Credit: Photo by Sven De Al Meida

KOKOKO!

Thursday 20, 29th Street Ballroom

“Focusing euphoria out of chaos,” marveled the Chronicle during SXSW 2019, KOKOKO!’s Austin “debut felt like a tribal drum circle inside a futuristic nightclub.” Looking like Devo in yellow trashmat suits, the Kinshasa krewe from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital brandished shantytown instruments made out of junk and electrified into a hair-raising percussive clamor. “A drum set made out of duct-taped wood slabs … percussive instruments fashioned out of bowls and empty bottles of laundry detergent and soda, [plus] hand-carved stringed instruments held together by paint cans,” we documented. “Most listeners don’t know the language, but the energy and musicality translates,” bandmember Xavier Thomas told Kevin Curtin later.   – Raoul Hernandez


Credit: Courtesy of Austin Symphony

Carmina Burana

Friday 21 & Saturday 22, the Long Center

There’s no escaping Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. It’s ubiquitous, popping up – usually to signal impending doom – in movies as varied as Salò, Excalibur, Natural Born Killers, The Doors, and Happy Death Day 2U, as well as TV episodes of The Simpsons, American Horror Story, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Glee. Vacillating from creeping to shrieking, leadoff “O Fortuna” is the banger, but the whole cantata – performed this weekend by Austin Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Austin – is terrific, both oppressive and soothing, to borrow language from the fate-obsessed medieval poetry Orff based his 1930s choral masterwork on. The program opens with Melissa Dunphy’s Canticum Novum and Kevin Puts’ dynamic Concerto for Orchestra.   – Kimberley Jones


Credit: Photo by @michinc10

TC Superstar

Friday 21, Hotel Vegas

The countdown to a new TC Superstar record has begun. The Austin natives will release the Dancer EP in an unspecified coming month, but single “Dancer 3” drops in early April. It’s been two years since we’ve been treated to Connor McCampbell’s glittering, dance-ready synth pop, and a Hotel Vegas show this close to the single release could offer a preview of what’s to come. And even if not, TC Superstar’s highly choreographed performance, featuring professional dancers and McCampbell’s unschooled but earnest moves, is always a treat. Flora & Fawna and Sexpop open.   – Abby Johnston


Jonathan Richman Credit: Photo by Jenny Jimenez

Jonathan Richman with Tommy Larkins

Friday 21 – Sunday 23, Continental Club

If you’re a veteran of the Jonathan Richman live experience, you know better than to expect “Roadrunner,” “Pablo Picasso,” or any material he wrote and performed with his first band, the Modern Lovers – the Velvet Underground/Stooges/Kinks-tinged rock & roll that helped pave punk rock’s path. Rather, bank on well-crafted rockers – basic, but never simplistic – suffused with clever, deceptive innocence. Anticipate three nights of spontaneity, sweetness, and sudden detours into songs about ice cream, accompanied by a chain-smoking, taciturn drummer behind a bare-bones kit. Because Jojo’s live shows aren’t mere gigs: They’re an invitation to unplug from cynicism for a little while.   – Tim Stegall


Philly Cheeseskate Fest

Saturday 22, Far Out Lounge

Always held on the weekend after South by Southwest – “because it’s for the homies, not the yuppies” – Tiny Sound Collective’s third annual Philly Cheeseskate Fest celebrates DIY music and culture in an all-ages arena. Chris Simpson of legendary Austin quartet Mineral headlines this emo-punk-ska-heavy event, which also features Verse/Defeater offshoot Love Letter; OKC math rockers SUNFO; and local post-hardcore fourpiece Die Mart, among others. Twenty vendors support this 15-band bill, and ticket sales go directly to the artists.   – Carys Anderson


Harvest Thieves

Saturday 22, Radio Coffee and Beer

Courting folky fiddle solos and electric runs in their autumn 2023 sophomore, As the Sparks Fly Upward, Austin’s alt-country sixpiece Harvest Thieves has proven reliably versatile yet cohesive. The gang’s discography feels both danceable and introspective with honky-tonk rhythms and matter-of-fact metaphors that dig under the skin and stay. Not captured in the studio are the gang’s down-to-earth live vibes; during their final SXSW stand last week, they rocked out back-against-back and lingered hats-off for a birthday sing-along. If you missed them, Saturday’s your next chance.   – Amber Williams


Credit: Courtesy of Brooklyn Basement

Melissa Carper and Theo Lawrence

Saturday 22, 04 Center

Some twangs just naturally slide together like they were meant for each other, and Melissa Carper’s crooked country barb and Theo Lawrence’s French-bred, Western swing croon make an unlikely but perfect fit. The duo’s album of original duets, Havin’ a Talk, strikes a timeless chord, accented by Carper’s winking wit and Lawrence’s soulful sincerity that play off of each other in effortless harmony. The two local songwriters combine for a classic sound that feels nonetheless refreshed and modern, whether lilting tender or playfully sparring. 04 Center may need to remove some chairs to accommodate the inevitable dancing.   – Doug Freeman


