Indulge ATX
Monday 27, Zilker Park
A collective made by and for queer party people, Indulge ATX presents an alternative to the mainstream gay get-together. Formed by the talents of BabiBoi, DJ SuperMcN4sty, Lavender Thug, Coy, La Morena, and Dragonnqueen, all the LGBTQ can enjoy a queer kickback featuring plenty of great tunes, hot vendors, cock-and-mocktails, and whatever else this babe brain trust cooks up. Gonna miss this particular party? Indulge has plans alllllll Pride month, so check their Insta (@indulgeatx) to find a date that matches your schedule. – James Scott
Red vs. Blue: Restoration With Live Q&A
Monday 27, Alamo South Lamar
“You ever wonder why we’re here?” Those words opened the first episode of Red vs. Blue, the machinima show that launched Rooster Teeth, Austin’s original online entertainment leviathan whose deep library of shows changed online culture and sparked the careers of hundreds of Austin creatives. But the changing internet meant the studio shuttered its doors this year. At least there’s a last chance to say goodbye with a special screening of the final season of the show that started it all, complete with a Q&A with director Matt Hullum. – Richard Whittaker
Goblin Live: Dawn of the Dead
Monday 27, Paramount Theatre
Austin is the reason that the mighty Goblin started touring the U.S. It was the late Corey Mitchell, founder of the Housecore Horror Film Festival, who first lured the band who scored so many Italian horror classics to cross the Atlantic. Now multitudinous iterations of the masters of gore are fixtures in theatres and cinemas. This time, founding keyboardist Claudio Simonetti brings his version of the soundtrack sorcerers to perform one of their greatest works at a special 45th anniversary screening of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. – Richard Whittaker
God’s Step Children
Monday 27, Austin Film Society
Oscar Micheaux pioneered fighting against mainstream movie-making, shaking up early 20th-century narratives by showing Black life, with Black people, on the celluloid screen. His second picture even directly countered Birth of a Nation. It’s fair to say Micheaux was fearless and dedicated to his vocation. Pay homage to the first major African American feature filmmaker at AFS with this newly restored version of God’s Step Children. Presented as part of their Essential Cinema special programming, Micheaux’s film tackles colorism and interpersonal drama. It’s a tragic tale of abandoned children, fruitless longing, and high stakes. – Cat McCarrey
Sit Down, Write Now
Tuesday 28, Pleasant Hill Branch Library
“First,” Octavia Butler once wrote, “forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.” Develop those writing habits with this gathering of writerly folk where you’ll discuss the writin’ life before sitting down for 30 minutes of quiet scribbling, typing, or however you get those words out. Who knows? The next Octavia Butler may be among y’all. – James Scott
Captain Quackenbush’s Book Club: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
Books, Conversations
Tuesday 28, Captain Quack’s Coffeehouse
Book clubs should be cozy. And what’s cozier than huddling up with a coffee and a pastry, discussing Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, a shockingly cozy murder mystery? It’s a book that spoils itself immediately – yes, everyone has killed somebody; the title ain’t lying. The premise might not scream charm and wit, but Benjamin Stevenson’s novel delivers humor with each twist and turn. Have a blast reading the murderous hijinks, then keep the fun rolling by dissecting startling reveals with fellow mystery-heads at Captain Quack’s. – Cat McCarrey
Trivia Night by Lark & Owl: Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Tuesday 28, Alouette Bistro in Lark & Owl
Dearest Gentle Reader, if you haven’t ventured up to Georgetown’s women-owned gem of a bookstore, Lark & Owl, I don’t even know what to do with you. You’re truly missing out. It hosts some of the best book clubs in the business – Mourning Doves for sharing and support, Lovebirds for the latest in romance, Ravens for mystery books, so on and so forth – and some truly tremendous themed trivia nights. Observe: this week’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Flex those spicy regency muscles with your knowledge of the book that inspired the latest Bridgerton season. Costumes highly encouraged for this, a trivia night you burn for. – Cat McCarrey
“Luster Woo” by MuthaGoose Artist Reception
Wednesday 29, Butridge Gallery
