Lite + Brite: 26 Purple Austin Events 5/31
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
Someone recently observed to us that there is always a festival or something going on in Austin, and this weekend that festival is ATX TV which we at L+B HQ are knee-deep in and loving. But maybe you’re more of the Texas Burlesque Festival sort, because this is a double festival weekend. Or maybe you’re looking for something non-festival oriented. Maybe you’re looking to celebrate some unspecified national news event by tying one on. Well, as usual we have you covered even if we’re going to be seeing TV panels and screenings and won’t have a chance to partake in all the other great stuff ourselves.
You could air guitar your way to the championships (or watch some other air Satrianis), watch a bunch of local businesses (think H-E-B) assemble rock bands and go head to head, go crazy celebrating his purpleness, Prince, mix pancakes and art, tour Austin’s most spectacular ponds, learn about Latin-American history through cabaret, see Black burlesque artists, or mix neon and beer. Or celebrate the start of Pride month with speakers, DJs, + rallies, by remaking a more inclusive prom, or making fun of our corporate overlords. And all of this without a wristband, scratchcard, or lanyard! There, we’ve just empowered you to power through this weekend like a hot knife through butter.
L+B superfans know that a monthly edition looms large in the near future, like an impending interstate expansion or the end of the weekend. Well, hopefully less sinister than that. We’ll have one for you on Monday so you can get to planning your June and we can find something to take our out of town friends to while they visit. Also a friendly reminder that May has been new music month for us, as we’re still jamming to the playlist of some of our favorite new music we compiled for the last monthly, which you can listen to here.
If you’re not already a subscriber to this newsletter and you want to be, click here. We do one newsletter a week, usually on Fridays, plus a bonus edition around the start of each month. If you enjoy this newsletter, please support us by contributing to our Patreon and by forwarding this email to your friends who enjoy things like listening to music and leaving the house sometimes.
Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
Here’s our summer schedule for No Lights No Lycra, the biweekly dance party in the dark we put on:
June 13th • July 11th • July 25th • August 8th
West China Tea House, our lovely home for years (especially if you consider that we housed the party in Guan Yin, their earlier incarnation) is going to be relocating to East Austin due to I-35 expansion. We’re excited for their move, but their new home may not be dark enough for NLNL. Which means we’re looking for a new venue! If you know of a big room that can be darkened that we could use for this event, please reach out to us by replying to this email. We can bring our own sound but the event specifically needs to be in an alcohol-free space.
Low rent, futuristic “cyperpunk” [sic] music filled the airwaves on this week’s No Humans Allowed, Brian’s synth-loving radio show. Inspired by a German record from 1990 called “The Cyper Space,” the show was full of EBM, new beat, and techno from around the year 1990. You can stream A Cyperpunk Adventure from the Kpiss archives here or scroll down for the 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 5/31
- Group Therapy at Vesper
“It’s not real therapy, it’s dance/theatre” about therapy - Black Is Bold at the Ballroom @ Spiderhouse
Black artists take the stage for burlesque, performance art + variety - Karaoke Underground at Knomad
Sing karaoke to your favorite punk, indie + alt classics - ATX TV Festival at various downtown venues
“TV camp for grown ups” w/panels, premieres, stars, + screenings - Texas Burlesque Festival at the Long Center
A big celebration of all things burlesque + vaudeville - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history
Saturday 6/1
- Queerbomb at Austin Garden and Studio
Speakers, DJs, + musicians rally for Pride - Air Guitar Qualifying Championships at the Highball
Do you have what it takes to air guitar your way to the top? - Paperback Pictures Launch at Foxy’s Proper Pub
Like book club but you watch the film adaptation then discuss - Second Chance Prom at Holiday Inn Midtown
LGBTQIA+ prom, with drag performers, auctions, + raffles - Grand Opening at Date Nite Gallery
Opening party for art gallery w/makers market, food, live music - Open Studios at Canopy
Artists at Canopy open up their studios to the public - Pancakes and Booze at the Far Out Lounge
“Balls to the wall” art show w/ pancakes + adult bevs - Austin Pond Tour at various Austin homes
