Lite + Brite: 39 Fabled Austin Events 4/18
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
This Sunday is 4/20, and you all know what that means… Yes, you nailed it… It’s Leila’s birthday! We’ll be celebrating the occasion at No Lights No Lycra on Wednesday, and we hope you’ll come and join us for dancing and birthday cake.
Hold, please. What are you trying to tell us? That Sunday is not merely Leila’s birthday, but also Easter? Well, in that case, you can celebrate further with smol pettable animals, grown-ass Easter Egg hunts, po’ boys, and a Jesus lookalike contest.
Wait just one second. You’re saying 4/20 has yet some other additional meaning to you? One you’d like to celebrate with trippy burlesque, psychedelic art, and stoner drag? Jeez, what a busy day. Leila’s parents really should have thought of this before deciding to have a baby then.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
No Lights No Lycra returns to 3rd Eye on April 23rd where, as mentioned above, we’ll be celebrating Leila’s birthday with some of her favorite songs and we will all have cake after the dancing ends. Reserve your spot here, or just show up to 3rd Eye Meditation Lounge starting at 8:15pm and get ready to get down.
Brian’s radio show, No Humans Allowed, devoted this week to cognition and the five senses with new beat, EBM, + Industrial tracks dealing with basic sensing + thinking, like some kind of primitive synth cyborg. You can stream Sensorium in the Kpiss archives, or catch No Humans Allowed on the air live on Tuesdays at 6pm.
ASF THE STARS AT NIGHT
// A true statement paid for by the sponsor of this week’s newsletter. //
We are not regular gala-goers; however, if we attend a single gala in the course of a year, it is American Short Fiction’s The Stars at Night. Coming up on May 3 at Umlauf Sculpture Garden, The Stars at Night honors local literary luminaries and celebrates Austin’s community of writers and readers.
Writing and reading are by and large solitary pursuits (she types while sitting alone at her computer in yoga pants), which is why this party feels so special and out-of-the-ordinary: You get to put on non-yoga pants (if you so choose), spend the evening in a beautiful and artistically inspiring outdoor space, and connect with other people who value the written word and who contribute to making Austin’s literary scene all that it is.
Also there’s free food and drinks. And it’s, like, FANCY free food and drinks.
It’s not the easiest time to be a fiction fan. Book bans are on the rise, and our state is one of the worst offenders. Literacy rates have taken a hit. AI is producing text without acknowledging or compensating the original authors. But those forces don’t have to overtake us. The Stars at Night is a party for Texans who believe in the power and the future of fiction—like us, and maybe like you—and that’s a pretty stellar place to be.
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EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 4/18
- Visual Trip at ArtUs Co.
Immersive art showcase w/works inspired by psychedelics - Goth Wave at Saturn Bar
Darkwave DJs declare: “Being sad is cool” (we agree) - Poolside DJ Set at Kingdom
Balearic indie musical duo bring their DJ skills to Austin - Good Fry-Day at 1800 Celeste Circle
Conclude Lent w/fried fish, kegs, + DJ laying down tunes - Quest Night at Scare for a Cure
“Immersive, medieval fantasy experience” involving dice + giant spiders - ARCOS Presents: Short Form at Crashbox
New modern dance works by artists in a mentorship program - MotherTree at the Vortex
“Weaving Dance, Music, + Magic” to examine our relationships to trees - Fables from the Farm at Boggy Creek Farm
Immersive musical theatre paired w/curated farm-to-table snacks
Saturday 4/19
- Art Explosion at 4211 Todd Ln
Art, circus performers, live dance music performers, + dancers - Legislate THIS at Sky Candy|
Watch aerialists, burlesque, + drag to raise money for repro rights - Fantasy Prom at Tiny Minotaur
Prom-themed music, punch, + “Prom Royalty PvP Combat Tournament” - Trad-ATX Archery at Tiny Minotaur
“Inclusive traditional archery club” for the “archery-curious” - Sip ‘n’ Style at Art Hub ATX
“Austin’s hottest fashion network event” w/DJ, panels, demos, consults - Mac Sabbath at Mohawk
Possibly the world’s only Ronald McDonald/Black Sabbath combo - Cheer Up Charli XCX at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Get bratty w/Charli XCX-inspired drag + lookalike contest - Salsa Throwdown at Yellow Jacket Social Club
Some of Austin’s best known taco peeps judge an open salsa competition - Adult Easter Egg Hunt at Sweet Eats
Not kid’s stuff, this is real-ass adults looking for eggs in the pitch black - ¡Escándalo! at the Dougherty Arts Center
An improv comedy show inspired by Latin America’s telenovelas - Dancing with Mary Jane at Kick Butt Coffee
“Haze-themed” burlesque performers mark the coming of April 20th - Opening Hours at Sherwood Forest Zine Library
An extensive library of zines in someone’s house, friendly cat included - Six Mexicans Named Gonzalez at a secret location
“Satirical multimedia solo show” w/one man portraying six characters - Quest Night at Scare for a Cure
“Immersive, medieval fantasy experience” involving dice + giant spiders - ARCOS Presents: Short Form at Crashbox
New modern dance works by artists in a mentorship program - MotherTree at the Vortex
“Weaving Dance, Music, + Magic” to examine our relationships to trees - Fables from the Farm at Boggy Creek Farm
Immersive musical theatre paired w/curated farm-to-table snacks - (weekly thru 5/31) Doom Metal Goat Yoga at Jester King
“We call out to the beasts of the land to come forth and JOIN US!”
