TOP picks: Jan 17-23

Wednesday | January 17

Happy Feet: The IMAX Experience

Brrr! It sure has been cold this week. You should go see some digitally remastered penguins in a giant dome. These penguins will only be at the Bob Bullock Museum until the 26th, and then they’ll begin their march to DVD.

7pm, 9pm | $6–$9

512-Go!» Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
1800 N Congress Ave • 936-8746

Thursday | January 18

Asylum Street Spankers

Get your spank on tonight at Ruta Maya with one of Austin’s favorite hometown bands, the Asylum Street Spankers. If you’ve never seen these guys perform, you’re in for a treat. A mix of swing, jazz, country, blues, and just about everything else (with no shortage of brilliant lyrics), the Spankers are a must-see.

8:30pm | $7

512-Go!» Ruta Maya Coffee House
3601 S Congress Ave • 707-9637

Friday | January 19

see. hear. speak. two.

Our good pals at ColdTowne Theater will be putting on the “hear.” portion of their three-day festival tonight, which features a variety of people makin’ funny music (no appearances by Nickleback — sorry). At 8pm, you’ll see— err, hear Phil Aulie’s Ukelele, Jerm Pollet, CockSound, Swingin’ Sammy Gold and the Sultan, Jeremy Lamb, and Southpaw Jones. 10pm brings Coolio Populore, Bill Stern, Jeff Luna, Mr. Happy Ray of Sunshine OBGYN and a Purple Bear with No Birthday, Terp 2 It, and The Brobdingnagian Bards.

8pm, 10pm | $10

512-Go!» ColdTowne Theater
48 1/2 St and Airport Blvd • 524-2807

Saturday | January 20

Draft Sessions at Independence Brewery

Five bucks gets you some Independence beer and some music from Clap! Clap!, Foot Foot, and DJs Orion and Jazz One. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that there will also be tours of the brewhouse (and more complimentary beer).

8:30pm | $5

Independence Brewery
3913 Todd Ln #607 • Austin, TX 78744

Sunday | January 21

Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation

Maybe you’ve already seen the previews: A sweet little old lady drives around plowing down kids, writing letters to Jesus about it while blood splatters everywhere. If this sounds totally awesome, then this is the excessively-violent cartoon festival you’ve been dreaming of. Try to get there early, because the Drafthouse has put together a pre-show of all their favorite clips from last year that they couldn’t air. But if you can’t get there early, make sure to at least be on time — there are some sick and twisted prizes to win before the festival kicks (and kicks and kicks and kicks and kicks) off.

7pm, 9:30pm | $8.75

Alamo Drafthouse
409 Colorado St. • 476-1320

Monday | January 22

Wait and Hope: New Works by Katy O’Connor

Wait and Hope is local artist Katy O’Connor’s exhibit that’s all about moments that are either totally boring or totally important. Sounds pretty broad, sure, but what you get are fascinating works that “illustrate the moments caught in between the action and drama,” according to Volitant.

noon–6pm | Free

512-Go!» Volitant Gallery
320 Congress Ave • Austin, TX 78701

Tuesday | January 23

FronteraFest Short Fringe

Come out this Tuesday to watch grab-bag scripted theater at FronteraFest Short Fringe. This month-long festival allows four or five groups to perform their best 25 minutes of whatever. It could be comedy, it could be drama, or it could be a silent avant garde piece that confuses and angers you at the same time. Our pick for Tuesday’s show is sketch comedy group Hoover’s Blanket. They rocked FF last year at Best of The Week (which you get to vote on), and we expect them to rock again. This Tuesday also features “Having It Out With Frank O’Hara” by Liz Jones, “Parachute,” by Tom Coiner, “Spinning The Bottle,” by Krissi S. Reeves, and “Passion Club,” by Carolyn and Charley Devany.

8pm | $12

FronteraFest
Hyde Park Theater, 511 West 43rd Street • 479-7530