Tour “spectacular ponds and gardens” across Austin - ATX TV Festival at various downtown venues
“TV camp for grown ups” w/panels, premieres, stars, + screenings - Texas Burlesque Festival at the Long Center
A big celebration of all things burlesque + vaudeville - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history
Sunday 6/2
- Inspire After Death at Empire
Local pro wrestling slams into downtown - Austin Pond Tour at various Austin homes
Tour “spectacular ponds and gardens” across Austin - ATX TV Festival at various downtown venues
“TV camp for grown ups” w/panels, premieres, stars, + screenings - Texas Burlesque Festival at the Long Center
A big celebration of all things burlesque + vaudeville - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history - (weekly thru 6/23) Splash Dance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 6/3
- Rainbow Capitalism at Kick Butt Coffee
Burlesque + variety performers skewer Pride + capitalism - (weekly thru 6/24) Hyperreal Film Club at Hotel Vegas
Watch a film about a bunch of idiots getting hurt
Tuesday 6/4
- After Dark at the UMLAUF
Pride-themed afterhours w/drag, art vendors, DJs, + stylists - One Page Salon at Radio Coffee & Beer
Hear local writers read their works in progress
Wednesday 6/5
- Clueless at Meanwhile Brewing
Outdoor screening of 90s classic film w/DJ + drag performers - HAAM Corporate Battle of the Bands at ACL Live
Local Austin businesses assemble bands to rock out for a cause - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history
Thursday 6/6
- Creative Mash at Ion Art
Local neon art studio hosts beer, BBQ, live music + storytelling - Austin Cantorum at Cloud Tree Auxiliary
Hear local chamber choir in a cozy meditative setting - Purple People Party at Antone’s
Local musicians unite to pay tribute to Prince on his birthday - Testify at Barrel O’Fun
Storytelling with a family theme - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history
No Humans Allowed 193
A Cyperpunk Adventure
This week’s edition of No Humans Allowed is inspired by a trip down video game memory lane and a German EBM record from 1990 called “The Cyper Space” [sic]. We’ll jack into lots of low rent futuristic “cyperpunk” jams. i.e. lots of new beat, EBM, downtempo, early techno and a few modern things inspired by the above.
Tracklist
Inouï – Externia
Third Eye – The Real Thing
Robotiko Rejekto – Cyper Space
T99 – After Beyond
Roby J – Harmony of Humous
Vitalic – You Prefer Cocaine (Hysteric Edit)
Djedjotronic – Computer Boyz
Cold Sensation – Bang to the Rhythm (2000 Club Mix)
The Shamen – Possible Worlds
Trust in 6 – Life in Ecstacy (Long-Dong-Mix)
RFX – Jack’s Swing
Sector B – Clozz 2 U
Moskwa TV – Generator 7/8 88
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 nearly 200 episodes now streamable in the archives on topics like and Beach Simulations, Roomba dance parties, undersea adventures + Cyber Texas.
No Lights No Lycra ATX 168
w/Brian Blackout
An all-80s edition of No Lights No Lycra. Recorded live in the dark at West China Tea House on May 23, 2024.
Listen to No Lights No Lycra 168
Tracklist
Moondata – Let the Moonshine in (Universal Cave Edit)
Rocky and the Horrors – Sweet Diana Dance (Jaz Edit)
T’Pau – Heart and Soul
New Edition – Once in a Lifetime Groove
Nu Shooz – I Can’t Wait
Robbie Nevil – C’est la Vie
Heaven 17 – Let Me Go
Prince + the Revolution – Let’s Go Crazy
Haircut 100 – Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)
U2 – Two Hearts Beat as One
Romeo Void – Never Say Never
Naked Eyes – When the Lights Go Out
Laura Branigan – Self Control
Kate Bush – Running up That Hill (a Deal with God)
Kano – Another Life (Pontchartrain Edit)
Stevie Nicks – Stand Back (Eli Escobar Edit)
Pretty Poison – Catch Me (I’m Falling)
Level 42 – Lessons in Love
The Cure – Friday I’m in Love
The Icicle Works – Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)
Modern English – I’ll Melt with You
Psychic TV – Roman P.
Bruce Springsteen – Dancing in the Dark
Erasure – Oh l’Amour
Home – All at Once
PATREON THANKS
A huge thank-you to our Patreon subscribers Bones Malones, Amy Hayes, Katie Green, Christina Jue, Colleen MB, Lilly Ettinger, Lena Long, Amalia Litsa, 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 watching brass bands at HONK!TX, watching the eclipse at Bobo’s Snack Bar, and watching dancing forklifts at The Way of Water at Onion Creek. 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 are Leila + Brian. We make this newsletter. We do our own events, most often No Lights No Lycra (every second and fourth Thursday of the month), + also BYOT, a party where we share very good YouTubes (here’s a playlist from the last one). We go very hard seeing bands at SxSW (here are playlists of our favorites from 2024). 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.