Sunday 4/20
- The Great Big Easter Egg Blunt Hunt at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Jesus lookalike contest, “easter egg blunt hunt,” giveaways + vendors - The Easter Egg-strava-ganja at Swan Dive
Bust open a Jesus piñata, hunt eggs, watch drag, smoke, + shop - Lesbian Wedding at Sahara Lounge
“Everyone is welcome” for DJs, drag, bands, queso, + cake - Closing Day at Sherwood Forest Faire
Central Texas’ renaissance faire w/medieval food, arts, fun, + dress - Sketch Cover Night at Coldtowne
Local sketch comics “cover” their favorite sketches from SNL + more - Easter Party at Batch Craft Beer
Cover Easter bases with the 3 B’s: BBQ, burritos, + bunnies - MotherTree at the Vortex
“Weaving Dance, Music, + Magic” to examine our relationships to trees - Fables from the Farm at Boggy Creek Farm
Immersive musical theatre paired w/curated farm-to-table dinner
Tuesday 4/22
- Live in the LIM at UT-Austin
Musicians, dancers, + visuals based on motion cap effects - Karthian Fanfic Open Mic at Tiny Minotaur
Storytellers gather to tell tales of Tiny Minotaur’s lore + world - Silent Book Club at Lazarus Brewing
Silently read books together + optional sharing - Records to Read to at Carpenter Hall
Co-reading set to author-curated records + drinks
Wednesday 4/23
- No Lights No Lycra at 3rd Eye Meditation Lounge
Help us ring in Leila’s birthday at our dance party in the dark
Thursday 4/24
- Mammals of Texas at Buzz Mill Coffee
Learn about our furry Texan friends + “experience mammal skulls” - Denim + Democracy at the Texas State Capitol
Learn about advocacy + repro rights, hear storytelling, build community - Nerd Nite at Barrel O’ Fun
Hear nerdy high-caliber talks on a variety of topics - Games Y’all at the Museum of Human Achievement
Indie game devs + fans meetup to network, try out games in progress - Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s
Float + watch a big film on the lake - Turtle Races at Little Woodrow’s Southpark
“The slowest, most exciting race” that no hare could win
Sensorium
This week we have an array of tracks exploring cognition, perception, + the five senses. Tune in to hear lots of new beat, EBM, industrial, + dashes of italo, early techno, and synthpop here and there.
Tracklist
Harsh Symmetry – Human Memory
Cabaret Voltaire – Sensoria
Florio Time DJ – Time Out
Robotiko Rejekto – Dynamic
Intro – Lost Mix (Muzak Superior)
Romain FX – Cavalier Dos Luceros
Curare – Visions and Dreams
On Line – Gell?! (Hysteric Edit)
Dux Dux – This Is a Sound (New Beat Mix)
MCL (Micro Chip League) – Communicate (Atomik Part)
Cosmo Vitelli – Fish Liquor
Tricky Disco – House Fly
Nitzer Ebb – Let Your Body Learn
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 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 182
w/Brian Blackout
Recorded live in the dark in 3rd Eye Meditation Lounge on April 9th, 2025
Listen to NLNL ATX 182 on Mixcloud
Tracklist
Justine & the Victorian Punks – Still You
Davide Franca – Love Devotion & Logomotion
The Avalanches – Subways (In Flagranti Extended Edit)
Dealer – Star Dance (Maximilian Blanc Edit)
Haruomi Hosono – Sports Man
Heaven 17 – Let Me Go
Arthur Russell – This Is How We Walk on the Moon (Youth Edit)
Penguin Prison – Don’t Fuck With My Money
Ciara – Love Sex Magic
Bonnie Tyler – Married Man (Lauren Murada Edit)
Eddy Grant – Walking on Sunshine (Tim Simenon Mix)
The Units – High Pressure Days (Todd Terje Remix)
Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere
Liquid Gold – My Baby’s Baby (Claap & Santana Edit)
Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 (Butch le Butch Remix)
LCD Soundsystem – Disco Infiltrator
Bizarre Inc. – I’m Gonna Get You
Confidence Man – C.O.O.L. Party
Martin Solveig – Hello
Charli xcx & Billie Eilish – Guess
Home – All at Once
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 it in the Austin Chronicle. You can listen to the kind of music we play over on Brian’s Mixcloud.
PATREON THANKS
A huge thank-you to our Patreon subscribers Molly Fonseca, Lilly Ettinger, Michael Sales, Zach, Gino Scaramuzza, Erica Speegle, Jarrett Holtz, Thomas Refferson, Dale Markowitz, Bones Malones, Amy Hayes, Katie Green, Christina Jue, Colleen MB, Lena Long, Amalia Litsa, Alexander Freed, 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 seeing 75 bands at SXSW, DJing and co-hosting a party at the Sapien Center, and building a giant Lite Brite in our backyard. Follow Lite + Brite on Instagram to keep up with our adventures. We’re now on Bluesky too. Yay federation! 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, Concept Animals’ ATX Art for You for gallery openings + artist talks, 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, + 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 2025). 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.