Recommended Live Music for the Weekend

End Pride Month right by uniting through song. This weekend's soundtrack includes tunes from your favorite local artists: VAASKA, Impalers, and Ginger Leigh.

FRIDAY

Brother JT

Barracuda
Fri., June 29, 9pm

Immolative punk quartet the Original Sins spun off Pennsylvanian John Terlesky as dystopian drug prophet Brother JT. His Trippin’ Balls talk show douses the ramblings of Dr. Gene Scott in violent mescaline emesis, while pitch-shifted vocals split the baby between Tiny Tim and Satan. Tornado Juice embraces psych, pop, and punk. John Wesley Coleman brings his Microwave Dreams machine alongside Baby Robots and Model Zero. – Greg Beets

VAASKA, Impalers

Beerland
Fri., June 29, 10pm

Vicious Spanish-language hardcore reminiscent of a D-beat Los Crudos, Austin’s Vaaska boasts a constant flow of strong albums, splits, and EPs over the quartet’s decade of aggression, most notably 2015 prerequisite LP Todos Contra Todos (All Against All). Pummeling punk tyrants Impalers, whose shared DNA with Vaaska includes Power Trip drummer Chris Ulsh on the microphone, enhance a lineup also yielding Houston’s SexPill, McAllen’s Program, and locals the Leash. – Kevin Curtin

Ginger Leigh CD Release

Moonfire Lounge
Fri., June 22, 8pm

Tenth disc in two decades-plus, Hey Funky You isn’t your typical ATX singer-songwriter fare. The big Beck bomp of her opening title track gives way to a sui generis mix of originals and covers of songs from Sarah McLachlan, Chris Thile & Gary Louris, and a pair of Concrete Blonde Bloodletting offerings. Think ZZ Ward for the Triple-A set. – Raoul Hernandez

Ben Dickey, Charlie Sexton, Alejandro Escovedo

Continental Club
Fri., June 29, 12mid

Ethan Hawke’s gorgeous cinematic ode to Blaze Foley hits screens in August, and Arkansas native Ben Dickey inhabits the late local songwriter with uncanny heart. Charlie Sexton is cast as Townes Van Zandt and together they’ll offer up tribute to Foley and Austin’s gritty Eighties. Alejandro Escovedo opens both nights in a return to his South Congress stomping grounds. (Also Sat., June 30, 12mid). – Doug Freeman

Antone's 43rd Anniversary

Antone's Nightclub
Fri., June 29, 6:30pm

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Blues are jumpin’ and the talent’s high. Saturday tag teams a Doug Sahm moment in reuniting Texas Tornadoes Augie Meyers and Ernie Durawa, plus the Westside Horns and Jack Barber, at 6:30pm and as encored at 10pm by the NOLA twofer of shredder Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the New Breed Brass Band. Festivities continue ’til July 28. (Also Sat., June 30, 6:30pm). – Raoul Hernandez

SATURDAY

John Prine, Amanda Shires

Bass Concert Hall
Sat., June 30, 8pm

Touring has forced Amanda Shires out of the closet, but not in a Pride Month sense. Shires and her husband, fellow singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, have made some unexpected tweaks to their creative process since their daughter Mercy entered the stage where she wants to help with everything. – Abby Johnston

Torture 2018

Beerland
Sat., June 30, 8pm

Variety abounds in the debut edition of this eponymous experimental fest. Members of Cop Shoot Cop and Birdthrower, Suicide-worshipping NY/NJ duo This Wilderness traffic in noir synthwave, while San Francisco ensemble Xambuca plies gothic electronics. Noisecore titans Total Abuse and industrial veteran Curse Mackey (Pigface, Evil Mothers) represent ATX, and Miami improv noisemeister Rat Bastard (aka Frank Falestra of To Live & Shave in L.A.) and more provide sonic turbulence. – Michael Toland