Lite + Brite: 52 Mayhemic Austin Events 9/11
Hello, what’s up, and welcome to the Lite + Brite newsletter.
Anything can be a venue if you really put your mind to it. Want proof? This week in creative venues, we’ve got vintage 16mm educational films in a historic school building; Jaws in a body of water; an immersive art installation in a culvert; an aerial performance on the side of a government building; and a dance show inside an otherwise nondescript office building.
If you can’t take any more of this heat, cool off with chilling stories, films, and crafts. Go watch a live-action graphic novel (and then tell us what exactly that entails, because it sounds bananas (good bananas)). Find your way into a rave that actually meets Brian’s criteria for raves (which is to say, the address is a secret.) And remember: ACOTAR burlesque is always a good idea.
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Let’s do fun stuff!
—Leila + Brian
liteandbriteatx.com
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO
Levitation started last night, and Brian was out at Elysium catching touring acts Kontravoid + Buzz Kull (who were fantastic) as part of the fest. This seems like a good moment for us to talk about the importance of preserving Red River’s venues even as Austin grows + changes. Valhalla, who is hosting multiple events we have listed below, announced they will be forced to close this month. And maybe even more relevant to this newsletter, the building which houses Elysium + the 13th Floor was recently put up for sale. If those two venues were to close, it would kill or displace a lot of the excellent programming we feature here in this newsletter.
But what can we, people who do not have millions of dollars with which to purchase a building, do? First off, go do some stuff at the venues you want to preserve, attend stuff at Valhalla, the 13th Floor, + Elysium. These are not easy times for Austin venues. Secondly, the Red River Cultural District, who put on Hot Summer Nights + Free Week every year, put together a petition we sign that will be delivered to Austin’s leaders. We both signed this petition and we think you should too. It’s a start. Sign it here. No doubt there will be future opportunities for us all to support the venues whose live music + event programming make Austin what it is, and we will be sure to present those to you as it’s something we care deeply about.
EVENTS WE’RE EYEING
Friday 9/11
- Playing in the Shadows at DORF
Shadow puppets tell the story of how humans resist + find community - Mortified at the Highball
Folks share their teenaged diaries in a new comedic light - Comedy Bang! Bang! at Riverbend Center
Live taping of popular improv comedy podcast - Swift Night Out at JJ Pickle Research Campus
Check out a massive flock of migratory birds, for one night only - Flower Shop at ESPA
Ballet about flowers w/live original classical piano score - Karaoke Underground at Stoney’s Good Time Ranch
Sing karaoke to your favorite punk, indie + alt classics - ArmadilloCon at Holiday Inn Austin Midtown
Scifi, fantasy, + horror authors, tabletop games, panels, workshops, + more - Creative Resistance at Crashbox
Modern dance explores creative resistance through movement - Barbie Dream Heist at Butterfly Bar
Teens put on a comedy about Barbie fighting the AI apocalypse
Saturday 9/12
- Viva Mexico at ESB MACC
Mariachis, traditional dances, vendors, + kid-friendly art activities - Within My Maze of Memory at Co-Lab Projects
A “maze of image, light, shadow and sound” in a culvert - CABAM! Con at the Austin Central Library
Inclusive “con-like experience” at the library w/cosplay, crafting, + trivia - Jaws on the Water at Volente Beach
Experience the masterful creature feature from an inflatable on the lake - Legend of the Realms at Sky Candy
Competitive fantasy-themed aerialists, burlesque, storytelling + more - Texas Veg Fest at Fiesta Gardens
Celebrate vegan food w/vegan vendors + speakers - Day of Dance at the AISD Performing Arts Center
Free dance classes, flashmob, showcases, + dancing w/DJ - What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? at Hyde Park Theater
Performers read + discuss Frederick Douglass speech on slavery + America - 70th Birthday Party at the Twin Oaks Branch Library
Library bday party w/live music, crafting, typewriters to play on, trivia - J Colunga’s Car Show + Celebration at Krieg Fields
“Mexican pride” + tricked-out cars, bikes, + motorcycles - Whispers of Fae at Barrett’s Too
“Pole dance & burlesque meets romantasy” from Sarah J. Maas - Tree ID Walk at the Zilker Botanical Garden
Learn the identities of native trees around you + how to collect seeds - Games Y’all Club Night at 1908 Kramer Ln.
