Attention Party-Throwers! During SX week (Mar 12-20), Do512 is offering FREE PROMOTION for Unofficial showcases and parties.  Party-throwers can use the Do512 RSVP feature to give there event tons of exposure and gather hundreds (or thousands) of RSVPs.

Do512 is the single most comprehensive information resource and planning tool for hundreds of official and unofficial SX parties. In the month of March, Do512 will receive over 300,000 visitors, most of them searching for the best parties during SXSW week.

This year we will not only provide a free listing your event, but allow you to run your RSVP’s through Do512.  The RSVP tool is extremely beneficial in getting exposure for your event. Do512’s event listings are based on popularity, so the more RSVPs a party gets, the higher it will rise in the rankings for the day.  The most popular events will get tens of thousands of views during the week, and your party, the sponsors, and the bands will get invaluable exposure.  Do512 will manage the RSVP list and send you the list of names the morning of your event.   The top rated events will be included in our SXSW “Top 10 Free Parties of the Day” daily email blast to over 40k people during SXSW week.

It’s pretty much that simple.

Additionally, If you REALLY want to give your event an an additional boost, we offer advertising packages starting at $500 for 7 days during and leading up to SX-week, and we will promote your event with ads on Do512, blog posts, our Top Picks emails (40k+ subscribers), and on our large communities on Twitter and Facebook.

For details or to get the process started, email: Kristin@Do512.com

Being a resident over on South Lamar, we here at Do512 always love when new and buzz-worthy places open up in our neighborhood, and (thankfully) we have a brand new place to add to our list of favorite Austin haunts: Opa!, a friendly and cozy family-owned coffee and wine bar. Located just down the street from us (at 2050 South Lamar, near Oltorf), Opa! stands in the spot that was once the Music Cafe, but, with vast changes made inside and out, the new building and menu are entirely unique to the Greek-inspired experience that this shop and it’s awesome owners reflect.

Jackie and Spiro, the couple who opened Opa!’s doors in January, are just one of the many reasons that make this coffee and wine bar one of our new favorite places to hang out. Dedicated to creating a community, the couple are always visible and committed to making Opa! truly feel like a family home. Whether you see Jackie offering up her fresh-baked creations for everyone to try or you find Spiro running around, popping bottles of champagne for all to share, Opa! mirrors the energy and character of it’s amiable hosts, who have successfully brought a fusion of the Greek’s sense of community and Austin’s easy atmosphere to this coffee shop down south.

Offering an expansive outdoor seating area, draped in string lights and centered around a gigantic oak tree, Opa! creates the perfect outside atmosphere for groups to congregate while sipping on an extensive wine menu or waking up with a fresh cup of local coffee. Inside the coffee and wine bar, the intimate and cozy ambience creates another platform for light acoustic, blues, and jazz material to be heard while customers sip on some of Opa!’s Texas coffee or munch on homemade Greek pastries. Serving Texas Traders‘ fair-trade, locally-roasted coffee, with sides of organic milks, creams, and sugars, Opa! carries a wide selection of beverages, including an expanded list of domestic and imported wines and beers. And although they have plenty of yummy treats, the family-run business always provides healthy alternatives: at least one vegan option along with at least one macrobiotic and one gluten-free. Open from early morning (8am) until late in the evening (1am), Opa! provides free wifi, happy hour EVERY day from 4-7 (with half-off uncorked wine or $1 off all beers and all wines), and live music in the form of Jimmi Lee and special guests every Wednesday.

Because we absolutely love Opa!’s relaxed, fun, (DOG-FRIENDLY) environment along with their extensive and enticing menu, Do512 is throwing a party on February 25th with great drink and food deals, a bocce tournament, and live music from some killer local bands. Opa!’s offerring a “buy one get the 2nd one half-off” on any beverage and pizza, and with great deals and great people, it is the perfect time to feel for yourself just what makes this coffee and wine bar so amazing. In order to find out what deals and parties Opa! has to offer: make sure you head over to their Do512 page, become a fan of them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter! Welcome to the block, Opa! Can’t wait to see more of you!

Oh, Hallmark holidays! Don’t we all just love them.  It’s that “special” time of year again when chocolate manufacturers, flower shops and greeting card companies encourage that THIS is the day, especially, to demonstrate your degree of affection to your darling dearest.

You guessed it. Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching.  Pressure is on. For those of you who totally just freaked out and possibly exclaimed silently to yourself “VALENTINE’S DAY IS NEXT WEEKEND!?!” Don’t panic. We anticipated you already forgot about it, or just chose not to put much thought into it (can’t blame you). Either way, gather round lovers and loners alike, check out this list of fun V-Day events to celebrate, Valentine’s Day, Singles Awareness day, or…heck…just the weekend!? Whichever you prefer.

