Lite + Brite: 39 Glittery Austin Events 8/1
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
Here at Lite + Brite HQ, we do not actually give out awards for things like “best event copy” or “best event name,” but maybe we should? Something to consider for a quieter week, perhaps! Anyway, there is no award for “best event flyer photoshop work,” but if there were, said award would this week go to Tiny Minotaur’s grackle-themed costume party. In the category of “things you didn’t know could be competitions,” this week’s standout is a horror makeup showdown. The award for “most unexpected place for a brass band to be performing” definitely goes to Minor Mishap’s canoe parade. The prize for “most cats on screen” goes to Cat Video Fest, while the prize for “most birds in the sky” goes to Purple Martin parties. “Most classic Austin summer event” this week is Blues on the Green. The Grammy for singer of the week could be YOU, if you make an appearance at Karaoke Underground or Fantasy Karaoke. And, of course, “best indie dance party in this whole damn town” goes to Prick Up Your Ears, which we are hosting tonight at Elysium.
Finally, a reminder that we have been curating a guide to local events for flood relief. The flood-related newscycle has slowed down but people whose lives were disrupted are still struggling, and there are still many ways to help while engaging in activities you like. (And if you know of other events, please send them to us + we’ll add them.)
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
TONIGHT we are helping to put together Prick Up Your Ears at Elysium. Come dance to 00s indie sleaze, nu disco, + electroclash for free. Brian Blackout once again joins Roi33 to relive and occasionally reimagine the early 00s. Brian put together a playlist of some of his favorite PUYE tunes if you’re curious to hear what the night sounds like.
It was a disco party over on No Humans Allowed this week, with wall-to-wall synthy robot disco of various robotic varieties: normal disco, normal disco made by Italians, italo disco made by Italians, and italo disco made by non-Italians, if you can believe such a thing even exists. Listen to it on demand in the Kpiss archives or scroll below for more info + tracklisting.
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Thursday 7/31
- Prick Up Your Ears at Elysium
Brian+ Roi33 spinning 00s dancepunk, electro, + indie sleaze - Rotating Signals at We Luv Video
Watch ten contemporary South Korean short films - Arcane: Drag of Legends at Cheer Up Charlie’s
League of Legends + Arcane-inspired drag performances - Don’t Let Me Go at the 13th Floor
Drag performers inspired by the band Cigarettes After Sex - Nerd Nite at Barrel O’ Fun
Hear nerdy high-caliber talks on a variety of topics - PowerPints at Radio East
“Drink + learn things” at comedic talks on a variety of esoteric topics - Swim Session at the Line Hotel
Nighttime swimming Veracruz tacos, + poolside DJs - Malum Malus at the Vortex
Wicca-inspired “occult-based burlesque performance art” - Pan-African Film Fest at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film + arts festival” - (weekly thru 8/28) Float-In Theater at Mozart’s
Watch movies deck-side or while floating on the lake
Friday 8/1
- Wild Shape Night at Tiny Minotaur
Dress up as a grackle or vampire + steal everyone’s fries/blood - Opun Mic Night at Coldtowne
Take the stage w/puns, improv, + other forms of comedy - Learning Secrets at Lolo Wine
Wine + DJ-selectors spinning some chill global vibes - Body Mechanics at 4211 Todd Lane
DJs happily blurring the lines between a dance party + a fetish party - Everything We’ve Done So Far at Cafe Dance
The 3 Ms: Modern dance performers, mocktails, + a mini lamp store - Art Really Talks at Trinity Street Playhouse
A night of improv comedy inspired by famous paintings - Purple Martin Party at Round Rock Crossing Shopping Center
Half a million migratory birds flying in big ol clouds. Nature is cool - Malum Malus at the Vortex
Wicca-inspired “occult-based burlesque performance art” - Pan-African Film Fest at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film + arts festival” - Cat Video Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse
Broke: Cat vids at home. Woke: Cat vids on a big screen with popcorn - How Should a Conversation Be? at Crashbox
An original play exploring the nature of queer love + meaning of time
Saturday 8/2
- Minor Mishap Marching Band Canoe Parade at Lady Bird Lake
Your typical marching band parade, except everyone’s in a canoe - Blood + Brushes at Kick Butt Coffee
“Special effects showdown” w/makeup artists competing to creep you out - Open Studios at Canopy
