Lite + Brite Monthly: September
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the monthly edition of the Lite + Brite newsletter.
Is it Fall yet? Maybe the temps haven’t dropped but our monthly has, and it’s jam packed with things that look incredible. September is looking mighty good. We’re throwing in a mix of some of our favorite acts coming to Levitation. The lineup is so good this year we couldn’t help ourselves. Lastly but not least we’ve got a beginner friendly guide to keeping tabs on what’s up in Austin. If you’re new or know someone who’s moving to town, or if you just wanna fill in some gaps in your plan to know everything, we’ve got you.
If you’re not already a subscriber to this newsletter and you want to be, click here. We send out one email a week, usually on Fridays, plus this bonus edition around the start of each month. 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
Looking Ahead to Upcoming Events
Our weekly newsletters will include many more listings, but here are a handful of events that we know are planned for the next month. We’re giving you the heads up now in case you want to pre-buy tickets or block off the time.
- Now – Sep. 7: Big Travis County Fair at the Travis County Expo Center
Circus performers, vendors, magicians, fair rides, + “foam zone” - Now – Sep. 7: We Need to Do Something at Crashbox
DIY play about a family trapped in a bathroom surrounded by evil - Sep. 4: The Austin Sampler Platter at Barrel O’ Fun
Check out snippets of staples of Austin’s comedy + storytelling scenes - Sep. 5: Austin Weird Art Tour leaving from 2324 Studios
A tour bus takes you through some of the architectural highlights of Weird Austin - Sep. 5 – 6: Small Plates Choreography Festival at Ground Floor Theatre
Short modern dance performances designed to be performed in Austin specifically - Sep. 6: Community Day at the Long Center
Free live music performances + family-friendly activities and games - Sep. 6: American Cheese Fondue at DORF
Watch artists create portraits of dogs in an assembly line fashion - Sep. 6: Homocoming at Cheer Up Charlie’s
DJs, cheerleaders, + drag performers “queer up country” w/homecoming twists - Sep. 6: Bat Fest at the Congress Ave. Bridge
Dress up battily for live music, live bats, DJs, + the “Austin Bats Dance Team” - Sep. 6: Phantasma Nights at Mesmerize
Illuminated live music performers perform in a darkened art space - Sep. 6: 43rd Annual Full Moon Bike Ride at the Pfluger Bridge
19-mile group bike ride in the middle of the night lit by the full moon - Sep. 7: Under the Blood Moon at Ani’s Day + Night
Undead 20-piece band, tats, + “group howling at the moon to protest the vague horrors of our world” - Sep. 7: Goth Prom at Hyperreal Film Club
Like prom but lots more black, w/tarot, goth corsages, goth DJ, + “forbidden libations“ - Sep. 7: Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival at the Far Out Lounge
Spicy live music + DJs accompany vendors of hot sauces + other hot eats - Sep. 7: Lagers + Literature at Meanwhile Brewing
Vending by local authors, booksellers, + printmakers, beer launch, zine making - Sep. 10 – 13: Dance Carousel at Ground Floor Theatre
Bite size modern dance w/40 one-minute dances by 10 choreographers - Sep. 12: Inclusion Prom at Wanderlust Wine Co.
Prom reinvisioned w/maximum inclusivity w/DJs, art, ASL, + chill lounge - Sep. 12-13: Holy Hell at Sterling Stage
“Burlesque ritual of satanic liberation” promises witches, succubi, profanity - Sep. 13: Bookwyrms Book Faire at Tiny Minotaur
Local booksellers take over Tiny Mino w/tales of adventure + more - Sep. 13: Decompress Fest at the Carver
LGBTQ+ health fest promoting healing, relaxation, + self-care - Sep. 13- 14: Texas Woodworking Festival at the Palmer Events Center
“Keep woodworking weird” w/furniture makers, antique dealers, + live music - Sep. 15: Mexican Independence Day Party at Republic Square
Celebrate the 215th anniversary of Mexico w/trad dance + mercado - Sep. 16: The Austin Salon at 1109 Angelina St.
