Jubilant Dance, MedFest, and More Weekend Recommendations

“Zugzwang”

Through November 2, Goodluckhavefun Gallery

Developed by artist Ata Mojlish, who comes to Austin by way of Bangladesh, this show at the garage-based gallery centers on the German word “zugzwang.” Translation: an obligation to move regardless of unfortunate outcome. It is often used, as GLHF states in the show copy, to describe a chess player forced to “make a move that will worsen their position.” Such is the inspiration point for “Zugzwang,” whose pieces composed from “desynchronized text, images, audio and interactive motion elements” attempt to recreate the sensation of continuing onward despite assured misfortune. We’re all operating from that point a little these days, anyways.   – James Scott

David Cross: The End of the Beginning of the End

Thursday 26, Paramount Theatre

With a CV longer than a CVS receipt, it’s tough to imagine anyone not being familiar with David Cross. Besides a storied acting career (Arrested Development, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) and groundbreaking work in sketch comedy (Mr. Show, The Ben Stiller Show), he’s been doing stand-up for several decades and is starting to get pretty good at it! Cross’ smart comedy intersects politics and satire like no other, but is reminiscent of late greats like George Carlin and Bill Hicks. Last year’s Worst Daddy in the World almost literally killed me, when he got to the punchline about how parenting has changed the way he reacts to the news (I won’t spoil it for you). Maybe The End of the Beginning of the End will finish me off!   – Kat McNevins

Twyla Tharp Dance: Diamond Jubilee

Thursday 26, Bass Concert Hall

Twyla Tharp is a living legend, and this show presents a joyous celebration of her 60 years on the cutting edge of what dance can show the world. Starting with Tharp’s 1975 piece “Ocean’s Motion,” the rock tunes of Chuck Berry announced that Tharp is here to break down balletic tropes and bring dance to the culture. Afterward, enjoy two new works – the Jacques Brel appreciation piece “Brel” and a new take on Vivaldi in “The Ballet Master.” Both prove that you can’t keep a good Tharp down.   – Cat McCarrey

Desert Harvest

Thursday 26, Desert Door Distillery

Out in Driftwood, there’s a place that claims itself as the only U.S. distiller of sotol – a smooth sister spirit to mezcal and tequila. If you’ve never tried the stuff – and you’re also an enjoyer of gamey gourmet – your perfect opportunity hits this week. Get an advance taste of the fall menu at wild-game-focused food truck Lo Salvaje, a collab of Dai Due’s Jesse Griffiths and Stephanie Stackhouse. That’s right: Ticket price includes not just a li’l Desert Door merch bag and two fall-themed cocktails, but also a chance to enjoy three autumnal culinary delights including shrimp tacos featuring queso Oaxaca, a grilled quail sammie, and crispy wild-boar ribs sidekick’d by yuca wedges and curtido. Oh, and there’s live music performed by Jordan Matthew Young. Autumn is truly here again...   – James Scott

SOPHIE Drag Tribute Night

Friday 27, Cheer Up Charlies

SOPHIE is a rare artist whose generational impact was felt even before her untimely passing, but her influence has become even clearer ever since. The rise of hyperpop and PC Music from left-field realms to the mainstream can be traced back to groundbreaking hits like “VYZEE,” “Faceshopping,” and “BIPP” – and since the beginning, queer performers have known what’s up with SOPHIE. So to make it feel “Just Like We Never Said Goodbye,” Austin drag mavericks Iggy Bank and Cyber Queen call “all immaterial girls gays and theys” to celebrate that legacy – and her highly anticipated posthumous album release – at Cheer Ups this Friday with a drag tribute show and listening party. Pony up for performances by the Trans Era, Cambrian Explosion, DJ Lavender Thug, Muñekita, and many more, as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Black Trans Leadership ATX.   – Lina Fisher

I Scream Social: a Feminist Reading Series

Friday 27, Alienated Majesty Books

This Host Publications-curated event has seen a couple starts and stops, but it’s never lost its dedication to supporting and spotlighting queer and nonbinary writers from marginalized communities. The I Scream Social is part poetry reading, part – of course – ice cream party, and fully a safe space for writers to share and engage with their craft. This turn of the page features readings by prolific author and essayist Deb Olin Unferth, poet and self-proclaimed “queer, Pakistani, spiritual Muslim witch” Isra Cheema, and I Scream Social newcomer Marlon Hedrick.   – Cy White

“Path to the Altar: Community Ofrendas”

Friday 27, Mexic-Arte

One beautiful thing about the Latin American tradition of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is the abundant use of the pungent and vibrant yellow-orange cempasúchil flower – also known as Mexican marigold – as a way to help loved ones find the ofrendas made for them, which also hold mementos, photographs, and their favorite foods. Mexic-Arte Museum’s new exhibit invited Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, La Peña in collaboration with the South Texas Human Rights Center, and MAS Cultura to create altares inspired by the museum’s collection, resulting in community-based tributes and original artworks presenting a unique vision of the holiday. Celebrate this life-affirming tradition at the opening reception for the exhibit, on view through Jan. 5. Just look for the marigolds.   – Kat McNevins

