Lite + Brite: 36 Rhinestone Austin Events 8/30
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
Happy three-day weekend! First we wanted to mention that we’re working on bringing No Lights No Lycra back next month. The ink isn’t dry, but we should be able to say more by the time our September Monthly edition drops next week, so keep an eye out.
Summer temps are finally starting to die down a bit. H-E-B is full of gardening stuff for the fall planting season. School is in session. This weekend we’ll pass two more milestones: Labor Day and the beginning of football season (in Austin anyway). To mark the occasion we have… a boatload of goth + fantasy events? Sure, why not. There’s a Fae Ball this weekend (which is pretty much a romantasy convention plus party), and a lot of other folks are getting into the spirit. If you’re feeling a summer goth vibe, this long weekend is full of options for you, including goth DJs at a hotel bar courtyard, goth DJs at a coffee shop, a Depeche Mode vs. the Cure dance party, alt karaoke, a night for “macabre fairies,” and of course Elysium’s long-running Sunday 80s night, which happens weekly but is a whole different beast on three-day weekends, trust us.
There’s also plenty of stuff you can do while not wearing all-black attire. Maybe you want to wear white since after Labor Day IT SHALL BE BANNED. Speaking of, celebrate Labor Day at Labor Gay. Go to a big fair. Intellectually consider the Texas taco. Get Mortified. Join a drum jam. Compete in a rap battle. Or commemorate the OTHER thing that’s starting this weekend: Hatch chile season and the annual takeover of Texas grocers by Hatch-flavored everything.
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
Brian’s radio show, No Humans Allowed, is probably moving to a new time slot soon, so enjoy its inclusion on the Kpiss Weird Wednesday lineup while you can. This week was a show dedicated to disco, but synthy disco because robots. Some Italo Disco and Nu Disco snuck in there too. Listen to Bionic Boogie in the Kpiss archives + scroll down for the tracklist.
As mentioned in the intro, we’ve got plans coming to fruition on the No Lights No Lycra front. We’re looking to return at the end of September, so there’ll be more to say very soon.
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 8/30
- Thee Gay Agenda: Best in Show at Crashbox
Pet show-themed drag, DJs, + other performers - Goth Summer at Hotel San Jose
Be a goth in hot weather w/DJs spinning dark tunes + frosty bevs - Yoi Toki at Parish
Anime-inspired NYC future funk dance party visits Austin - Float Films at the Austin Motel
Watch classic blockbuster films while floating a pool w/themed cocktails - Student Exhibition at dadaLab
Visuals created by new dadaGeek grads w/live electronic music - Karaoke Underground at Drinks Backyard
Sing karaoke to your favorite punk, indie + alt classics - Mortified at the Highball
Folks tell tales of adolescent angst in a new comedic light - The Front Festival at Laguna Gloria
Showcase of independent films, panel, + live performance - Fae Ball at the Hilton
Romantasy con kicks off w/costumes, panels, games, + karaoke - Sunny Days at the Vortex
Play using puppets on heavy topics like climate change + human rights - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one
Saturday 8/31
- Rhinestone Roots at the Museum of Human Achievement
“Queer BIPOC country night” w/DJ, fashion show, vendors, + drag - Tacos in Texas at the Carver Branch of the APL
Taco + food scholars discuss food, native plants, + culture - Byte Night at ColdTowne
Are humans better at puns than ChatGPT? If you bot a ticket you’d find out - Closer Than Close at Empire Control Room
DJs spinning classic house + disco tunes - Dark Fae Night at Tiny Minotaur
Bring your fantasy attire to Austin’s most fantasy-themed venue - Depeche Mode vs. the Cure at Elysium
One of those fights where everyone on the dance floor wins - Dark Ritual at Captain Quack’s
DJs spinning goth + darkwave w/atmospheric decor - One Night Show at Highland Collective
An ephemeral night of art at one of our favorite artist collectives - Hatch Festival at Thicket Food Truck Park
Celebrate the return of Hatch-flavored everything w/vendors, DJ, workout - Cine-Swap at the Austin Public Library
Remove clutter + get free stuff by swapping some DVDs + VHS tapes - Opening Hours at the Sherwood Forest Zine Library
Read from Sherwood Forest’s extensive library of zines - Mortified at the Highball
Folks tell tales of adolescent angst in a new comedic light - The Front Festival at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Showcase of local independent female and LGBTQ+ musicians - Fae Ball at the Hilton
Romantasy con gets into full swing w/costumes, panels, DJ, fantasy ball - Sunny Days at the Vortex
Play using puppets on heavy topics like climate change + human rights - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one
Sunday 9/1
- Print Rodeo at Central Machine Works
Browse + buy fine art prints from Texan artists - Puppy Pool Party at the Long Goodbye
“The ultimate puppy pool party” w/dog pools, treats, froyo, photo ops - Jane Austin at Fallout
Improv comedians dress up and skewer 19th century literature - Public Art Tour on UT campus
“Docent-led tour” of UT’s outdoor art “focusing on placemaking“ - The Front Festival at the Line Hotel
Pool party w/DJs, cocktails, + art installations - Fae Ball at the Hilton
Romantasy con wraps up w/costumes + panels - Sunny Days at the Vortex
Play using puppets on heavy topics like climate change + human rights - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one - (weekly thru 9/8) Splashdance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 9/2
- Labor Gay at the Austin Motel
Celebrate your day off poolside w/DJs + drag performers - Monday Night Jammie Jam at Kick Butt Coffee
Burlesque + variety performers help you kick that case of the Mondays - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one
Tuesday 9/3
- Raqs on Relevé at Sterling Stage
Bellydancing, drum jam, + silent auction for charity - One Page Salon at Radio
Hear local writers read their works in progress + recently published work - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one
Wednesday 9/4
- Rap Competition at the 13th Floor
Compete or watch a bracketed tournament of rap battles - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one
Thursday 9/5
- Testify at Barrel O’ Fun
Storytellers tell “true stories of learning the hard way” - Crafternoon at Austin Creative Reuse
DIY crafting in the afternoon, does what it says on the tin - Lumber Society Buckskin Sewing Workshop at Buzz Mill
Channel your existential anxiety by learning basic sewing skills - The Texas Tribune Festival at various downtown venues
Big names in national + state politics descend into Austin for talks - Sunny Days at the Vortex
Play using puppets on heavy topics like climate change + human rights - Big Austin Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
If you wanna go to a big state fair without driving to Dallas, we’ve got one
No Humans Allowed 205
Bionic Boogie
Bring your bots to the discotheque for some synthesized jams this week. We showed up an armful of disco goodies. Disco, Italian Disco, Italo Disco, you name it.
Tracklist
Graham Gouldman – Bionic Boar
Valery Allington – Stop
Jean Carn – What’s on Your Mind (Moxie Edit)
Azoto – Anytime or Place
Kano – Super Extra Sexy Sign (Turelli Edit)
Metro Area – Machine Vibes
The Osmonds – I, I, I (Todd Terje Edit)
D.D. Sound – Burning Love (Glossy Love)
Discognosis – Step by Step (Tangoterje Edit)
Michael McGloiry – Love Every Inch of Me
Le Pamplemousse – Sweed Magic (Pontchartrain Edit)
Tamiko Jones – Can’t Live without Your Love
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.