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Written by Dante
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Amsterdam Café Kevin Carroll 8:00
Anderson Mill Tavern Bitta Blue 10:00
Antone’s Del Castillo 9:00 / $15 Latin, Flamenco Electrifying live set by Austin’s Latin guitar gymnasts Del Castillo.
Antone’s (late) Topaz & Mudphonic Midnight / $10 Funk Tenor saxman Topaz with new band Mudphonic has reached new, gloriously funky heights. What early North Mississippi All Stars did to delta blues, these guys are doing to jazz and funk. Raw, dirty, beautiful.
Artz Rib House Patrick Green 7:30 / No Cover
B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub Alan Haynes Blues Blistering blues guitar in the vein of Texas’ famous Kings, Freddie and Albert.
Baby Acapulco’s #3 Frank Gomez Band Blues, Rock, Party Though catering to party crowds (as in weddings and other private events), Gomez’ band isn’t your typical juke box sounding revue. Though primarily covers, Gomez’ blistering guitar and spot-on charts trump the typical canned sound.
The Backyard Widespread Panic 7:30 / $44 Jam Band The reigning king of the jam band circuit. Widespread has always held a more solid rock foundation than they’re forbearers, The Grateful Dead and Phish. Whether you’re in it for the music or the drugs, a lot of spinning is bound to happen.
Beerland The Strange Boys, The Bad Sports, John Schooley & His One Man Band, Cause for Applause Garage Rock The Strange Boys grab influence from Roky Erickson, werewolves, and minimalist R&B. John Schooley has us wondering: If it’s his one-man band, does that mean there’s two of them?
The Belmont The Usual Suspects, DJ Thomas
Boat House Grill Hosea Hargrove Blues Hosea Hargrove is among town’s most underappreciated bluesmen, quickly able to transport to the ‘60s chitlin’ circuit with just a few licks.
‘Bout Time DJ Element 9:00 / No Cover House Jump and get funky with DJ Element’s weekly gig at this popular, friendly North Austin gay bar.
Broken Spoke James Hand Country You’d think Hand has more Hank Sr. in him than either Jr. or III. A new Rounder record is in the can, so you might get a sneak at some of the upcoming tunes as you twirl about the big dance floor.
Cactus Café John Hammond, Dana Falconberry 8:30 / $23 Blues, Singer-Songwriter One of the most critically acclaimed American musicians brings his resophonic guitar to the intimate Cactus Café. Everyone from John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Waits, and Robbie Robertson have played with Hammond in his bands or on one of his 29 albums.
Central Market (North) Charles Thibodeaux & The Cajun Aces 6:30 / No Cover Cajun Authentic Cajun and bayou 2-step. You’ll probably wanna pick up some gumbo and boudin while you’re here.
Central Market South Jimi Lee 6:30 / No Cover Blues
Clementine Coffee Bar Chase Hamblin, Tyagaraja No Cover
Club de Ville Elaine Greer 9:00
Continental Club (happy hour) The Blues Specialists 6:30 / No Cover Blues 20-year Austin blues gem, playing Texas jump blues, which is like West Coast jump blues but with a detectable lean toward T-Bone and Gatemouth.
Continental Club Charanga Cakewalk, Patricia Vonne 10:00 / $10 Latin, Lounge, Rock Charanga Cakewalk makes lounge magic with accordion, mixing cumbia with spaghetti western and a whole lot more. Patricia Vonne slides effortlessly from fiery greaser rock to castanet-driven Mexican rock and some folksier bits as well.
Creekside Lounge Dirty Hearts, The Urgencies, Nikkoli Kade Konspiracy, The Locals Rock, Punk Dirty Hearts’ Pigs could be in many local best of CD lists come year’s end, with just enough Pixies and Nirvana influence to the fierce, driving originality. The Urgencies powerpop/punk hybrid broils with the intensity of just needing to be released.
Donn’s Depot Donn & The Station Masters Piano, Pop The owner plays piano and sings, often accompanied by a bass player and a drummer. Donn has a very large repertoire, ask him to play your favorite song, chances are he'll know it.
