live music – Page 3 – The Cosmic Clash

Author & Punisher 2 Far Out Lounge Justin Clark

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

March 31, 2026 Case Cockrell 1060 Views Author & Punisher, Black Magnet, concert review, concerts, Far Out Lounge, hardcore, industrial hardcore, live music, metal, Nocturnal Birding, Portishead, Review, Tristan Shone

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.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

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

March 25, 2026 Case Cockrell 1529 Views art rock, Bass Concert Hall, Bass Hall, concert review, Elysium, experimental rock, hard rock, live music, Maynard James Keenan, Puscifer, Review, rock n roll, Tool

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.

Live Music Review Robert Dean

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

March 23, 2026 Robert Dean 1485 Views Digjits, live music, Osees, Pink Fuzz, Play to the Plants, Review, Rocket From the Crypt, Sean Barna, SIMS Foundation, South by Southwest, Sun Atlas, SXSW, Tear Dungeon, Tropa Magica

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.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

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

March 21, 2026 Case Cockrell 2063 Views American Sharks, Annabelle Chairlegs, Big Bill, Bikini Beach, Caitlin King, Geordie Greep, hard rock, Holy Wave, Hot Garbage, Hotel Vegas, indie rock, jazz, Killer Kaya, live music, Nug, Osees, Panic Shack, Pink Breath of Heaven, punk rock, Review, rock n roll, So Many Cults, South by Southwest, Surfbort, SXSW, SXSW 2026, This is Lorelei, Tropa Magica, Water From Your Eyes

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.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Six SXSW 2026 day parties music fans should show up for

March 12, 2026 Case Cockrell 2203 Views 13th Floor, Bikini Beach, Caitlin King, Club X, Cosmic Plants Clash, day parties, Fleet Coffee, Grocery Bag, J Graves, Killer Kaya, live music, Megan From Work, mohawk, music festival, Nug, Pink Fuzz, preview, Semihelix, So Many Cults, South by Southwest, Sunshine Spazz, SXSW, The Cavalier, This is Lorelei, Water From Your Eyes, Webberville Block Party

What’s South By Southwest (SXSW) without daytime shenanigans? For each year’s SXSW installment, different activations pop up all over the city to bring SX-goers daytime programming before things switch over to an all-official format. These “Day Parties” mostly feature cover-free programming, sometimes featuring official SXSW artists who give non-credentialed music fans opportunities to join in the festivities during the week. All listed events occur between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., are free for attendees, require no badge, and are subject to capacity. Make sure to RSVP for seamless entry to the events. For a larger list of SXSW day parties, head to our curated list of the best events to hit up.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Six more buzz bands to see at SXSW 2026

March 10, 2026 Case Cockrell 2542 Views Annabelle Chairlegs, Austin Music, Bikini Beach, buzz bands, electronic music, experimental music, garage rock, live music, Marijuana Death Squads, new music, Nug, Pink Breath of Heaven, post-punk, preview, psych-rock, punk rock, rock n roll, shoegaze, SXSW, SXSW 2026

The 2026 South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival is days away. The roster of music festival artists can seem overwhelming at first glance. With a lineup that can satisfy every kind of music lover, The Cosmic Clash is bringing you six more buzz bands you should put on your list for the upcoming long week of music in Austin. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and the SXSW GO mobile application.

Live Music Opinion Robert Dean

In memoriam: We lost Adam Morehead of The Cavalier so we’re having a block party

March 5, 2026 Robert Dean 1206 Views Adam Morehead, BENefit, Chadwick Legar, Eulogy, Fleet Coffee, in memoriam, live music, music venue, Rachelle Fox, SIMS Foundation, SXSW, SXSW 2026, The Cavalier, Webberville Block Party

I think when a person passes, how those in their wake tell their stories is an important, but telling way to show how much that person impacted their lives. Recently, Adam Morehead, one of the owners of The Cavalier, moved onto the next dimension and that’s one that stings. The Cavalier has served as the unofficial headquarters of The Cosmic Clash and anyone who’s snapped a photo, written a word, or had a quick meeting likely did so sitting out on the Webberville patio.

Greg Ackerman Premiere Song

Video premiere: SoundMass releases new single, prepares for SXSW 2026 shows

March 3, 2026 Greg Ackerman 1530 Views 13th Floor, art rock, concert, Cosmic Plants Clash, day party, live music, My Education, new music, Play to the Plants, post rock, preview, progressive rock, song premiere, SoundMass, SXSW, Theta Naught, video premiere

On March 14, SoundMass will gather at The 13th Floor for Cosmic Plants Clash IV, the SXSW day party our publication and Play to the Plants has produced at the venue the past four years. We’ve invited the group, which is really two awesome post-rock bands, Austin’s my education and Salt Lake City’s Theta Naught combined. The merging of the two acts produces a powerful, orchestral style performance with rock instrumentation. With two of every instrument, the stage becomes crammed with talented musicians which is basically our ideal scenario. Today we’re premiering SoundMass’ latest single, “Last Gasp.”

Culture Greg Ackerman Preview

SXSW preview: Flatstock offers unparalleled free fine art show to fans

February 26, 2026 Greg Ackerman 2243 Views Billy Perkins, culture, fine art, Flatstock, live music, poster art, preview, printmaking, South by Southwest, SXSW

As a purveyor of good music, The Cosmic Clash rarely discusses visual art as we’re usually busy telling readers about music we love. Fans already know, visual art is a relevant component of the independent music scene that matters to us. Flatstock, the fine art poster show that has been present at South by Southwest (SXSW) as long as we can remember. In fact, Flatstock has been around since their first exhibition in San Francisco in 2002. The show features hand-printed and limited-edition poster art by over 50 artists and studios from around the globe for sale – all of whom will be in attendance to interact with visitors directly. The location this year is new as the Austin Convention Center is a pile of rubble at the moment. The new location at Moonlight Exhibit Hall is in the Austin Marriott Downtown (304 E Cesar Chavez St.) on March 13-15, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Case Cockrell Interviews Music News

Interview: The Sword’s Bryan Richie works hard to sustain the Austin music scene

February 22, 2026 Case Cockrell 1683 Views Austin Music, bryan richie, electronic music, Galactic Protector, heavy metal, Interview, Interviews, live music, music news, music scene, new music, rock n roll, Spaceflight Reecords, The Sword

If you’ve spent any real time in the Austin music trenches, you know the difference between hype and longevity. Bryan Richie has been on the longevity side for over 20 years. Between his work with The Sword, Spaceflight Records, and his electronic outlet Galactic Protector, he’s watched the local ecosystem evolve through boom cycles, venue shakeups, and the streaming era’s slippery slopes. We caught up with him to talk about staying busy, supporting artists the right way, and why Austin’s scene, while ever-changing, is far from dead. Richie is gearing up for a European tour this year while celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Sword’s triumphant debut Age of Winters, and will release the sequel to his 2019 solo record on February 24. We caught up with him to discuss the upcoming release and why the Central Texas music system still matters and how every bit of fan support is crucial to making it all happen.

Blackwater Holylight Radio East Troy Gonzales

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

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

February 20, 2026 Case Cockrell 1204 Views Austin Psych Fest, black metal, Blackwater Holylight, doom metal, Far Out Lounge, Glassing, Levitation, live music, psych-rock, Radio East, Review, rock n roll, shoegaze, Suicide Squeeze, The Well

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.