Lite + Brite: 36 Smashing Austin Events 8/22
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
This weekend is Austin Pride, which is different from regular Pride in ways that you don’t have to understand but you can if you want. Celebrate the occasion with a parade, a Dungeons & Dragon drag show, an inter-century drag show, queer linedancing, or a “queer AF pool party.” Elsewhere, you can enjoy a performance of circus arts, twirl a goth parasol, get your hands on some new cassette tapes, watch pigs smashing watermelons (it’s like the Smashing Pumpkins, only for pigs), see some badass custom bicycles compete to be the badassest, or re-do your fall wardrobe. Scroll down for details on all this and plenty more.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 8/22
- Float Films at Austin Motel
Close out Austin Motel’s summer poolside film series w/disco-themed classic - Dice + Debauchery in Obojima at the Vortex
Drag performers play live Dungeons & Dragons w/improv DM - Saul Ravencraft’s Damned Show at Nature’s Treasures
“Wizard provocateur” leads variety performances in a talk show format - Neon Rainbows’ Stampede at the 29th St. Ballroom
“Saddle up + join the herd” w/DJ, lessons, line dancing all night - Zine-Making Workshop at Monkey Wrench Books
Make, print, + share zines - Carnival Art Market at Propaganda HQ
“Carnival-themed art market” w/all proceeds going to artists - Games Y’all at the Howson Branch Library
Meet up with a crew of folks who make + love indie games - Nostalgia at Sky Candy
A fusion of circus arts, modern dance, + acrobatics
Saturday 8/23
- Austin Pride at Fiesta Gardens
Big pride festival focusing on protest w/performers + parade - ATX Trans Pride at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Celebrate Austin’s trans community w/live music, drag, + vendors - Endless Summer Gothic Beach Party at Empire
Goths in hot weather congregate w/burlesque, aerials, DJs, vendors, parasols - Summer Sorcery at the Highball
Live dungeon synth + synthwave acts, costumes, + dance-off w/prizes - Texas Rollergirls Championship at Austin Sports Center
Austin’s flat track roller derby teams compete for champion status - Mediafest at the Windsor Park Library
Trade older media + make analog video art - Fantasy Cowpoke Costume Night at Tiny Minotaur
Dress up as a fantasy cowboy + hear live “medieval americana” music - Dark Ritual at Captain Quack’s
DJs spinning goth, post-punk, + darkwave w/accompanying visuals - Story-oke at the Highball
Sing a song + talk about it. Basically DIY VH1 Storytellers - Mehfil-e-Yad at Vesper
Hear classical Indian music performed on sitar + other instruments - Open Studios at Art Hub ATX
Check out art + artists in their own studios + attached gallery - Le Garage Sale at the Palmer Events Center
Fashion shopping bonanza with an eye for gallic naming - Nostalgia at Sky Candy
A fusion of circus arts, modern dance, + acrobatics
Sunday 8/24
- Watermelon Smash Bash at the Enchanted Pig Forest
Feed watermelons + fruit to awfully appreciative piggies - 29th Street Block Party at 29th Street Ballroom
Live music, DJ, screen printing, food trucks, + “subculture swap” - Central Texas Custom Bicycle Festival at Parque Zaragoza
Custom bike competition w/DJs, live music, comedy, bike swap meet - La Bruce at Austin Motel
“A Big Freaky Queer AF Pool Party” - WET at Cabana Club
Final summer installment of burlesque performed in + around a pool - Pop-Up Dance Installation at Stargazer
Modern, “experimental dance” troupe performing in a bar setting - Le Garage Sale at the Palmer Events Center
Fashion shopping bonanza with an eye for gallic naming - Nostalgia at Sky Candy
A fusion of circus arts, modern dance, + acrobatics - (weekly thru 9/21) Splashdance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 8/25
- ATX Short Film Showcase Awards at 29th St. Ballroom
A showcase of award-winning short films by Texan filmmakers
Tuesday 8/26
- Circular Austin Showcase at the Cathedral
Like Shark Tank, only way less predatory, Austin-based, + w/live audience - Wizard City Presents: Show + Tell at Merfolk Coffee
Play Wizardly TTRPGs including one designed to be less intimidating
Wednesday 8/27
- Pee-Wee’s Birthday at Hyperreal Film Club
Watch some of Pee-Wee’s earliest work + an ep of his tv show, dance to “Tequila” - Boyz of Austin at Elysium
Drag performers explore history “from the Dark Ages to Disco”
Thursday 8/28
- The Austin Seance at First Spiritualist Church of Austin
Commune with spirits in the form of supernatural voice recordings - Nerd Nite at Barrel O’ Fun
Hear nerdy high-caliber talks on a variety of topics - The Front Festival at various venues
Films, music, + experiences by Texas women + LGBTQ+ folks - Float-In Theater at Mozart’s
Watch movies deck-side or while floating on the lake
No Humans Allowed 246
Futurecrime
This week we poked the dark recesses of the world of futuristic crime syndicates. Our only protection was a plucky will to survive and an armload of tense synth-fueled tunes.
Tracklist
Time Modem – Suono Elettrico
Metropolis – Time of War (Cap’ World Peace Edit)
Llewellyn – Falling Apart
Kraftwerk – It’s More Fun to Compute (Kafkactrl Edit)
The Beat Club – Security (Petko Turner Edit)
Dina Summer, Kalipo, + Local Suicide – Fortune Teller
Snapped Ankles – Where’s the Caganer?
RFX – Ephemeral Edits 003-05
ALTC – Frontline Flatline
Das Komplex – Polonez
D.S.M. – Warrior Groove (Native Red Edit)
Adrian Marth – Sintesis Analógica
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, Alexander Freed, Kristen Backor, Timon A., 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.