Discussions on the psychology of ambition in conversational setting - Sep. 18 – 21: Austin International Drag Festival at Holiday Inn Midtown
“The world’s largest and most diverse International Drag Festival” - Sep. 18 – 20, 25 – 27: Alluvius at East Side Performing Arts Center
Modern ballet performance set to metal + hard rock soundtrack - Sep. 18 – 21, 24 – 28: The Wizard of dOgZ at the Vortex
Family friendly retelling of Oz with puppets, aerialists, circus arts, + dogs - Sep. 18 – 21, 25 – 28: Urban Dreaming at RBJ Residences
“Immersive movement opera” which “fuses contemporary + aerial dance” - Sep. 19 – 20: VIBE Downtown on E. 6th St. at Red River
Downtown takeover featuring DJs, drag, slow fashion, + mosaics - Sep. 19 – 20: Android Dreams at Sterling Stage
“Cyberfloral imaginings through pole dance, burlesque, + more” - Sep. 19 – 21: Quixotic States at Zilker Hillside Theater
“An immersive sunset performance of dance + sound” - Sep. 20: Oita Japan Festival at the Long Center
Celebrate Austin’s sister city w/sumo, Japanese culture, music, + dance - Sep. 20: Flaming Tides on Ladybird Lake
“Paddle up” to floating artwork, fire spinners + DJs on the water - Sep. 20: Reuse on the Runway at Branch Park Pavilion
DJ, silent auction, glam station, + fashion show of reused materials - Sep. 21: Austin Museum Day at museums throughout town
Museums across town open up for free self-guided tours - Sep. 21: Beitna Launch Party at Ani’s Day + Night
Art, cocktails, + live music from the traditions of the Middle East - Sep. 24: Crazy Clown Time at Tiny Minotaur
“Jocose tales of yore” read by clowns + potentially a clown-dressed you - Sep. 25 – 27: TUBU Fest at Ground Floor Theatre
Theatrical short works that feature creatives with disabilities - Sep. 25 – 28: Levitation at the Palmer Events Center + on Red River
Annual fest brings a killer lineup, takes place in Palmer AND downtown now - Sep. 26: Tortuga Nights Pirate Brothel Burlesque at Tiny Minotaur
Dress up as a pirate + see burlesque performers dressed as cutthroats - Sep. 26 – 27: WaterWork at the Seaholm Intake Facility
Projected art along the river, view it from a boat or on the shore - Sep. 26 – 27: Mortified at the Highball
Folks sharing their teenaged diaries in a new comedic light w/ASL - Sep. 26 – 28: New Media Art + Sound Summit at the Museum of Human Achievement
Festival of experimental music + new media art and music - Sep. 27: PietschHouse House Show at an undisclosed location
House party with live visual artists + live music - Sep. 27: Slam Portal at Progress Coffee
Interdimensional wrestlers become fully automated for an appearance in Buda
We’re less than a month out from Levitation, and this year’s lineup is absolutely killer. It’s less a fest about discovery but we figured this is still a great time to remind ourselves of all the incredible classic bands coming as well as the many excellent undercard acts. So here’s a mix! It’s not definitive, nor intentionally obscure, just some stuff we dig, but it is a great way to get even more amped for the festival.
Listen on: Spotify / Apple / YouTube
Tracklist
Castle Rat – Dagger Dragger
Swervedriver – Rave Down
A Place to Bury Strangers – I Know I’ll See You
Boy Harsher – LA
Model/Actriz – Mosquito
DAIISTAR – Star Starter
Kula Shaker – Tattva
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Anemone
The Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You
Pavement – Gold Soundz
Beach Fossils – What a Pleasure
Destroyer – Kaputt
Drugdealer – Suddenly (ft. Weyes Blood)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Weekend Run
Neal Francis – Changes, pts 1 & 2
Blonde Redhead – In Particular
Warmduscher – Disco Peanuts
Suicide – Ghost Rider
Desire – Darkside
L+B’s Guide to Keeping Tabs on What’s Up in Austin
When you’re new in town, obviously you want to know where to get your local news. People move here, and they wonder: How do I find out when a new restaurant is opening? Who will tell me what on God’s green earth is going on with I-35? Where can I turn for the dank Austin memes I crave?
So, here is our recommended starter pack for keeping a finger on the city’s pulse. If you’ve lived here for a bit, all of these sources may already be familiar to you. In that case, do a favor for a newbie and share this list with them. Everyone needs to start somewhere.
Do512 lists so many (most?) events in this city, and they write very useful guides to Austin traditions, locations, products, etc. They are one of the absolute top stops for Austin info. Subscribe to their newsletters and/or follow them on Instagram.
