Esperanza Spalding
Thursday 14, Paramount Theatre
Milton + esperanza, the latter Spalding’s August reveal, ranks among the bassist‘s best. At one with Brazilian pioneer Milton Nascimento, 82, the inveterate adventurist, 40, co-crafts a moment of stunning liberation – firmly jazz, Latin, and even Lennon-esque (an exquisite cover of “A Day in the Life”). Billing this performance as two musicians, a pair of dancers, and a tour through her eight LPs, the Portland, Oregonian might even sample ATX. Both Chamber Music Society (2010) and Radio Music Society (2012) manifested at a piano in her Travis Heights home when she briefly HQ’d here in the decade previous to those works. – Raoul Hernandez
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Friday 15, Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Few bands have looked (intentionally or not) at a subgenre in need of sprucing up and said, “Yeah, I can fit in there” quite like the Australian sextet gazed upon “jam band,” noticed a distinct lack of AOR rock vocals, goofy sci-fi concepts, and heavier guitars, and slithered in. Thus did King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard release more than two dozen albums in 14 years, everything from thrash to electronic frippery to records that scream, “Ask me a Zappa trivia question, literally anything.” KG and company will be playing a three-hour megaset – no wonder they are beloved. Strap in. – Joe Gross
KVRX 30th Anniversary
Friday 15, Mohawk
Thirty years is a respectable number for a lot of things: careers, marriages, home mortgages. For a college radio station still hitting the FM waves in an era dominated by digital streaming, this round number marks an equally impressive milestone. This all-ages anniversary party for UT-Austin’s student-run station (which shares its frequency with KOOP 91.7) pledges performances by local artists including TC Superstar and Matador Sphere, record-spinning by station manager alum DJ Gross Y’all, free screenprinted T-shirts courtesy FSG, and special-edition hot dogs by way of Grandpa’s Glizzys. Ticket sales chip into the station’s annual fundraiser to keep radio alive for generations of the next 30 years and more. – Amber Williams
Blood Incantation
Friday 15, Come & Take It Live
Blood Incantation’s Hidden History of the Human Race paved Come & Take It Live into some chariot of the gods runway in 2019 – far proggier than cosmic full-length debut Starspawn three years earlier – but the pandemic erased the tour for subsequent ambient pivot Timewave Zero. Fourth LP Absolute Elsewhere now forges the Colorado quartet’s entire oeuvre into death metal’s Dark Side of the Moon. Recorded in Berlin with Arthur Rizk and guesting both Tangerine Dream master Thorsten Quaeschning and Swedish keyboard guru Nicklas Malmqvist of Hällas, the latter of whom tours this album, Absolute Elsewhere lands an ultimate event horizon on Riverside Drive. – Raoul Hernandez
Jeffrey Martin
Saturday 16, Mohawk
Jeffrey Martin writes the kind of songs that can weigh on your soul – a litany of heavy reckonings and leaden revelations. Last year’s fourth LP, Thank God We Left the Garden delivered the Texas-born, Portland-based songwriter’s most striking work yet, each song grappling with a wary reconciliation of the world and the self. At his best, Martin balances a lyrical heft that sits somewhere between David Ramirez and Richard Buckner, yet even amid the heaviness, he continues tracking toward an elusive light. Fellow Oregonian Bart Budwig opens, working the mood swings between wild howling roots and somber dirges. – Doug Freeman
Give Back Kick Back
Saturday 16, Sunny’s Backyard
As Thanksgiving looms large, take time to support the Central Texas Food Bank at this weekend’s first annual Give Back Kick Back. Hosted by community-minded hip-hop artist Soupmakesitbetter, the joint showcase/market organizes local artists for a good cause. Vendors include ultra-cool clothing purveyors Lofi Vintage, family-run scoop enthusiasts Luv Fats Ice Cream, and harm reduction experts NICE Project. Genre-bending trio Passiflora provide a soul-infused soundtrack, plus beats from the Deli and Flobama. Entry is free, but attendees are strongly encouraged to donate – think non-perishable goods, gently used clothing, or a good old-fashioned cash donation. – Genevieve Wood
Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time
Sunday 17, Moody Center
An internet meme argued that the lyrics to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” served a backhanded compliment (“I don’t want a lot for Christmas” – just you). But Queen Carey is so much more direct. Dozens of hits she’s penned and shot up the charts over 15 studio albums and a couple of soundtracks tell us the pop diva and dazzling vocalist would rather purr than sting. Her emotional, sultry pop, R&B, and gospel goodness keeps us singing along (if failing to match her astonishing range). New music cometh. The Christmas Time tour readies fans, her “lambs.” – Christina Garcia
Bradley Middle School Band
Sunday 17, Parker Jazz Club