The impeccably named MuthaGoose is the collective brainchild of artists Jill Garcia and Kim Phu. They are two of the baddest muthas around, debuting their collaborative creativity with the sly, wry, “Luster Woo” exhibit at the Butridge Gallery in the Dougherty Arts Center. Both are well-versed in playing around with mediums, crafting sculptures and paintings created from all manner of found or upcycled items. For “Luster Woo,” MuthaGoose present their nostalgic-but-modern takes on women’s issues. On Wednesday, Jill Garcia will be present for the artist reception, answering questions about the duo’s process. Check out these indelible visuals highlighting how the more things change, the more things stay the same. – Cat McCarrey
Envisioning the Future at Umlauf
visual Arts, Civics
Wednesday 29, Umlauf Sculpture Garden + Museum
The art-laden grounds just down the road from Barton Springs are already beautiful and verdant. With that in mind, our interest in the museum’s Historic Preservation, Expansion, and Unification Plan is piqued. Come out and see the historic plans for improvements to the grounds and new structures. The community engagement portion of the plan may be done, but they can’t stop you from sharing opinions with a friend while enjoying complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Not enough art for you? Stick around for a panel discussion with the four artists showcased in the current “Floating Forests” exhibition. – James Renovitch
SpongeBob SquarePants Trivia
Wednesday 29, Pinthouse Brewing
As the Chronicle’s resident young person, born in the same year that Stephen Hillenburg’s ongoing cultural phenomenon premiered on Nickelodeon, I can confirm that SpongeBob SquarePants continues to infiltrate the lexicon of America’s (aging) youth. I think “Oh brother, this guy stinks” might be my most-quoted line. See for yourself at the cartoon’s Pinthouse trivia night, when certain questions – How am I supposed to eat this pizza without my drink? – elicit a supreme childlike joy out of even the most cynical twentysomethings, awoken like activated sleeper agents. If it was good enough for Tony Soprano, it’s good enough for us. – Carys Anderson
ATX TV Festival
Thursday 30 – Sunday 2, Downtown
Everybody’s grateful to be on the other side of the WGA and SAG strikes, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot still to chew over – summed up perfectly in the title of one upcoming ATX TV Festival panel, “How the Strikes Affected … Everything.” At this long-running homegrown fest, TV fans and industry folk alike will find plenty of illuminating conversations about the state of television today, plus starry retrospectives (Suits, Halt & Catch Fire), new and returning show spotlights (Interview With the Vampire, The Big Cigar, Orphan Black: Echoes), and a special tribute to the late, great Norman Lear featuring script readings from Maude and Good Times. – Kimberley Jones
Texas Burlesque Festival
Thursday 30 – Sunday 2, the Long Center
The annual celebration of the art of the ecdysiast – that’s stripping to you and me – gets the crowd warmed up with an opening show at Kick Butt Coffee before two nights of dropped, tossed, and discarded apparel at the Long Center. Proving its commitment to the history of the hurly-burly, the festival spotlights two true legends of the art of the tease: the Godfather of Neo-Boylesque, TIGGER!, and the inimitable Lovey Goldmine, an icon who worked with Scatman Crothers and Merv Griffin, on stages from Paris’ Crazy Horse Saloon to Las Vegas’ Cabaret Burlesque Palace. – Richard Whittaker
A Big Gay Hairy Hit! Where the Bears Are: The Documentary
Thursday 30, Galaxy Highland
Authentic representation for queer subcultures isn’t easy, especially within the confines of popular entertainment outlets. That’s why the team behind Where the Bears Are decided to produce the webseries on their own terms. Between 2012 and 2018 there were 142 episodes, and now a documentary about the production is coming to town and bringing its creators with it. Queer film fest aGLIFF invites you to celebrate all body types, stick around for a Q&A with the show’s writers and stars, and then head to the Iron Bear (naturally) for a full-bodied afterparty. – James Renovitch
Queer Country Cinema: Desert Hearts
Thursday 30, the Museum of Human Achievement
Queer, country, and based on a novel: Desert Hearts has it all. Led by Helen Shaver (Nancy’s mom in 1996’s The Craft) as the closeted but curious Vivian Bell, the Donna Deitch-directed film follows a romance between Shaver’s soon-to-be divorced professor and free-spirited sculptor Cay (Patricia Charbonneau). Now you can enjoy the Eighties sapphic energy among fellow gays, hosted by everybody’s favorite monthly ho-down Neon Rainbows. Plus: free popcorn and a post-movie boogie hosted by Country Fried Dance. – James Scott
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.
This article appears in May 24 • 2024.