On a side note, I’d like to include a tid bit of advice from Ashton Kutcher, cause we all know we should most definitely take his advice. But Hey! He has landed one of the hottest women in Hollywood and is staring in the new movie Valentine’s Day. Can’t get more qualified than that.

Ashton says, “I hate Valentine’s Day. I think every day should be a day of romance. Then, on Valentine’s Day you should get to tell whomever you hate that you cannot stand them. There would be one day of hating and 364 days of love,”

As Ashton is joking, don’t run and tell people you hate them. Point in case, we should all try to spend just a little time everyday telling someone you love them.

Aww. Okay now, check out the list:

FOR COUPLES:

The Casserole Queens: Celebrate Valentine’s Day @ Whole Foods Market

Valentine’s Dinner at Hyde Park Bar & Grill – 3 Course Dinner for 2 for $27.90 @ Hyde Park Bar and Grill (both locations)

Valentines Dinner for 2: $18.50 (Small Specialty Pizza & One Pitcher of Lone Star) 5pm-9pm @ The Parlor North Loop

Valentine’s Dinner @ Hyatt Lost Pines

Valentine’s Dinner at Opal Divines – Three course meal with Beer for $65/couple @ Opal Divine (all locations)

Valentine’s Day at La Condesa @ La Condesa

Charade Valentine’s Feast @ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

GONE WITH THE WIND Valentine’s Day Feast @ Alamo Drafthouse (the Ritz)

Amelie Valentine’s Feast @ Alamo Drafthouse Village

Valentine’s Dinner at Imperia – Now Accepting Reservations @ Imperia

Hosteria Verde Supper Club presents: Valentine’s Eve @ Aviary!

FOR THE BITTER PEOPLE:

I Hate Valentines Day Party! @ District 301

Feb 13: “Pre Valentine’s Day Bash” w/ TODDY B and Benson Wilder @ Terrace 59 @ Speakeasy

Valentine’s Eve Party w/ White Dress, The Mercers, The Sour Notes @ Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

Service Industry Valentine’s Date Night @ Imperia

Guy Forsyth’s St. Valentine Love & Lust Review @ Lamberts

ViVo ALTeRNATIVO – St. Valentine’s Party @ Ruta Maya

Dark Stalkers: a Psychological Thrill for an Immersive Valentine’s Experience like No Other @ House of Torment (Highland Mall)

Valentine’s Day w/ A Faulty Chromosome, Sleep Good, Literature, Spiked Punch + FACEPAINTING @ Club 1808

Valentine’s Kickoff Party w/ Eve & The Exiles & The Leroi Bros @ Roadhouse Rags

LIXBOX VALENTINE’S PARTY @ QUINNS (Main Street, Round Rock)

Rock The Casbah 37: The Valentines Edition w/ DJ Mel! @ The Parish

Valentine’s Day Show with Little Stolen Moments @ The Ghost Room

Naughty or Nice? Angels & Devils @ Karma Lounge

VALENTINE’S DAY DEALS:

Swell Photography’s Valentine’s Day Special @ Swell Photography

Jewelry & Dresses on Sale for your Valentine…plus Tracy Tenpenny Trunk Show! @ Soigne’ Boutique/Slate Men’s Apparel

Limbo Jewelry Design’s 3rd Annual Valentine’s Day Party @ Pump Project Art Complex

<3 @Do512_Melissa

Ajay Miranda of NitesBlog.com is a true local music enthusiast. In addition to running and writing for ‘Nites, he writes for many other websites, is the managing editor of Austin Vida, writes for Double Stereo, and does videography for INsite Magazine. With all of this on his plate, he still manages to maintain the priority of checking out live music around town just about every night a week.

Ajay started ‘Nites back in September 2008 as a place to post videos and share information on new local bands. He saw the blog as a hobby, but due to his commitment to quality writing and music it quickly grew in popularity. By the following January, Ajay noticed a dramatic increase in ‘Nites readers and had received ample amounts of positive feedback in response to his thoughtful and honest perspective on Austin live music. Since starting ‘Nites, Ajay has noticed a shift in the musical preference of the general concert-going population from Beatles or Spoon influenced indie-rock artists to the “by-way-of-Brooklyn” style electronic dance party bands. He sees this change as neither bad nor good, taking note of the high energy this new wave of dancy music brings to live shows that we don’t always experience at a local rock show.

