I haven't been to much theater in Austin (except the big productions) because I never know which…read moreones to go to. And i loathe sitting in shows that are bad because I've paid $15 a ticket and feel compelled to wait and see whether it will improve. Luckily, the show I saw here was funny and well done. Part of the Frontera Fest (long fringe) and the whole process was quite efficient. You're on the guest list? Great. Here's a program and a seat. In fact they were nice enough to provide me with a chair so I didnt have to traipse about the chairs on the risers. They've got sodas for sale but it may be BYO (check first) and they've got plenty of bathrooms. All good things to know when you're headed to a performance. If you get the chance to see a show here, do. Its a small theater so there are no bad seats and if you make sure you're not seeing bad theater, well then you're most likely in for a treat.

A fucking puppet show? Are you kidding me?…read more That's what I went to see at Salvage Vanguard Theater, and I liked it so much I went back for another show. I'll be back again. Now, I've only seen their puppet shows, I have no idea if they do other things. The puppet shows are different from anything you've seen: excessively dark, and no strings attached. The puppeteers wear dark beekeeper like suits and hold the brightly painted puppets up and manipulate them from behind. You can see everything that's going on, but within a minute or two, you forget the puppeteers are there and the characters take a life of their own. And what characters! It's obviously all-original and all home made, but they do such a good job of creating compelling characters and stories for them to tell that you'll wonder why they aren't more successful. My girlfriend and I still endlessly quote the shows we've seen and we keep trying to describe the characters and stories in a way that makes sense. It seems we utterly fail at that, and it's why I'm going to keep my review short. This place doesn't make sense. The show doesn't make sense out of context. It doesn't look like much from the outside ... or the inside. But trust me. I give it five stars for a reason, and this isn't even ordinarily my scene. I've tried to convince all my friends to go with varying levels of success, but no one has been disappointed and they all want to come back for more. If you've found it, go experience it.

This has to be one of the most unique and interesting ways to celebrate a milestone of any sort…read more From birthday celebrations to drag bingo, Extragrams has you covered. I've seen Extragrams do a surprise drop-by with a drag queen doing a drag telegram (virtually at that during a video call) and it was the most grandest thing to see. As a few months went by, I recently had the chance to see them in action hosting a live drag bingo night I attended and the comedy from the drag artist, Celia Light, was superb and A-star quality. I found myself laughing so hard because they were so dumb and knew how to get the crowd going. They are perfect for creating some priceless memories and I'll be booking them myself soon enough.

I LOVE Extragrams! They 100% know how to surprise and make you smile - and dance!…read more My first experience with Extragrams was when my bestie surprised me after I was simply having a bad week and not feelin' myself. She lifted my spirits with Extragrams, who showed up at my gate as I was leading a video team call. It was epic... I brought along my laptop so my team could witness the surprise at my door. I had SUCH a memorable moment that I booked Extragrams for a friend's birthday party since I couldn't be there in person. My friend to this day says that was the best gift he'd ever received! And to my surprise, he'd never seen a drag performance prior to Extragrams poppin' his cherry! If you want an epic gift for a friend or entertainment for a party, funciton, gathering... go with Extragrams. Important to note: Extragrams now services Houston, which is what these two experiences and review are based on.

The Austin Symphony Orchestra is the oldest performing group in Austin, Texas, USA. It was founded…read morein 1911. The mission of the Austin Symphony Orchestra is to bring live symphonic music to the people of the Austin area through community orchestra concerts, to provide enjoyment and enhanced musical appreciation and knowledge, to provide an avenue of artistic growth for regional performers, and to encourage continual musical study for area musicians. The symphony hosts entertainers who specialize in jazz, swing, and other brass supported musical disciplines. Thing Two and I have been here on multiple occasions to support the orchestra. Each performance is unique and timeless. Patrons who attend the symphony are allowed to bring in their own food/picnic baskets to enjoy while in attendance. The alcoholic drinks served here are at premium costs, but that is to be expected at venues such as this one. Thing two and I have also had the pleasure to meet Peter Bay (Music Director and Conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra since 1998) on several occasions. I appreciate the time he has taken with Thing Two and others who have stopped him after shows to educate them and get them more involved in music. If you are looking for a fun night out with family or for looking for date ideas, Austin Symphony Orchestra should definitely be a consideration.

Best bet is to get season tickets. I've found more and more the shows that focus less on the…read more"greatest hits" and more on the "off the beaten path" selections.

