Frankly, the forecast for snow on the first two days of spring has us super cranky, so let’s just get to it. more ›

Tired of Halloween yet? We've been celebrating "Christmas for Adults" since some time last week and admit that the parade of costumes is starting to turn into one long mental blur. But we ain't complaining; oh no! We love it. One tradition we were afraid we were going to miss this year was the annual Local H-led Halloween show at Double Door. When we heard last year was Scott Lucas and company's swan-song, we admit... more ›

Sometimes we fans of a good malt can get so wrapped up in talk about filtering, centrifuges, fermentation, specific gravity and modern brewing techniqes, we forget that some breweries were in existence long before an iron maiden was associated with a rock band. Such was once the case with the Affligem Abbey, in Belgium's predominantly Flemish Brabant province. Records of the abbey's beer production date back to 1574. Today the Benedictine monks of Affligem take a decidedly free-market approach to brewing: they outsource it to the Op-Ale brewery in nearby Opwijk, which itself is owned and marketed by Heineken. Truth be told, we wouldn't be surprised if the monks had a tax shelter in the Cayman Islands. more ›

As Rocktober draws to a close, it does so with a helluva bang. Sure, there are still a few days left to this beast next week, but for all intents and purposes this is the last hurrah before the chill of November settles in, and holiday festivities begin to drain the attendance levels at local shows. Here are a few that we suggest you check out this week. Tomorrow night, the wrath of The Venom... more ›

We -ists are an eclectic bunch, but there's a couple of things we all love: famous people, social causes, and wacky local facts. Join us as we starf**k, get virtuous, and learn across the -ist network! Austinist starts us off right by filling the famous person quota by interviewing Lewis Black, covers the social cause with a non-profit car sharing company, and gives us more wacky local facts than we can handle with Austin by... more ›

If bars were ranked on a four-star scale, Five Star would get three big gold ones. Located at 1427 W. Chicago, Five Star is a relatively new addition to the neighborhood. Opened in May, the spot already draws a trendy, but laid-back crowd. The place is casual enough to wear jeans and Chuck Taylors, but upscale enough to show up in an after-work suit and tie and fit right in. The window-lined front wall provided... more ›