We all have those bands that we’ve been listening to and loving for so long that they begin to lose ties to genre and are simply classified as “very, very good.” They put on shows that could never be matched in energy or caliber. In January, Haunting Oboe Music performed its final show with The Obsolete Machines, Salesmen, and Monarchs at Hole in the Wall. This gig was Ajay’s favorite concert experience because the “fans were a part of the show.” Everyone was singing along – at one point, the ‘Nites blogger himself took the mic! This is a prime example of Ajay’s insightful consideration that “you don’t stop being a fan when you start blogging,” and the fact that there are few (if any) experiences that top one of your favorite bands playing at one of your favorite venues.

Ajay’s got a tie for his favorite Austin venues. The Mohawk’s diversity of shows, general vibe, and pleasant door dudes are three high points that earn the place a top rank on the ‘Nites list. Hole in the Wall shares this first place because of its excellent reputation for respectfully working with bands, which is something Ajay believes to be one of the most distinct attributes that most venues around town lack. If he could change anything about the Austin live music scene, it would be the treatment and level of respect given to bands. It’s arguable that this could be attributed to a high concentration of artists that are willing to play for sheer exposure and no cash.

There are a few local bands Ajay’s got high hopes for in 2010. One of them, indie rock trio Follow That Bird, has gotten some serious buzz lately. They were featured on WOXY just yesterday, got a sweet show coming up next weekend at The Mohawk, and the are part of the upcoming Matador compilation Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010. Other bands he said to keep an eye out for are La Guerilla, Love at 20, and Prayer for Animals. Ajay has some excellent advice for bands trying to break into the Austin scene. First and foremost, tour as much as possible in order to build a fan base and network. Second, it is crucial that any band bring someone (who is not a member) on to facilitate organization and function as a manager. Lastly, he finds that bands are much more successful at attention-getting when they have a strong merch presence. This is a great way of emphasizing a marketable brand and drawing an audience. One example he gave was Austin-based glam rock band One Eyed Doll with its great balance between brand and band.

‘Nites blog is a fantastic and reliable resource for all Austinites. Ajay Miranda has an open-minded, well-trained ear and a gift for transcribing his thoughts on music into blog form. If you haven’t checked out NitesBlog.com, be sure to do so at your nearest convenience!

(@Do512_Grace)

As our next installment for Do512 Deals, which is something that we do in order to bring exclusive discounts, deals, and freebies to our much-loved and greatly appreciated users, we are offering up a chance to buy one, get one free at Hog Island Deli. From now until February 14th, hop in with a friend to buy one 7″ hoagie and get another one FOR FREE!

Hog Island Italian Deli, with midtown and downtown locations (both situated on Lavaca), is a truly authentic hoagie shop, bringing down from Philadelphia the recipe and ingredients for the finest quality cheesesteaks in Austin. Carlo and Steve DiMarco, who both happen to be previous Philadelphia residents, credit the historical Italian immigrant culture in the Hog Island area of southern Philly as inspiration for their delicious sandwiches. The pair daily bake fresh loaves in their traditional Philadelphia baker and import premium Italian meats from both Italy and Philly, which have a reputation for being of the finest quality– unprocessed, naturally cured and containing zero preservatives. With daily oven roasted turkey available and the pair’s own secret recipe of cheeses and spices for their famous cheesesteaks, Hog Island is the perfect place to go and grab an authentic original hoagie. And they will be the first to admit that the best advertising they have to offer is the delicious sandwich itself.

So show some love and bring in a friend for lunch! You only have ONE WEEK left before the deal is over, so take advantage! All you have to do is head over to the event page, print out the coupon, and bring it in with you to the store! So easy and definitely worth it.

Although New Found Glory officially formed in 1997, it was the group’s self-titled second album, released in 2000, that pitched this 5-piece Florida band onto the scene and into the hearts of “emo” kids across the nation (well before that word became congruent with the melodramatic/constantly depressed/all-black, eyeliner wearing tween). As the band hit the major airwaves with their gold certified album and Billboard charted single (“Hit or Miss”), pop-punk became superfluous. Influenced by 90’s punk revival bands (such as Green Day and NOFX), New Found Glory pioneered a fusion of pop melodies into punk rock, which would be a style imitated and used by many bands to come. Coupled with this contribution to a music genre that (not going to lie here) permeated my junior high and high school years, the band’s long stint in a surprisingly relevant limelight has also earned them respect from a wide audience (including a severe cult following that I do not deny being a part of). Ten years and four albums later, New Found Glory has successfully solidified their place in the “new-school-punk” hall of fame, and in honor of that self-titled album that catapulted them into stardom, they kicked off a 10th anniversary tour that began last month.

