

Cover Story
Alex Ring Isn’t Austin FC’s Captain Anymore, and That’s Just Fine With Him
The steely Finn is staying in the now
Alex Garland’s Civil War Will World Premiere at SXSW
Eagerly awaited thriller stars Kirsten Dunst, Nick Offerman
SXSW Announces Free Public Events Featuring Bootsy Collins, Bob Schneider
Lady Bird Lake programming and other free showcases run March 14-16
Bill Would Connect ERCOT to U.S. Electric Grids
Environmental and labor groups support cost-saving bill
Jaded Celebrates Asian Talent With FRIENDS: FOREVER SXSW Showcase
Featuring SE SO NEON, Alice Longyu Gao, mui zyu
Mayor Urges Closure of Fayette Coal Plant by 2029
Austin Energy under pressure to finalize its plan for net zero
Last One Down the Mountain: Belated Thoughts on the Sundance Film Festival
Even virtually, the 2024 fest felt revitalized
Rolling Stone Nabs Peso Pluma, Flo Milli, Faye Webster for SXSW Showcase
Future of Music takes over ACL Live March 12-15
Weekend Wine
Marqués de Cáceres Rosé perfect for picnic weather
Reservation Dogs Star Devery Jacobs to be Honored at ATX TV Festival
Horror powerhouse duo Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel also at fest
Cirque du Soleil Performer Guillaume Blais Crystalizes His Art
Queer trapezist talks the high-flying life ahead of H-E-B Center show
Point Austin: The Never-Ending Story
Millions of guns, and countless murders
Back in Austin, the Ameripolitan Awards Define a Musical Spirit
Show’s 10th anniversary return uplifts largely outsider roots sounds
Ben Kweller to Launch the Zev Award at the Chronicle’s Austin Music Awards
New grant for musicians under 18 honors his son, Dorian Zev Kweller
First Look: The Guest House
Sceney Northshore spot off to a promising (if chaotic) start
City and County Approve One Year Extension for Central Booking Agreement
Virtual hearings could cost county later
Quick Guide to Chronicle Endorsements for 2024 Primary Election
Going to the polls? This handy list of our recommendations might help.
Visible Secret
Visible Secret 2001, NR, 105 min. Directed by Ann Hui, Starring Eason Chan, Qi Shu, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang. Comedic ghost story from Hong Kong New Wave filmmaker Ann Hui (Boat People, Song of the Exile).
Red Island
Red Island 2023, NR, 107 min. Directed by Robin Campillo, Starring Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Quim Gutiérrez, Charlie Vauselle. Coming-of-age story from the director of BPM is set in Madagascar under French colonialism in the 1970s.
D.A. Challenger Funded Primarily by Right Wing Donors, Wealthy West Austinites
Jeremy Sylestine leads José Garza in January fundraising
Blues on the Green Back On, Thanks to City Council and H-E-B
New resolution outlines city co-sponsorship of free event
Perfect Days
A toilet cleaner in Tokyo quietly goes about his days in this stirring Oscar nominated picture
Bob Marley: One Love
Jamaican reggae pioneer gets the biopic treatment
Madame Web
The Spidey-adjacent Madame Web isn’t just bad, it’s boring
Land of Bad
Russell Crowe stars as a veteran drone pilot attempting to rescue a special ops team stranded in the jungle
Molli and Max in the Future
When Harry Met Sally meets the far future in this talky sci-fi rom-com
God & Country
Documentary explores the scary rise of Christian nationalism in America
Ooru Peru Bhairavakona
Telugu language supernatural thriller
2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation
Short film program celebrates the year’s five nominees for Best Animated Short, plus two more commended shorts
2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live-Action
Five films from around the globe make this year’s Live-Action Short nomination list
2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary
Program screens the five international films up for Best Documentary Short
Crypta, Cherubs, and More Crucial Concerts for the Week
Must-see shows for the weekend and beyond
Free Will Astrology
Your weekly horoscope, February 16-22
Review: City Theatre Tackles a Nineties Relic
Good performances can’t save The Twilight of the Golds from its datedness
Review: Juan Luís Jardí’s “Tiempo Sostenido” Clocks in With Eerie Power
The Barcelona-based artist is doing time at Wally Workman Gallery
March 2024 Primary Election Endorsements for Travis County Residents
Our choices for local, state, and national races
Graham Reynolds Bugs Out With Insectum
New Golden Hornet collab project mines the sonic world of insects
Election Info for Travis County Voters
Early Voting: Feb. 20 – March 1; Election Day: Tuesday, March 5
The Austin Chronic: How Worried Should Cannabis Users Be Over Paxton Suing Austin?
