Wednesday, May 13, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

Review

Author & Punisher 2 Far Out Lounge Justin Clark
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Author & Punisher delivered relentless spectacle to Far Out Lounge crowd

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The industrial hardcore underground thundered into Austin on Sunday March 8, bringing a stacked bill to South Austin’s The Far Out Lounge and Stage showcasing some of the genre’s heaviest and strangest acts. Author & Punisher, the project of San Diego’s Tristan Shone, employs custom “drone” and “dub” machines. Formerly a solo act, Shone now collaborates with guitarist Doug Sabolick (A Life Once Lost, Ecstatic Vision). With a table of unique contraptions, Author & Punisher delivered a relentless spectacle to a Sunday night crowd.

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Puscifer Bass Hall Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Experimental rockers Puscifer played Bass Hall on their Normal Isn’t Tour

Case Cockrell 1282 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Maynard James Keenan is 61 years old and still works with three bands, releases music at a steady rate, and still tours the globe like he’s 31. From fronting the progressive metal behemoths Tool, hard rock supergroup A Perfect Circle, and on Tuesday, March 24, at Bass Concert Hall with experimental rock stage spectacle-makers Puscifer, Keenan and his meticulously chosen associates take on his utmost creative oddities with undeniable passion. Like his outsized arena outfit Tool, Puscifer has maintained consistent membership throughout their history that sculpts a well-oiled machine that showcases Keenan, English co-vocalist Carina Round, and multi-instrumentalist Mat Mitchell, feeding the loyalists once again with their latest studio record Normal Isn’t for their 2026 tour that demonstrated no creative burnout – and a statement on the current concert industry itself.

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Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

SXSW review: Robots, driverless cars and rad bands (Lime Scooter not included)

Robert Dean 1179 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

This SXSW was the year of the Lime scooter for me. I also took a driverless Waymo and saw a robot bartender at Faregrounds on Congress Avenue. Kicking off SXSW this year, I was not optimistic about what the festival had become in its ever-quaking need to feed the techno-masses. I did not enjoy being waved at by a clanker. Nor did I love taking a driverless car. Seeing so many robots delivering food, taking people to and from, it was not for me. Big no. 

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Osees by Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: The best music we saw at SXSW 2026

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The 2026 edition of South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival launched last Thursday with its inaugural all-concurrent format. Conferences ran from kickoff Thursday to the following Wednesday. The festival allows attendees to discover new acts, revisit favorites, and expand their horizons. Miles of walking and a steady food truck diet defined a packed SXSW featuring both legacy acts and emerging stars. The Cosmic Clash team covered highlights throughout the event and wanted to share what stuck out to us over the long week of music. Despite a shortened music schedule and no second weekend, there was plenty to see as we navigated around Austin throughout the seven-day expedition. 

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Blackwater Holylight Radio East Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Blackwater Holylight drew diehards in droves to Radio East Tuesday

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The industrial area of southeast Austin carries a unique vibe. With no gentrification within yelling distance (or amplified music distance) in our case, there’s not much worry about noise complaints and the fuzz coming with the decibel reader to dock the venue for “Rock and roll mischief.” For Los Angeles-based via Portland shoegaze outfit Blackwater Holylight, an early-week bill on Tuesday evening at Radio East drew Austin diehards in droves to experience the Austin Psych Fest alums alongside local favorites, Glassing and The Well. With new LP Not Here Not Gone showcasing their multi-layered brand of luscious psych-infused soundscapes, the Blackwater quintet accounts for all the sounds that make up their dreamy biome.

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atmosphere 3 acl live drew doggett
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Atmosphere Winter Carnival at Moody Theater ACL Live was a hip hop showcase

Brian Hillsman 1055 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Minneapolis legends, Atmosphere, brought a crew of hip hop elites to ACL Live at the Moody Theater on their Winter Carnival tour on February 6. The performance showcased prominent contemporaries of hip hop before the duo commanded the attention of each concertgoer in the room during their performance.

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Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: legendary Austin act Soulhat played holiday show at Continental Club

Brian Hillsman 1329 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

On December 26, legendary Austin rock outfit, Soulhat, performed in front of a packed audience for their annual holiday concert at the Live Music Capital’s oldest rock venue, Continental Club. After 36 years since forming, the Austin mainstays returned to the venue that most reflects Austin’s past with multiple residencies by longtime city players while simultaneously looking into it’s future with select newer acts.

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Parker Woodland Free Week 26 Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Free Week returned in 2026 with cover free showcases

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Free Week returned to the Red River Cultural District last weekend, marking another successful year of cover free showcases that benefit local businesses throughout downtown Austin. The RRCD non-profit presents Free Week to keep venues and other establishments running during the slow period in both the service and music industries for employees and musicians until the Spring. With 80+ artists across 10+ venues, Free Week 2026 proved a massive success, as thousands attended to welcome yet another year in the vibrant Austin scene. The Cosmic Clash team participated in both days of the festival and wanted to highlight what stood out to us about the extravaganza.

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Mugger 2 mini fest Empire Garage Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Electronic duo Sextile returned to Austin with stacked local bill

Case Cockrell 761 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Los Angeles by way of Brooklyn electronic duo Sextile returned to Austin for a third time in 2025 to end the year with a loaded bill on Saturday night at Empire Control Room and Garage. The stacked lineup included Nashville egg punk extraordinaries Snooper along with local band appearances from Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, Alma Muneca, Mugger, and The Opera who are Cosmic Clash SXSW Webberville Block Party vets.

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