The Austinot Weekend Concert Picks: April 5-6, 2019

Welcome to April, stalwart music lovers! With temperatures finally creeping towards normal, now is a prime time for leaving the apartment and venturing forth on musical explorations. All of this week’s artists are random discoveries I’m dying to share with you. They include exceptional folk/Americana, gravely blues/rock, and experimental jazz with an Austin legend at the helm. Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the city, and listen local.

Friday, April 5

Grand Child w/Caterpillar, The Lovely Sparrows

@ Hole in the Wall (2538 Guadalupe) – 9 p.m. – Facebook event

Ah, discoveries. An ever-escalating tsunami wave of finger-picking folk and Americana stomp, Grand Child captured my ear like little has since SXSW.

According to legend, the band fell off the map after 2011’s incredible “My Legs Are In The Water, My Head Is in the Clouds” to start new careers and musical adventures. While some started adulting in various fields, Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins started a little-known band called Wild Child. Luckily for fans, their re-emergence on concert listings proves they’re back and hopefully focused on new music.

From the sensational harmony-laden guitar tickler “I Know” to the psychedelia-tinged “Side Kick,” Grand Child layers strings, horns, keys, and mallet percussion into a seven-layer dip of musical extravagance.

Missing out on this band is a huge hole in my ATX critic cred that I’m glad is now plugged. Looking forward to new sounds from this stand-out act. Also playing is Dallas indie rock band Caterpillar and indie rock five-piece The Lovely Sparrows.

Saturday, April 6

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sam Pace (@sampacemusic) on Jan 5, 2019 at 3:43pm PST

Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit

@ Lambert’s (401 W. 2nd St.) – 7 p.m. – Calendar

Gravely gut punch rock-a-blues sung from the depths of a southern swamp, Sam Pace rumbles his way through songs like the crunchy “Undertow” and aptly-named “Punch ‘Em in the Ear” with snarl and sneer.

But it’s not all guitar effects and throaty growl. Pace is a six-string shredsmith of the highest caliber. Another example of “where have you been all my life,” his 2018 LP “Judgement Eve” is an 11-round knock out of power, punch, and legit songwriting chops. The world needs more well-crafted kick ass and Sam, along with his Gilded Grit, deliver it in spades.

Nori w/Ley Line

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nori (@nori.band) on Oct 11, 2018 at 11:05am PDT

@ Radio Coffee & Beer (4204 Manchaca) – 9 p.m. – Event page

Our final stop on this week’s “how in the world did I not know about this band” tour, Nori’s genre-bending melange of new age jazz, Latin rhythms, and old-fashioned soul is pure beauty and groove.

Fronted by the multi-talented Akina Adderley, Nori’s musical explorations take the group from the entrancing slow-burn-to-explosion track “The Dream,” to the Chuck Mangione-inspired jazz jam “Wildfire.” The sort of music worthy of candlelit evening listening sessions, Nori’s expressive and enchanting sound is yet another example of Austin’s rich sonic landscape, and the hidden wonders therein.

Also playing is multi-lingual Latin folk act Ley Line.

@BillTuckerTSP wants to know:

Where will you be going for live music in Austin this weekend?