This is the best, most Authentic hula group this side of Hawaii. It's definitely Ohana here …read more.. Keito is very accommodating and can do any scenario from a couple dancers for a kids birthday party to a full blown Hawaiian luau with a full Hawaiian band, your old standard Don Ho type singer, traditional hula dancers, modern Hollywood style hula dancers and Tahitian drum sets and Tahitian hula dancers and fire dancers. They will even do catering for authentic luau food and activities like lei making stations for the kids and vendor tents with authentic island merchandise. So if you are looking for entertainment for a small gathering or a huge corporate event, you found the right place... y'all are awesome! Aloha and Mahalo

Keito, the "teacher", sits in the back of the room while his mom sits in front showing hand motions…read moreand trying to explain. He rarely demonstrates the footwork and everything combined together. He hangs out back there not fully engaged in what's going on. The dancers yell at him to show the moves but he just uses his voice and occasional arm movements. He's told other dancers to show me instead of doing it himself. Keito and his mom argue about what moves should come next. It's all very disorganized and frustrating. Dancers looking to each other a lot of the time. When bringing this to him he said I'm not a fast learner (even though him and his mom said I was) and he became very defensive. This is not the Hālau for you if you'd like the "teacher" to lead the class by demonstration as well. Getting this kind of help is like pulling teeth. Keito showed his true colors when I told him I wasn't returning. Very sad.

These guys bring in some world class guitarists. I highly recommend that you go to a show if you…read morecan catch one. Tickets are cheap, especially if you use the student or senior discount. I went to a performance of Yamandu Coste. A true virtuoso. He did not follow the program and just kind of felt the mood of the room and chose the pieces to play. The crowd was so pleased that Yamandu played 2 encores. Before the show there was an amateur performance by the society. It was not as strong as Yamandu Coste and I did not enjoy it tremendously. But I still think it was valuable in getting everyday people to participate in the love for this amazing instrument. # For the Music Lover

Ladies: I admire your strength, courage... and tassels!!!…read more Saw BWB at Speakeasy last night and loved them! The teasing, the tantalizing, the pasties and hoTT lingerie. Fabulous job, fun time and look forward to the Spanksgiving show at Club Encore November 19th!

BWB ladies are divine. I'm most impressed with Miss Delia Dread's feather fan dance. To me, it's…read morethe most classic and beautiful form of burleque! Thanks for showing the Yelpers a good time at Yelp's Putting on the Ritz party at Speakeasy!

I saw them in Fredricksburg, TX last weekend and they were the best. The music was diverse, and the…read morecrowd loved them. I danced all night and had a great time, I'd see them again if I had the opportunity.

We stumbled into our normal north Austin restaurant for happy hour yesterday around 6pm.  Caboose…read morewas going to be performing at 8:15, and they were doing a sound check.  The drummer was pounding the drum over and over again.  The bass guitar was also playing notes for the sake of noise and the keyboard would randomly check in.  Most people go to Happy Hour to chat with friends after a long week.  With this "sound check" going on and on it was simply impossible to speak.   We've been here many, many times, and all the Friday evening bands have to check levels, but it's never gone on like this. We spoke to our waitress who said it had been going on since 2:30 and the wait staff appeared to be annoyed.  She spoke to someone who said he could turn off the sound and we'd just hear vocals.  Which was true, for about 5 mins.  Then they sang a number to check their levels (it's now about 7pm).  They finally sat down for a break before they're officially started.  We were able to could continue with conversation asking to for our tickets around 8pm. We heard the first song, which was obviously well rehearsed, however you couldn't hear the vocalist over the bass guitar.  It seems if they are going to interrupt a happy hour for several hours to check levels, the levels should be spot on when it begins.   Again, I stress, this band has a perfectly wonderful sound.  Obviously well rehearsed and work together.  However, they're never ending sound check needs to be taken into consideration to business owners realizing that patrons will have to experience a cacophonous happy hour while the band sets levels which seems to lead to a bass guitar solo while the gifted vocalist's lyrics can't be heard.     I don't think the blame falls Completely on the group though (hence three stars instead of 1), the restaurant manager should have been more proactive in getting them under control.

Nick: this is my third first this week…read more With that out of the way, let me say that Mariachi Cocula freaking rules! We hired them for my son's second birthday, as he's big into music these days and we've been big into music our whole lives. They knew every request (obviously...like a bunch of gringos could stump an authentic Mariachi band), they sounded great, they played an extra 10 minutes. My son, who is simultaneously blonde and Mexican, enjoyed himself immensely. We got major props from the guests and everyone asked for their business card afterwards. Best Mariachi in town. They also play at Jalisco's if you want to hear them before you hire them.

My wife hired them for my birthday party as a surprise for me. They were on time and very…read moreprofessional. They played a great set of tunes, and even some from my wife's home country (not Mexico). They are excellent musicians, especially the guy who sang "Malagueña" - what a voice! Everyone at the party loved their performance, and I would not hesitate to hire them again. Call well in advance, though, since they book quickly, and for good reason.