This weekend’s roundup is packed with performing arts, cinema and entertainment. Stay busy with our top picks, or for the full list of the weekend's happenings, check out our events calendar.
International Afrikan Fashion Week Austin Mixer & Showcase Austin’s first Afrikan Fashion Week kicks off pre-event programming with a hip networking mixer and fashion showcase this Thursday at Twin Liquors. The free shindig will feature a sneak peek at some of Africa’s boldest and on-trend looks along with goodies from local guest artisans. RSVP for the party here. A $10 donation is encouraged. Thursday, August 13 at 6 pm
F*ck, It's Hot! Sketch Comedy Show Settle into The Institution Theater for a night of hilariously original sketch comedy. The $10 show will feature some of Austin's best sketch performers and 100-percent local, vegan-friendly laughs are guaranteed. Friday, August 14 at 8 pm; Saturday, August 15 at 8 pm
The Official CCBFF Friday After Party — Episode III: StarStruck The Capital City Black Film Festival is back for a third year and Austin’s most glamorous are invited to dance the night away at the festival’s official after party. Channel your inner movie star through the party’s sexy black carpet dress code and get ready for a fabulous evening. Your $10 ticket includes admission and complimentary appetizers. Friday, August 14 at 10 pm
Summer Show ATX Round up the whole family and head to Austin Music Hall for the fourth annual Summer Show featuring Austin Craft Riot. Prepare for a day filled with activities and giveaways at this awesome close to summer. Tickets are $2 in advance. Saturday, August 15 at 11 am
Book signing: You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) with Felicia Day Ready your hardcovers and Sharpies for bestselling author and comedian Felicia Day's exclusive book signing at BookPeople. Snag a copy of Day's newest book You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) and dive into the perfect end-of-summer read. Tickets are $28.13 and can be purchased here. Saturday, August 15 at 6 pm
Film screening: From Dusk Till Dawn with Robert Rodriguez Pop over to the Paramount Theatre for a free screening of 1996 Western classic From Dusk Till Dawn. As an added bonus for film buffs, the movie's director, Robert Rodriguez, will participate in a Q&A session following the screening. Seating is first come first served, so arrive early! Saturday, August 15 at 6 pm
Austin Local Fest Local hotspot Austin Roller Rink brings the cool with Austin Local Fest this Saturday. The $15 mini festival will feature live music and roller skating. Grab your buds, your wheels and a cooler for the BYOB awesomeness. Saturday, August 15 at 9 pm
Practice Yoga Austin presents Yoga Ride! Grab your bike and join fellow Austin yogis for a guided cycling adventure through downtown this Sunday. Take it easy on a cruise across town at a friendly pace, stopping to see some of Austin’s finest sites and for refreshments. The ride begins with a sun salutation at 1114 W. Fifth St. and concludes at Practice Yoga Austin for a post-bike stretch and cool down. Sunday, August 16 at 10 am
The Gold Over America Tour cast performing on NBC's "America's Got Talent."
First came the gold medals, now comes the Gold Over America Tour, the Simone Biles-headlined gymnastics showcase touring 30 cities around the United States and vaulting into Austin's Moody Center on Friday, October 18.
Joining Biles are fellow Paris Olympic champions (the self-titled "Golden Girls") Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, along with bronze medal-winning men’s team members Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Asher Hong, and Fred Richard, plus other gymnastics superstars. Adding men to the G.O.A.T. show is a new twist; the 2021 tour, post-Tokyo Olympics, had a cast made up entirely of women.
It’s a change that Biles hopes will help elevate men’s gymnastics around the country.
Juda, for one, couldn’t be more grateful. The Olympic medalist is still riding the wave of excitement from winning the first USA men’s team medal in 16 years, along with having achieved his own dream of competing in the Olympic individual all-around final.
We recently chatted with Juda, who took us behind the scenes of the G.O.A.T. show, the squad, and life on the tour bus as a college student missing classes to travel the country like a rock star. (Plus: Why he's especially looking forward to the Austin show.)
CultureMap: At the Olympics this summer, the whole vibe of men’s and women’s USA gymnastics seemed happy and supportive of each other. How are you carrying that camaraderie into performing together as a troupe in the Gold Over America Tour?