This past Tuesday night NFG brought the show and the masses to Red River hotspot, Emo’s, playing alongside their friends: Saves the Day, hellogoodbye, and Fireworks. Although I missed the opening acts (which is what happens when you forget that it’s a Tuesday and everything goes on earlier), walking into a horde of screaming, raving, moshing pack of people, forced me to revert back to my 15-year-old self (screaming, raving, and moshing included). The crowd was eclectic, yet a perfectly fitting composite of a decade of die-hard NFG fans. Punked out teens and frat daddies mixed with Austin’s hipsters and 20-something rockers, creating a diverse yet harmonized mass of mad dancing, lyric shouting music lovers. As the band played through their sophomore album (with some other favorites thrown in), the cold weather became an irrelevant factor, as I jammed out and relived such a clutch moment from my own personal music history. And while I can’t assume everyone else was there for that reason, this was one of the first shows in a long time where the genre (whether people still listen to it or not) completely conquered the crowd, letting loose a massive mob of what would appear to be lifelong punk rock enthusiasts.

It ended almost as quickly as it began, and while Emo’s (cleverly) put on top 40 hits from 2k5 to usher everyone out of the venue, I couldn’t help but leave feeling like I had accomplished some great feat. With all the years that New Found Glory has been on the musical scene and with all the shows that I have missed over these years, I could not have imagined a better way to see them. Kicking ass and blasting their self-titled album to a crazy, diverse, and raving crowd, NFG definitely delivered an amazing and unforgettable 10th anniversary show.

–Do512_Hannah

PS: HEAD OVER TO THE WEBSITE… SOME AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

Hailing from Los Angeles, Steve Aoki is one of the most in-demand DJs in the world. Also known by his stage name DJ Kid Millionaire, Aoki has played to festival crowds of more than 15,000 and booked gigs from Las Vegas to London to Kuala Lumpur. He regularly DJ’s clubs in and around Hollywood, spinning the latest dance hits while blending genres as varied as hip-hop, rock, electro and hardcore. Aoki has remixed an impressive list of artists, including Drake, Lenny Kravitz, Bloc Party, Snoop Dogg, Duran Duran, Timbaland, Kid Cudi, and Peaches. He also runs the Dim Mak record label, who are known for founding artists like Bloc Party, The Kills, The Gossip, Klaxons and many more.

Having recently released a new single titled “I’m In The House”, the superstar DJ has embarked on a nationwide tour that will hit Austin on Thursday, February 11. Sponsored by ScoreMore a, Toddy B, and Knuckle Rumbler, the event will take place at Republic Live, whose lights and sound are unrivaled by any other venue in Austin. The venue has already hosted world famous acts like DJ Tiesto, Paul Oakenfold, and MSTRKRFT. Helping to get the party started for Steve Aoki will be DJs Atran, Exceed, Prepmode, and Digg.

Tickets for the show are on sale now via Eventbrite, and if you click “I Like It!” on the Do512 event listing you’ll have a chance to win one of THREE pairs of free tickets.

In celebration of 101 years of brewing, Spoetzl Brewery is proud to announce the launch of Shiner 101, a classic Czech-style Pilsner. The Do512 crew had a chance to sample a few 6-packs of this smooth and delicious brew this past weekend.  In our opinion, this is the triumph of all Shiner beers!  Clear and golden in color, Shiner 101 is crisp and refreshing with a slightly bitter, hoppy taste.  It’s very smooth and easy to drink, and we discovered it goes particularly well with Texas BBQ!

Do512 presents the “Shiner 101 Trivia Challenge,” an online contest that tests your knowledge of Shiner Beers.

• Each day from Feb. 4 to Fri. Feb 26, Do512 will ask one Shiner-related trivia question (17 questions total). These questions will be asked on Do512’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
  

• Contestants will visit Shiner101.com and watch the videos to find out the correct answer.  They will then email the correct answer to Shiner101@Do512.com by 5pm each day.
  

• Each day, 10 winners will be selected at random to receive a pair of invites to the Shiner 101 Launch Party in early March (date TBA).
  

• At the Shiner 101 Launch party, one raffle ticket will be distributed to each party attendee (including winners and their guests).   Winners will receive various prizes in the raffle, including the Grand Prize—one pair of SX-Music Badges!
  