American Indian Heritage Day

Friday 27, Bullock Museum

For the 12th year, Great Promise for American Indians joins forces with the Bullock Museum to present a day to honor the cultural significance of the first people of this nation. Celebrated every last Friday in September (thanks to the passing of House Bill 174), American Indian Heritage Day serves as a constant reminder that we are guests on this land. It also, however, is a day for the community to embrace all of its history and the lessons we’ve learned from it, and to collaborate on ways to move forward. The day includes hands-on activities as well as various performances and a tour of the Becoming Texas exhibition.   – Cy White

Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival

Friday 27 - Saturday 28, Long Center

For the one in five Texans who live with a disability, this annual festival explores unique and positive ways to challenge stereotypes. Independent filmmakers from around the world showcase their work, including documentaries and shorts. The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities presents this two-day event alongside special film experiences, art, and live entertainment. Open captions, ASL interpretation, and a variety of other accessibility measures accompany each film screening.   – Eden Shamy

MedFest

Friday 27 - Saturday 28, St. Elias Church

The longest-running festival in Austin? Interesting – but is there Mediterranean food? As it happens, yes! You’ll consume gyros, kibbee, spanakopita, and other delicacies from Lebanon, Palestine, Greece, Eritrea, and Russia. You’ll rise from a falafel haze to find yourself dancing to the strains of Arabian, Greek, and Romanian music. And you will bounce, oh how you’ll bounce, in the ever-present bouncy house.   – Brant Bingamon

Former Children and the Case of Big Ice Cream Soaked Socks

Friday 27 - Sunday 29, Back Pocket Amphitheater

Produced by Torko Rover, a partnership between Tor Reynolds and Kelsey Oliver, this backyard presentation features several collaborators. Those include: Carrie Fussel, Jenny Larson, khattieQ, Angel Blanco, Sadie Langenkamp, and Shannon Stott. This “team of outstanding queer individuals” takes over a new tiny East Austin locale with help from your artistically astute friends over at the Museum of Human Achievement. Their purpose? To tell a tale that’s dark, features music and comedy, and also goes utterly off-track as most queer productions do. Because what’s queer-er than a musical gone rogue?   – James Scott

Future Traditions Fest

Friday 27 - Sunday 29, Nepantla & Dadalab

No better time to explore the ingenuity of current experimental Latine artists than the closing of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrating one’s culture extends to its future, which these artists represent in their multimedia work covering music, video, sound, and more. Friday presents an experimental video showcase, curated by Rio Grande Valley’s own filmmaker/archivist C. Diaz with soundscapes by vinyl DJ Pinche Juan. Saturday is filled by an artist talk from composer Cecilia Lopez (NYC), local producer/DJ Malika Boudissa’s Synth Salon, and performances by local, national, and international Latine performers. Close up the fest with a Sunday screening of Luzmila and the Birds, a doc covering Bolivian singer Luzmila Carpio’s voice and worldview.   – James Scott

Stories About Birth Order

Saturday 28, Austin Cinemaker Space

Have you ever explained behavior as “oh, I’m the oldest daughter; I’m used to organizing chaos,” or “oh, I’m the middle child; I’m always forgotten”? Like zodiac signs or enneagrams, birth order seems to dictate personality in a way that just ... fits. Writer Christine Hoang has taken that idea and assembled a storytelling night for the ages – literally. She’s curated a group to share their birth order experiences, tracking the familiar and the unique in familial order. There’s a 15-year-old double youngest, an Austin judge whose sense of justice was sparked as an only child, an 83-year-old oldest of nine who grew up poor in pre-war Vietnam, and everything in between. Feel the spark of recognition while listening to tales of hilarity and heartbreak.   – Cat McCarrey

Austin East Side Mini Open

Saturday 28, various Eastside bars

Do you like golf but hate real grass and the lack of access to alcohol? This one-day event offers a solution with a dozen bars making custom putt-putt holes to test your skills. A ticket gets you access to all the action. Ramble to the participating watering holes and see if imbibing sharpens your skills. Each venue supplies balls and putters, but if you decide to BYOP you’ll be entered to win the Best Hand Built Putter contest. Tee time starts at noon and ends with a party at Hotel Vegas at 7pm.   – James Renovitch

Our Future 35 Open House

Saturday 28, Canopy

The words “Our Future” and “35” together have a way of raising the blood pressure, as it reminds us of the many years of construction (and destruction) we’ll face as the Central Austin portion of Interstate 35 gets its glow-up via the I-35 Capital Express project. But Our Future 35 is the city’s attempt at a positive outcome from the massive TxDOT project, with plans for “caps and stitches” across the highway akin to Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park, adding public park space where there was formerly just concrete and exhaust. Curious about how it’ll all shake out? Swing by the open house from 10am to 2pm to see concept sketches informed by community feedback received over the summer.   – Kat McNevins

