Lite + Brite: 52 Hoppy Austin Events 12/8
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
The holiday season means many things; specifically, it means the return of the Museum of Human Achievement’s annual Christmas musical. Their production of “Home Alone” a few years ago, starring a seven-year-old child as a therapist and P1nkstar as pizza, remains one of history’s greatest theatrical experiences. This year they’re doing a take on Edward Scissorhands, and we will for sure be there.
The holiday season also means SO MANY HOLIDAY MARKETS. This is your reminder that we have listed them on our website, and we’ve added a ton over the past couple days. Our site now lists 61 different pop-up makers markets. SIXTY-ONE! If you can’t find a hand-poured candle or screen-printed tote bag in there, that is fully on you.
Some other things: We checked out a preview of Illumaverse at dadaLab. It’s full of interactive, site-specific art which is a delight to explore. It’s running for the next few weekends; get a sense before you go on our Instagram. The 37th Street Lights open tonight and will be twinkling through the end of the month. Last year many of the residents were running aggressive campaigns to elect their pets mayor of 37th Street, so when we go see the lights this year we expect to receive a full State of the Street from Mayor Dragon. Highland Collective, one of our favorite artist collectives and spaces, is hosting a “lamp show“—they’ve done something similar in the past and we can confirm that lamps are a surprisingly excellent artistic medium. And on Thursday we are throwing one last dance party in the dark before 2023 comes to a close! Scroll down for details on all this and so much more.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
Our dance party in the dark, No Lights No Lycra, is next Thursday, December 14. We normally hold it twice a month, but because of the holidays this will be our last date in 2023, so it’s your last chance to dance in the dark before the year turns over. Wondering what kind of music we’ll play? Listen to a live recording of our last edition here or scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for a tracklisting.
This week, No Humans Allowed (Brian’s radio show for robots) was not just a place to listen to bleeps and bloops, but it also became the outlet for a terrible AI-generated radio play about an Irish cyborg named Seamus O’Cyborg, who spends his time sleuthing across an orbital undercity full of crime, nightlife, and “FUTURE DRUGS.” No one ever accused AIs of being creative with drug names, did they? Anyway you can listen to a reading of this ridiculous story, interspersed with a carefully curated soundtrack of tense, mysterious italo, electro, house, + synth-fueled jazz. Listen to Gaelic Thunder: Orbital Shadows in the Kpiss archives or scroll down for more info + a tracklist. NHA broadcasts live every Wednesday 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 12/8
- The Austin Puppet Incident at the Dougherty Arts Center
“Puppetry for adult audiences” ft. many different styles of puppetry - Geekgasm Revue at Kick Butt Coffee
Holiday-themed “nerdlesque” + drag performers - 37th St. Lights Opening Night at 37th and Guadalupe
Tour a neighborhood w/intense holiday lights + decorations - Lamp Show at Highland Collective
Highland’s artist collective makes lamps whimsical + fun - Poo Poo Platter at Elysium
Drag performers pay tribute to Taylor Swift and the top 0.3% of her fans - Neon Rainbows at Cheer Up Charlie’s
“The Gayest Little Country Dance Party” ft. a bootload of 90s country - Coming on Christmas at ColdTowne
“The play that nobody asked for,” a parody of Hallmark Xmas movies - The Fright Before Christmas at House of Torment
Scarier than your uncle trying to engage you in a political conversation at Christmas dinner - Illumaverse at dadaLab
Immersive, holiday-themed light installations - The Watchmaker’s Song at the Neill-Cochran House
Immersive reinterpretation of the Nutcracker in different styles of dance
Saturday 12/9
- Dear Diary’s Secret Show at a secret location
Ride your bike to a secret location w/live music, coffee, + more - Mortified ATX at the Highball
