Lite + Brite: 37 Echoing Austin Events 5/23
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
This is a week of major milestones for us here at L+B HQ (and potentially for you, too). Wednesday we’re hosting our last No Lights No Lycra. Thursday we’re hosting our first party at Elysium. Scroll down for details, and please join us at either or both!
Wondering what you might hear at NLNL? We made a playlist for that. Wondering what you might hear at our Elysium party? We made a playlist for that, too.
In addition to our own events, plenty of other promoters and organizers are bringing their A-game this week: We’re looking at a clown-themed Le Tigre cover band at a convenience store, a drag king boy band competition, a free (and very lightly rehearsed) outdoor Shakespeare play, the final days of Touch the Art, the start of ATX TV Fest (whose co-founder, you may recall, we interviewed last month), an abundance of sketch comedy, a pinewood derby, downtown scavenger hunts, a backyard party, 20+ local indie classical music groups, and so much more. This long weekend is yours for the taking.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
If you usually skip over this section, that’s cool, BUT you should make an exception and read it this week because we have a lot to tell you.
On Tuesday at 6pm, after two weeks off, No Humans Allowed will be back with a guest set from Austin’s DJ Vampira.
On Wednesday at 8:15pm, we’re holding our final regularly-scheduled No Lights No Lycra at 3rd Eye Meditation Lounge. After six years of consistently dancing in the dark, this Wednesday—our 185th party—will be our last for the foreseeable future. We hope you’ll join us one last time. To mark the end of this era, resident DJ Brian Blackout has put together this playlist of NLNL classics. Below, we also have the tracklisting for the penultimate NLNL, held last week.
On Thursday at 9:30pm, Brian is DJing at Prick Up Your Ears, a night of dance punk, electroclash, and indie sleaze at Elysium. If you’re looking for a dance floor full of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, the Gossip, Peaches, MGMT, and their brethren in the year 2025, this is where you need to be. If you’re not looking for that, then I (Leila) may never truly understand you. To get in the mood, we’ve made this playlist of songs with Prick Up Your Ears vibes.
Next Saturday (May 31) is Sky Candy’s Quinceñera, for which L+B is the official media partner. We love Sky Candy for many reasons. I (still Leila) once took a six-week wall harness dance class there and now she is basically a professional circus performer. (Extremely kidding on that last part.) We’re so glad to help Sky Candy mark 15 years of business, a milestone that speaks volumes about both how welcoming they are to the community, and how much enthusiasm there is in this town for off-the-wall activities. (Or on-the-wall, as in the case of my harness class.) Join us in getting all dressed up to celebrate!
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 5/23
- MASS Ambient in the Treehouse at Pease Park
Bliss out to live ambient music + DJ in the park - Little Movies (Longing) at We Luv Video
A showcase of new short films about longing by local filmmakers - Dog Days at DORF
Texan artists create art in various media inspired by puppers - Unbanned at 2324 Studios
Art opening celebrating “voices that challenge, reclaim + reimagine” - Fractured Fairytale Night at Tiny Minotaur
Show off your best twisted fairytale costume + bard music - ATX Sketch Fest at Coldtowne
Fest celebrating some of the best local + out-of-town sketch comedy
Saturday 5/24
- Echoes at 4303 Willow Springs Rd.
Black + brown art opening w/DJs, photobooth, screenprinters, vendors - Deceptaclown at Friendly Rio Mart
A subversive clown Le Tigre cover band performs in a convenience store - Pinewood Derby at Hold Out Brewing
Live out your cub scout fantasies by carving + racing a pinewood derby car - Totally Toys at Collection Rert
See toy-themed art, indulge in “a buffet of toys + collectibles” Yum! - Shadowrun at Tiny Minotaur
Cyber fantasy costume night w/cyberpunks, cyber elves, cyber dragons, + DJ - Story-Oke at the Highball
Sing a song + talk about your connection to it. Basically DIY VH1 Storytellers - World Goth Day at Elysium
Celebrate World Goth Day w/goth DJs + “vendors of the macabre” - PietschHouse House Show at a secret location
Live art made alongside live music in the backyard of a house - Emergente Youth at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex
Showcase of films from young local + international filmmakers - Texas Roller Derby at the Thunderdome
Roller derbyists murderously smash their way through a banked track - Texas Rollergirls at Austin Sports Center
Austin’s flat track roller derby teams go at it in a double header - Here Be Monsters at Radio East
An “exploration of Austin’s most celebrated indie-classical artists + creators” - Escape the Box at Fareground
Escape the box only there is no box, but there is Austin-themed fun + time travelling - ATX Sketch Fest at Coldtowne
Fest celebrating some of the best local + out-of-town sketch comedy - (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!” - (weekly) Come @ Me at Fallout Theater
An improv comedy show built around your social media presence
Sunday 5/25
- It’s Gonna Be May at the Vortex
A competition to find the best drag boy band performers in town - Henry VI.i at Pease Park
An outdoor performance of barely-rehearsed Shakespeare in Pease Park - Deep Steep Gathering on Snake Island
Ferry to Snake Island for DJs, tea ceremony, sound bath, nature vibes - AusPop Sunday Salon at 1105 Nueces St.