Alienated Majesty Books One-Year Anniversary

Saturday 28, Alienated Majesty Books

Say you want a small-press book that’s only available in Spanish. Or you’re searching for a zine about braids and flails that comes with a pull-out poster. Or you just want to find something cool to read, gosh dang it. Only one place I can direct you to that covers all of that: Alienated Majesty. For a whole year they’ve been offering such pleasures, and now they’re ready to party about it. See live music curated by Tiny Sounds Collective or super-short readings of in-store books from local authors like Greg Marshall (Leg), Sarah Matthes (Town Crier), Fernando A. Flores (Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas), and many more. Snack on food from Crumpet Bottom and sips by Bawi Agua Fresca and Austin Beerworks. Get tatted by Starhouse Collective’s Spell from her custom flash sheet. OH ALSO: brand-new anniversary T-shirts you can also crop and customize at the party.   – James Scott

An Evening With Mexican Cabaret Legend Astrid Hadad

Saturday 28, Big Medium

Calling all queerdos and cabaret enthusiasts – beloved transmedia festival OUTsider hosts iconic CDMX-based performer Astrid Hadad for their annual festival fundraiser. Citing the likes of Lola Beltrán and Janis Joplin as influences, Hadad deconstructs the stereotypes of Mexican culture through her surreal and singular blend of theatre and dance. Blending operatic vocal prowess with fabulously tongue-in-cheek costuming, she deftly fuses the playful with the political, standing out as an all-time cabaret great in her native Mexico and across the globe. The evening also features a silent auction showcasing the work of Austin’s much-loved queer/ally businesses and artists. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale, with 100% of proceeds benefiting OUTsider’s 2025 gathering.   – Genevieve Wood

Fall for Belly Dance

Saturday 28, Dougherty Arts Center

Belly dance has a rich history, which of course accompanies some cultural baggage. As a complex art form rooted in centuries-old Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions, the simplistic term “belly dance” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Thankfully we have the Austin Bellydance Association and the Austin Belly Dance Convention to help us learn more about it. They’ll present a showcase celebrating its magic so guests can immerse themselves in its enchanting beauty and welcome the fall season – which should be coming along any day now.   – Kat McNevins

Dazed and Confused 30th Anniversary Screening

Saturday 28, Paramount Theatre

If there’s one film the world associates with Austin, it may be Dazed and Confused. For what is Austin if not moontowers, copious amounts of weed & beer, a kind of aimless forever-vacation feeling, and some creepy dudes? Richard Linklater, master of teasing out the warmth and sparkle from that mundanity, will be in conversation with no less than 20 members of the cast and crew – a rare treat – and though it’s sold out, this one might be worth watching to see if some seats come up for grabs.   – Lina Fisher

Pflugerville LibraryCon

Saturday 28, Pflugerville Library

Most of us will never see the inside of Hall H at Comic-Con, but who says you gotta fly to San Diego to celebrate comic book culture? Certainly not the fine folks at Pflugerville Library, who are putting on their eighth annual LibraryCon, an all-day, all-ages, 100% free day of panels, crafts, and cosplay. You can meet comic creators, get tips on the best way to distress costumes, and learn lightsaber choreo from Austin’s Jakku Temple. San Diego? Please. Let’s nerd local, friends.   – Kimberley Jones

3rd Annual Coffee Festival

Saturday 28 - Sunday 29, Palmer Events Center

Do you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur? This two-day event invites you to explore a wide array of coffees, teas, and food from Austin’s top roasters and curated exhibitors to help you find your new favorite cup of joe. Your ticket gets you access to tastings and live entertainment. For real coffee fiends, the VIP ticket gets you in an hour earlier. Bring your favorite mug and enjoy unique drinks for your caffeine fix.   – Ren Leija

Museum of Home Video Presents: The Post Punk & Britpop Show

Sunday 29, AFS Cinema

Oasis are back, but they’re not the only lads who led the second British Invasion. Curated by Los Angeles-based archivists the Museum of Home Video, this 90-minute mixtape (mix-VHS?) traverses the great alternative music of the 1970s to 1990s, from Siouxsie and Killing Joke to Suede, Blur, and Elastica. In reality, it’s not just the UK represented here – Iggy, Chrome, and other Yankees get their 15 minutes in this transatlantic musical retrospective – but they aren’t calling it Britpop Fall for nothing. [Editor’s note: Carys is the only one calling it Britpop Fall.] Bring your parkas.   – Carys Anderson

SunGay: Michael (1924)

Sunday 29, We Luv Video

As you have already guessed from the headline, this is not a queer reappraisal of Nora Ephron’s John Travolta-starring angel flick Michael. No: This is an exactly 100-year-old silent German expressionist romance between a painter and his model. “We’ll ooh and aah at the German Expressionism,” WLV writes in their event copy, “marvel at just how gay things were a century ago, and maybe cry a tiny bit about gay loneliness... together!” For all the streaming-pilled media babies in the audience who might quake when confronted with a silent film – buck up, baby. Few things stink as much as a queer philistine.   – James Scott

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Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what's happening now or in the coming week.