwise Unzipped eye-rolling, but "The Fashion Show" still offers plenty to sink your teeth into on a school night. Read More | Comment »

There's nothing like the sound of a parade line-up. Those moments before roll out, when musical mayhem from floats testing PAs bleeds over the bleats of marching bands strutting their stuff on the side streets – with quick over the shoulder glances to see if rival high schools are paying heed to their mighty, mighty jams. It's Mardi Gras 2010, y'all! Read More | Comment »

As one of the infamous NEA 4, Tim Miller entered the queer (and non-queer) consciousness of the United States. Known for monologue-ish performance art pieces, Miller is always fresh, engaging, and politically savvy. Read More | Comment »

This Saturday is Project Transitions' Holiday Swing! Want to score a set of tickets? Send an email to gayplace@austinchronicle.com. We'll let you know the winner after 4pm. Read More | Comment »

Join with Join the Impact - Austin, the folks who represented our fair city at last month's National Equality March, to respond to Maine's vote to reject gay marriage tomorrow on the steps of the City Hall. Read More | Comment »

I choose the coast over the sanitarium, and leave you three parting gifts: One: A piece I wrote for this week's issue to honor one year since Hurricane Ike, Read More | Comment »

Since the poise and humor of Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, who was a fantastic host, and the thoughtful but concise remarks of Critics Choice for Best Model, Zion Francis, were the only things about the Austin Fashion Awards production that reflected well on Austin, there is just no splashy recap. We do, however have some friendly suggestions for next year: 1) Advise Matt Swinney of Launch787 that while introducing the show, crying at the podium about support for his own "crazy ideas" is narcissistic at best. So is the announcement that he is going to cry. It's an introduction, not an acceptance speech. Oh, and someone tell him to introduce himself, or have Don Pardo introduce him, so that those who don't know him by sight will know who is actually sobbing with self-love at the mic. 2) If the budget won't allow fashioning an actual award piece, hand out artfully framed certificates instead. Picking up old boots around town and spray painting them gold falls short. Perhaps two similarly-sized honorees could get together and alternate wearing them as a pair. Certain conversation-starters, they could provide well-timed reminders for anyone who MUST have been under a rock and didn't know about the honor. 3) Get some sound people in there that understand that they are mixing for a symphony space, not the Music Hall. There is a bit more involved than cranking it, bro. The selection of local bands was spot on, reflecting the best of our music scene and its variety; the sound made us dread the oncoming musical breaks. Read More | 6 Comments »

In case you've been hiding in air-conditioned darkness, Fashion Week here is in full swing, leading up to the inaugural Austin Fashion Awards on Sunday night at the Long Center. So get up, get out, and stop by the Marnie Cooper sample sale at Girl Next Door (250 W. Second, 322-0501). Read More | Comment »

It's coming. It's so close I can nearly smell it.

Or is that my upper lip?

So, as many of you may/may not know, I am in an Indigo Girls cover band, The Shame on Yous. We've already made one short film.

This past March, we filmed for our sequel. We're shooting for a June 8th release of our first episode, but for now, check out the news section of the site, and click on the new original song we put together. It's just a taste of what's to come.

And it's about my stepfather, Wayne.

This one's for all the single ladies. Read More | Comment »