This is a weekly blog listing fun and interesting things to do during the week in Austin.  Please, as always, feel free to comment and leave your ideas and suggestions! ***Denotes places that usually draw a lesbian crowd!

MONDAY, Dec. 28th:

Trivia:
Fado’s Trivia Night
WHEN – 7:30 pm
WHERE – Fado’s Irish Pub on 4th Street

Music:
Bob Schneider 
WHEN – 9:30 pm
WHERE – Antone’s

TUESDAY, Dec. 29th:

Socializing & Networking:
***HRC – Tuesdays Together***
Tuesdays Together happens every month and allows members of the LGBT community to gather to catch up on HRC events (both local and national) while networking and having a good time.  You can also find out about volunteer opportunities and buy your tickets to the 2010 HRC Gala!  Happy hour specials and light appetizers are provided.
WHEN – 6 – 8 pm
WHERE – Hyatt Regency Hotel

Trivia:
***Mother Egan’s – Austin Gay & Lesbian Couples Meetup***
The Gay & Lesbian Couples Meetup group will have a team this week!  Join this awesome Meetup group:  http://www.meetup.com/austin-gay-lesbian-couples/
WHEN – 7:15 pm
WHERE – Mother Egan’s Irish Pub on West 6th Street

Opal Divine’s
WHEN – 8 pm
WHERE – Opal Divine’s South Congress

Sports & Rec:
***Capital City Front Runners’ Run***
Every Tues/Thurs. at 5:30 pm – Jog the Lady Bird Lake trail with the CCFR crew!  Dinner and networking always follows after…this time it’s Central Market on S. Lamar (6:45 pm)!
WHEN – 5:30 pm
WHERE – Underneath Mopac bridge on Lady Bird Lake Trail, by the water coolers 

UT Men’s Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb
WHEN - 5 pm
WHERE –  Frank Erwin Center

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30th:

Music:
Spazmatics – Best 80s cover band ever!
WHEN – 6pm
WHERE – Cedar Street

THURSDAY, Dec. 31st:

New Years Eve Parties/Gatherings:

***Foodies: End of a Lesbian Decade New Year’s Eve Party***
Stay all night or swing by this central location and come back later for the fireworks DJ on the front porch and Grrl games in da house. $10.00 cover
WHEN – 8 pm
WHERE – House Wine

***God-Des and She New Year’s Eve Party in San Antonio***
Ring in new year with balloon drop, champagne, and musical performers featured on the L Word– God-des and She (part of their CD Release Tour). $10.00 cover. 18 and up.
WHEN – 11 pm
WHERE – Bar 11 in San Antonio (126 W. Rector St)

***Lazy J Paradise Campground New Year’s Eve Party***
Live Music Featuring Julie Nolen
WHEN -  8 pm
WHERE – Lazy J Paradise LGBT Campground in Lockhart

The Action Pack’s New Year’s Eve Sing-Along!
Join the Action Pack as the countdown through the best pop videos of the ’00s from 10pm to 11:50pm. Then they’ll be transferring over to an official atomic clock countdown to midnight in the central time zone so we can be GUARANTEED to have the single most official final ten seconds of 2009 in all of Austin, followed by an explosive welcoming of 2010 with another hour of celebrating the most recent hits of 2009. Then we’ll head out to Sixth Street en masse and show 2010 what’s what.
WHEN – 10 pm
WHERE -  Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Ritz

Sports & Rec:
***Capital City Front Runners’ Run***
Every Tues/Thurs. at 5:30 pm – Jog the Lady Bird Lake trail with the CCFR crew!  Dinner and networking always follows after…no dinner afterward because it’s New Year’s Eve!
WHEN – 5:30 pm
WHERE – Underneath Mopac bridge on Lady Bird Lake Trail, by the water coolers

FRIDAY, Jan. 1st:

Movies:
Midnight Movie Double Feature
Movie picks are a surprise…show up to find out. $2 beer specials. Movies are free!
WHEN: 9pm and Midnight
WHERE: Spider House Coffee on campus

SATURDAY, Jan. 2nd:

Socializing:
***Lesbian Coffee House Meetup: Happy New Year Coffee***
Let’s welcome the 1st Saturday of 2010 with morning coffee and share thoughts on what you’d like to see happen in this New Year.  The Austin Lesbian Coffee House Meetup is a lesbian social group on Meetup.com.  In order to participate in their events, you will need to become a part of the group by signing up here: http://www.meetup.com/AustinLesbianCoffeeHouse.
WHEN – 10 am
WHERE – Apothecary Cafe & Wine Bar, 4800 Burnet Rd. Suite 450
Austin, TX 78756 — PETS WELCOME!

Sports & Rec:
***Capital City Front Runners’ Run***
Every Saturday at 10 am – Jog the Lady Bird Lake trail with the CCFR crew!  Lunch and networking always follows after.. this time it’s Whole Foods!
WHEN – 10 am
WHERE – Underneath Mopac bridge on Lady Bird Lake Trail, by the water coolers.

