Hooray for the weekend! While the forecast is calling for a heavy dose of blech with an outside chance of yuck, all of the shows featured below are indoors and away from the elements. This weekend, we recommend a brewery anniversary party, Austin’s leading lady of Latin music, and emo puppets. Enjoy the weekend, friends. And–as always–listen local!
Friday, Sept. 14
Sabrina Ellis of Sweet Spirit lights up Barracuda (Credit: Paula Horstman courtesy of Compose Yourself Magazine)
Oskar Blues 2nd Anniversary Show feat. Sweet Spirit, Continental Drift
@ Oskar Blues Brewery (10420 Metric Blvd.) – 8 p.m. – Event page
Fantastic beer and exceptional music in one place? Sounds like a Friday night made in heaven. Oskar Blues is celebrating its second year in Austin with an incredible concert, headlined by the sensational Sweet Spirit.
Sabrina Ellis’s “side project” has ballooned into a nationally-recognized tour de force. A bomb blast of heavy guitars, scream-along hooks, and theatrical vocals, Sweet Spirit is an intense, overpowering, and mind-blowing musical experience. Seeing the band in the relatively small confines of a brewery has the potential to be memorable.
Also playing: purveyors of Afro-Latin party jams, Continental Drift.
Saturday, Sept. 15
Gina Chavez (Credit: Bill Tucker)
Gina Chavez w/Carrie Rodriguez and Jane Ellen Bryant
@ Antone’s (305 E. 5th St.) – 7:30 p.m. – Tickets
Our love for Gina Chavez has been long documented on The Austinot. With smooth, velvety vocals layered atop authentic Latin/cumbia/salsa rhythms, she’s quickly becoming a legend in the local scene. But fans like me have been asking for years now–where’s the next record?
With authority, Chavez answers this question with her newest EP “Lightbeam” and a record release show at Antone’s this Saturday. The album finds the artist dipping into the realms of R&B and soul, instead of her trademark Latin flavor. Songs like the first single “Heaven Knows” is a joyful celebration of love wrapped in an upbeat soul jam, while the opener “It’s Hard to Love a Woman” is a blues/R&B slow burn that allows Chavez’s one-of-a-kind vocals to truly soar. A lovely suite of songs by a unique artist.
Also playing: sensational mutli-instrumentalist Carrie Rodriguez and singer/songwriter Jane Ellen Bryant.
Sunday, Sept. 16
Fragile Rock (Credit: Bill Tucker)
Fragile Rock w/Danger Cakes, The Dead Coats
@ Hotel Vegas (1502 E. 6th St.) – 9 p.m. – Facebook event
One of my favorite surprises from this past year’s SXSW Music Festival, Fragile Rock is more than the surface area gimmick of emo-playing puppets. Full of sharp wit, clever humor and sharply written tunes, Fragile Rock’s music can stand on its own, without the need for felt and sticks.
While tunes like “Socks Are Murder” have more punch with the puppets, a loving ode to actress Fairuza Balk and the teenage angst of “Wakeup to the Breakup” belong on everyone’s Spotify rotation, even without the visual element. Long story short, see these guys on Sunday. You won’t be sorry.
Also playing: riot girl rock-a-soul group Danger Cakes and pysch punk act The Dead Coats.
@BillTuckerTSP wants to know:
What local show are you looking forward to most in Austin this weekend?
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