Credit: Photo by Bao Ngo

Pom Pom Squad

Monday 24, Parish

Pom Pom Squad isn’t here to reinforce stereotypes; they’re here to break them. Indie rock frontwoman Mia Berrin has spoken out on breaking identity barriers and redefining the “cheerleader” cliche as a queer, multiracial woman in the rock world. Latest release Mirror Starts Moving Without Me takes listeners through a haunting self-reflective voyage replete with energy-charged highs and brooding lows. Think Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland but with a poppy, relatable twist. They’ll be bringing the Mirror Ball Tour to Parish and the city-specific outfit theme for Austin is “Through the Looking Glass,” so don’t forget your teacup.   – Catalina Perez


Belphegor

Tuesday 25, Come & Take It Live

Final night of SXSW, this correspondent’s musical magic carpet ride started in Lithuania, flew to Jarkarta, and ended in New Zealand. Black metal blasphemers Belphegor rep Salzburg, Austria, since 1992, founding axe fiend Helmuth Lehner still hailing Satan on corpse-painted pandemic heresy and 12th full-length The Devils. Genre peers Arkona arrived a year later in Poland, now touring last September’s eighth album and best in two decades, Stella Pandora. Locals BRÜKA and tech death quartet Vale of Pnath, rolling out from Denver, complete the bill. Passports, please.   – Raoul Hernandez


Credit: Photo by Jocelyn Pacheco

Glixen

Tuesday 25, 29th Street Ballroom

In 2024, Arizona shoegazers Glixen notched South by Southwest dates and opening gigs for alt-rock heavyweights like Glare and Turnover. This spring, the quartet levels up with their first headlining tour – and a spot on the 2025 Coachella lineup to boot. February EP Quiet Pleasures dispels its name with pummeling percussion and chunky power chords; opener “shut me down” growls fully instrumental for nearly five minutes, and track two “all tied up” plays like MBV at their heaviest, complete with Aislinn Ritchie’s Bilinda Butcher chirp. Suzy Clue and She’s Green open.   – Carys Anderson


Credit: Courtesy of Huston-Tillotson University

Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Orchestra

Tuesday 25, Parker Jazz Club

Spreading the word about America’s rich jazz heritage is about more than just arts and entertainment: It’s also about education. There’s a reason Huston-Tillotson University’s acclaimed Jazz Orchestra scores so many gigs at Parker Jazz Club. With Jeremy George as Director of Jazz Studies, the Austin-based HBCU doesn’t just teach its students the music, but also the context in which it was made, which lets the collective bring the weight of history to its performances. Plus, it just plain jams. This show concentrates on the work of Duke Ellington, possibly the single most influential individual composer/bandleader in jazz.   – Michael Toland


BossMan Dlow Credit: Courtesy of Alamo Records


Music Notes

by Derek Udensi

BossMan Dlow

Saturday 22, Emo’s

There’s not some deep secret to the current success of BossMan Dlow. The rising Florida rapper sounds cool talkin’ cash shit over hard-hitting beats resembling Michigan-style production. Simple but effective quotables such as “I’m a fat n—a, give me more chicken” help keep things fresh for now. Plus, he’s probably the first rapper to announce their album with in-studio assistance from the SportsCenter crew. Fellow Floridian Hurricane Wisdom supports him less than a week after an unofficial South by Southwest performance.

Alex Syedin

Sunday 23, Steinway Piano Gallery

This Ukraine-born, Austin-based composer releases his new contemporary classical piano album, Universe From the Earth, on Friday. All proceeds from his album release show this Sunday benefit his homeland through Liberty Ukraine Foundation.

Fana Hues

Wednesday 26, 3ten ACL Live

A name some may recognize from her feature on Tyler, the Creator’s track “SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE,” Fana Hues tours in support of her third studio album. Moth (an acronym for Matters of the Heart) sees the neo-soul/R&B Los Angeles singer-songwriter wade through warm textures, with a Bam Marley feature to boot on “Til Morning Come.”

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 March 21 • 2025.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

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Carys Anderson moved from Nowhere, DFW to Austin in 2017 to study journalism at the University of Texas. She began writing for The Austin Chronicle in 2021 and joined its full-time staff in 2023, where she covers music and culture.

As the Chronicle's Club Listings Editor, Derek compiles a weekly list of music events occurring across town. The University of Texas alum also writes about hip-hop as a contributor to the Music section.

San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.

A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...

Tim Stegall contributed to The Austin Chronicle 1991-1995, and was a staff writer 1995-1997. He returned as a contributor in 2013. He has also freelanced for publications ranging from Flipside to Alternative Press to Guitar World. He plays punk rock guitar and sings in the Hormones.

Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.

Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.