Update (3/11/23): Due to inclement weather, SXSW announced that Thursday’s Community Concert at Lady Bird Lake will move to Ballroom A of the Austin Convention Center, beginning after the Radio Day Stage performances.
South by Southwest announced the lineup for its series of free shows at Lady Bird Lake. The beloved concert series returns March 16-18 with shows running from 3 to 7pm each day. Highlights include the Zombies, Thao Nguyen (of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down), and a day’s worth of brass bands.
On Thursday, KUTX will host Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, a family-friendly showcase centered around the theme of ska, an oft-maligned genre that is experiencing a resurgence of late. Performers taking on the showcase, such as Thao Nguyen and SaulPaul, will be asked to perform at least one ska song during their set.
From Afrobeat to pop to rock, Friday’s lineup features performances by Nigerian songwriter Baba Kuboye, unconventional pop artist AJ Smith, and Sixties garage rock luminaries the Zombies.
Saturday takes festivalgoers back to Austin’s roots as Honk!TX hosts a variety of local brass bands like Minor Mishap Marching Band. The groups will play sets featuring music from New Orleans jazz to Eastern European romance. If HONK!TX’s annual festivals are anything to go by, expect colorful matching outfits and no shortage of audience interactions.
Here’s the full lineup:
Thursday, March 16
3pm – Lucky Diaz
3:30pm – Mega Ran
4pm – Red Yarn & Aaron Nigel Smith
4:30pm – SaulPaul
5pm – Jonny Langford & the Silver Sands Roustabouts + Rosie Flores
6pm – Thao Nguyen
Friday, March 17
3:30pm – Baba Kuboye
4:30pm – AJ Smith
5:30pm – The Zombies
Saturday, March 18
Blowcomotion!
Dead Music Capital Band
Mazel Tov Kocktail Hour
Minor Mishap Marching Band
Moon Tower Brass Band
Yes Ma’am Brass Band
This article appears in February 17 • 2023.