Check out the Shiner Brewmaster talking about how he made Shiner 101:

For football fans, this Austin, winter weather really can’t get you down because, like most die-hard fans, you’re anticipating one thing and one thing only; Super Bowl Sunday. So, Come watch the Saints battle the Colts for the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV in style! Now, whether you’re obsession with football is uncompromising or you only manage to veer your attention toward the TV to catch the memorable commercials, it’s imperative that you check out this list we’ve created of Super Bowl watch parties offering great drink specials and fabulous food surely to entertain everyone:

**Also, check out the bottom of this list for a GREAT offer for FREE CAB RIDES on Super Bowl Sunday!

SUPER BOWL WATCH PARTIES:

Cedar Door: $5 Shots & $2.50 Miller Lite, Click “I Like It!” to win a $25 Gift Card to Cedar Door during Super Bowl!

Speakeasy: COME WATCH THE SUPER BOWL ON OUR HD PROJECTOR on our HUGE 150″ SCREEN AND ENJOY GREAT DRINK SPECIALS! $2 MILLER LIGHT & $2 LONESTARS

Third Base (at all three locations): 100 wings for only $69.99! 25 sliders and 60 mini corn dogs for only $59.99! TEXT to win a FREE Super Bowl Party! Click LINK to see what is included!

Hog Island Deli: BYOB, Chow down a cheesesteak for a Superbowl snack!

Union Park: SUNDAY BRUNCH @ 11AM! ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET, BUILD YOUR OWN BLOODY MARY BAR & BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS!  BBQ BUFFET AND CRAWFISH- DURING THE GAME. Come watch the game on 15 HDTVs and 2 Giant HD Projectors!

Little Woodrows:  DRINK SPECIALS:  $3.50 Mimosas, Frozen Margaritas, Micheladas TILL 7PM. DRAFTMANIA! $3 drafts all day long

Lavaca Street Bar: Enjoy great food by Hog Island Deli, drink specials and the best bartenders in town!

ROOFTOP: PLENTY OF TV’S, GREAT FOOD AND DRINKS! $2.00 YOU CALL IT TILL THE GAME IS OVER

J. Black’s: Game day brunch at 11am, Specials on buckets of Beer!!

Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz: $5 food voucher

The Independent at 501 Studios:  Watch the Saints in HD on a 30ft Projection Screen with surround sound followed by DJ Chicken George.  $10 Cover, Free Beer (while it lasts), Jambalaya & Mardi Gras Beads! Cash bar available with dirty south drink specials.

Chupacabra Cantina:  SURPRISE HALF TIME SHOW PERFORMANCE BY SPECIAL GUESTS! Do you like to win money, drink cheap, and hoot n holler! Bring your dollar bills and turn them into 50 dollar bills!

The Marq: $3 WELLS & DOMESTICS till 9p!! $13 DOMESTIC BEER BUCKETS ALL NIGHT LONG! 6 PLASMA SCREENS TO WATCH THE GAME ON!

Hole in the Wall:  Super Bowl After Party! FM Campers (10:00) We Aim to Try (11:00) Parking (12:00) Stegasaurus Flex (12:30)

FREE CAB RIDES:

http://do512.com/event/2010/02/07/soberride-super-bowl-free-cab-ride-home-program

If you are a Texas native, then you should have listened in your 4th grade Social Studies class and remembered that Texas Independence Day is coming up on March 2nd. In order to celebrate the day that our (bad ass) state broke away from our neighbors down south, Republic Tequila–the company which makes ultra-premium, 100% blue agave, certified organic tequila–is hosting a MUSTACHE contest to see what male (or female?) can grow the best. mustache. ever.

Tom Nall, Republic Tequila CEO and Texas legend, correlates supreme tequila and classic mustaches with our great state, because, as he says, “tequila and mustaches have long been a part of Texas history. Think about it, all the good cowboys have a mustache, and they all drink tequila. It only makes sense to celebrate these things together.” And with both the mustache and tequila still very much a part of our daily lives here in Austin (I mean, have you been living under a rock?), the “Grow One for the Republic” mustache contest will be held to honor the great mustaches of Texas’ past and to celebrate Texas Independence Day in a unique (yet perfectly fitting) way.

Entries for the contest must be submitted with the grower’s name, date of birth (must be 21+), city and state of residence, and (of course) the best mustache picture you have to offer. These MUST be sent to info@RepublicTequila.com by February 26, and the winner (a.k.a. the person with the finest mustache in the lone star state) will be announced on Texas Independence Day (March 2nd). And what, you might ask, is the prize for this crazy contest? The winner of the mustache contest will receive a trip for 2 to a Texas destination OF THEIR CHOICE (valued at $1000).

So, pull out all the stops and get to work growing the most creative and show-stopping stache that you are capable of growing in honor of this Texas holiday. Who knows? You could win and get the chance to travel to one of the many spectacular locations across our great state. For more information on the contest, head over to the event page, and good luck to you all!

–Do512_Hannah