Crucial Concerts for the Coming Week

Dante’s HiFi Comes to Austin

Soho House, Tuesday-Saturday weekly at 6pm. Members only.

Soho House brings a lively interpretation of the jazu kissa from Japan via a yearlong pop-up installation of the Miami-based Dante’s HiFi – an audiophiliac, vinyl-only listening bar. Similar to the brick-and-mortar parent in the Magic City’s Wynwood District, the South Congress club outfitted its prescreening room with custom equipment from Sound Luxe Audio in Miami, including vintage Klipschorn speakers with custom crossovers and a Sixties McIntosh tube amplifier. With Mohawk and Breakaway Records teaming to open another high-fidelity listening room in nearby Hotel Magdalena’s basement, Soho looks to take its part in ushering in a communal experience for members and guests with high-end, analog audio experiences.

“Music has been a welcome centering piece to cultural resonance in Austin,” says Darren Griffin, who oversees membership and events for the local chapter. “Bringing Dante’s HiFi helps reinforce that notion and allows Soho House to contribute to the city’s musical roots.”

Music in Miami’s location and the Austin pop-up is rooted in noted DJ Rich Medina’s personal collection. The world-renowned tastemaker says the pop-up won’t only be for the famous, such as recent opening dates by Stretch Armstrong and Jarobi (of A Tribe Called Quest). “We put a great deal of emphasis on the local digging community, the local vinyl DJ community, from people who have the star power to rookies that just got started,” explains the Cornell graduate and former college basketball player, using hoop analogies. “We consider ourselves a gym for anybody aspiring to get shots up.” – Kahron Spearman

The Vandoliers

“For the last 10 years I’ve played punk for country fans, now I get to play country for punk fans,” lead singer Joshua Fleming informed a sold-out crowd at Stubb’s last March when the Vandoliers opened for Flogging Molly. The DFW outfit, whose self-titled fourth LP hits Friday, comes fully armed with a talent for storytelling and a range of emotion. These boys can take you on a trip through the ring of fire on the way to a Marshall Tucker concert and then drop you off, wasted, at Molly Malone’s. – Gary Lindsey

Matt Pike vs. the Automaton

Set lists document Oakland huffers High on Fire crisping zero stages between Dec. 9, 2019, and June 18, 2021. Said gap year and a half ceased the afternoon after that latter date at Del Valle’s Motocross Park, where metal pyrotechnics from Matt Pike’s triumvirate qualified as a pandemically induced live music relief moment. They then teamed with Pissed Jeans during SXSW at Hotel Vegas. Further sonic aid triages the Lost Well when the gasoline-gargling axe maniac fires up solo debut Pike vs. the Automaton. Sludgey, rootsy, different, it tops Broken Teeth, Ungrieved, and more on Friday, and Ancient VVisdom, Eagle Claw, and Black Eyed Vermillion Saturday. – Raoul Hernandez

Golden Dawn Arkestra

Equal parts spiritual space costume opulence and ecstatic, dance-anchored electro-funk, Golden Dawn Arkestra’s Earthside stage show is an unforgettable musical spectacle. With a record trajectory starting with Sun Ra-tribute roots, heading to spaghetti Western and soulful psych, and arriving with disco Seventies and electrified Eighties, the constants are messages of peace, love, and understanding – now dovetailed with experiments in self-help televangelism. Celebrating their fourth LP, The Gold Album, GDA’s joined by local favorites: multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/producer Walker Lukens and Sir Woman for a free, stacked show. Hoops and fire? Hopefully! – Christina Garcia

Mvtant, Deep Cross

San Antonio native Mvtant, hot off their Oblivion Access appearance in May, returns to Downtown Austin. Their danceable brand of dark, industrial noise is melodically refined with an Eighties death rock vibe and sharpened with a metallic edge. Likeminded darkwave duo Psychic Killers journeys down from Denton, bringing an improvisational energy along with their bleak drum & bass loops. Local metal-adjacent, experimental partners in crime Deep Cross supply the concert’s crushingly heavy end. Truly a night for the goths, dancers, and headbangers alike. – Robert Penson

Florist, Marc Merza

The decadelong project of Florist continues to evolve as an evocative force for reflection, kicking off with 2015’s Holdly. The EP helped define the influential tide of turbulent indie-pop on New York outlet Double Double Whammy, a quieter K Records for the millennial crowd. Even Beyoncé picked up on the long tail of principal Emily Sprague, placing her trademark, subtly epic synth from 2016’s “Thank You” in the Homecoming movie. A self-titled fourth record emerged in July, bringing the quartet back together (including Told Slant’s Felix Walworth) in their originating upstate New York, following Sprague’s solo-made prior LP Emily Alone. L.A. composer Marc Merza’s group opens, oscillating between improvisation and in-depth arrangement. – Rachel Rascoe

Nez Tha Villain

The Southside emcee with a growing propensity for melodic tracks headlines CasinoATX’s album release show. – Derek Udensi

Picklestock Turns 50

Christopher Thomas Lamon (Stuck on 45) celebrates his 50th birthday with an all-day rager featuring acts such as locals Bondbreakr and Denton’s the Wee-Beasties. – Derek Udensi

Michael Franti & Spearhead

Michael Franti’s Bay Area band fusing hip-hop with genres such as reggae and funk gifted the world 2008 single “Say Hey (I Love You),” a song with a joyous spirit befitting bowling allies and birthday parties worldwide. – Derek Udensi

Aliza1K

On July 27, Aliza “Aliza1k” Reynosa posted a relatable TikTok in which she proudly conveys she holds no shame for working at fast-food chain Whataburger. The 23-year-old’s 4 million-plus-viewed post recently caught the attention of Kim Kardashian, who captioned a share of the 59-second video with “I Love You” in her Instagram story. The San Antonio-based internet personality doubles as an upstart rapper; she will perform at this month’s edition of the J Soulja-hosted Pre-Roll open mic showcase. – Derek Udensi

This article appears in August 12 • 2022.