The Chronicle’s usual approach to Hot Summer Nights – our music writers can see whoever they please at the annual all-local music festival, but they can only write about acts they’ve never seen live before – is an exercise in discovery. Sure, sometimes there’s a veteran act we’ve long loved but somehow never caught onstage (looking at you, Magic Rockers of Texas). But more often than not, it pushes us to check out performers we’ve never even heard of. New bands are cropping up all the time in the Live Music Capital of the World, if you can imagine.
It’s also a killer conversation starter. Like the lineup, the Red River-roving team changes each year; between beers and soundchecks, our on-the-ground check-ins illuminate tastes diverging and affirming – between bands’ records and their live shows, and between each other. This year, four Chronicle contributors tried out slow jams and power-pop, alt-country and beach breezes, all to varying results. Presenting our sweaty, late-night observations, refined:
Mid-Range Jumper Pulls Up for an Easy Bucket
On first glance Thursday night, Mid-Range Jumper didn’t look quite like an alt-country band. There was no steel guitar on the stage, and the fivepiece was missing their sixth, who plays banjo. Yet, with two guitars, a bass, drums, keys by way of Aaron Reecer (the Opera, Modernform), and more than a dozen guitar pedals among them, the band’s natural twang shone bright.
Singer-guitarists Jonah Brown and Andrés Garcia shared the mic with bassist Kate Whitmer. Slowcore “Stables” lent itself to Garcia’s throaty warble, while “Present Tense” was made for Whitmer’s charming slacker deadpan. The shared responsibilities layered their sound and made their onstage dynamic complete. Combined with Brown’s MJ Lenderman similarity, they could probably get by playing shows of just Cameron Winter, Wednesday, and Lenderman covers. Yet they eschew this alt-country Big Three in favor of unreleased originals (other than one thoughtful Dove Ellis cover). Mid-Range Jumper may only have two songs released, but they seem to know exactly who they are.
“I Want a Life,” MRJ’s debut single, finished off the set. “You called a bluff, I checked my shitty hand, and my debts are getting clear,” Brown sang. “I want a life,” Whitmer and Garcia called back repeatedly, and then they all brought it home with a minute of gritty instrumentals. At 9:15, the buzzer sounded. I’d call it a three-pointer. – Rina Laby
Two Legged Dog Stands Strong Onstage
A flannel, a ringer tee, an Army jacket, no shirt at all – these are the four top options in the Alt Boy Band Starter Pack. Two Legged Dog opted for one of each to kick off Swan Dive’s Thursday Hot Summer Nights lineup. These fresh-faced rockers have read their musician memoirs and scene oral histories, it seems. They’ve studied the glorious riffs of their elders, and their melodies too. Their Southern rock sound blends classic elements (clear-toned solos, rollicking drum fills) and power-pop flair (garage distortion, bar band harmonies), but a low belly grumble of hardcore and the twang of truck bed anthems reveal a depth of inspiration.
The quartet rolled from one headbanger to another with the tight-knit cohesion of a group that could’ve been playing together since their School of Rock days. Ripping through guitar solos on 2025 single “Far Away” and howling the cathartic refrains of February release “Someday Somewhere,” the group’s onstage sound was more full-throated and full-throttle than their yet-limited recordings suggest. The basslines dug deeper grooves and the drums carried more bombastic panache. Guitarists Nathan Dart and Connor Langham traded off main vocals, each with a distinct tone: the former with a honey-tinged, clear-eyed delivery and the latter a more gravelly, Neil Young-esque intonation. Their loud-and-fast melodic precision drew more and more rock fans into the crowd, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see their name – and the endearingly goofy hand sign Langham introduced for it – become a scene staple. – Caroline Drew
Annabelle Chairlegs’ Curious Cachet
Less is more, the old adage goes. After Annabelle Chairlegs’ Thursday night set to a packed crowd outdoors at Mohawk, I’m not so sure. I left wondering what part, exactly, of the indie rock foursome’s offerings were supposed to make me want to come back for more. Was it the shrill, dime-a-dozen guitar hooks, or the unmemorable stage presence? They certainly brought some Austin scene cachet with them – guitarist Nolan Potter (Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band) produced Grandmaster’s last album, drummer Nick Cornetti has been holding it down for DAIISTAR since 2020, and bassist Simone Maresh played with the Pinky Rings during their recently concluded seven-year run. Cornetti was the highlight, banging out tight grooves and mixing tempos with ease through the 10-song set. A few times I even wanted to join the mosh. Most of the show, though, the music felt bland, and Lindsey Mackin’s cursive shrieking, an acquired taste to put it lightly, didn’t do much to help. If nothing else, Annabelle Chairlegs know how to put on a snappy show; despite the lack of substance, their 30 minutes passed pretty quick. In the end, their greatest strength was how much the crowd seemed to be into them. Still trying to get to the bottom of that. – Adam Elayan
Magic Rockers of Texas Keep Earning Their Name
Midnight on a Thursday doesn’t necessarily spell a packed room. No matter for rock & roll professionals Magic Rockers of Texas, well-trained in the art of giving your all for nothing. The dregs of Hot Summer Nights’ first 2026 hurrah – mostly friends and industry pros – were more than happy to give it back. I was hardly the only one in the crowd singing along to set opener “Houston” and 2023 hit “Words in a Bin.” The few nightcap revelers who took a chance on these power-pop pleasers were well rewarded and likely won over – if the bro who tapped my boyfriend to ask who we were watching is to be believed.
