Tuesday, June 2, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

Austin

Courtney Barnett 8 Radio East Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett is back with a new record

Greg Ackerman 231 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Australia has long produced standout rock talent – Amyl & The Sniffers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Chats, and legacy legends AC/DC among them, proving rock and roll thrives down under no matter what generation is listening. For Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett, the past decade yielded indie rock anthems full of emotional honesty and millennial angst. With 2026 LP Creature of Habit marking her first full-length since 2021, Barnett reunited with her band to feed live music fans once again. She opened her North American tour in Austin at Radio East on Friday night with a rain-soaked evening of sing-alongs and good vibes.

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Frank and Margie's landscape
CultureOpinionRobert Dean

Restaurant review: Frank and Margie’s hit target with new Round Rock spot by Michelin starred chef

Robert Dean 1520 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

You’ve gotta give it up to the chef duo of Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee. When it comes to empire building, they can’t be beat. Their flagship Sushi By Scratch has a Michelin star and the man has been on Top Chef among other cooking shows. He and his wife are rockstars of the restaurant industry without a doubt. If you’ve not had the decadence of  their East Austin spot, NADC’s double Waygu cheeseburgers, you’re missing out. There’s nothing that these folks don’t do well. 

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Brian HillsmanLiveLive Music

Live music review: GZA performs Liquid Swords for 30th Anniversary at Far Out Lounge

Brian Hillsman 1245 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

On Thursday, April 23, legendary Wu-Tang founding member, Gary Eldridge Grice better known as GZA, performed his classic album, Liquid Swords, at south Austin’s Far Out Lounge with live band, Phunky Nomads, on instrumentation. The show marked the Austin stop on the tour commemorating the album’s 30th anniversary.

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CultureLivePreview

Live event preview: Fairy Fest 420 or No Tech Bros at the Altar of Frankie G

Robert Dean 942 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

And at the altar of groove, with her candles burning bright, is Frankie G, Austin’s Grand Madame of the Night. She’s a little bit Elysium — our beloved goth institution — but also lurid, international, mysterious, and a girl’s girl who wants to upend the system. Her parties go viral because she curates them for energy, for women to feel like goddesses and the algorithm is noticing. Monday’s upcoming Fairy Fest at Pease Park is a good example. The 420 themed party has this description on their ticketing page:

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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 1175 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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Frontera Fest actors Brett Brookshire
CultureOpinionRobert Dean

Essay: I would rather swim through raw sewage than go to the theater

Robert Dean 1856 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Theater is my hell. Musical theater? I would rather swim through raw sewage, hitting sawed-off corpse dicks to the face. Honorable mentions include karaoke and improv. Back to the theater… it’s not fun for me. I enjoy reading plays by the greats; August Wilson, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. But when it comes to sitting in an audience, it just ain’t for me. There was the time I was taken to see Monty Python’s “Spam-a-Lot,” and while I wanted to see it, once I saw it, I hated it.

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Megafauna 2026 Michael Worchel
Greg AckermanLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Megafauna and Slomo Drags premiere singles, play Mohawk February 6

Greg Ackerman 1165 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

This Friday, January 6 Andrew Cashen and Disciples of Creation are set to headline Mohawk. We love Cashen’s solo act as well as his other projects, A Giant Dog and Tear Dungeon but we’re here to tell you about a couple of impressive singles dropping this week from veteran Austin acts, Megafauna and Slomo Drags who are on the bill with the singer. Both bands have new songs to share with fans while they prepare to release more material in 2026 and perform for fans Friday evening at the crown jewel of Red River Cultural District rock clubs. The entire bill is worthy of any real Austin music fan’s attention with the three aforementioned artists, along with Transit Method and DJ Dead Flowers. The whole shebang is presented by 101X Homegrown and show host John Laird who knows a thing or two about Austin music.

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Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

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

Brian Hillsman 1478 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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Hispter prognosticator
CultureOpinionRobert Dean

Opinion: Eight predictions for Austin music and culture in 2026

Robert Dean 3346 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Because it’s the beginning of the year, I wanted to try something new. I’m going to make some predictions about things I think will happen over the next twelve months. I’m not a swami. This is just my best shot as someone who’s stood next to enough sweaty, drunk guys with bad opinions at countless shows for over thirty years. I can’t do worse than them. Jesus. I feel old just typing that

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Semihelix HSN 2025 13th Floor Troy Gonzales
Greg AckermanLive MusicPhotos

Live music photos: Hot Summer Nights featured Andrew Cashen, Semihelix, Portrayal of Guilt and more

Greg Ackerman 3974 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The Red River Cultural District’s cover-free Hot Summer Nights event took place last weekend in venues all over the downtown neighborhood July 24-26. Nearly 150 primarily Austin-area artists took to the stage at Mohawk, 13th Floor, Elysium, Chess Club and a dozen other RRCD venues. This is the eighth year the neighborhood organization has organized the event which spawned from its original sister event, Free Week which takes place the first week of January each year. Resound Presents founder, Graham Williams is credited with originating that event while he was working as a talent booker at the original Emo’s on Red River and Sixth Street. featured in this photo story is Andrew Cashen and Disciples of Creation, shoegaze/psych rockers, Queen Serene, Pearl Z, Sexpop, Mujeres Podridas, Stop Motion Orchestra, Portrayal of Guilt, Semihelix and lots more.

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Wavves Mohawk Troy Gonzales
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Wavves played to raucous Mohawk crowd in Austin

Brian Hillsman 4236 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

On a warm and muggy Saturday night in Austin, San Diego-based, surf-punks, Wavves, headlined a showcase for a packed, raucous Mohawk crowd on July 19 in the Red River Cultural District.  Three bands were on the bill for the night, all hailing from California, and each delivered their  respective takes on Golden State indie post-punk. Beach Goons and Chokecherry opened the show.

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