Pre-FFF Fest Parties ("Austin, Meet Your Bloggers", After The Jump, The Combo Plate, Local Music Is Sexy)

We're really looking forward to this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest, but just to let you know there's a few kickoff parties before the "Fun" weekend. Hopefully you've RSVPed to our kickoff/"Austin, Meet Your Bloggers" party at the Mohawk this Thursday. We've mentioned it once or twice. It starts at 8:30 by the way.

Now that your Thursday plans are taken care of, on Friday there's a bunch of AWESOME stuff going on. First, starting at 6:30 at the Mohawk, Maura Johnston (Idolator), Justin Gage (Aquarium Drunkard), Peter Gaston (SPIN), David Prince (Billboard, The Daily Swarm), Joe Gross (Austin American-Statesman) and Paige Maguire (Austinist, WOXY) will be discussing the ever-thinning line between new media and the mainstream. There will be a question period and cocktails after the panel. For more info on the panel, go here.

After the panel, you have a couple of options. We're throwing another party (The Combo Plate) with a bunch of our friends (My Old Kentucky Blog, Knucklerumbler, Austin Town Hall, Do512, Sailor Legs, and Cherrypeel) at The Scoot Inn (map). Starting at 9, it'll feature performances by Neiliyo, Prepmode, Colour Music, Zlam Dunk, STABBA (ABBA cover band), Ideal Soul Mart, the event will be headlined by none other than Chicago duo The Hood Internet. RSVP HERE.

Option #2, beginning at 8, Local Music Is Sexy will be getting underway at the Mohawk and Club Deville. This year's lineup includes: Beautiful Supermachines, My Milky Way Arms, Air Traffic Controllers, Distant Seconds, the Low Lows, TV Torso, Black Before Red, Silent Land Time Machine, Manikin, The Authors, Watch Out for Rockets, and International Waters. Our friend Austin Kleon will also be on hand doing his amazing drawings from the upper deck. For more information on the show, check with the Austinist.

Option #3, Our good friends at Learning Secrets have set up a great party at Beauty Bar. Yeasayer will be doing a DJ Set. If you have heard the band before you can only imagine what a DJ set might include. Plus Totally Michael from IHeartComix, Best Fwends and Missions.

[RSVP]