Lite + Brite: 33 Postmodern Austin Events 10/13
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
It’s nowhere near Halloween just yet, but the holiday continues to invade the rest of October like the Mongols or the Christmas mafia. If we were September we’d be quaking in our boots. This is the perfect time for us to unveil (hold for an eerily pregnant pause) our annual Halloween Events Spreadsheet! Yes it’s the gift that keeps on giving until the month of Halloween ends. Learn it, love it, live it, find your Halloween plans you planners, or just get a vague sense of what’s out there fellow non-planners. Austin is your oyster, especially if you dress up like one. This thing is mammoth, and like an evil pulsating disembodied brain in a vat, it is growing uncontrollably + we can’t stop it. Not without some plucky teens and a Kate Bush song or two anyway.
We do not just write about and carefully catalog events! We also throw our own. Tonight we’re at West China Tea House for another biweekly edition of No Lights No Lycra and later this month we’ll not only be dancing in utter darkness as we do each time but the tunes will get extremely creepy to match.
Meanwhile, back at the newsletter: This week we’ve got Friday the 13th in October which leads to extra excuses for people who like it spooky and the event producers who hope to entice them. Let’s review: a slightly on the nose but killer sounding (get it?) Friday the 13th Ball, a showing of horror classic Basketcase (you’ll never look at picnic baskets the same way again, trust us), spooky skating, skull painting at spooky soirees, costumed dogs, + multi-sensory cannibal flicks.
Avoiding all things spooky? Not a problem. Try a bioblitz (not nearly as spooky as it sounds, we swear), extremely uncostumed armadillo speedsters, Tammy Wynette impersonators, brass bands, fire dancing, animal cuddling, fantasy films, or steel yourself for SO MUCH POLKA.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
Our enshadowed dance party, No Lights No Lycra, is back again tonight (10/12) at West China Tea. It gets good and dark in there and we’ll have sound support from the ever wonderful DJ Phildoesit and his many PA speakers of darkness. Wondering what sort of music you might hear? Listen to a playlist of music from our last edition here or scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for a track listing.
No Humans Allowed covered early synthpop inspired by Kraftwerk in this week’s episode. Listen to Computer World in the Kpiss archives. NHA is live every Wednesday (as long as the internet is working) at 6pm CT on kpiss.fm.
What is No Lights No Lycra?
Austin’s twice-monthly, judgment-free, substance-free, high-impact dance thing in the dark. It’s a DJ night that’s not at the club, a workout that’s not at the gym, a personal meditation that’s anything but silent. It’s produced by us, your kindly L+B overlords, and usually one or the other of us is on the hook for DJ duties. Read more about us in the Austin Chronicle. You can listen the kind of music we play over on Brian’s Mixcloud.
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 10/13
- Tremble Staves at Laguna Gloria
Performance art, but also it’s underwater, or in the water - Creepy Castle at a secret Austin location
“Art by you and all your friends” + costumes, live music - Broadway Rave at Empire Control Room
A musical theatre dance party complete w/karaoke - Sigourney Beaver at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Drag performers, live music, + costumes encouraged - Friday the 13th Ball at Elysium
The most Friday the 13th adjacent bar celebrates w/spooky music, DJs, costume contest - Yappy Hour at Hotel Vegas
Doggy costume contest, photo ops, vendors, + DJ - Spooky Soiree at Lark and Owl
Costume contest, skull painting, horror speed dating - Lucky 13 Art Show at Spokesman South
An art show w/a mix of the spooky + non-spooky - Bedpost Confessions at Austin Scottish Rite Theater
Live taping of a podcast about confessions + drag performers - Sordid Lives at Ground Floor Theater
A play involving a drag Tammy Wynette impersonator, small town TX, + dirty secrets - (weekly thru 10/27) Tiny Minotaur Fantasy Movie Drive-In at the Museum of Human Achievement
Watch cult fantasy flicks in a drive-in setting w/the Tiny Minotaur crew
Saturday 10/14
- Oktoberfest at the German Free School
October is not only about Halloween, it can also be about beer + lederhosen - Austoberfest at Scholz Garten & Saengerrunde Halle
Celebrate Oktoberfest w/live music, sausage samplings, stein holding + polka contest - Parents Just Don’t Understand at the Museum of Human Achievement
A “multi-sensory” showing of “the best little cannibal movie you’ve never seen” - Postmodern Options at Collection Rert
“An art show about super secure commodity rights for self-pleasure branding” - The Last Halloween at the Glass Coffin
Vendors, DJs, + drag performers shake their collective fists at the evil forces of I-35 expansion - 38th Birthday Library Launch at allgo
Celebrate a new community library launch w/readings + cake - Creative Community Meetup at Future Front House
Vendors, DJ, portraits, + “community storytime” and connecting - Victorian Mourning at Pioneer Farms
“Learn about death + mourning” covering seances, spirit photography, + more - Baby Goats, Mini Pigs, and Coffee at the Hive
Cuddle or watch tiny animals while sipping warming becerages - Bedpost Confessions at Austin Scottish Rite Theater
Live taping of a podcast about confessions + drag performers - Sordid Lives at Ground Floor Theater
A play involving a drag Tammy Wynette impersonator, small town TX, + dirty secrets - (weekly) Come @ Me at Fallout Theater
Improv comedians tackle the intricacies of online life / social media
Sunday 10/15
