Those Dos XX commercials have it all wrong, Henry Rollins is actually the most interesting man in the world... or at the very least he can tell a hell of a story. Hearing him recount the stories of his youth, his days in Black Flag, his travels, a chance encounter with "Diamond" David Lee Roth and even the simple daily interactions he has with every day people make me think that I haven't done a damned thing in my life. Listening to the stream-of-consciousness flowing from his mouth I couldn't help but think "when the hell does he breath?" I always felt like Rollins was an angry meat-head with the agenda to push his opinion on anyone that he could, but that thought was quickly lost the moment I saw him timidly approach the microphone in a simple gray t-shirt and a much smaller stature that I would have thought. Sure he had his moments of screaming and fist clenching but the majority of the night was conveyed in a very honest and almost meek manner. It was charming. The more that I listened the more that I realized that he has a perspective that I wish more people had. He understands that that people are great and that most people will be your friend if you allow it. "The many are great... the few are terrifying" he said when speaking to a man in Pakistan about his beloved United States and trying to learn more about life as a Pakistani. What I understand now about Rollins is that he understands that the world isn't black or white. There is plenty of wonderful stuff in the world even if you've been told otherwise. Thanks for the perspective Henry. I hope you got to check him out. Congrats to those that won our ticket giveaway for the show. Keep checking our contest page for your chance to win tickets to future shows.

A little video we made from ACL, in case you missed it.

Yes it's that time of year again, Austin City Limits Music Fest is upon us yet again. We here are the Chronicle are doing all we can to keep you informed about all of the goings on and good-stuff-happenings throughout the fest. Be sure to check out our ACL Music Fest Preview issue on stands now and at the festival grounds for the lowdown on all that is happening. Or if you are feeling in more of a digital mood, check out www.austinchronicle.com/acl to keep up with all things ACL including our newest audio podcast which you can listen to at the top of that page. Also, be sure to follow our feed on Twitter to find out where we are at any given moment. Here is a little video that I made at the ACL box office.
More to come!
See you out there!

Two things that you need to do before this weekend!
1. RSVP so that you can enjoy some nice tasty Drambuie at the Drambuie Den.
2. MAKE SOMETHING!... or at least propose to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Monday and Tuesday (Sept 15 & 16) Drambuie will be hosting their Drambuie Den over at Pangaea night club (409 Colorado) from 6-9pm. They'll have complimentary hors d'oeuvres, entertainment and cocktails featuring Drambuie elixir. All you have to do is RSVP HERE! 2. The Maker Faire is returning to Austin on October 18 & 19 and they are still looking for Austin's best Makers. If you have a project, or skill, or idea go to makerfaire.com right now and sign-up! The submission deadline has been extended to this Sunday, Sept 14 so don't delay!
For some video and photos of last year's Maker Faire Austin click HERE.

With the election year coming up we are giving you three different chances to practice your voting skills, all of which are easily more fun than the silly ol' election in November. 1. Film Fight - Round 2 - Shakesspeare:
Go to www.austinchronicle.com/filmfight by Sunday (Aug 24) to vote for each day's debate. Two of our best filmsters battle it out over a singular film topic, this week it is Shakesspeare in Film. Remember, there are 5 days worth of voting so be sure to vote for who won each day. After you've done that come out to the Film Fight Happy Hour we are putting on next Thursday (Aug 28) at 7:30pm at Spider House. We'll have a few drinks, talk about the films and have special clips screening throughout the evening. 2. 18th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival:
This Sunday (Aug 24) from 11am to 5:30pm we'll be putting on the 18th edition of the event that I most look forward to of the year. Time to wake up those taste buds and down a few brews for charity. This is the 18th year we've been putting together this little ditty and we ain't slowing down! Taste the sauces and vote for your favorite to win audience's choice. visit www.austinchronicle.com/hotsauce for details. 3. Best of Austin '08:
It's your chance to voice your opinion about what is the best that Austin has to offer. You can vote on everything from your favorite restaurant to the best local politics blog. There is even a "wild card" area where you can write in your own category. Ballots are in the issues on stands now and online at www.austinchronicle.com/bestof. Voting ends Sept 2 so don't delay!

It's that time of year again, time to wake up those taste buds and down a few brews for charity. This is the 18th year we've been putting together this little ditty and we ain't slowing down! Hot sauce vendors from all around the south are flocking on Waterloo Park to put their reputation on the line to see who has the most kick-ass sauce in all the land. Commercial producers and homemade sauces can enter although because of some updates with the health department if you want to share your sauce with the general public you have to have proof of preparation in a commercial kitchen. The event runs from 11am to 5:30pm and is free with the donation of 3 canned goods to the Capital Area Foodbank. This year we have a fantastic musical line-up including Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Band of Heathens, Jungle Rockers, Fingerpistol and Girl in the Closet. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. We'll see you there!

The Austin Chronicle has teamed up with the good people from Direct Events to give out a pair of front row seats to see Cheech and Chong at the Austin Music Hall on November 15. But here's the deal... we want to see if you are as funny as Cheech and Chong. To win the tickets you will have to make a short video (30 seconds to 5 minutes long) or audio skit in tribute to the comedy duo. Your video or audio skit can be a remake of your favorite Cheech and Chong skit or scene, or you can create a unique sketch in the Cheech and Chong style. Once you have completed your creation upload it to youtube.com and tag it with "Cheech & Chong" and "Chrontourage". Once you do that e-mail the link to [email protected] with "Cheech & Chong video" in the subject line. Do this by August 26 and we will embed the top entries on our ChronTV video site (austinchronicle.com/chrontv). For those less creative types you can purchase your tickets for the Cheech and Chong show at The Austin Music Hall at www.austinmusichall.com. Now get out there and make us laugh! Here is some inspiration to get you started. (warning, may contain vulgar or offensive language)

Boy oh boy, we have some good stuff for you! I just posted a ton of new contests for a variety of things, but especially for live music! Be sure to stop by our contest page to take a gander at what we got. A few key gems:
-Secret Machines 8/2 at Stubb's
-Blind Melon 8/6 at Antone's
-Nellie McKay 8/7 at Stubb's One last thing, tickets to see Jason Mraz at Stubb's on October 24 go on sale Saturday morning (8/2) at 10am. www.austinchronicle.com/contests

A very special congratulations goes out to the winners of the Cocktail World Cup regional competition. It was a hard fought battle of mix-ology, and ultimately we have our winners. Cocktail World Cup Austin Judges Choice:
Bee Sting
by Bill Norris of FINO Austin Chronicle's Fan Favorite:
Twigs and Berries
by Phil Vuong of Six Lounge Congratulations to the winners! Great job by all contestants, be sure to stop by and try their cocktails soon!