EVENT: Charles Ray, who is thirty years deep in the art world, will be at the New School tonight for a Public Art Fund talk. The leader of the "conceptual realism" movement with a "lively, self-deprecating sense of humor" will discuss his "virtuoso craftsmanship" and his depiction of "familiar elements of everyday life and modern art in disarmingly altered ways." more ›

THEATER: The Sisyphean life of an “emerging” playwright is often confined to a seemingly endless series of play readings, half-baked workshop productions, and audience-feedback bull sessions that often culminate not in a real production but more of the same. Tonight a group of theater people get together to bitch have an exchange about this now-entrenched play development process. The symposium is moderated by Time Out NY theater critic David Cote and features Richard Nelson, Playwright and Chair of the Department of Playwriting at the Yale University School of Drama, playwright/13P co-founder Madeleine George, and dramaturg/theatrical agent Morgan Jenness. - John Del Signore more ›

LAist is flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with their new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. more ›

Gothamist returned from Austin last night and headed straight to the Mercury Lounge for the Go! Team (who were fun - but not as good live as on their album). Needless to say we are tired, exhausted and sad to not be wearing flip flops and tank tops anymore. more ›

Just in time for SXSW, we have launched Austinist. While Gothamist hopes there will be copious coverage of the bats, the site, edited by Ben Brown, will be covering all sorts of things in the indiest town in Texas. Like the big Whole Foods, looking out for stupid antics from Real World roommates (currently filming there), or secret SXSW shows. Brown is also speaking at the SXSW panel, Humor on the Web. We are so happy to finally have a foothold in the South and look forward to working on our accent and Slacker ennui! Or we'll commute to Initech. more ›

. Okay, maybe we have a few suggestions up our sleeve... more ›

This week NYC embraces the loud and the strange, in the form of influential post punk band the Pixies. Tonight Gothamist is heading over to Hammerstein for the show. One of the bands many this week, and the only one we're attending. more ›