Jim Campo, fresh off a global tour with Ben Kweller, and the rest of the grit-loving quintet seemed stoked to simply be sharing the stage again, trading satisfied grins as signature tempo changes and perfectly timed stop-starts hit smoothly. Deceptively complex and delightfully danceable tracks like “Alone With You (And Blue)” and “I Never Wanna See It Comin” relished in the group’s crunchy guitar tones and flippant melodies. Set-closing cover “Texas (When I Die)” received a noisy, vigorous treatment that felt like a cathartic homecoming. Time apart is no time lost for these longstanding Austin favorites.
Real heads may recall that Gorging on American Fare was one of my favorite albums of 2025 and be rightfully dumbfounded that I made it this long without seeing them live. I’m right there with ya and promise I’ll be catching Magic Rockers of Texas again very soon. – Caroline Drew
French Film Amps Up
It’s never a good sign when I begin inspecting people’s ears in a crowd, and perhaps a worse sign when I realize that everyone but me is wearing earplugs. As I was squeezing my way into view of Mohawk’s indoor stage, I heard an unsuspecting pre-drunk Friday night barhopper ask her friend, “People actually want to be in there?” More room for the rest of us, I thought, and my eardrums will recover eventually. The room was pretty small, sure, but packed nonetheless. French Film’s unrelenting grungy wall of sound didn’t block off the narrow entryway; it invited curious minds in before bouncing off each wall and eventually making my jeans vibrate.
The quartet ripped songs from their upcoming album and a few previously released ones. A 30-minute limit cut their list short, but you can’t call it time wasted – what’s shoegaze if not distorted and full of lengthy, fuzzed-out riffs? Bassist Ash Keenum and guitarist Colby Falkner James swapped spots up front every so often, but lyrics were barely audible over Drake Moreno’s thrashing electric guitar and Josh Harpur’s pounding drums. Although words weren’t entirely discernible, I’m inclined to prefer Keenum’s feminine vocals. It’s just the way I’m wired. I’ll put it this way: “Gigantic” is my favorite track from Surfer Rosa, but I get that it wouldn’t be an album without Black Francis. – Rina Laby
Joy Léone Makes a Dreamy Austin Debut
When Joy Léone walked onto the stage, I was mesmerized – not only by her self-knitted outfit, but by the quiet confidence that radiated from every movement. Three months after moving from Atlanta, the R&B/soul singer stepped onto the Creek and the Cave’s stage for her first Austin performance, surrounded by the flickers of a disco ball and an audience ready to welcome her in.
From the opening notes, Léone’s voice filled the space with a silky smoothness: warm, yet powerful. Her sound carries traces of Solange’s experimental soul and Jhené Aiko’s dreamy intimacy, but Léone’s performances are grounded in her own vulnerability and sense of self-discovery.
Performing recent singles like “Time Heals,” Léone stretched each note with strength, while “Could’ve Been (Round & Round)” showcased her ability to completely disappear into the music, the wind catching in her hair as she swayed through the song with effortless control. Between tracks, she sipped tea, thanked the crowd, and shared pieces of her journey, transforming the set into more of a conversation than a performance.
Closing with “Quality Time,” Léone continued that connection, pointing toward audience members and turning her first Austin show into a shared moment. For an artist still finding her place in a new city, Léone made it clear she already knows how to make a room feel like home. – Trinity Orosco
Smooth Nature Is All Slow Jams
After a sensual neo-soul set from Gio and a head-bopping hip-hop jam out with Soto the Activist, Smooth Nature closed out KUTX’s annual The Breaks showcase at Stubb’s Friday with an oiled-up R&B blowout. Maybe it was the dark-haired girl making eyes at me from across the room, but as soon as the threepiece took the stage, the heat turned up. Ordinarily, anything that could be filed under “adult contemporary” sets off alarm bells – in addition to the indulgent slow jams (think Boyz II Men, 112, Shai), the trio of twentysomethings showed up half-shirtless in matching white getups. There was also a lot of thrusting. But the horny theatrics came with real talent. Lead singer Marvin Alexander Jr., who proved he could bust a move during several dance breaks, took up lots of space onstage, spreading his arms and dropping to his knees in the throes of passion. His younger brother Diarian tore into a series of steamy solos on his guitar, while Gerald Wilburn Jr. put the whole room in heat with his sax. The main shortcoming was a lack of variety. Closer “Smooth Nature,” during which Marvin threw on a blinged-out black hat and broke out his sharpest moves of the night, brought an uptempo injection of groove, though too little, too late to balance out the slow burns that made up most of their 45 minutes. – Adam Elayan
deCasa Brings the Beach to Stubb’s
Walking into Stubb’s indoors, it was clear deCasa had no intention of letting Austin forget it was summer. Palm tree and cherry inflatables framed the stage, frontman Ricky Santiago-Cruz clutched a cherry-shaped Koozie around his beer, and the Puerto Rican duo-turned-sevenpiece invited the crowd to trade Texas heat for a beach state of mind.
Opening with “TAROT” from 2020’s RUNAWAY EP before jumping into the 2025 single “HEY,” deCasa wasted little time establishing its greatest strength: rhythm. The drums intertwined with the bongos, creating conversations through percussion that could be felt as much as heard. The bass pulsed through the room, settling in the pit of my stomach, making it nearly impossible to stand still.
Santiago-Cruz’s voice carries a raw, intentional edge that balances the band’s carefree spirit. Between songs, he introduced deCasa as a group that “comes from the beach,” joking that they hold on to summer all year long. His playful stage presence, prancing around and trading jokes with the crowd, made Stubb’s hallowed grounds feel more like a backyard party.
The band’s newest single, “You&Me&June,” arrived with beach balls tumbling from the balcony, bouncing through the crowd and occasionally back onto the stage, where even the musicians laughed through the chaos. An impressive trombone solo from the band’s 18-year-old horn player added another highlight before deCasa closed with Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved,” leaving the room swaying long after the final note. – Trinity Orosco
This article appears in July 24 • 2026.