The Driskell Hotel Rosie Flores, Cella Blue 6:30 Americana, Rockabilly “Rockabilly Filly” Rosie Flores will likely explore her more tender songwriter side here in the refined lobby of the Driskill. Cella Blue of White Ghost Shivers fame will let more twang sneak in.
Eddie V’s Kat Edmonson 8:00 / No Cover Jazz Singular jazz singer Kat Edmonson recently crossed to pop success with single “Be the Change.” More of her jazz roots will show at the upscale restaurant’s lounge.
El Sol y la Luna Cerronato 7:30 Tex-Mex Among the premier Tex-Mex and conjunto bands in town.
Elephant Room (happy hour) Tony Airoldi & The Lounge Gypsies 6:30 / No Cover Gypsy Jazz
Elephant Room Elias Haslanger 9:30 / $5 Jazz Jazziz Magazine compared him to John Coltrane. Really, what else is there to say?
Emo’s High Watt Crucifixers, New Disaster, Yayo, Year of the Kid 10:00 Hard Rock Austin’s New Disaster formed out of the ashes of a Gun ‘n Roses tribute band and keep the Appetite for Destruction influence as they rock their own material.
Evangeline Café The Monstas 10:00 / $5 Swing, Blues, Funk Truly monster outfit spread between NYC and Austin, getting together for smoking hot jump music. Led by legendary Texas drummer Ernie Durawa. Silly amount of talent for this small of a room. Downright scandalous.
Flamingo Cantina The Skatalites, Mau Mau Chaplains 10:00 / $15 Ska, Reggae Probably the most legendary of ska bands, Jamaica’s Skatalites have been at it since the ‘60s and are still full of infectious energy and rhythmic grooves. Mau Mau Chaplains are more reggae, and probably the Austin’s top act at that.
Flipnotics Coffeespace Ben Mallet, Dan “Daddy Squeeze” Newton 9:00
Freddie’s Place Billy Dee 6:00 Country Billy Dee is as old-school, pre-Nashvegas country as it gets. With a booming baritone voice and a stellar band, you’d swear Nashville and hat-act country never existed.
Giddy Ups Inlaws & Outlaws, The Doolins
Ginny’s Little Longhorn Two Hoots & a Holler 9:00 Country, Punkabilly Ricky Broussard’s twangin’ punk of Two Hoots and a Holler rattles the pickled egg jar at the honkiest tonkiest beer joint in town.
Hole in the Wall One Mississippi, Good Times Crisis Band, Camp X-Ray 10:00 / $2 Indie Rock One Mississippi add a classic rock trio sound to the indie soundscape, finding influence in Jimi Hendrix and Guided by Voices.
Jovita’s Bo Porter, J.J. Usher, Esther LaVonne 6:30 Twangabilly, Rock Bo Porter (9:00) offers revved up versions of classic classic-country. J.J. Usher offers G-Love style funky blues rock.
La Zona Rosa Bassnectar, Beats Antique, Govinda 9:30 / $22 Electronica, Hip-Hop, Trance California’s Bassnectar is at the forefront of the inherently adventurous electronic music scene; typically mid-tempo with heavy drum-and-bass breakbeat and freestyle hip-hop. Austin’s Govinda hypnotize with sensual trance melting into dance beats and echoing, enticing vocals.
Lamberts DJ Go Go, DJ Chicken George, DJ Starsign 7:00 House Trio of stellar DJs.
Lucky Lounge Uncle Bruno, DJ Rapid Ric 9:30 / No Cover Funk, Jam Band Austin’s answer to Galactic and Karl Denson is Uncle Bruno. Get your funky chicken dance routine ready.
Maria’s Taco Xpress Leeann Atherton 7:00 Americana Belter throws blues, gospel, and twang into an Americana casserole.
Merkaba Lounge & Grill Vallejo 11:00 / $10 Latin Rock The Vallejo brothers return home from the road with their typically high-energy, all-out set of rock ‘n’ roll and heavy doses of Latin Rock.
Mohawk La Snacks, Transmography, Follow That Bird! 10:00 / $6 Indie, Punk Fuzzy guitar-driven indie straddling the punk border, La Snacks find themselves on the receiving end of endless early Pavement comparisons. The Snacks stand out among their peers for unusually witty lyrics. Transmography are the Siamese twins of ghetto keyboard. Follow That Bird! are minimalist indie pop with Gwen Stefani sounding vocals.
