OUTsider Begins

It's the creative queer conundrum: to live in a town of festival glut, to attend every last music-film-etc. orgy in the hopes of discovering some scintilla of sass, a figment of fabulous, one tiny thing that might speak to the $3 soul. Well, fagatron, this is your week. Welcome home. Welcome to OUTsider.

This first-ever OUTsider boasts collaborative roots, a gang of artists on a mission to showcase queer artists and their work from all disciplines – film, theater, performance art, music, visual art – from across the globe. OUTsider aspires to reconcile varying approaches to art by flipping the whole festy-concept on its head, hosting conference-style sessions in informal settings, in which academic panels and participants and audience members alike might discuss art in relation to queer culture.

That, and there's a whole lotta shebangery.

The festival kicks off tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a VIP Pre-Opening Night party tonight and runs through Feb. 22. For more information and to purchase tickets go to outsiderfest.org.

For your convenience:

FULL SCHEDULE W/ LINKS

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18

• VIP Pre-Opening Night Party (VIP badge holders only) 5:30-6:30pm. Mi Madre’s, 2201 Manor Rd.

• Narcissister: Opening Night Showcase 7:30-10pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd. 512/474-7886.

• The Gay Wax Museum: Opening Night Reception Queer life depicted in life-size dioramas by over a dozen artists and curated by Silky Shoemaker. 8:15-10pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd. 512/474-7886.

THURSDAY, FEB. 19

• Conference on the Couch – Queer Music Subculture: Queercore & Beyond 11am-12:30pm. Private residence, see OUTsiderFest.org. Badge required.

• Rise Above: The Tribe Documentary Directed by Tracy Flannigan. 4pm. The Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• VIP Afternoon @ School House Pub (VIP badge holders only) 2:30-3:30pm. School House Pub, 2207 Manor Rd. 512/469-7630.

• Thursday, Clouds A concert of two song cycles featuring Russell Reed and Phillip Hill. 6pm-7pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Queerstories: Lezbian Popcorn Cart 6:30-9pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Thursday Night Party @ The Vortex 6:30-7:30pm. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. Badge required.

• In the Turn Directed by Erica Tremblay. 7-9pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• On Fearless Love: Prumsodun Ok and The Art of Khmer Classical Dance 8:45-10:15pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20

• Conference on the Couch: Your Nostalgia is Killing Thrilling Me Queer Art and HIV/AIDS. 10am-12pm. Private residence, see OUTsiderFest.org. Badge required.

• Gay Ballet Andee Scott comes back to Austin. 10am-12pm. Windmill Bicycles, 2209 Manor Rd. 512/215-2395.

• Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty by Nomy Lamm/Patty Berne. Screens with two shorts. 5-5:45pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Aux Aux: Interdimensional Hypothesis Ep. 2 Henna Chou, Brit Wallis / Voyage of The Mimis Errin Delperdang, Dany Casey 6-7pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Queer Rebels: Ancient Future Array of short films, plus live performance by MOON RAY RA. 7-8:15pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Outsider Legacy Award: Tribe 8 Tribute 8:30-10pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• I Feel like Disco 9-11pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• After Party: Tribe 8 Tribute Tribe 8 Tributers, Gretchen Phillips, Christeene, Cindy Haws, Poo Poo Platter, BLXPLTN. 10pm-2am. Dozen Street, 1808 E. 12th. 512/236-1770. $10.

SATURDAY, FEB. 21

• Conference on the Couch: Gender & Performance 11am-12pm. Private residence, see OUTsiderFest.org. Badge required.

• Art Bizarre Visual art and experimental films. 1-4pm. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd.

• Hairapy! Queer art therapy session with Jenna Herrington to tap into your inner creative. 1-4pm. Windmill Bicycles, 2209 Manor Rd.

• The Mahogany Project 2-3pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Close Encounters: Fantasizing Queer History Panel of artists from Friendship & Freedom and the Gay Wax Museum. 2pm. Mass Gallery, 507 Calles. 512/535-4946.

• Jarman (all this maddening beauty) performance/tribute. 3:30-5pm. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Porch Jams by Diana Lynn Small 4pm-5pm. In.gredients Lounge, 2610 Manor Rd. 512/275-6357.

• Different Strokes! Queer Crafting with Marcus Sanchez 5-7pm. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. 512/478-5282.

• Drunktown’s Finest screening 5:30-7pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Songs by Ryan Fan 7-8pm. In.gredients Lounge, 2610 Manor Rd.

• The Deer in Between/Rose Savage Rose Wolf 7:30-8:30pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Until Now – Zackary Drucker Retrospective 8:45-10pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Amiable Nitrate, Cindy! 10:30-12am. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

SUNDAY, FEB. 22

• Gay Ballet Andee Scott 10am-12pm. Windmill Bicycles, 2209 Manor Rd. 512/215-2395.

• Queer Youth Showcase 11am-1pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Sex & Storytelling BedPost Confessions panel. 1pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Songs by Ryan Fan 2-3pm. In.gredients Lounge, 2610 Manor Rd.

• Three Performances Diana Ross’ 12-Inch Cock, Welcome … to the Waldorf HYSteria, and All Kinds of Hell. 3pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Angmo & Amoi, I Put the Cock… with Daniel Rugg Webb. 5pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Overheard 18 characters, one writer/performer. 6:30pm. Salvage Vanguard, 2803 Manor Rd.

• Pythia Dust 8pm. Vortex Theater, 2307 Manor Rd. 512/478-5282.

• Closing Night Party Gretchen’s Disco Plague, Queertini Time, Krudas Cubensi, Total Unicorn. 8pm-11pm. Cheer Up Charlies, 900 Red River. 512/431-2133.

• Rapid Ascent Download this virtual tour of Austin, led by local diva Arcie Cola. Info at registration.

• VIP Last Day Spirits @ The Vortex (VIP badge holders only) 2:30pm-3:30am. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. 512/478-5282.