Live Music This Weekend, Aug. 25-27

Get out of the house, grab a drink, and stand by other hot and sweaty humans while a band plays. Consider it an Austin summer rite of passage.

FRIDAY

Alesia Lani Album Release

Mohawk
Fri., Aug. 25, 9pm

Austin’s dynamic R&B/soul scene boasts some breakout voices, including the sweet song of Alesia Lani. The Midwest-born, Austin-raised songstress garnered attention with “The Way,” from strong debut First Impression, a Chronicle favorite. In June, the former model and dancer teased her second LP Resilient with “Intentions,” featuring firestarter MC G-Jet. – Kahron Spearman

A Giant Dog Record Release

Hotel Vegas
Fri. & Sat., Aug. 25 & 26, 8pm

“You can’t write the same record over and over again, so we went into the studio with the idea of pushing what we sound like and still have our core values in there.”

Andrew Cashen, the lank-haired guitarist and singer who, alongside dynamic frontwoman Sabrina Ellis, comprises the creative core behind both neo-New Wave local sensations Sweet Spirit and glam/punk heroes A Giant Dog, is warming to the subject of the songs on Toy, A Giant Dog’s second LP for Merge Records. Second song, slacker anthem “Fake Plastic Trees,” blares in the first person, as does “Photograph” six songs later, possibly the least sexy song about sex, with its talk of wanting to smooch a one-night stand partner “when your teeth are brown.” When Cashen/Ellis employ a cliche, they subvert it. – Tim Stegall

The Great American Concert Tour

Kinda Tropical
Fri., Aug. 25

Unlikely Eastside techno hub Kinda Tropical stacks a gritty dance party of locals and touring DJs. Austin represents with promoter Josh Cordova (NTH), vinyl aficionado DJ Lizzbeth, and up-and-coming producers Bill Converse (Dark Entries) and Dylan Cameron (Holodeck). Standard-bearing NYC lo-fi techno label LIES sends Nick Klein, Enrique, and Shane English, while Chicago cold-waver Routh Masler goes stag. Bring earplugs. – Dan Gentile

Jenni Finlay Anniversary

Threadgill’s World HQ
Fri., Aug. 25, 7pm

Like her late father Kent, Jenni Finlay has dedicated her career to fostering Texas songwriters. A packed roster convenes to celebrate year 11 of her local promotions company, including two generations of McMurtrys, with James and Curtis each slicing solo sets. Sibling duo Hymn River Suite, Emily Herring’s Western swing, Kinky Friedman and his cigar-chomped comedy and country; local twanger Chris Fullerton might still steal the show with the lonesome howl of excellent debut Epilepsy Blues. – Doug Freeman

Farruko

The Coliseum
Fri., Aug. 25, 9pm

Puerto Rican wild child Farruko’s smooth croon lends itself to the reggaeton dance beats Daddy Yankee and J Balvin laid out before him. Island rhythms set him apart on tracks like “Passion Whine” with Sean Paul, and now he’s crossing over into a stauncher Latin trap sound ahead of TrapxFicante, whose “Krippy Kush” features fellow islander Bad Bunny and Jamaican singer Rvssian bringing crude rhymes to hard-hitting thumps and addictive beats. – Isabella Castro-Cota

Death Valley Girls

Hotel Vegas
Fri., Aug. 25, 9pm

Burger Records’ latest saviors, Death Valley Girls are four years, two albums, and two singles into one heady career. Resembling a B-movie, all-girl Satanic sex/drug cult with sole dude Larry Schemel (brother of ex-Hole drummer Patty) on lead guitar, they exist in a twilight world where a psychedelic Ramones and Link Wray-loving Black Sabbath jam in (Thee) Oh Sees’ reverb tank. 2016’s Glow in the Dark documents. – Tim Stegall

SATURDAY

Decapitated

Come & Take It Live
Sat., Aug. 26, 6:30pm

If Angus Young lost his brother Malcolm to dementia after Back in Black, what would’ve become of AC/DC? Guitarist Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka and younger brother Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka peaked the Poles’ technical death metal on Organic Hallucinosis in 2006, after which the latter drum prodigy died in a tour bus accident. Beginning on 2011 reboot Carnival Is Forever, Vogg recast old-school DM as universal extremity, and now follow-up Anticult transcends genre altogether in Decapitated’s finest LP and one of the best discs of 2017. – Raoul Hernandez

Austin Pride Festival

Fiesta Gardens
Sat., Aug. 26, 11am

A behemoth lineup stars “Deepthroat” viral star Cupcakke, who brings spitfire lines in provocative Cum Cake and pop-leaning Queen Elizabitch. Splitting hip-hop conventions, Mykki Blanco brings Lil’ Kim and riot grrrl punk to 2016 debut Mykki. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum turns up Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who channels her humorous More Intimate Cucu Confessions. Others include suave AB Soto mixing mariachi, dance, and cha-cha, SoCal punk thrashers Red Aunts, and outrageous local Lady Grackle. – Alejandra Ramirez

Brazilian Space Program

Museum of Human Achievement
Sat., Aug. 26, 7pm

This Church of the Friendly Ghost production stars horizon punchers BSP performing live accompaniment to David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Joined by guest drummer Tarik Aossey, their Rhodes piano-driven improvisation is girded by intuitive instrumental acumen. Abinadi Meza and Mike Vernusky cull vinyl curiosities, while R. Lee Dockery constructs ambient noisescapes rendering Gideon’s trumpet less foreboding than a kazoo. Synth chanteuse Raquel Bell performs early with multi-instrumentalist Parham Daghighi. – Greg Beets

KAZI 35th Birthday Jam

Doris Miller Auditorium
Sat., Aug. 26, 4pm

88.7 on your dial, KAZI FM celebrates 35 years on-air with new and newly classic R&B and soul. Louisiana native Cupid (Bryson Bernard) of “Cupid Shuffle” fame and Gary “Lil G” Jenkins of R&B group Silk, best known for No. 1 hit “Freak Me,” lead the charge. Locals represent in R&B vocalist J. Kells and singer/MC Anastasia. Lafayette, La., siren Summer Wolfe and gospel singer/producer Ethan Kent shore up the bill. – Kahron Spearman

SUNDAY

Kinky Curly Coily Fest

Empire Control Room
Sun., Aug. 27, 7pm

Powered by Cha’keeta B Music, KCC Fest celebrates natural hair with the spitfire “Salute Me Bruh” rapper herself. Fort Never styles folk and trip-hop on single “Miss Justice,” while “I’m Ova You” singer Staci Russell offers R&B. Nubia Emmon’s mixtape 80/20 and Azurah Vibez & D-Madness weave through a tapestry of neo-soul, hip-hop, and pop. Also local, DJ Klassic holds it down on the 1s and 2s. – Alejandra Ramirez

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Don’t agree with our recommendations? It happens. Check out all the shows happening this coming week on our Club Listings page. See all of our listings – music and otherwise – at austinchronicle.com/calendar.