See vintage ephemera from Austin’s musical past + discuss live music in Austin - Here Be Monsters at Radio East
An “exploration of Austin’s most celebrated indie-classical artists + creators” - Escape the Box at Fareground
Escape the box only there is no box, but there is Austin-themed fun + time travelling - ATX Sketch Fest at Coldtowne
Fest celebrating some of the best local + out-of-town sketch comedy - (weekly thru 6/22) Splashdance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 5/26
- Escape the Box at Fareground
Escape the box only there is no box, but there is Austin-themed fun + time travelling - ATX Sketch Fest at Coldtowne
Fest celebrating some of the best local + out-of-town sketch comedy
Tuesday 5/27
- Touch the Art Closing Day at Almost Real Things HQ
“Finally, you can touch all of the art on the walls” – couldn’t agree more - Tiny Talks at Assembly Hall
Short stories + talks by Austinites w/accompanying slides - KUT Considers at Austin Beerworks Sprinkle Valley
“Unpack the highs, lows, + head-scratchers” of the TX Lege - Bike Story Night at Yellow Bike
Bicycle-themed storytelling, group bike ride, + win raffle prizes
Wednesday 5/28
- No Lights No Lycra at 3rd Eye Meditation Lounge
Our final regularly scheduled dance party in the dark at 3rd Eye - Magical Mind Mysteries at the Vortex
“Magic show for Grown-Ups” mixes the absurd + the eccentric
Thursday 5/29
- Prick Up Your Ears at Elysium
Brian joins DJs spinning 00s dancepunk, electro, + indie sleaze - Adventure Time Drag Show at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Drag performers pay tribute to D+D themed coming of age cartoon - Nerd Nite at Barrel O’ Fun
Hear nerdy high-caliber talks on a variety of topics - ATX TV Festival at various downtown venues
“TV camp for grown ups” w/panels, premieres, stars, + screenings - (weekly thru 6/26) Movies on the Lake at Mozart’s
Paddle out onto Lady Bird Lake + watch a classic blockbuster
Prick Up Your Ears Mix
Stream on Spotify / Apple / YouTube
Tracklist
Of Montreal – Id Engager
Munk – Kick Out the Chairs ft. James Murphy (Whoemadewho Remix)
Avenue D – Do I Look Like a Slut?
Miss Kittin & the Hacker – You + Us
Tiga + Zyntherius – Sunglasses at Night
Pardon Moi – Rodeo Star
Chicks on Speed – Eurotrash Girl
Felix da Housecat – Ready 2 Wear
Vega – No Reasons
!!! – One Boy / One Girl
Ladyhawke – Back of the Van
Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
Digitalism – Pogo
Soulwax – NY Excuse ft. Nancy Whang
The Rapture – Sister Saviour (DFA Remix)
The Juan Maclean – Give Me Every Little Thing
College – Fantasy Park (Moullinex Remix)
MGMT – Of Moons, Birds, + Monsters (Holy Ghost! Remix)
Starsailor – Four to the Floor (Thin White Duke Remix)
Moving Units – Anyone
Elefant – Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid
No Lights No Lycra ATX 184
w/Brian Blackout
Recorded live in the dark in 3rd Eye Meditation Lounge on May 14th, 2025.
Listen to NLNL ATX 184 on Mixcloud
Tracklist
Woodhands – Dancer (CFCF Remix)
Fern Kinney – Baby Let Me Kiss You
The Jacksons – The Strength of One Man (Private Panther Rework)
Róisín Murphy – Something More (Soulwax Remix)
Snap – The Power
The Source – You’ve Got the Love ft. Candi Statton
The Doobie Brothers – Long Train Runnin’
Mayer Hawthorne – Designer Drug
Discovery Zone – Dance II
Gloria Estefan – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You (Benedikt Hammer Edit)
The RAH Band – Hunger for Your Jungle Love (Sergio & Craig Allen Edit)
Whitney Houston – Million Dollar Bill
Robyn – Dancing on My Own
International Music System – Dancing Therapy
Clio – Faces (Venice Beach Rework)
Kelis / B.W.H. – Milkshake / Stop
Nuovo Testamento – In My Dreams (Powerhouse Mix)
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams (Psychemagik Remix)
Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
Scarlet Fantastic – No Memory (Luke Million Remix)
Confidence Man – Control
Sunscreem – Love U More
Avalon Emerson – Don’t Be Seen with Me
Jamiroquai – Canned Heat
Prince and the Revolution – Let’s Go Crazy
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 Roman Gonzalez, Nick Ivons, Molly Fonseca, Lilly Ettinger, Michael Sales, Zach, Gino Scaramuzza, Erica Speegle, Jarrett Holtz, Thomas Refferson, 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.