The Austin Chronicle is everything you could want out of a local alt-weekly. In-depth reporting on local politics, events, restaurant openings—again, everything. Find their print edition in shops and restaurants all around town (new issue out every Thursday), subscribe to their newsletters, and/or follow them on Instagram.
Lite + Brite ATX is our weekly newsletter listing creative, offbeat, and DIY Austin happenings. Plus we write guides (like this one!) to getting the most out of Austin. Subscribe to our newsletter and/or follow us on Instagram.
Austin’s subreddit is incredibly active and boasts an astonishing depth of local info and memes. It has more than 500,000 subscribers, which, for a city with a population of a million, seems staggeringly high.
Evil MoPac is deservedly beloved for making fun of Austin’s bougie neighborhoods, gridlocked roads, right-wing politicians, unpleasant weather, and everything else that deserves mockery. They started as one of Twitter’s finest, and in the current “X” era have brought their content to Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Avery Tomasco is the meteorologist from whom I get all of my weather news and analysis. This man’s genuine love of weather, his delight in poking fun at Austin and himself, and his compassion for those who have suffered extreme weather events all come across very clearly on his Facebook page.
The Austin Business Review is for you if you operate in the ATX milieu of tech / business / start-ups / founders / any realm in which phrases like “venture capital” are meaningful. This for sure does not describe me; however, I subscribe to the Austin Business Review’s weekly newsletter anyway because it’s a good read and it tells me what local entrepreneurs are up to.
When Where What’s iconic blue squares grace the Instagram feeds of basically every Austinite I know. They’re great for targeted event listings. If there is free booze to be had in this town, they will make sure you know about it.
Community Impact is a hyper-local newspaper reporting on neighborhood business openings, new policies, updates in public schools and housing, etc.—the sort of news likely to affect the day-to-day life of you and everyone who lives within a three-miles radius of you. Subscribe to their newsletter.
Eater Austin’s longtime editor, Nadia Chaudhury, moved to the east coast last year. A true loss for us all! But the current Eater team is still hard at work keeping the city abreast of restaurant openings and closings. Follow them on Instagram and/or subscribe to their newsletter.
All-the-Time Austin Artsy Fun
Our weekly newsletter features upcoming events, but sometimes the activity you’re looking for isn’t an event at all—it’s a place that’s always there. Next time you find yourself with an afternoon when nothing special seems to be going on, you could consider checking out one of these evergreen options.
- Mesmerize
An interactive dream-like world made of site-specific installations by 15+ local artists - Hyperreal Film Club
A clubhouse for weird cinema, with oddball screenings four nights a week - Tiny Minotaur
Drinking and costumed LARPing, Dungeonsynths performing in the dungeon w/lots of lore - The Eureka Room
Uniquely goofy, silly, + fun immersive games you play with a group. No spoilers! - Escape the Box on South Congress
So you think you can escape boxes. Sure, but what about time traveling boxes? - We Luv Video
The Alexandria Library of video rental. It’s community-run, you can rent movies or watch them in a cinema while literally surrounded by VHS tapes and DVDs. - The Goats at Jester King Brewery
More a theme park geared towards folks who like refermented cherries in their beer (me) than a brewery. I have not experienced the Goat Experience, but I have seen their goats, and I approve. - Cathedral of Junk
A towering achievement to collecting weird old stuff that will spark nostalgia and cause you to wonder at your last tetanus shot timing - West China Tea House
In addition to their events, West China is a wonderful place just to chat with interesting and welcoming people and drink some delicious tea - Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve
A lovely park + nature walk that is protected by a crack corps of dedicated peacocks and peahens. Good luck escaping without some flashy, feathery displays. - Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin’s outdoor sculpture garden. Culture + Nature = Profit. - Austin Creative Reuse Center
A nonprofit shop where you can get any art, craft, or office supplies you can imagine for literal pennies. Eat your heart out, Office Despot. - Museum of the Weird
It’s right there on Dirty 6th but worth a visit. From famous fake paleontology to recreations of horror film sets, there’s lots to see. - James Turrell’s Skyspace
Like Turrell’s best works, this is an art experience which unfolds slowly over time. Watch as the changing colors of sunset remake the space.
Thanks to our Patreon subscribers
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.
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, like No Lights No Lycra and 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’s a playlist of some 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.