All-too-rare is the 24 hour Austin hot spot that other place is the city that never sleeps, right? -- but lets take a short, sweet drive along I-35, headin just north of downtown and suddenlywere in Vegas, baby! Showplace Lanes lights up the night sky from the west with enough wattage to power all the casinos Bugsy Siegel ever owned. Once inside, its a smorgasbord of humanity, all come together in the singular name of being entertained; hip hop kids, the pierced and tattooed set, hipsters in tiny hornrimmed glasses and carefully mussed-up hair, a gaggle of moms dressed to the nines, a herd of dads swilling their beers and smacking down pins. Theres even a somewhat mangy "arcade" for the kids, complete with "whack the duck" and skee ball, dispensing tickets for prizes that range from cheap transistor radios to little plastic smiley faces and toy rings. Stroll past a wall of lockers and youll encounter machines that dispense Homies and colorful stickers, as well as bowling alley requisite "The Claw." But perhaps best of all is the Texas Sports Bar, that haven for adultsespecially adults who love to watch football on big screen TVs, or play darts or pool or trivia games. The Texas Sports Bar has it all, and is guaranteed to show every NFL (or whatever) game offered that week, for a mere two dollar cover, and local darts leaguers gather on a regular basis to compete. Whats more, every Texas-based sports team thats ever roamed the face of the earth is represented in the decor, with banners, giant foam fingers, posters, beer lights and the like. Theres a definite "eighties" feel to the place, what with the dayglo carpet and intermittent fluorescent lighting. The two pool tables are a tad close together, but it makes for some fun maneuvering. Food is served; its yer basic burgers and fries, natch. And pitchers are cheap, jack. Bring the whole gang. Call for drink specials, free pool night information, and scheduled events.