- Blowcomotion’s Fifth Birthday Party at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
A brace of brass bands, + DJ, community band info - Bioblitz Bingo at Pease Park
Community collection of biodiversity info on Pease Park - One-Year Anniversary Party at Vintage Bookstore
Author panel, winemaker panel, live music, + DJ - The Shiny Market and Fire Jam at Shiny Things for Shiny People
Fire dancers, DJs, vendors, live painters, crystals + mediums - Splash Dance at the Austin Motel Pool
Poolside aerobics w/Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 10/16
- (weekly) Hyperreal Film Club at Hotel Vegas
Watch a classic horror film about brotherly love
Tuesday 10/17
- Flood of Spirits at the Driskill
An immersive theatrical performance depicting a real flood where 50 Austinites died - (weekly thru 10/31) Dungeons and Drag at Oilcan Harry’s
We expect what it says on the tin: drag + DnD fantasy fun times
Wednesday 10/18
- Armadillo Races at Skinny’s
Nothing but speedy dillos + the puffs of smoke they leave behind - Grand Opening at Radio East
Celebrate the new expansion of Radio w/free coffee, live bluegrass, + food - Queer Skate Night at Playland Skate Center
“Calling all ghouls, gays, + theys” for spooky skating, drag, costume contest - Future Landscape at Crashbox
“Live performance, polka, and piano” - Flood of Spirits at the Driskill
An immersive theatrical performance depicting a real flood where 50 Austinites died
Thursday 10/19
- Future Landscape at Crashbox
“Live performance, polka, and piano” - Flood of Spirits at the Driskill
An immersive theatrical performance depicting a real flood where 50 Austinites died
No Humans Allowed 166
Computer World
This week’s episode originally aired as a substitute set during Clean Nice Quiet. The conceit behind it would be that all of these songs would be inspired by Kraftwerk, and it ended up being predominantly synthpop and a sprinkling of cosmic disco from the late 70s through very early 80s. We might have to do another one of these with electro and techno inspired by Kraftwerk from later in the 80s and the 90s, but we’ll see…
Tracklist
Kraftwerk – Kristallo
Cerrone – Memory
Bruce Haack – Blow Job
Henry Badowski – Henry’s in Love (PhDJ Eugene Edit)
The Metronomes – Saturday Night
OMD – Messages (GW Edit)
Kuruki – Crocodile Tears
New Musik – A Map of You
Ann Steel – My Time
Leda – Welcome to Joyland
Telex – My Future
No Humans Allowed is Brian Blackout’s award-winning, dodgy European news coverage receiving, weekly robots-themed radio show on internet station KPISS.fm. Machine vibes 4 machines. Songs for robots, androids, mandroids, cyborgs, AIs, cylons, skinjobs, roombas, wifi routers, smart devices, anything colored Bondi blue, and virtual assistants. Humans not required. Broadcasts live every Wednesday at 6pm CT on kpiss.fm, with over 150 episodes now streamable in the archives on topics like and Beach Simulations, Roomba dance parties, undersea adventures + Cyber Texas.
No Lights No Lycra ATX 155
w/Brian Blackout
Live DJ set, recorded September 28th at West China Tea House
Listen to No Lights No Lycra 155
Tracklist
Todd Terje – Swing Star
Laura Michelle – You Always Hurt the One You Love
Claudia Telles – Foi como um Sonho (Patchouli Brothers Edit)
Supertramp – Logical Song (Ponty Mython Edit)
Mariah Carey – Emotions
AR Kane – A Love from Outer Space
Nona Hendryx – Why Should I Cry?
Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 (Butch le Butch Remix)
Donna Summer – Hot Stuff
Tata Vega – (I’ve Got My) Second Wind
Ce Ce Pension – We Got a Love Thang
The Juan Maclean – Happy House
LCD Soundsystem – Yeah
Out Hud – One Life to Leave
The Whitest Boy Alive – Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)
Benny Benassi & the Biz – Satisfaction
Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam
Goldfrapp – Rocket
Depeche Mode – Master and Servant
FM Attack & Vandal Moon – Candlelight
Foreigner – Urgent
Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way
Bruce Springsteen – Dancing in the Dark
Home – All at Once
PATREON THANKS
A huge thank-you to our Patreon subscribers Lilly Ettinger, Lena Long, Amalia Litsa, Jacob Rosenberg, Alexander Freed, Spencer, Kristen Backor, Timon A., Kate Murray, and Amy Wilde. We’re deeply grateful for your support, which allows us to do things like “pay our Mailchimp fee” and “spend hours researching Austin events when technically we should be working.”
If you’d like to support us on Patreon and get access to exclusive member-only benefits, you may do so here.
SOCIALS
Recent weeks brought us to a Round Rock parking lot to observe a flock of Purple Martins; the Mesmerize workshop to help build out their Creek Show creation; and the Eureka Room for a closing party. Follow Lite + Brite on Instagram to keep up with our adventures. And come chat with us and the rest of the L+B community on our Discord server!
ABOUT US
How do we choose which events to feature?
Honestly, it’s pretty random. We might include anything in Austin that we, personally, would conceivably want to go to, generally excluding normal concerts, comedy shows, and movie showtimes because there are many other good resources for finding those. (We especially recommend Showlist for live music, The Darker Side of Austin for goth and metal stuff, and the 60+ Weirdest Things in Austin for exactly what it sounds like). This list is by no means exhaustive; it’s just stuff that caught our eye this week. If you have an event that you want us to consider including, send it over.
Who are we?
We make this newsletter. We put on No Lights No Lycra every second and fourth Thursday of the month. We do some other stuff here and there. We love going out to creative events in Austin, and we want you to join us. Visit us at liteandbriteatx.com, and support us on Patreon if you like what we do.