Lite + Brite: 35 Refrigerated Austin Events 8/16
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
Summer crawls on, unending and cruel, but we’re still here standing, unlike most of the poor plants in our garden. But all is not lost, a sliver of hope yet remains. If we can just keep ourselves entertained through the end of the summer doldrums, Autumn awaits with Halloween not far behind. Let’s see what we can do.
Do you like things? We have a long list of things! This week, why not beat the heat with a refrigeration-themed music festival, frolic with fungi, dance in the fire, get trashy on a Trash Planet full of space garbage, say goodbye to the Velvet Casket, go ask Alice (in Wonderland), buy a lovingly restored stuffed creature, show off your Mario Kart skills, watch fantasy-themed drag + wrestling, help paint a mural, swim under a supermoon, watch someone ruin it, or listen to Sesame Street-inspired puppet commentary about some of the most challenging modern topics.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
We’re still lamenting the end of the Olympics, but you can still squeeze out some love for all things French by listening to our Paris Olympics-inspired playlist or try to recreate Paris in Austin using the handy guide that Leila wrote for the Monthly. We’ll always have Paris.
Brian’s radio show, No Humans Allowed, finished its Olympics arc with an episode inspired by the breaking competition from the Olympics. Not necessarily the goofy kangaroo dances, more the excellent mix of music that the DJs in Paris put together for the occasion. Listen to Ultimate Bleeps + Bloops in the Kpiss archives + scroll down for the tracklist.
We’re taking a break from No Lights No Lycra while we find a new venue. If you have a suggestion we’d love to hear it. Reply to this email or hit us up on our Discord. Any space needs to be able to get very dark, and also to not serve alcohol. We’ll bring sound.
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 8/16
- Float Films at the Austin Motel
Watch classic blockbuster films while floating a pool w/themed cocktails - Realms of Fungi at ArtUs Co.
A night of mushroom-themed art, beverages, + costumes - Analog Night at Motion Media Arts Center
Watch short films made by students in an experimental analog film class - Community Mural Painting at Greenhouse ATX
Use your artistic ability/inability to help make a community mural - Finding Alice (in Wonderland) at Austin Ventures Studio Theater
Alice in Wonderland-themed modern dance + ballet performances - Pan African Film Festival at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film and arts festival” - Bar(d) at the Vortex
Theatrical reimagining of Shakespeare in a karaoke bar - Trash Planet at Crashbox
A trashy Scifi play set on a planet-sized landfill
Saturday 8/17
- Uncanny Attractions at Highland Lounge
Fantasy + LotR-themed pro wrestling + drag performers - There I Ruined It at the Spiderhouse Ballroom
Live performance by internet remixer who intentionally ruins songs - Role Call at Moontower Cider Company
Zine release w/live music, spoken word, artist panel - Paramount Estate + Vintage Poster Sale at the State Theater
Buy items used in theatrical productions, instruments + vintage posters - Electric Feels at Empire Garage
Traveling 00s-centric indie dance party - Fridge Fest at Superstition
Live music, DJs, tacos, free refrigerated drinks, + mini fridge raffles - Closing Day at the Velvet Casket
Say goodbye to a great venue for events w/closing sales - Austin Chinese Culture Festival at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center
Celebrate traditional Chinese culture w/dances, games, food, + activities - $3 Shows at dadaLab
Raising money for a good cause w/live music, light installations, vendors + more - Texas Roller Girls at the Austin Sports Center
“Chaos on wheels” w/4 Austin-based roller derby teams - Texas Roller Derby at the Palmer Events Center
Roller derbyists murderously crash their way through a banked track - Decompress Fest at Canopy
LGBTQ+ health fest promoting healing, holistic, + self-care - PowerPints at the Highball
Quick comedic talks on a variety of esoteric topics - Community Mural Painting at Greenhouse ATX
Use your artistic ability/inability to help make a community mural - Finding Alice (in Wonderland) at Austin Ventures Studio Theater
Alice in Wonderland-themed modern dance + ballet performances - Pan African Film Festival at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film and arts festival” - Bar(d) at the Vortex
Theatrical reimagining of Shakespeare in a karaoke bar - Trash Planet at Crashbox
A trashy Scifi play set on a planet-sized landfill
Sunday 8/18
- Sidewalk Sale at the Stuffed Animal Rescue Foundation
Give a new home to some hand-refurbished stuffed animals - The Starling Girl at Sekrit Theater
Film “showcasing femme narratives” at private art-filled outdoor space - More Some More at Terrazzo Tea
Live music, art opening, + tea service w/custom drink - Lagers and Literature at Meanwhile Brewing
Drink locally brewed beer + shop for books to read - House Tour at Casa Neverlandia
Get a tour of a unique Austin home + the cover of “Weird Homes” - The Shiny Market and Fire Jam at Shiny Things for Shiny People
Fire dancers, DJs, vendors, live painters, crystals, + more - Bar(d) at the Vortex
Theatrical reimagining of Shakespeare in a karaoke bar - Trash Planet at Crashbox
A trashy Scifi play set on a planet-sized landfill
Monday 8/19
- Camera Obscura at the Vortex
Showcase for narrative films by Texan filmmakers + Q&A - Full Moon Swim at Austin Motel
Swim at night w/DJs, drinks, frozen pies, + a supermoon
Tuesday 8/20
- LuxeArt Battle Royale at 211 Alpine Rd.
Watch artists w/ “30 minutes to paint a masterpiece” live
Wednesday 8/21
- Mario Kart Tournament at Double Trouble
Use your well-honed karting skills to win adulation + prizes - PRISM 37 at various Austin cinemas
Fest devoted to films about + relevant to the LGTBQ community
Thursday 8/22
- Austin Oddities Market at Elysium
“Vendors with odd, unique and weird things” + live music and performers - Night Market at Cosmic Saltillo
“Live airbrushing, tarot readings, yerba mate snow cones,” + vendors and DJs - Sunny Days at the Vortex
Play using puppets on heavy topics like climate change + human rights - PRISM 37 at various Austin cinemas
Fest devoted to films about + relevant to the LGTBQ community
No Humans Allowed 203
Ultimate Bleeps + Bloops
This week, tracks inspired by the Paris Olympics breaking competition (the good bits, not the cheesy bits). Lots of electro, breakbeat, hip house, madchester, + post-punk + more tunes. Bust out some cardboard and strut your stuff.
Stream Ultimate Bleeps + Bloops
Tracklist
Black Sheep – Strobelite Honey (Morales Def Mix)
Convert – Nightbird
Way Out West – The Gift
Stereo MC’s – Elevate My Mind
Clandestine – Radio Rhythm (dub)
No Zu – Raw Vis Vision
Zone – Eternal #2
Organic Grooves – Sutukung (Trading Crossroads mix)
Contact U – Ecuador
Deee-Lite – Deee-Lite Theme
IQU + Miranda July – Kida Co-Coma
Gabi Annicette – Hau Schon Ab (les Yeux Orange Edit)
Use No Hooks – Do the Job
Wide Boy Awake – Slang Teacher
Tom Tom Club – The Man with the Four-Way Hips
New Order – World in Motion (No Alla Violenza Mix)
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.
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 (which is on hiatus but will resume), + 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.