Spotlighting Women Wavemakers of Antone’s

From Antone's co-founder Angela Strehli to everlasting matriarch Susan Antone, women built Austin's world-famous Home of the Blues, now staging three separate spotlight events on the subject.

Women of Antone's kicks off the triptych on Thursday 23 at the swank, 150-year-old Millett Opera House, home of the Austin Club. There, ivories trader Marcia Ball, blues firebrand Lou Ann Barton, Tele shredder Sue Foley, R&B oracle Ruthie Foster, and Antone's Records bandleader Eve Monsees chat with and play for Antone and booker Zach Ernst. That benefits the Austin History Center Association as it transforms into a resource center in the Downtown historical corridor. Tickets start at $150 for AHCA members, $250 for the public.

Three days later, Sunday 26, Nancy Coplin stages another philanthropic affair doubling as her 75th birthday. HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians & Entertainers) helps local musicians with shelter and rent, so she's gathered a chorus to deliver the message. Piano whisperer Henri Herbert; HOME All-Stars Shelley King, Carolyn Wonderland, and Eve Monsees; and pop trio Tje Austin, Miggy Milla, and Zack Morgan as Midnight Snack. $20 GA, but upgrade to VIP for a private acoustic set by Ruthie Foster.

Closing out March on Friday 31 while aiding the Clifford Antone Foundation, Wavemakers host a three-tier music biz schooling: an industry insiders panel, a 40+ women in music convergence – Taméca Jones, Amy Edwards, Sue Foley, and Kathy Valentine – and midday acoustic sets. Attend for $75 or stream online for $35. Classic rock to classic soul, Americana, and blues, expect unplugged bling. – Raoul Hernandez

Hell's Hottest Vol. 2

The word "showcase" shall get shelved indefinitely after its annual 10 days of SXSW-induced notoriety. So, let's call Empire's two hip-hop shows this weekend an unofficially intertwined platform for a multitude of underground MCs in the Austin and San Antonio areas. Friday's show, hosted by rapper/producer Hellcat!, hones in on lyrical prowess and lo-fi sonics emanating from both aforementioned cities while Saturday features an all-512 lineup. Friday, Naalah of SATX shines with unashamed confessions over weeping strings on "Manic Maniac." Locals on the weekend kickoff bill include laid-back rhymer Blakchyl, Censored Dialogue, and Khxnid!, who finally tells us how to address him in latest single "whatsforme?" Ben Buck paces affairs on the 1s and 2s. – Derek Udensi

FuckEmos

Like bat meat brisket tacos, FuckEmos are a celebrated local delicacy that have been closely guarded from outsiders for three decades. Sludge rock with vocals pitch-shifted hellward, the Russell Porter-led project has thrived on anthems that can be unfathomably depraved, bizarrely left field, or, on occasion, strangely innocent. Classic albums Can Kill You (1994) and Lifestyles of the Drugged and Homeless (1995) document the weirdest rock from an era when people could freely buy Rohypnol to use on themselves. Speaking of Nineties Austin, John Motard – a variation of garage punk favorites the Motards – also appears after Porter's dance rock consortium Sex Pümp. – Kevin Curtin

Black Flag

If only we still had Spot around to share stories from the recording of the album that saw Black Flag turn hardcore punk into an endurance test. Longtime Austinite Glen "Spot" Lockett – who died at 71 earlier this month – was the studio architect for My War, part of an astonishing run of albums he helmed as SST Records' in-house producer (with others including Big Boys, Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, and Misfits). After a recording hiatus due to a legal battle with its distributor, Black Flag pivoted to sludge metal on the 1984 LP and stretched its anger across overlong songs, including a closing trifecta that clocks in just shy of 20 minutes. With guitarist Greg Ginn as the only original member still in the fold, the Austin stop kicks off a 40th-anniversary run performing My War in its entirety. – Chad Swiatecki

Meet Me @ the Altar

Meet Me @ the Altar is transforming the pop-punk landscape – and they don't need Travis Barker's help. On debut full-length Past // Present // Future, the femme trio of color channels Warped Tour and Avril Lavigne to breathe new life into an old-head genre. Opener "Say It (to My Face)" demonstrates the Fueled by Ramen signees' mastery of pop-rock earworms, while "Kool" spins playfully reminiscent of Radio Disney. After performing at nostalgia fest When We Were Young and bagging a Taco Bell commercial placement, these rising rockers might even land at a stadium. For their inaugural headlining tour, however, Antone's will do. – Kriss Conklin

Music Notes

Melissa Carper (photo by Jana Birchum)

Melissa Carper

Currently on tour with Hayes Carll, the vintage-sounding Arkansas transplant sweeps through the Greater Austin area for two dates. (Saturday's show at New Braunfels staple Gruene Hall has already sold out.)

Who Got Motion

Part two of the Seventh Street venue's hip-hop weekend doubleheader features promising artists MsGold and Stasseny as part of its all-Austin bill. The former's February single, "Call the Plug Up," enlists a verse from Sauce Walka affiliate Peso Peso. Shirt Off Fe headlines.

Tatsuya Nakatani

Avant-garde percussionist hailing from Osaka, Japan, performs a solo set and a duet with Lisa Cameron. Thor Harris opens. Entry costs $20 at the door.