Artists at Canopy open up their studios to the public - Adult Summer Camp at Feats of Clay
“Channel your inner child” w/crafty, arty + clay-y activities - Night Market + Fantasy Karaoke at Tiny Minotaur
Bard-hosted fantasy costumes-only karaoke w/vendor market - Quadrant at dadaLab
Quadrophonic live electronic music w/live visual artists - PietschHouse House Show at an undisclosed venue
Art show at a house w/live music, DJ, drinks, + ice cream - Karaoke Underground at Knomad Bar
Sing karaoke to your favorite punk, indie + alt classics - The Beer and Now at Saengerrunde Hall
Choral classics + commissioned songs inspired by beer, w/beer + bites - Everything We’ve Done So Far at Cafe Dance
The 3 Ms: Modern dance performers, mocktails, + a mini lamp store - Art Really Talks at Trinity Street Playhouse
A night of improv comedy inspired by famous paintings - Purple Martin Party at Round Rock Crossing Shopping Center
Half a million migratory birds flying in big ol clouds. Nature is cool - Malum Malus at the Vortex
Wicca-inspired “occult-based burlesque performance art” - Toxic Avenger, the Musical at Austin Playhouse
Watch a local musical production of the play retelling the story of Toxie + his cult film - Pan-African Film Fest at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film + arts festival” - Cat Video Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse
Broke: Cat vids at home. Woke: Cat vids on a big screen with popcorn - How Should a Conversation Be? at Crashbox
An original play exploring the nature of queer love + meaning of time
Sunday 8/3
- Glitter Gala at Parker Jazz Club
“Sparkle for a cause” w/gender-flipped showtunes, cabaret, drag, + silent auction - Body Mechanics Movie Night at Hyperreal Film Club
DJ crew curates a double feature of rave-centric films - Yeehawties at Austin Motel
Austin’s favorite queer 90s country DJs hit the pool w/drag performers - First Sunday Skate at 9606 N. Mopac Expwy
“All wheels welcome” skating crew w/DJ spinning house music in a parking garage - Toxic Avenger, the Musical at Austin Playhouse
Watch a local musical production of the play retelling the story of Toxie + his cult film - Pan-African Film Fest at AFS
Curated films from the “largest Black film + arts festival” - Cat Video Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse
Broke: Cat vids at home. Woke: Cat vids on a big screen with popcorn - How Should a Conversation Be? at Crashbox
An original play exploring the nature of queer love + meaning of time - (weekly thru 8/31) Splashdance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 8/4
- Flower Power at Kick Butt Coffee
Anti-war, counter-cultural, + slumber party themed burlesque performers - Cat Video Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse
Broke: Cat vids at home. Woke: Cat vids on a big screen with popcorn
Tuesday 8/5
- Blues on the Green at Zilker Park
Big free summer concert series w/many different genres represented - Cat Video Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse
Broke: Cat vids at home. Woke: Cat vids on a big screen with popcorn
Wednesday 8/6
- Toxic Avenger, the Musical at Austin Playhouse
Watch a local musical production of the play retelling the story of Toxie + his cult film - Blues on the Green at Zilker Park
Big free summer concert series w/many different genres represented - Cat Video Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse
Broke: Cat vids at home. Woke: Cat vids on a big screen with popcorn - How Should a Conversation Be? at Crashbox
An original play exploring the nature of queer love + meaning of time
Thursday 8/7
- Park & Swim at Austin Motel
Poolside live music, DJs, glizzies, + free beach balls - Testify at Barrel O’ Fun
Storytellers tell true stories about music - How Should a Conversation Be? at Crashbox
An original play exploring the nature of queer love + meaning of time - (weekly thru 8/28) Float-In Theater at Mozart’s
Watch movies deck-side or while floating on the lake
No Humans Allowed 243
High Density Disk(o)
We’re in for some High Density Disk(o) this week on NHA as we serve up some synth-loving disco records. Cosmic, italo, euro, + more.
Tracklist
Fun Fun – Give a Little Love Again (Cap’ Edit)
Donna Washington – Going for the Glow (Neon Heights Edit)
David Christie – Saddle Up
Bo Boss – Hao Hao Ha Tequila
Giorgio Moroder – I Wanna Rock You
Valery Allington – Stop
K.I.D. – Don’t Stop
Pino d’Angio – Ma Quale Idea
La Bionda – I Wanna Be Your Lover
Torch Song – Prepare to Energize (RFX Edit)
Ago – For You
Don Ray – Standing in the Rain
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, 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.