With our fine city firmly entrenched in the holiday season, it’s easy to forget about personal time. If you’re looking for a break from the bustle, you should know live music is still running strong in the ATX. This weekend, we recommend a sultry soul singer, grunge/psych act, and a folk/pop foursome so bizarre that it may become your favorite band. Enjoy the weekend, happy holidays, and listen local!
Note: I’ll be out of town with family next week. The Austinot Weekend Concert Picks will resume in the new year.
Friday, Dec. 21
Melat stole the show during her stunningly sultry ACL set (Credit: Flipintex Fotos)
Melat (12 p.m.), Charlie Mars (3 p.m.), Jesse Dayton (7 p.m.)
@ Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Road) – Doors 11 p.m. – Music lineup
If you’re going to run around town shopping for last-minute gifts, then you might as well do so swept along by live, local music. The annual Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is Austin’s premier stop for cool, quirky gifts.
It’s also a great place to check out a show. Friday’s slate opens with the soulful sounds of local R&B star Melat, followed by the country/pop groove of Charlie Mars, and backstopped by renowned singer/songwriter Jesse Dayton. Searching for the perfect gift has never been this fun.
➡️ Keep reading: Austin’s Best Bazaars, Fairs, and Markets for Your Holiday Shopping
Saturday, Dec. 22
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Blynd Birds w/Mars Meta
@ The Hole in the Wall (2538 Guadalupe St.) – 9 p.m. – Facebook event
A touch grunge, a touch pysch, and a whole lot of guitar-screeching groove, Blynd Birds is one of those pleasant discoveries that makes this weekly series worth the work. Tunes like the crunchy Southern rock jam “Vice Veins” weaves a cheeky tale of issues and the ways we solve them, while “Yellow Houses” plays like a Black Keys growler, complete with a startling, unofficial video. Glad to have stumbled across this Austin group!
Mountebank w/Tortuga Shades, Ama
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@ Mohawk Inside (912 Red River St.) – 9 p.m. – Tickets
Bizarre in a good way, Mountebank blends whimsical pop lines with psych rock soundscapes, and off-kilter rhythms, to create a sound that’s disarming yet catchy at the same time.
Standout tunes include the rambling, pop-laden “Old Weed” and “Elkton St,” a cloying melange of tipsy vocals, head music synth vamps, and growling guitar. If you’re looking for something a touch left of center, then check out these trippy troubadours.
Also playing are ’90s-era alterna-rock band Tortuga Shades and power pop act Ama.
@BillTuckerTSP wants to know:
Where are you going for live, local music this weekend in Austin?
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