surviving the 9 to 5

Weekday Warrior: The (semi) calm before the storm

Michael Ian Black – You’re Not Doing It Right at BookPeople
Cap City Presents: Matt Bearden

It’s here. SXSW officially begins this week, and whether you love it or hate it, it’ll dominate the social landscape for the next while. But before you spend your days hopping from free tacos to free beers to free barbecue, there are a few pretty big offerings to make this week a solid sendoff of your free time.

Here’s our weekly guide to keep you busy during the days that don’t start with S.

Monday, March 5

Michael Ian Black – You’re Not Doing It Right @ Bookpeople

Wet Hot American Summer star and VH1 staple Michael Ian Black makes his way to Bookpeople to bring his brand of off-kilter observational humor as well as sign copies of his upcoming You're Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death and Other Humiliations.

Music Monday: Almost Famous @ Alamo Ritz

Bring your aura straight to purple as you channel your inner band-aid with this Cameron Crowe tale of the trials and tribulations of the life of a rock journalist.

Tuesday, March 6

Bee Team Trivia Challenge @ Yellow Jacket Social Club

Join Yellow Jacket Social Club and The Literacy Coalition in Austin's only language, spelling and literature trivia quiz. Teams of up to six people compete for awesome prizes from local establishments.

Austin City Limits Presents: Radiohead @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater

The Brit rockers return to Austin the day before their sold-out stint at The Frank Erwin Center to tape an episode of the timeless music television show. Expect lots of hipster tears.

Wednesday, March 7

Cap City Presents: Matt Bearden

Former winner of the “Funniest Person in Austin” contest, Matt Bearden kicks off a several-night stint at Cap City. Comedian Chad Thornsberry guests.

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Dinner @ Alamo Ritz

Enjoy Wes Anderson at his finest, with this Devo-filled, Portugese-Bowie soundtracked tale of revenge and sea creatures. So, step aboard The Belafonte and slip on your standard issue red knit cap for this seafood extravaganza of a cinematic feast.

Thursday, March 8

Girls w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ La Zona Rosa

Girls’ Chris Owens possesses one of the most interesting backstory in rock n’ roll, and his lyrics mimic it perfectly. They headline a (surprisingly not sold out) show at La Zona, so jump on this to fit in some pre-SXSW entertainment.

Office Space Quote-along @ Alamo Ritz

Mike Judge’s workplace comedy hits home for nearly every cubicle dweller, and the fact that it was filmed in our fair city makes it even more apropos. Polish off that pocket protector, get your can of roach spray at the ready and be on the alert, because Milton could set the building on fire at any moment.

Friday, March 9

Dr. Dog @ Stubb’s

Philadelphia rockers Dr. Dog arrive just in time for the onset of SXSW, to headline an outdoor show at Stubb’s, promoting their latest album, Be The Void. Lafayette, LA wunderkinds GIVERS open the show.

Star of Texas State Fair and Rodeo @ Travis County Exposition Center

Rodeo Austin brings the biggest carnival in town (if you don’t count that music and film related carnival taking place on the other side of town), with a bevvy of food, games and rides to keep you entertained.

So whether your dreading the onset of SXSW, or anxiously awaiting the weeks of free booze and skinny jeans, we’ve got you covered this week to make the free time count.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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