Lite + Brite: 50 Majestic Austin Events 6/20
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
It can be hard running a newsletter when one half of your newsletter staff is visiting some other part of the country, but we are professionals, so we are here like always bringing you an onslaught of solstice soirées, country-themed Pride events, belly flop contests, and Lana Del Raves in tunnels. We’ll be doing the same thing soon when we head to the beach for a week of family time. Even when we’re not around, Lite+Brite will be keeping our ears to the ground for you.
This coming Thursday we will once again be dancing to and spinning our favorite indie dance tunes of the 00s at Elysium’s Prick Up Your Ears. Nostalgia is not just a thing for the 20th century! But there’s lots going on this week besides us and our dance parties. You’ve got your “sex-positive clownery,” an over the top luxurious party that promises, among many other things, “a wellness tent run by people who’ve never known peace,” an event combining italo DJs, live darkwave bands, + pole and circus performers, dip into some burlesque performances in and out of a pool party, and a chance to watch our favorite corpse-centric comedy film while lounging at a pool. This and way more awaits, you cannot go wrong.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
OUR STUFF
We mentioned it on here last week but it’s fast approaching us. Prick Up Your Ears is returning to Elysium on Thursday and once again our own Brian Blackout will be DJing along with Roi from Midnight Sabers and DJ Sinsekt. We initially listed PUYE as an event we were excited to attend because we love the indie dance music of the 00s and spent some of our formative years sleazing around NYC during the Meet Me in the Bathroom era soaking it all in. But now Brian is actively participating in Prick Up Your Ears as a DJ and getting to spread his love for better and lesser known dancepunk, electroclash, + indie dance music, as you can hear in this 00s playlist he compiled for the occasion. Come to Prick Up Your Ears and see what we mean on Thursday.
On the radio front, we went into space. No, not like an exploding a rocket in Starbase, Texas, more of a scifi world in the mind, full of glittering library, cosmic + italo disco music and other spacey sounds. Listen to Cosmic Journey IV in the Kpiss archives here.
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 6/20
- TreeFolks Summer Solstice Party at Hold Out Brewing
Live music, tarot, petting zoo, tree walks, tree games, vendors, + a maypole - Art Island Solstice Soirée at Stargazer
DJs, collaborative crafts, art installations, “roaming performances” + more - Inside My Walls at St. Andrew’s Dell Fine Arts Center
Modern dance performance w/international choreography + magical realism - Preheat Fest at Hyperreal Film Club
“Mixed-media experimental films” across genres that “explore queer identity” - Electro Whip at Elysium
Dark techno, EBM, + industrial DJs w/vendors + tattoos - Student Exhibition at dadaLab
Student work in the form of live electronic music, installations, + video art - Hoedown Throwdown at Hole in the Wall
A pairing of great local live bands with local “uncanny wrestlers” - Tractor Beam Garden Party at Festival Beach Food Forest
“Climate optimistic” solstice party w/food, live music, workshops, + talks - Waking Up / Falling Asleep: An Astral Journey at the Butterfly Bar
Theatrical show full of puppets, tarot, dreams, + astral voyages
Saturday 6/21
- The Majestic Ball at the Paramount
Ballroom + drag performers work the runway at a mythology-themed party - Uncanny Attractions: Knuckin’ if ur Buckin’ at Highland Lounge
“Celebrate queer art + joy through pro wrestling w/a side of drag” - Black Auteur Film Festival at AFS
A night of films by Black Texan filmmakers w/Q+A, raffle, + mixer - Lana Del Rave at an unannounced location
Celebrate LDR’s 40th bday w/DJs spinning mashups - Jaws on the Water at Volente Water Park
Enjoy classic nautical horror flick while watching for deadly lake sharks - FYR3 at Bungalow
Fest promises over-the-top luxury + “wellness tent run by people who’ve never known peace” - Just Kidding Variety Hour at Trinity St. Playhouse
Comedic solstice-themed variety show w/live music + art - Belly Flop Contest at Little Woodrow’s Southpark
Splash your way into the pool + win some cash - It’s Pride, B$@ches at Moontower Saloon
Beach-themed Pride party w/silent auction + adult cheerleaders - Neon Rainbows Pride at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Country-themed Pride party w/country drag, DJs, + dancing - Dark Ritual at Capt. Quack’s
DJs spinning goth, post-punk, + darkwave tunes - Fête de la Musique at Canopy
