"Well I'm rollin' down 620 with a shotgun..." Good thing Austin got all those new cops recently -- this'll give 'em something to do besides bust jaywalkers and mall duty. Bet they'll see lots of familiar faces in the Mecca-long Southpark search lines, too, as Austin's young would-be revolutionaries gather to fight the power -- even though Wu-Tang Clan has dropped off the tour. German techno-punk Alec Empire's digital hardcore outfit Atari Teenage Riot explodes European tensions all over the pre-millennial map, skewering the bloodless corporate establishment with aggressive, 808-driven populist screeds. We'll miss Dirty, Meth, RZA, and the rest, but power to the people anyway.

SAMMY HAGAR

Austin Music Hall, Friday 5

Yessir, "There's Only One Way to Rock." For those of you uncertain on how it's actually done, Friday night is a required educational experience. Take some notes, too. Apparently, Hagar is even doing material from his old band (yes, Montrose). There'll be plenty of solo hits and even some stuff from that career detour the Red Rocker took when he hooked up with those brothers and their crappy bass-playing friend. A "Rock & Roll Weekend" fer sure. -- Michael Bertin

WAYNE HANCOCK, DERAILERS

Stubb's, Friday 5

The way roots music is invading the cultural landscape, it's not hard to believe our beloved Wayne the Train could be the next Squirrel Nut Zippers. The easygoing swing, shimmering steel, and neo-Hankisms of Hancock's new That's What Daddy Wants make it the perfect 1997 release: a country record that sounds like whatever you want it to sound like. The Derailers' own Reverb Deluxe could set them on a similar path -- if it ever comes out.

JESSE DAYTON, LIBBI BOSWORTH, CORNELL HURD

Continental Club, Friday 5

In Austin, we have so many honky-tonk heroes and angels it's easy to forget that other places don't have it so good. But who cares? When East Texas juke-jointer Jesse Dayton (whose Hey! NashVegas is due from Justice in January), sublime songstress Libbi Bosworth, and Western swing funnyman Cornell Hurd share a bill, just count your blessings one by one.

OLD WATERLOO JAZZ BAND

Donn's Depot, Sunday 7

Only in America could music that started as a red-light-district diversion develop into one of our most treasured art forms. Dixieland did just that, as a hybrid of Southern gentility and Caribbean sexuality that greased the wheels for the birth of jazz. Listen closely and you can still hear Buddy Bolden shout, even over Donn's trains.

UNHUNG HEROES,
GOLDEN ARM TRIO

Mojo's Daily Grind, Sunday 7

"Art-punk" is usually neither; it's just easy to lump incoherent ravings and inscrutable noise off as "avant-garde." Not so for Austin's Unhung Heroes, a furious female-led band of gypsies exploring the blurry areas between punk, performance art, and politics. Austin's trippiest avant-jazz outfit, the Golden Arm Trio, joins the ladies for a twilight (5pm) coffeehouse show.

GEORGE CLINTON &
THE P-FUNK ALL-STARS

Stubb's, Monday 8

Guess who's back? A good year for legends (B.B. King, Fogerty, Sugarhill Gang) in Central Texas continues Monday as the Mothership lands on Waller Creek for its fourth Austin rendezvous in a year and a half. Lord of the Most High Funk, George Clinton conquered age long ago; now he's headed straight for your rump, so bring some fries with that shake.

OUT TO LUNCH

Liberty Lunch, Tuesday 9-Thursday 11

Liberty Lunch always seems to pull down the superlatives around here, whether it's "Best Live Music Venue" or "Club Most Threatened by Hamfisted City Politics." This time it's "Club You'd Most Like to Buy a Drink" -- the Second Street station is finally turning 21. They're celebrating all week; Tuesday with Eighties pop-metal titans Gene Loves Jezebel, Wednesday with reggae deity Burning Spear, and Thursday with swingin' Oregon ska-men, the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Somebody bring some candles.

GEEZER, BRUCE DICKINSON

Back Room, Wednesday 10

Two unemployed music critic friends of mine said to recommend this show else they'd "kick my ass." The blond one likes Geezer (Black Sabbath bassman Geezer Butler's solo thang), because "Heh-heh, they're named after some old fart." The brown-haired one likes Bruce Dickinson, because, "Like, Iron Maiden rules! And I said `dick.` Huh-huh, huh-huh." Indeed. Metal is cool. This show won't suck.

ALSO PLAYING

Friday: Lisa Richards, Spider House; Dolla Holla Anniversary Party, South Austin Rec Center

Saturday: Bruce Robison, Ted Roddy's Tearjoint Troubadors, Continental Club

Sunday: Reggae Haze II, Waterloo Park

Monday: Sangre de Toro, SisteRuNaked, Emo's

Tuesday: Rosie Flores' Birthday, Cactus Cafe

Wednesday: Empire of Shit, Flamingo Cantina

Thursday: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Elephant Room

Recommended

Fri., Sept. 5, 1997

ALSO PLAYING