Paul Juda: I think during the whole Olympic experience we just had a lot of joy. We had a lot of of fun outside of those two hours of competition. So the competition in and of itself was kind of like a "mission critical," and we were pretty focused, but we still tried to keep it light.
On this, there's no real competition; we’re here to put on the best show possible for the audience. I can already see even just on the the two nights and three days that we've been here together, we've had a lot of fun. We're all best friends here, and we're going to bring that kind of energy to the stage.
CM: The last Gold Over America Tour was all women - and the theme was very much female empowerment, and girls as superheroes. Now that men are included, what can we expect from the show this time?
PJ: I think it's awesome (men are included) and I'm not even gonna lie, this tour just got, like, a million times better after making a medal. I'm really excited to get to do the show. It's going to be a lot of back and forth (between men and women). Yeah, we're doing some gymnastics; we're trying to learn a little bit of dancing. We've got lights, we've got a lot of songs, and we're bouncing off of each other's stories. There's going to be a lot of really fun, fun parts. (Note: Here's a preview.)
CM: Figure skating has shows like “Stars on Ice” that athletes can join after the Olympics to perform for audiences. Would you like to see something like that for gymnasts, who often don’t get to really “entertain” audiences?
PJ: Yeah, (in gymnastics) we use the human body to all of its maximum capability, and (learning) dance moves, I enjoy using a different side of my brain. I'm a guy who would also enjoy a musical or a Broadway show, just for the element of like, “Wow. Look at the choreography and how they're able to add the music and the lights and everything in the whole production.”
And then you couple it with the fact that we have extraordinary strength and flexibility and we can kind of do almost circus-like events, but then also add in a touch of difficulty - like "hey, okay, they're not just acrobats; they also spent 20 years doing this sport."
I feel like it's the ultimate show. It's some dance lights, some music, a storyline, you can watch your favorite athlete and then see him or her in a kind of different light. Now the athlete literally just gets to have fun out there. I wouldn't see why people wouldn't want to see more of this type of show.
CM: There’s so much buzz around gymnastics during the Olympics. How do you keep those fans interested the other three years in between, especially men’s gymnastics?
PJ: I'm hoping this tour does that, and I'm also confident, like anything that we do afterwards on the global stage (like "pommel horse guy" Stephen Nedoroscik competing on Dancing With the Stars), I hope people are like, "Oh yeah, I see them doing that. But I also remember they represent men's gymnastics."
Paul Juda on parallel bars for the University of Michigan team.Photo by John Cheng
Q: A lot of cast members are in college, including yourself (a graduate student), and you’re also captain of the University of Michigan Men’s Gymnastics team. How will you balance your studies and college athletics commitments while you’re on tour?
PJ: (He holds up a notebook with a calendar planner filled in.) This. I'm looking at my schedule today, I've got a weekly reflection. I've got a case to work on. I've got a data analytics assignment, a lecture to watch, and a reading quiz to do, so, it's a lot for sure.
Hopefully after this tour I can come back and be in a really good place with my team. I've left some excellent people in charge … phenomenal captains, and I have no doubt that they'll keep the team on pace, and if they need anything from me, they'll text me.
And on top of that, in terms of school, I think honestly, if anything, it’ll just keep me doing the right things. I got to go to bed early to wake up early and get some homework done, that's probably for the best. I’ll try to do some lectures on the tour bus and stuff.
Simone Biles had a record-breaking performance at the 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
CM:The reception in Houston - hometown of Simone Biles and adopted hometown of Jordan Chiles - will be nuts, and Fort Worth is where the last National Championships was held this past summer. What cities are you most looking forward to?
PJ: Chicago and Detroit are going to be my two main places. I've got a lot of people coming for the Detroit show from University of Michigan, and then Chicago, that’s where I'm from. Every time that I've visited Texas, I really enjoy Texas. We'll have a lot of fun. I'm excited to see the Texans come out and specifically in that Austin area, we've got a lot of people there.
CM: Well, don’t forget your cowboy hat.
PJ: Alright!
Note: This interview was edited for clarity and brevity. The Gold Over America Tour, presented by Athleta, will take place at 7:30 pm October 18 at Moody Center in Austin. For more information and tickets (starting about $55), visit the website.