Live music preview: Seven bands to see at Hot Summer Nights July 18-20

Hot Summer Nights in the Red River Cultural District in Austin, is yet another RRCD-sponsored event that features countless local artists performing across the downtown area. Each showcase will not charge a cover at the door, meaning dozens of free showcases akin to the annual Free Week, which takes place the first week of  January each year. Hot Summer Nights will take place July 18 – July 20 and will feature over 140 acts from all over Austin and surrounding areas. Venues participating in the event will include Mohawk, Chess Club, Cheer Up Charlie’s, and Empire Control Room & Garage, among many others. For the weekend of packed programming, The Cosmic Clash team has curated a list of seven bands we think attendees will want to catch while wandering the streets of Red River during the free festival.

The event will feature participating RRCD food vendors who are offering discounts or special deals to keep fans full and energized throughout the event. All set times will be announced closer to the festival to help attendees plan the three evenings accordingly. For the most up-to-date information check the Hot Summer Nights page.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the spirit of the Red River Cultural District through Hot Summer Nights in July. This festival not only brings together music lovers for unforgettable performances but also serves as a powerful economic and cultural engine, boosting local businesses and musicians. Where else can you find three nights of free live music? Only on Red River” shared Nicole Klepadlo interim Executive Director. Music fans can donate directly to RRCD here.

Exotic Fruitica/Narrow Haunts/Daymares – The 13th Floor – July 18

Exotic Fruitica frontman Jon French’s and drummer Aaron Gilligan’s musical team has created tunes that captivate and eviscerate. Noisy Austin act Exotic Fruitica takes every stage with their blown-out and straight-to-the-point aggressive punk mayhem. Fresh off the release of their debut EP, Cruel, Exotic Fruitica is set to release their first debut LP, Fur And Leather. New cuts like “90k House In Sweden” and “NYC Feeling” show the local act becoming more polished and focused as they draw closer to their record release, even showing the 5-piece ensemble accounting for every noisy mannerism that crashes with deafening volume. The 13th Floor showcase will also feature local garage punk outfit Narrow Haunts. Featuring members of Unknown Relatives and Think No Think, the Austin band has entered this project as experienced punk rock vets, and their chaotic live shows assert their conditioned arsenals in live music. The Thursday night show will include local gothic rock act Daymares, who just released their self-titled LP. 

Proun – Cheer Up Charlie’s – July 19

Austin singer and songwriter Jamie Weed is a prolific force. With backgrounds in multiple genres of music, including jazz of past eras, Weed has found her niche as the driving voice behind Proun, a band that combines retro emo sounds with walls of sprawling shoegaze. Weed’s high-registered singing pipes produce melodies that embrace the sounds of Chicago indie, in the vein of Horsegirl and the wintery auras of Midwest emo. The Windy City is also where the local musician recorded Proun’s debut EP form, released in 2023. 

Lorelei K – Cheer Up Charlie’s – July 19

Denton, Texas’ avant-pop artist Lorelei K has remained triumphant since dropping multiple full-length releases since 2019. North Texas producer Michael Briggs of Civil Audio, located in Denton, has been instrumental in bringing Lorelei K’s ethereal soundscapes to life. Lorelei K has shared stages with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Xiu Xiu, and Mountain Of Smoke, which also resulted in a sludge metal cover of “Only Time” by Irish singer Enya. The art-pop act also just released their recent LP Gucci Doom, which also featured a deluxe edition release in 2024. 

TV’s Daniel – Chess Club – July 19

The members of TV’s Daniel are a group of busy individuals. For starters, charismatic frontman Daniel Fried and bassist Lisa Alley also play in Austin hardcore act Mugger, with other members of TV’s Daniel having connections in the vein of Porcelain, Lost Balloons, The Well, and Bad Sports. Drummer Chris Prorock also plays with bloody masterminds hardcore act, Tear Dungeon, who just returned to Austin after a nationwide Spring tour and plans to tour again in the Fall. TV’s Daniel employs all kinds of concoctions of rock n roll rebellion, and their energetic live gigs are no exception. The supergroup’s debut LP Never Change contains ten arena-ready tunes, all of which are latchable singalongs that create impossible amounts of fun. 

Queen Serene – Mohawk – July 19 

Originally a passion project from Austin musician Sarah Ronan, Queen Serene is a local masterclass in shoegaze and psychedelic pop.  From sharing stages with the likes of Austin heavy-hitters Being Dead, Body Tape, and Nuclear Daisies, Queen Serene has evolved from its original bedroom indie-rock form into a fully realized act combining psychedelic pop, post-punk, and other means of fuzzy cohesion. With Ronan’s backing instrumentalists that interlock beautifully, the Austin indie-gaze outfit fills every room with blissful melodies and punchy hooks that scratch that fuzzy musical itch. Queen Serene also just released their debut LP in 2023, a culmination of the work that makes up for the ecstasy of the Austin band’s live shows. 

Porcelain – Mohawk – July 20

Local noisemakers Porcelain have been on a tear since the release of their debut self-titled LP. The Austin group has embarked on nationwide tours since its release and will also perform on the opening night of Levitation Festival 2024. Since being an active local act, Porcelain has found themselves fitting on countless heavy bills around Austin, embracing their shoegaze walls of sound with hardcore-oriented vocal deliveries. Porcelain released their latest record on local grindcore act Portrayal Of Guilt’s indie label, known for providing a platform for Austin’s noisier, heavier side of the music scene. 

Hey Cowboy! – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater – July 20

Formerly from the house show lands of Denton, Sydney Harding-Sloan has ramped up as a multi-band figure who’s been making even more noise in the Austin scene since her debut with mega funk ensemble Grandmaster. Hey Cowboy’s carefree yet sincere brand of dream pop, shoegaze, and the vocal groups of the 1960s makes for a joyful brand of Austindie, showing their tenacity as a seasoned local act. Since the release of their third full-length album, Off the Cob, the Austin act has become a city mainstay after making it their home base. With lo-fi sensibilities combined with synthpop euphoria, Hey Cowboy is sure to enchant with their live performances. The track “Not 4 U” shows a tidal wave of synth and catchy vocal melodies, with Harding-Sloan’s vocals producing ever-so-catchy melodies that feel right at home in the Austin scene.

Complete list of participating venues: 

● Cheer Up Charlies
● Chess Club
● Creek & Cave
● Elysium
● Empire Control Room & Garage
● Flamingo Cantina
● Liberty Lunch
● Mohawk
● Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
● Swan Dive
● The 13th Floor
● Valhalla
● Vaquero Taquero
● Waterloo Park