GAMES (AND THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE/PLAY THEM): If you're a gamer, then you've already planned to spend your entire weekend around the convention center for the Penny Arcade Expo. What better way to spend the last days of summer than indoors playing the latest and upcoming games, talking to developers and hearing gamer-friendly music? It's officially sold out, but it never hurts to try. If that doesn't work, there's always PAX East in March. Convention Center, Friday-Sunday. more ›

FUZZY: Everyone's favorite NYC-based noise-pop band, the Vivian Girls, are back at Neumo's tonight. Last year, their self-titled debut made it on nearly everyone's best-of list, despite the fact the band lacks the harmonic sensibilities of, say, tour mates like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart (not with them tonight). In fact, for all the talk about a resurgence of "noise pop" with cascades of fuzz and distortion, the Vivian Girls remind us of no one more than the notorious, idiot-savant kiddie band the Shaggs. more ›

Vivian Girls: We managed to catch VG's third show of SXSW, so they weren't as exhausted as we're sure they will be after playing their eighteenth(!). Lovely girl-guitar pop as always. more ›