Sorting the chaos

Chaos In Tejas founder Timmy Hefner tells us who he's excited to see thisweekend

Daughn Gibson
Moss Icon
Cockney Rejects
Best Coast

“I’d never seen them before, so I got in touch to see if they could play.”

That simple logic — identify the problem, then set about fixing it — is one of the guiding tenets of Austin’s Timmy Hefner and Chaos in Tejas, the punk and metal-dominated festival he started eight years ago that has grown into a mini-behemoth, featuring more than 100 acts from all over the world.

A good chunk of the bands slated for this year’s fest — which runs Thursday through Sunday at more than a dozen Austin clubs and record stores — are performing for the first time in a decade or more.

Beyond the reunions the fest features a broadening array of sounds, hosting its first all hip-hop showcase on Saturday night and throwing in a set by critical darling indie-pop stars Best Coast.

Names like Moss Icon, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, Cockney Rejects and The Clean won’t sound familiar to your typical Red River or Sixth Street music fan, but for diehards like Hefner — a Virginia native who started organizing shows in his local flea market as a teen so he could see bands he liked — Chaos In Tejas is a long weekend of musical bliss.

Albeit a type of bliss with lots of screaming and guitars played offendingly loud.

Beyond the reunions the fest features a broadening array of sounds, hosting its first all hip-hop showcase on Saturday night and throwing in a set by critical darling indie-pop stars Best Coast for no other reason than “why not?”

As he was finalizing preparations for the four days of good-natured mayhem, Hefner offered his thoughts on some of the acts he’s most excited about at this year’s Chaos In Tejas.

Cockney Rejects (12:30 a.m. Thursday at Emo’s East)

Hefner says: “Young me didn’t think I’d ever be able to book them, since they’re one of the premiere pioneering oi(!) punks bands from ‘70s and ‘80s England. Another one of those bands I’ve never seen and it’s great because it’s the same two brothers from the old days doing this classic kind of punk thing.”

Daughn Gibson (9:20 p.m. Friday at Cheer Up Charlie’s; 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Club De Ville)

Hefner says: “He’s a little different from most of the stuff we have, but I went to New York to see him and he’s amazing. It’s a two-man thing that’s electronic meets country with a very updated feel. Lots of people describe him as James Blake meets Johnny Cash and while I don’t necessarily agree with that, I guess it’s not that far off when you think about it.”

Moss Icon (9:30 p.m. Sunday at Mohawk)

Hefner says: “One of those bands I never saw because they broke up in ‘92, when I was like 11. They influenced a lot of emo bands, many of whom I never cared for, but I dug Moss Icon whenever I heard anything they did. It’s weird how emo is a genre I’ve never been into, but I loved these guys and I’m so glad we were able to get them for a show.”

Best Coast (12:30 a.m. Sunday at Emo’s East)

Hefner says: “A lot of people have been asking me about this one because they think a band like Best Coast is so different and out there for us, but I don’t think they’re that far from another band we have, The Clean. The simple fact is they write catchy, awesome pop songs. It’s amazing music and nowhere near as big a gap than a group like Art Vs. Science (12:30 a.m. Thursday at Beauty Ballroom) who are this pop dance band from Australia. That’s a group that’s totally different for us.”

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KOOP DAY

Weird, longtime Austin radio station gets city proclamation for KOOP Day

KOOP Radio/koop.org

KOOP Radio is seldom concerned with the commercially viable choice of the moment.

In 2024, people from other cities look on with suspicion when Austinites claim to listen to FM radio. We're lucky that our local airwaves offer us something our streaming accounts cannot, and one independent radio station that really breaks the mold is getting its flowers: September 17, 2024, is now KOOP Day.

The news comes from the City of Austin itself, following an official proclamation. This year is also the 30th anniversary of KOOP (pronounced co-op) 91.7, a volunteer-run, non-commercial station that plays music and other cultural programming.

It'll celebrate that "birthday" February 1, 2025 at Antone’s Nightclub with live acts, a silent auction, and more. Throughout the 2024-2025 season, folks tuning in look forward to special broadcasts with interviews and archival content, plus some community engagement initiatives including an annual membership drive.

KOOP Radio officially started after 11 years of planning and bureaucratic battles, as detailed by the Austin-American Statesman, with the first words on air in 1994 being spoken by the station's (later ousted) founder, Jim Ellinger, quoting cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

The station has seen plenty of turmoil over the years, but has become a haven for many of Austin's weird ideas — plus less weird ones people just don't come into contact with otherwise. Marginalized voices and social justice are constant drivers of KOOP's programming, which has earned it 30 awards in the Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin awards, including "Most Radio-Unfriendly Radio" (2013), "Best Sound of Cinema" (2018), and even "Biggest Waste Of A Radio Frequency" (1992).

On this station, Austinites hear instruments from cultures around the world; experimental sound art; ambient tunes; playful and challenging interviews; and thoughtful educational programming day-to-day, or on history-heavy holidays like Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. It also gets community members together by hosting and attending events around town.

Here's an excerpted selection of regular programming for a Tuesday (when this KOOP Day falls) on the station:

9-11 am: Under the X in Texas, a review of influential musicians in Texas' history, especially where underexposed.
11 am to noon: The Dark End of the Street, a celebration of Black music from the 60s and early 70s.
1-2 pm: Austin Artists Show, an interview series with local creatives of all stripes.
3-4:30 pm: Mood Ring, a "queer utopia" designed to pump up the living room.
4:30-6 pm: Le Chateau Daddy-O, a psychedelic jaunt for "sensitive listeners and the really up-tight."
6-7 pm: HeartbeatZ Indigenous Hour, a Native American show that's mostly music, with some educational segments.
9 pm and overnight: Local music online.

"Celebrating 30 years of KOOP Radio is a celebration of Austin's diversity, culture, and commitment to community," said the station's general manager, Federico Pacheco, in a news release. "We are deeply honored that the City of Austin has declared September 17, 2024, as KOOP Day. This recognition reflects the hard work, passion, and dedication of everyone who has contributed to KOOP's success over the past three decades."

More information about KOOP Radio is available at koop.org.

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