As part of an ongoing program to showcase young players coming up in the Central Texas jazz world, Parker Jazz and the Texas Jazz Society present the Bradley Middle School Band. Directed by Karlos Elizondo, the program gives junior high school students a chance to not only perform before live audiences outside of family and friends, but also to learn professional skills they can carry into actual music careers. All proceeds from ticket sales go back to the school, with family able to livestream the show for free. Nice to see Austin’s famed U-18 scene includes more than just punk and rock. – Michael Toland
Big Boi
Monday 18, ACL Live
Of course, MC/producer Big Boi, born Antwan Patton, cut his teeth and grew up alongside André 3000 as the legendary hip-hop duo Outkast, but he’s more than made his way as a solo artist. His exceptional 2010 solo debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, cleared any doubt he could walk the road alone. His subsequent work, including 2015’s Big Grams with electro/trip-hop duo Phantogram, has only solidified his standing as one of hip-hop’s greats. Even his most recent project, 2021’s Big Sleepover, a choppy collaborative project with longtime associate/producer Sleepy Brown, has much to offer for your truck-rattling desires. – Kahron Spearman
Geto Gala, Cha’keeta B, Nubia Emmon
Tuesday 19, Hotel Vegas
Jake Lloyd and Deezie Brown’s recharged Geto Gala project returns with a weekly residency at Hotel Vegas through November. The ideally yoked duo have realized a complete experience, releasing their fantastic, baseball-themed full-length Major League on Bandcamp this month. Femcee Cha’keeta B mastered the concept of getting in and getting out (and sometimes getting off) in her potent and concise 2023 EP Where the Wildflowers Grow. Vocalist/MC/songwriter Nubia Emmon offers throwback feels on tracks like “Give ’em Hell,” reminiscent of Nineties R&B star Smooth. She’s featured on an excellent hook for Cha’keeta B’s 2023 single “Heartbreak Hotel.” – Kahron Spearman
La Doña, Midnight Navy
Wednesday 20, Empire Control Room
Roll out the red carpets for La Doña, the soul-stirring “femmeton” (feminist reggaeton) project of Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea. Blending her hometown’s hip-hop history with a scholarship of corrido songwriting, the proud San Francisco native grounds her musical output in community-based activism. September full-length Los Altos de La Soledad saw Peña-Govea confront global injustice with tracks like “Corrido Palestina.” Riding high off last month’s ACL Fest performance, Chicano soul superstar Midnight Navy delivers saxophone virtuosity with an ultra-smooth support slot. Tomorrow’s deluxe expansion of 2023 EP De Melón is sure to sharpen his winning combination of classic boleros and contemporary R&B. – Genevieve Wood
Chase Baird Quartet
Wednesday 20, Monks Jazz
Jazz saxist Chase Baird stands as a sterling example of the young moderns, taking inspiration from leading lights like Donny McCaslin and blending unusual outside influences (alternative rock, electronica) into his otherwise bop-focused music. The Austin-based sax slinger played and recorded with talents as diverse as Chaka Khan, Brad Mehldau, Jakob Dylan, Mike Stern, and drum god Antonio Sanchez, of whose band he was a member. For this rare local show he’ll be joined by like minds Carter Arrington on guitar, Sam Pankey on bass, and Adam Jackson on drums. Check out “Cryptic Dream,” his latest single with keyboardist Enrico Solazzo. – Michael Toland
Interpol, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Thursday 21, Moody Amphitheater
The turn-of-the-century post-punk revival comes screaming into the Moody Amphitheater. Brooding New Yorkers Interpol basically invented it, alongside Williamsburg neighbors Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Paul Banks’ downcast tenor and the band’s muscular musicianship on debut album Turn on the Bright Lights ably channeled late-Seventies gray-raincoat-and-digital-delay-owning English bands like Joy Division and the Chameleons. …Trail of Dead were their local cousins, chopping up Sonic Youth’s alternate-tuned No Wave pop with Pink Floyd spaciness and the Who’s explosiveness. Heady LPs such as Source Tags & Codes told the tale, with dignity and sonic violence. – Tim Stegall
Music Notes
by Derek UdensiSeismic Dance Event
Friday 15 – Sunday 17, the Concourse Project
The seventh edition of the EDM festival continues a trend of massive electronic music headliners. This year’s spectacle features Gesaffelstein (Friday), Carl Cox (Saturday), Disclosure (Sunday), and Eric Prydz (Sunday) as its marquee names.
Give Back Kick Back Food Drive
Saturday 16, Sunny’s Backyard
Rapper Soupmakesitbetter hosts this food drive and vendor market benefiting Central Texas Food Bank. He brings along producer and frequent collaborator the Deli (For Your Ears Not Your Belly).
Love Is for Evermore
Sunday 17, Radio/East
The Bright Light Social Hour, Parker Woodland, and the Squirrel Show (aka Oliver Steck) perform at this second annual benefit for Evermore, a nonprofit organization aiming to uplift bereaved people.
MDK & the French Touch
Tuesday 19, Antone’s Records
Mentions of trips to Austin’s sister city Angers have become a hallmark of Blakchyl’s lyrics in recent years, yet it’s the French pals of local rap group Mindz of a Different Kind who come stateside for this collaborative performance. MDK goes to France from time to time to help teach English and put on hip-hop workshops in schools.
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 November 15 • 2024.