Folks tell tales of adolescent angst in a new comedic light - Fat Bottom Cabaret at the Stateside
“Plus size” cabaret group does classic burlesque w/live band - Krampus Night at the Glass Coffin
Say hi to Evil Santa, buy horror holiday stuff, + listen to a DJ - Cirque du Glaze at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Sword swallowing, sideshow arts, drag performers + DJ - Hyde Park Neighborhood Association Holiday Parade at the Elisabet Ney Museum
Join Santa + floats for a parade ending at holiday vendors - Passport to the World Festival at the Austin Central Library
Celebrate the cultures of Austin’s many sister cities across the world - Vegan Street Fair at Celis Brewery
Sample food from a wide array of vendors, all of it vegan - Weihnachten Dinner & Dance at Austin Saengerrunde
Live Polka, Christmas fits, + a cookie contest for men - Victorian Christmas at Pioneer Farms
Travel back in time to celebrate Xmas the way people in the 1800s did - Pease Paws Parade at Pease Park
Dogs dressed in their holiday best + “dog-themed puppet show” - Get Crafty: Winter Cheer Extravaganza at APL’s St. John branch
Drink cocoa + make “scarves, mugs, felt trees, ornaments, + winter slime” - Winter Celebration at APL’s Little Walnut Creek branch
“Carol-oke,” drinks, snacks, crafting, + gift wrapping station - Goat Cuddles with Santa at the Hive
Santa. Best known for his reindeer, but he’s down w/baby goats too - La Peda Before Christmas at Trailr Park Studios
For the price of a donated toy/coat, you can party w/DJs + artists - Ambient Mass at MASS Gallery
Ambient + downtempo DJs spin chill tunes amidst art + pillows - RABBITS at the Vortex
A play of post-apocalyptic survival amongst terrifying mutant rabbits - Second Saturdays at the Blanton
Listen to live music, check out art, + hear art talks - Coming on Christmas at ColdTowne
“The play that nobody asked for,” a parody of Hallmark Xmas movies - The Fright Before Christmas at House of Torment
Scarier than your uncle trying to engage you in a political conversation at Christmas dinner - Illumaverse at dadaLab
Immersive, holiday-themed light installations - The Watchmaker’s Song at the Neill-Cochran House
Immersive reinterpretation of the Nutcracker in different styles of dance - Holiday Markets at various Austin venues
Our guide w/a stupefying number of holiday vendor markets - (weekly) Come @ Me at Fallout Theater
Improv comedians tackle the intricacies of online life / social media
Sunday 12/10
- Pumpkins to the Pigs at the Enchanted Pig Forest
Learn all about rescue pigs + watch them pig out on pumpkins - Art Show at the Flipside Warehouse
Like open mic for art. Bring your own art to show (but not sell) - Holiday Spice & Everything Nice at the Coral Snake
DJs, burlesque performers, + gift vendors from the Art Island crew - Mrs. Roper Party at Tweedy’s
Dress up to celebrate an unlikely 1970s style + feminist icon - Public Mural Celebration at the Jones Center
Meet reptiles + watch as a new mural is painted - Chunky Dunk: Polar Plunge at the Austin Motel
DJs, drag performers, + swimming polar bears unite for a good cause - Tea and Chocolates at West China Tea
Local chocolatiers partner w/local tea house for delicious results - Hoppy Holidays at the Neill-Cochran House Museum
“A concert of carols, cocoa, and cold beer” - The Fright Before Christmas at House of Torment
Scarier than your uncle trying to engage you in a political conversation at Christmas dinner - Illumaverse at dadaLab
Immersive, holiday-themed light installations - Holiday Markets at various Austin venues
Our guide w/a stupefying number of holiday vendor markets
Monday 12/11
- ATX Short Film Showcase at the Spider House Ballroom
The films are short, the filmmakers are Texan + of varying heights - Holiday Markets at various Austin venues
Our guide w/a stupefying number of holiday vendor markets
Tuesday 12/12
- Tiny Talks at Pershing Hall
Short-format “inspiring + entertaining talks” accompanied by slides - Queer Visioning: New Year, Still Queer! at CRAFT
A workshop on vision boarding + collage making for the new year
Wednesday 12/13
- Queer to Tell at the Soundspace at Captain Quack’s
“Queer Stories told by Queer People in Queer Businesses in Queer Austin” - The Moth at the Paramount