UT Women’s Basketball vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
WHEN – 11 am
WHERE – Frank Erwin Center

UT Men’s Basketball vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi
WHEN – 3:30 pm
WHERE – Frank Erwin Center

SUNDAY, Jan. 3rd:

Movies:
***aGLIFF’s Brunchtime Boo-yah***
Presenting “Auntie Mame!” Hosted by Rebecca Havemeyer. There was once a’ time in this country when it was alright to be a ragin’ alcoholic, cigarette smokin’, bed hoppin’, soiree throwin’, scene stealin’, money blowin’, hairpiece wearin’, super happy trend settin’ socialite. 
WHEN: 1pm
WHERE: Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Ritz

Clear your schedules tonight ladies!  The very lovely, very talented Robin Smith is headlining tonight at Antone’s downtown!  If you haven’t gotten the chance to check Robin out yet, fear not — you no longer have to miss out on seeing the girl that everyone is talkin’ about!  Doors open at 8 pm, and opening acts include Tavana and Kalu James — both amazing artists as well!

And because we KNOW you want to know more about Robin…we’ve included an intriguing short biography that will allow you to get a glimpse into the life of this rising star… 

“Singer/Songwriter Robin Smith’s lyrics not only paint an intimate portrait of her own life, but also of the lives she sees around her. Her keen ability to explain some of life’s stickiest situations, of love lost and love found in her lyrics is poetic yet playful. The combinations of her powerful strumming, soulful voice and metaphorical words create a sound that can stop the most important of conversations in mid-sentence.

Growing up in the midwest, Robin got inspired to do music mostly by listening to artists such as Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Ani Difranco and Patty Griffin. At the age of 18, she got her first guitar and began teaching herself how to play. Robin has played many local venues in her home town of East Grand Forks, MN and surrounding areas but will never forget her first performance at Urban Stampede; a local coffee house and music venue of that area. ” I was so nervous, and forgot the lyrics to a few of my own songs but it was my first real taste of performing and even though it was mainly in front of family, friends and a few locals it brought a sense of strength and determination to my life which has never left. There is nothing more satisfying then reaching for a dream and despite all struggles finding a daily sense of hope and purpose, that was my first experience with those particular emotions.”

In 2005, Robin felt a pull South and transplanted herself to the “Live Music Capital of the World”, Austin, Texas. She quickly was embraced by the Austin music scene and became a familiar face in the establishments around town. ” I had never been to Austin before I decided on moving there but did have many people suggest it. Something about Austin just felt right and when I entered the city for the first time I felt like I was at home there. I just knew it was all going to alright and that I would have great experiences. Musicians here pull you in and you become a family of sorts, inspiring each other andpushing each other. It’s been unbelievable living here!”

Robin’s music career is moving at a fast pace in all the right directions. She can be found playing weekly at many different local Austin venues including Antone’s, The Parish, Momos and festivals in surrounding areas. Her 1st album is do to be released in 2010. Stay tuned…”

If you’ve been to Donna Jam, you’ve seen the potential of creator Melissa Martin. She’s the mastermind behind the promotions company bmused and has a vision. Girl, does she ever. Along with co-creator Jessica Wimpy (famed bartender of First Tuesday @ Rain), Melissa is in the midst of a lesb-olution in Austin. Introducing Goldstar, a brand spankin’ new lesbian-oriented events and promotions company.

The Goldstar mission? To create opportunities to reconnect the different sections of our community—to expand Austin lesbians outside of their normal bubbles.  That is a mighty mission indeed.

Her inspiration? Melissa spent some time in L.A. recently, only to marvel at the lesbian scene, which—not shockingly—can put ours to shame (on the right night, of course). A little investigating uncovered the difference between our fair city and their flashy one. Same general lez population per capita (we might even have an edge), but L.A. wins with organized fun. Austin has only one lesbian-centric promotion company, the beloved Mismanaged Productions, mommas of the infamous SIN Party. Who doesn’t love SIN? But a girl can only wait so long between the fun…

Founder - Melissa Martin

The idea? What about a little more fun, a little more often? Melissa partnered with Jessica to create another local party planning fun crew to rev up the scene in A-town. So what’s in it for us you ask? First off, let’s make just about any bar a lesbian bar. Similar to the old “guerilla gay bar” night, Goldstar promises to turn dive bars into dyke bars, just for you! Second, Goldstar plans to rally for benefits that support local LGBT owned venues. Love those places! And finally, Goldstar is on a mission to create the mecca of lesbian bars we all wish for. Something sexy and hip that attracts every demographic but specifically caters to the under 40 crowd. A dream to come true soon enough. I personally am itching for it to happen NOW!

But in the meantime, Goldstar won’t make you wait. Check out  Beau Tyler, solo acoustic artist, Wed 11/24 at One2One Bar from 8-10pm ($2 wells and domestics, gals!). Also, don’t miss Rescue Signals on Sunday 11/29 at One2One Bar at 9pm. Did I mention $2 wells and domestics already? Oh yes!

Also, stay tuned for Robin Smith at Antone’s on 12/2. If you haven’t checked out this hot little number, it’s time to stop watching Dancing with the Stars and get out more!

Make friends with Goldstar on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000437251527&ref=ts. You’ll be glad you did.