Momo’s Seven Stones, Spin Alley, Vulcan’s Anvil, Flash Cassidy 8:00 / $5
Mother’s Café & Garden Thomas “Doc” Grauzer 6:00 / No Cover Celtic Harp (as in harp, not harmonica) history lesson. Grauzer plays traditional Irish, Scots and Welsh harp music and offers a little storytelling for context.
North by Northwest Brewery Phil Wiseman 6:30
Nuno’s North Candiland 9:00
Nutty Brown Café W.C. Clark 7:30 / $5 Blues, Soul Alligator Records’ W.C. Clark is known as “The Godfather of Austin Blues” for good reason. Soulful vocal might with funky-slick guitar dynamics.
The Oaks Jere 8:00 / No Cover
One 2 One Bar Eric Tessmer, Jon Napier 8:00 Blues You could go to a statue on Ladybird Lake and reminisce, or check out the town’s current blues guitar showboat, Eric Tessmer.
One World Theatre Keiko Matsui 7:00 & 9:30 / $34-$74 Smooth Jazz Twenty years and 20 records have gone a good way to cement Matsui’s acclaim among nu-jazz and new age fans. Her compositions often have a spiritual feel and sometimes flirt with world music.
The Parish The Walkmen, The Little Ones 8:00 / $15 Indie Rock New York’s Walkmen swim in vintage, bringing the rich beauty of tonality to the typically distortion-heavy or ramshackle world of indie rock.
Patsy’s Cowgirl Café Therapy Sisters 8:00
Red Eyed Fly Base, Deejer, Sixes & Eights, Louder Than Lunacy, Model Me Obsolete Alt-Rock Local alt-rockers Deejer are in the Incubus/Stone Temple Pilots camp, and finding heavy rotation on Cabo Wabo Radio.
Riley’s Tavern Heybale! Country Romp through barrelhouse Texas honky tonk featuring Telecaster Master Redd Volkaert and Johnny Cash/Byrds pianoman Earl Poole Ball.
Roadhouse Rags Doug Warriner, Jenny & The Corn Ponies 7:00 Western Swing Dance-ready, steel guitar, sweet country swing. Warriner’s set is mostly originals with some covers of Lefty, ET, Hank (Thompson that is) and Mr. Wills mixed in.
Room 710 Krum Bums, Cop on Fire, Blunt Force Trauma, 13th Victim, Sore Losers, more Punk, Metal Austin’s Krum Bums have a Guns ‘n Roses quality but Axl could’ve never hung with the no-nonsense punk base. Run For the Hills…Blunt Force Trauma packs Iron Maiden/Slayer dynamics with Sick of It All ferocity.
Ruta Maya DJ Amtrak, Swamp Sauce, Dawni McCray 9:30 / $5
Saxon Pub (happy hour) The Regulars 6:00 / No Cover
Saxon Pub Dustin Welch, Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends, Lucas Hudgins & His First Cousins 9:00 / $7 Americana, Rock, Country Dustin Welch’s Pogues-ish romp through Appalachia is as much ‘80s punk as ‘30s mountain music. Hudgins has a classic country heart as big as his sideburns.
Scoot Inn & Bier Garten DJ Big Face 9:00
Shenanigans Lixbox 9:30 Classic Rock Band playing covers and originals heavily inspired by Hendrix, Stones, SRV, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the like.
Threadgill’s World Headquarters Jonny A., Van Wilks 9:00 / $15 Blues Boston’s Johnny A. sits in elite company (Les Paul, B.B. King, Chet Atkins) having Gibson build a specific model guitar to his specs and gracing it with his name; says something ‘bout his skill, no? Austin staple Van Wilks continues to please locals with blues and Americana style guitar.
Trophy’s Bob Dylan Hoot Night 10:00 / $5
Victory Grill Blacklisted Individuals, Damp Heat, Sunset, The Always Already 9:30 Recycled Fashion Show Afterparty
Waterloo Records Autumn 5:00 / No Cover Pop Young songwriter with a soulful, Americana foundation à la Patty Griffin crafting breakthrough-ready compositions. A new album, Velvet Sky, benefits from Walt Wilkins production. |
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