Lite + Brite: 29 Tie-Dyed Austin Events 6/7
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
If you can read this over the deafening sounds of fans and A/C, we salute you. While it’s true that this kind of weather just makes us want to retreat into a pool and a drink koozie, the world outside our baking domiciles remains the world, filled with unmissable moments that might make it worth getting a little bit sweaty to experience.
There’s tons of Pride programming this week, including celebrations of your chosen name, two-stepping to some queer country, ogling some queer cryptids, tie-dying all your stuff, + reading LGBTQ+ zines. You could also celebrate Juneteenth early, take in a spot of blood wrestling, listen to orchestras performing video game soundtracks and film soundtracks, watch racy films w/uncomfortable silences, take an art bus to an art boat, celebrate Prince, Future Funk, or German-made automobiles, or you can come dance in the dark with us at West China Tea for one of the last times. That’s right, West China Tea will be moving in August, so we have to find a new darkened space for No Lights No Lycra. We’ll be there on Thursday and in July, but after that we’re not sure, so this could be our penultimate NLNL in its original locale. If you know of a space that might make sense, we would appreciate your sharing with us. Please reach out to us by replying to this email or hit us up on Discord.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
One of the last editions No Lights No Lycra to be held at West China Tea is coming up on Thursday. Since it’s summertime, things don’t get good and dark in the tea house’s event room until around 8:30. If you like it good and dark, you may want to come around then, but you can also come at the normal start time as DJ Brian Blackout will be playing tunes as the sun sets and the room darkens. This is our only date for June, and we have at least one coming up in July, but after that we’re not sure.
It was beach time at No Humans Allowed, Brian’s synth-loving radio show. The episode is full of summery italo, balearic + new wave tunes, and sound clips about Australian beaches, Mr Beach Bod, and the sand and the surf. You can stream Beach Simulator 3007 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 6/7
- Gore Noir 13th Anniversary at Kick Butt Coffee
“Blood Wrestling,” live music, + other performers - Prince Party at Drinks Lounge
DJs spinning music spanning Prince’s long career - RichesArt’s Three Year Anniversary at Riches’ Art Gallery
Collaborative art + fashion show - Video Games Soundtracks at Rosewood Neighborhood Park
Local orchestra performs music from video game soundtracks outdoors - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history
Saturday 6/8
- The Sound of Science at Bates Recital Hall
Science-inspired performances of avant garde classical w/electronics - Freedom + Juneteenth at Pease Park
Celebrate Juneteenth outdoors w/DJ, ballet, bbq, live music, activations - Queer Cryptids at Sterling Stage
Cryptid burlesque + pole performers. We’re hoping for Mothman - Rainbow Mass at the Glass Coffin
Ceremonial affirmation of the names + identities we choose - German Auto Show at the German-Texan Heritage Society
Celebrate German-American heritage with German automobiles - Movie Music Magic at the Long Center
Classical orchestra performs 1980s film soundtracks - Neon Rainbows at Cheer Up Charlie’s
DJs + drag performers “queer up country” - Nightlife at Elysium
Elysium’s crack DJs tackle retrowave/synthwave/darkwave genres - Opening Hours at the Sherwood Forest Zine Library
Read from Sherwood Forest’s extensive library of zines - RichesArt’s Three Year Anniversary on a boat
Ride an art bus to a boat party w/art + nightswimming - Video Games Soundtracks at Rosewood Neighborhood Park
Local orchestra performs music from video game soundtracks outdoors - Cabarex 3: Futurx at the Vortex
Harnessing cabaret, dance, + comedy to explore Latin-American history
Sunday 6/9
- Pride Market + Tie-Dye at Batch Craft Beer
Vendors, tie-dying, + live music in support of the arts - Clothing Swap at Captain Quackenbush’s
Trade your underused clothing for new duds - (weekly thru 6/23) Splash Dance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 6/10
- Silent Book Club at Cosmic Saltillo
Silently read books together + optional sharing - ATX Short Film Showcase at the Ballroom @ Spiderhouse
The films are short, the filmmakers are Texan + of varying heights - Classical Jam at Batch Craft Beer
Like open mic night but for classical musicians + fans - (weekly thru 6/24) Hyperreal Film Club at Hotel Vegas
Watch a beloved film about Manchester’s 80s music scene
Tuesday 6/11
- Black Mexicans at Casa de las Ofrendas
Explore a lesser known piece of Black Texan/Mexican history - Tiny Talks at Austin School of Film
Short-format “show + tell for adults” accompanied by slides - Blues on the Green at Zilker Park
Local groups of many genres perform outdoors w/HEB activities
Wednesday 6/12
- Behind the Zines at the Dougherty Arts Center
Read LQBTQ+ zines + learn the history of the format - Blues on the Green at Zilker Park
Local groups of many genres perform outdoors w/HEB activities
Thursday 6/13
- No Lights No Lycra at West China Tea
Our very own dance party in the dark - Yoi Toki at Emo’s
Touring dance party w/the biggest names in Future Funk - Showgirls at Eastside Cinema
Watch risqué classic w/”trivia, games, prizes, + uncomfortable silences” - Knot Tying Workshop at Buzzmill
Get naughty with some knotties, learn sheep shanks + half hitches
No Humans Allowed 194
Beach Simulator 3007
Alright cowboy, you know you don’t want to get sand in that cyberdeck so jack in and boot up NHA’s newest mod, Beach Simulator 3007. It looks, tastes, smells, feels like the real deal. But most importantly it SOUNDS like the beach with an hour of italo, balearic, + synthwave tunes that evoke the sand + surf.
Tracklist
Paula Moore – Valparaiso (Hysteric Edit)
Stupid Set – Don’t Be Cold (in the Summer of Love) (Rayko Edit)
Time Bandits – I’m Only Shooting Love (Psychemagik Edit)
The Comsat Angels – Island Heart
The Belle Stars – Indian Summer (Down Beat & Cool)
Device – Hanging on a Heart Attack
Tupperwave – Make It Be Summer
Fred Falke – 8:08pm @ the Beach
7×8 – Kokosovyy Ostrov (Beard in Dust Edit)
Zener – New Generation
Greetings – Won’t You Believe
Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lepaux & Manotaur halfway edit)
Ken Laszlo – Glasses Man (Italo Brutalo Edit)
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.