Weekend Roundup
Chaos, Queerbombs and TV: Get ready for a strong festival weekend in the ATX
Prepare for another one of those Austin weekends where everything that happens in town is labeled as a festival. (13th Annual Dirty Diaper Festival! 5th Annual Broken iPhone Festival! Get your tickets now!)
With such an obnoxious overabundance of festivals, it can be difficult to sift through them all to find the most delicious tidbits. Luckily, we're here to do the work for you and point you in the right direction and get you all the goodies. You know what you like; so take a look at these offerings and see what you think.
First up, it's Chaos in Tejas. This catch-all "loud music" festival takes place on the east side of Sixth Street, filling up bars like Beerland, Mohawk, Cheer Up Charlie's and Red 7 for four solid nights. With everything from punk to hip hop to indie rock, there's a little something for every music lover with a desire to stand by a speaker and let the music wash away their worries and their ability to hear for the next few days. Bump from one venue to the next expect to stay out late at the after parties and beyond.
Next, see some of your favorite stars of the small screen at the ATX Television Festival. The first of its kind, this inaugural celebration of all things broadcast will satisfy all your stay-at-home-in-your-PJs cravings while still getting you out of the house. With panels of celebrity guests from hit shows like Friday Night Lights, Childrens Hospital, True Blood and more, there's plenty of mouthwatering offerings for true television fans at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel and the Alamo South Lamar.
If you're more active in your weekend pursuits, perhaps you'd like to explore the Soul to Sole Festival put on by Austin's own Tapesty Dance Company. Fancy footwork experts will arrive at Tapestry to teach classes on a range of subjects like tap, jazz, Irish dance and yoga. Afterward, participants and faculty will each perform in two culminating public dance showcases Friday and Saturday at the Long Center.
On Friday night, Project Transitions is hosting their annual Texas Swing Music Festival & Side Show. (This one only lasts one night, so it's not technically a festival. But it's in the name so we're counting it.) Held this year at the Shriners' Hall in North Austin, this music-heavy, dance-often party will feature the talents of Dale Watson, Rooster Jenkins, The Whiskey Shivers and The Rough Riders. Slap on your dancing shoes and get ready for a real fun fundraiser. And don't worry: free dance lessons start an hour before the party.
Since it's the first weekend in June, it's time for Queerbomb to let loose its mighty roar. As the LGBTQIA community grows in Austin, this party and rally starting at Pine Street Station is a great way to join the colorful parade. Since PRIDE moved to the fall, this is the proper weekend to commemorate the historical riots at the Stonewall Bar in New York City that began queer civil rights in America. There's so much to celebrate this year, so join in the fun and let your voice be heard.
And since they're hosting all the best shows in town, we also must suggest the Pretty Things Peepshow at the ND on Sunday night. Featuring a combination of vaudeville, circus and burlesque, this is truly going to be unlike anything else you'll see in town any time soon. Someone named Miss Alley Ooops will be performing alongside a man named Donny Vomit. So that's a selling point. Plus, I've personally never seen anyone swallowing swords in my general vicinity, so I will be there with giant, unblinking eyes...
Those are our picks for how to wade through the clutter of another festival-packed weekend. Make sure to read the fine print. Is it really a festival? Does it deserve to be? Otherwise, let us steer you in the right direction. You work hard for the money and they better treat you right.