Learn about game-making clubs in town + try out their games - Lager Jam at Spokesman South
Taste 20+ Texan lagers alongside DJs + live screen printing - Civic Futures Fest at Doris Miller Auditorium
Learn about civic participation, plus live music, DJ, kids activities - Arts + Ass at Valhalla
Burlesque + performance artists, participatory games - Texas Rollergirls at Travis County Expo Center
Austin’s flat track roller derby teams go at it in a double header - Opening Hours at Sherwood Forest Zine Library
An extensive library of zines in someone’s house, friendly cat included - Mortified at the Highball
Folks share their teenaged diaries in a new comedic light - Flower Shop at ESPA
Ballet about flowers w/live original classical piano score - ArmadilloCon at Holiday Inn Austin Midtown
Scifi, fantasy, + horror authors, tabletop games, panels, workshops, + more - Creative Resistance at Crashbox
Modern dance explores creative resistance through movement - Barbie Dream Heist at Butterfly Bar
Teens put on a comedy about Barbie fighting the AI apocalypse
Sunday 9/13
- Juntos Festival at Fair Market
Latino-owned vendors, food trucks, DJ + traditional dance - Austin Bake Club at the Commune
Bring home-baked goods, sample + leave w/other home-baked goods - Benefit for Peelander-Z at Valhalla
Live music + auctions to help support beloved Austin musician + artist - Ghost in the Machine at Hyperreal Film Club
Watch a doc about the less savory roots of AI followed by Q+A - Whose Slide Is It Anyway at Fallout
“Improvised lectures, zero prep” by confident “experts in nothing” - Dress Rehearsal Performance at Gray Duck
Multimedia art performance w/sculpture, projections, music, + movement - ArmadilloCon at Holiday Inn Austin Midtown
Scifi, fantasy, + horror authors, tabletop games, panels, workshops, + more - Barbie Dream Heist at Butterfly Bar
Teens put on a comedy about Barbie fighting the AI apocalypse - (weekly thru 9/20) Splash Dance at the Austin Motel
Poolside aerobics with Austin’s most creative aerobics instructor
Monday 9/14
- ATX Short Film Showcase at 29th St. Ballroom
The films are short, the filmmakers are Texan + of varying heights
Tuesday 9/15
- Tiny Talks at Assembly Hall
Short stories + talks by Austinites w/accompanying slides - Mario Kart Mayhem at Barrett’s Too
“Come play Mario Kart 8 on the big screen”
Wednesday 9/16
- Go Old School at the Baker Center
Watch vintage educational films on a 16mm projector - Synth Soundbath Communal Drone Session at Tiny Minotaur
BYO synths to “harmonize with the infinite” or just take it in - Blipswitch: An Orchestra of Supergiants at 1106 Clayton Ln.
“Site-specific dance performance” in an anonymous office space
Thursday 9/17
- Local Filmmakers’ Showcase at Hyperreal Film Club
Short, avant-garde/experimental films made by filmmakers from central TX - Tim Curry Tribute at Elysium
Drag + burlesque performers pay tribute to iconic actor w/costumes + DJ - Learning How to Ride at Flitch Coffee
Watch a doc on local bike nonprofit, plus charity auction + more - UT Brainstorms at 105 E 24th St.
Talks hosted by UT prof on neuroscience as it relates to fear + anxiety - Latte Art Throwdown at Switchback
Latte art bracket for prizes plus DJ, tattoos, raffle, + vendors - PowerPints at Radio East
“Drink + learn things” at comedic talks on a variety of esoteric topics - Flower Shop at ESPA
Ballet about flowers w/live original classical piano score - Blipswitch: An Orchestra of Supergiants at 1106 Clayton Ln.
“Site-specific dance performance” in an anonymous office space - Blue Lapis Light at One Texas Center
“Site-specific aerial dance work” about the fragile beauty of existence - (weekly thru 10/29) Kicking the Bucket Listening Club at Yarborough Library
Basket weaving, group audiobook listening, + end-of-life discussion
Friday 9/18
- AJC’s Chilling Night at the Millennium Youth Complex
Vintage Japanese ghost film, spooky lantern crafting + cultural lesson - Clown Pharmacy at an unannounced location
“Must be honked in” for carnival games, fire circle, darkwave/EBM DJs - Geekgasm: Marvel vs. DC at Kick Butt Coffee
Burlesque performers weigh in on the great superhero pantheon debate - Treasure Island Reimagined at the State Theatre
Classic pirate story becomes a “live action graphic novel” - Flower Shop at ESPA
Ballet about flowers w/live original classical piano score - Blipswitch: An Orchestra of Supergiants at 1106 Clayton Ln.
“Site-specific dance performance” in an anonymous office space - Blue Lapis Light at One Texas Center
“Site-specific aerial dance work” about the fragile beauty of existence
NHA294
Clippy’s Long Weekend
Hey, it looks like you’re trying to have a long weekend. Clippy’s having a rough go of it these days. The professional demand for anthropomorphic paperclips who fling tooltips at you every chance they get has been somewhat diminished by the AI onslaught. While everyone else celebrated their three-day weekend, Clippy was left pondering that ageless question of what defines the weekend when you don’t go to an office. He pondered all the way to an automobile, drove around and had some adventures, and prepared us this mix to tell us his story of ennui + bonhomie.
Tracklist
Army of Lovers – My Army of Lovers (Pisces Atmosphere Mix)
Vanilla – Imagination (Cap’ Edit)
Tony McKenzie – Ha Chica (instrumental)
Digitalism – Into the Club
Cabin Luv Affair – Astro Amore
808 State – Europa
Roy Ayers – Kwajilori
Central Line – Walking into Sunshine (Larry Levan Mix)
The Art of Noise – Why Me?
Stuart Murdoch – Pocketbook Angel
Henry Badowski – Making Love with My Wife
No Humans Allowed is Brian Blackout’s award-winning, 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 Liz, Melissa Dunn, Kat, James Gray, Emily Heddleson, Robert B., Roman Gonzalez, Nick Ivons, Molly Fonseca, Lilly Ettinger, Michael Sales, Zach, Erica Speegle, Thomas Refferson, Bones Malones, Katie Green, Colleen MB, Alexander Freed, and Kristen Backor. We’re deeply grateful for your support, which allows us to do things like “pay our Beehiiv 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 attending a classic video game fest, admiring a flock of Purple Martins, and checking out some of the unique activities we could find in the UK. 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 and Side by Sideshows for live music, The Darker Side of Austin for goth and metal stuff, Concept Animals’ ATX Art for You for gallery openings + artist talks, ATX Theatre for plays, and Superfantastica for weird Austin places + things. 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 2026). 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.