A Q&A with Congressman Greg Casar
Day Trips: Bluebird Fish Camp, Orange
Good food down on the bayou on the way to Louisiana
Rodolfo Borrell’s Austin FC Renovation Puts Josh Wolff in a Tricky Spot
The rebuild is going slowly
The Luv Doc: She’s Not My Friend
Never be the designated driver
Sizing Up Austin FC’s 2024 Roster
Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the season 4 squad
Opinion: Cap Metro Must Safeguard No-Cost Transit for Unhoused Austinites
Adding security guards to transit centers and bus routes will increase stigmatization of the poor
APD Top Brass Contacted Former D.A. Staffer for “Anonymous Stories” on José Garza’s Office
D.A. says APD “condone” apparent search for dirt on him
Qmmunity: You Are What You Watch
What’s good and gay on TV these days?
After a Million Texas Kids Were Kicked Off Medicaid, Thousands More Are Still in Limbo
Application backlog grew from December to January
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
The term “atmospheric river” was first coined in 1994. In the 30th year of their reign and every three years thereafter, pharaohs would have to run a footrace in their palaces’ courtyard to prove their worth. If you’re broke in the U.S. you’re broke. But if you’re broke in the UK, you’re skint, a slang…
Austin ISD Has Cleared Its Evaluation Backlog for Special Ed Students
The district is fixing its special education department
Review: Ramsay Midwood, Manchaca Eyeball (Live From Sam’s Town Point)
Seventy years from now, an archival label will surely re-release Ramsay Midwood’s lost live nugget from Austin in 2024. The non-AI-generated review will read something like this: Certain rare albums just seem to capture a place and time, and nothing echoes Austin in the mid-Twenties like Ramsay Midwood’s Manchaca Eyeball. Surely this isn’t the Austin…
Debate Heats Up Over How to Wean Austin Off Fossil Fuels
Electric Utility Commission and Austin Energy at odds
Review: Middle Sattre, Tendencies
A queer coming-of-age epic reeling from religious trauma, the debut record from experimental eightpiece collective Middle Sattre drowns in melancholia. Across a 14-hymn narrative, lead vocalist Hunter Prueger grapples with internalized homophobia and self-loathing, playing tug-of-war between tracks. Realization echoes through the ambient walls of opener “I Once Felt Safe,” with serene chimes drifting alongside…
Austin Flight Attendants Picket to Be Paid for Work Hours on the Ground
Amid longer delays, they are asking for better conditions as well
Review: Other Vessels, Empty Afternoon
Skirting around squeaky-clean love stories and romantic cliches, Other Vessels’ Valentine’s Day EP pays tribute to the messier (and more beautiful) truths of true intimacy. Titular offering “Empty Afternoon” bursts from soothing, acoustic folk into full-blown rock balladry, buoyed by the sometimes sweet, sometimes snarling vocals of Miranda Haney. Caro Somes’ moody guitarwork catches fire…
Headlines / Quote of the Week
Our Bout With Drought: In good news, our historically severe drought conditions seem to be improving. In December, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declared a Stage 4 Exceptional Drought for the first time in its 36-year history. But this week, levels in the Lovelady monitor well ticked us down to a Stage 3 drought.…
Review: EddieAngel, LOVE BOMB
Though a fresh UT-Austin graduate, EddieAngel bears the weight of decades on debut EP LOVE BOMB – at least vocally. The jazz-driven R&B vehicle steers the Austin singer-songwriter’s powerhouse chords through spry lyrics, shooting syllables like daggers and falling headfirst into riffs. He squeaks out “electricity” with the posture of Prince on “U & I,”…
Lunar New Year Parties, OUTsider Fest, and More Recommended Community Events
Get out the vote and more this week
Review: Transit Method, Othervoid
Like everyone else, Transit Method spent most of the pandemic in hibernation to emerge stronger and more focused. With the LoCoco brothers (singer/guitarist Matt and drummer Mike) now joined by bassist Charlie Anderson (Panopticon) and guitarist Bryan Rolli (various publications, including the Chron), the prog-rocking metalheads streamline their sound on third LP Othervoid. Shouted vocal…
A Boner Bizarre, Improvised Love Stories, and More Arts Events
Get some culture and love this week