Great storytelling gets a big spotlight - Kiki and Herb at the State Theatre
“Classless classics” sung by delightfully cheeky + farcical take on lounge singers - Homo for the Holigays at Elysium
Holiday-themed performances from “drag king + gender diverse troupe” - Rooftop Session at the Jones Center
Enjoy art + listen to a DJ on a rooftop w/scenic Austin views - Game of the Month Meetup at the Museum of Human Achievement
“It’s like a book club, but for games”
Thursday 12/14
- No Lights No Lycra at West China Tea
The lone December date for our dance party in the dark - Edward Normalhands at the Museum of Human Achievement
MoHA’s ridiculous + irreverent twist of Edward Scissorhands - JingleBooze at the Thinkery
Holiday photo ops, ugly sweater contest, + “pretend snow ball fight” - Home Alone at the Long Center
Watch a classic holiday film w/live symphonic score - Texass at ColdTowne
“Inclusive night of horsin’ around with some of the funniest LGBTQ+ comedians“ - Magical Mystical Michael at Captain Quack’s Soundspace
Magically make some coffee disappear while watching touring magician - The Watchmaker’s Song at the Neill-Cochran House
Immersive reinterpretation of the Nutcracker in different styles of dance
No Humans Allowed 173
Gaelic Thunder: Orbital Shadows
We’re doing something a little different this week on No Humans Allowed. We’ve got our hands on a whole dumb AI-generated radio play about an private eye named Seamus O’Cyborg solving mysteries on an orbital space station full of vice, nightclubs, “SHADOWY FIGURES,” and “FUTURE DRUGS.” We’ve built an imaginary cinematic soundtrack around this story which we’ll be playing interspersed with readings from the script. Expect lots of tense and mysterious electro + italo, some sleazy yet action-packed house music and a few forays into electronic jazz. Press play to hear the results.
Stream Gaelic Thunder: Orbital Shadows
Tracklist
Superski – It’s Always Fun at the Beginning
Transparent Sound – Mistakes Happen
The RAH Band – Is Anybody There?
Les Trois Etrangers – Luna
Hysteric – No Particular Place
Ronald Langestraat – Girl Where Are You?
Grace Jones – Party Girl (dub version)
In Flagranti – Genital Blue Room
The Mogs – Kelly Blame (Ph 606 version)
Cube – Building on Land (Idjut Boys Edit)
DJ Koze – Illumination ft. Róisín Murphy
Shit Robot – End of the Trail ft. Alexis Taylor
Alexander Arpeggio & OhLandy – Der Anruf
Al Onzo – Tango Japan
Ksky – Ghostly Girl
Herbie Hancock – Chemical Residue
New Jackson – There Will Always Be This Love
Ronald Langestraat – Gotta Get Away
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 158
w/Brian Blackout
Recorded live in the dark at West China Tea House on November 9, 2023.
Listen to No Lights No Lycra 158
Tracklist
Au Suisse – Control
David Joseph – Let’s Live It Up (Rayko Version)
Kate Bush – Watching You Without Me (Chris Woodward Edit)
Aeroplane – Let’s Get Slow
Charli XCX – Boom Clap (Aeroplane Remix)
Saint Pepsi – Better
Black Box – Strike It up
Dérivative – Put Your Hand in Mine (club mix)
Don Ray – Standing in the Rain
Anita Ward – Ring My Bell
Eddie Kendricks – Date with the Rain (PhDJ Edit)
The Clash – Train in Vain (Jimbo Slice Edit)
Scissor Sisters – Fire with Fire (Rory Phillips Remix)
K.W.S. – Please Don’t Go
Phil Collins – Sussudio
The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men
Jacknife Lee, Budgie & Lol Tolhurst – Los Angeles ft. James Murphy (the Dare Remix)
Hot Hot Heat – Talk to Me, Dance With Me
Girl Ray – Murder on the Dancefloor
Discovery Zone – Dance II
Pixies – Debaser
Blue Hawaii – I Felt Love
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Head On
The La’s – There She Goes
Home – All at Once
PATREON THANKS
A huge thank-you to our Patreon subscribers Christina Jue, Colleen MB, 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 found us taking in the Austin Studio Tour’s many wonders, observing collaborative visual + musical artists at Buzzfest, and bathing in neon art at an Ion Art open house. 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 do our own events, most prominently No Lights No Lycra (every second and fourth Thursday of the month). We once got called “local Austin couple” by KXAN. 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.