Int’l-themed food + live music, plus games, photo ops, face painting, scav hunt - Big Kid Energy at Origin Studio House
Field Day-themed Juneteenth party w/relays, dominos, DJs, + games - Texas Rollergirls at Austin Sports Center
Austin’s flat track roller derby teams go at it in a double header - Whiplash ATX at 29th St. Ballroom
Touring live bands, one of our fave NYC DJs, + pole and circus acts - Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue at 29th St. Ballroom
Opulent burlesque performances w/giveaways + variety acts - 24 Carrot Cabaret at the Vortex
“Satirical, sex-positive clownery,” burlesque, + lots of carrots - Waking Up / Falling Asleep: An Astral Journey at the Butterfly Bar
Theatrical show full of puppets, tarot, dreams, + astral voyages
Sunday 6/22
- DRUMLine Live at Bass Concert Hall
Watch an HBCU marching band on tour through the US - Roper Romp at the Water Tank
Dress up to celebrate an unlikely 1970s style + feminist icon - Queer Car Wash at the Vortex
Get your car washed w/an inflatable pool, free produce, DJ, + drag - Doggy Fashion Show at Kinda Tropical
“Sip, sit, stay” w/fashionable doggoes, live music, + free nail trims - Juneteenth Kickback at the Pershing
Big Juneteenth party w/DJs, vendors, games, + activations - Wet at Cabana Club
Burlesque performers perform in and around a pool - Games Y’all at Austin Central Library
Indie game devs + fans meetup to network + showcase games - 24 Carrot Cabaret at the Vortex
“Satirical, sex-positive clownery,” burlesque, + lots of carrots - Waking Up / Falling Asleep: An Astral Journey at the Butterfly Bar
Theatrical show full of puppets, tarot, dreams, + astral voyages - (weekly thru 7/20) Splashdance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 6/23
- Theatre Church Lock-in at Ground Floor Theatre
Lock-in-themed gathering w/games, karaoke, dancing, + community
Tuesday 6/24
- Astronomy on Tap at Celis Brewery
Gather + talk astronomy w/fellow enthusiasts while surrounded by beer - The Half of It at Deep Eddy
Watch a modern Pride-themed coming of age film from the pool - Futch Fetish at Cheer Up Charlie’s
“A drag night dedicated to dyke movies”
Wednesday 6/25
- Austin Asian American Film Festival at AFS
Fest that “highlights new Asian and Asian American film”
Thursday 6/26
- Prick Up Your Ears at Elysium
Brian joins DJs spinning 00s dancepunk, electro, + indie sleaze - Glamp Glamp at Lynny’s
“Queer performative weirdness” a la camp talent shows - Summer of Friendship at Laguna Gloria
Line-dancing, karaoke, food vendors, + family activities - Geekgasm Revue at Kick Butt Coffee
Video game-themed burlesque, trivia, raffle, + costume contest - Natural Navigation Workshop at the Buzz Mill
Learn to navigate without tools in case you’re ever lost in the wilderness - PowerPints at Radio East
“Drink + learn things” at comedic talks on a variety of esoteric topics - Nerd Nite at Barrel O’ Fun
Hear nerdy high-caliber talks on a variety of topics - Turtle Races at Little Woodrow’s Southpark
“The slowest, most exciting race” that no hare could win - Swim Sessions at the Line Hotel
Hang out poolside to hear a “100% women and LGBTQ+ lineup” of DJs - Weekend at Bernie’s at Downright Austin
Watch everyone’s favorite comedic corpse film while poolside - 24 Carrot Cabaret at the Vortex
“Satirical, sex-positive clownery,” burlesque, + lots of carrots - Austin Asian American Film Festival at AFS
Fest that “highlights new Asian and Asian American film” - (weekly) Float-In Theater at Mozart’s
Watch movies deck-side or while floating on the lake
No Humans Allowed 238
Cosmic Journey IV
We’re returning to space for another cosmic journey through disco, library, techno, electro, italo, + other spacey genres. Head to the airlock on level 5 + press play to listen.
Tracklist
Kim and Buran – Tramplin
Lindstrøm – Another Station (Todd Terje Remix)
Jean-Pierre Bourtaye – End Titles – Les Maîtres du Temps
Brian Bennett – Solstice (Tonbe Edit)
Die Verboten – Aquarius
Phantasia – Inner Light
Den Harrow – Broken Radio
Emmanuelle Marcellin – Monsieur Bizarre (Captain’ Edit)
Ednah Holt – Serious Sirius Space Party (Larry Levan Remix)
Richard Bone – Alien Girl
Cascate Emozionali – Pulsazioni (Cosmic Suite)
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.
PATREON THANKS
A huge thank-you to our Patreon subscribers Robert B., 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 getting ready for Prick Up Your Ears, watching the Buda Wiener Dog Races, and experiencing a toy art exhibit at Collection Rert. 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 (where we sometimes post stuff early too).
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.