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“Galaxy Diner” by Rachel Paxton (Courtesy of Yard Dog Art)
Rachel Paxton and Will Beger
Through August 31, Yard Dog
Yard Dog Gallery has long been a champion of outsider/folk art – and fine art with similar sensibilities – ever since its days on South Congress. Now at the Canopy Complex, it neighbors newer Austin galleries that are shaping our art scene just as Yard Dog has done for decades, like Ivester Contemporary, ICOSA Gallery, and SAGE Studios. Going for a visit is never a bad idea, especially to catch Yard Dog’s August show, featuring painters Rachel Paxton and Will Beger. Massachusetts-based Paxton creates “western-themed mid-century modern-inspired neon sign paintings… [that] are part documentary, part fiction.” Arizona-based Beger “paints modern Southwest artworks that feature a mix of mid-century and landscape elements with an emphasis on desert minimal design,” writes the gallery. Open hours are Thursday and Friday 12-3pm and Saturday 12-4pm, or by appointment. – Lina Fisher
Roxy Horror Picture Show: Popcorn
Thursday 8, Eastside Cinema
Hate to burst your bubble, but Scream wasn’t the first self-referential horror film on the block. 1991’s Popcorn might not be either, but it definitely beats Kevin Williamson’s masterpiece to the punch. It’s lighter on the humor, and full of meta-horror nods that are fast and furious. This film has everything: torture, face molds, animatronic mosquitos, hallucinations, murky identities, and fire. Enjoy a night of frights with hometown horror hostess, the incomparable Roxy Midnite. Our Maven of Nightmares presents the films within film festivals within a film (see, I’m telling you, there’s layers) during her monthly viole(n)t crown takeover. – Cat McCarrey
CATS
Through September 8, Georgetown Palace Theatre
Look, grown-ass adults wearing whiskers and singing about a Jellicle Ball is always going to be a little goofy, but that willingness to play make-believe is why we go to the theatre. Nobody expects strict realism, which is why the 2019 film was such an unmitigated disaster, and why Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sung musical, based on T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, is far better suited for the stage at Georgetown’s historic Palace Theatre. Grizabella’s ballad “Memories” may be the song that puts people in seats, but don’t sleep on the magical “Mr. Mistoffelees.” – Kimberley Jones
Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino
Paper Flowers Workshop
Friday 9, Austin Creative Reuse
A craft with history, paper flowers have roots planted all over the world – from 7th century China to the church altars of Mexico – that continue to bloom today. Take part in this centuries-long tradition with modern tools like the die-cut machine at Austin Creative Reuse’s workshop. Make ’em big, small, colorful, or muted: The choice is up to you! Walk-ins are welcome as ACR says the workshop’s designed for participants to come and go as they please, but there’ll be $12 charge at the door. Nab your tickets early, and you won’t have to drop cash day-of. – James Scott
KillerCon Austin
Friday 9 – Sunday 11, Holiday Inn Austin-Town Lake
Writer’s block can strike anyone, anywhere. Even those writing about actual strikes – and by strikes I mean intensely graphic murders and mayhem. Listen, sometimes disemboweling is easier said than written. It’s hard to capture viscera with the appropriate splashes of terror. With Killer Con, you can meet the royal court of splatterpunk and extreme horror writing in the non-maimed flesh. Learn at the feet of honored guests like Daniel J. Volpe, C.V. Hunt, and Kristopher Triana. It’s the sharpest ins and outs of horror writing and publishing, with healthy doses of panels and vendors galore. Hone your craft and your spooky collections this weekend. – Cat McCarrey
Qmmunity + Friends Pride Party
Friday 9, Cheer Up Charlies
This party started like three years ago when Marketing & Engagement Manager Cassie Arredondo mentioned to me that she wanted Qmmunity to do a big Pride party again. I was nearing critical dehydration on account of us tabling at Rainbow on the Creek in like over 100 degree heat, but the idea still sounded good after a sun-sick nap. Several emails, in-person discussions, and Sales team calls later, there’s a freakin’ Austin Chronicle Qmmunity-led Pride event on the Calendar. Enjoy drag by the wonderful Maxine LaQueene and Simone Rivera; music by DJ Boyfriend ATX; booths from local folks like Las Ofrendas and Forbidden Fruit; and a Q&A with community leaders moderated by me. Party on, y’all. – James Scott
Second Saturday
Saturday 10, Culture Complex
South Congress’ Culture Complex boasts a wide range of open galleries and studios every second Saturday of each month, featuring Big Medium, Coronado printstudio, Capitol View Arts, the Projecto, Essentials Creative, and more. Whether printmaking, experimental installation, or traditional media is your bag, there will definitely be something for everyone to look at. Highlights include Essentials Creative, a multimedia collective that recently produced an installation for the Chicago Botanical Garden, and Capitol View Arts, the collective behind Congress’s “Black Austin Matters” mural. – Lina Fisher
The Cotton Club Encore
Saturday 10-Tuesday 13, Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline and South Lamar
When studio executives told Francis Ford Coppola to edit down his 1984 musical crime drama The Cotton Club, about the legendary New York jazz club, the reported purpose was to center more on bankable star Richard Gere as mobbed-up musician Dixie Dwyer. What happened? Most of the Black characters were cut out of this movie about a center of Black culture. The movie cost – and lost – a fortune but decades later Coppola was able to restore his vision and, most importantly, put Gregory Hines back in the spotlight as hoofer Sandman Williams. The Jazz Age never looked more sumptuously seductive. – Richard Whittaker
Photo by Lena Balk via Unsplash
ATX Trans Pride
Saturday 10, Cheer Up Charlies
Wahoo! Trans people rule! Personal bias aside, if you didn’t already love the T community then this event will change your tune quick. Let’s see what they’ve got this year: a drag showcase hosted by the Trans Era featuring Venus Rising, Sir Beau Elliot, Moxie, and Jenna Talia; comedy hosted by the Great Flying Cervix featuring Alexa Irizarry, Holden, and Julie Talbert; DJ sets by La Morena, Lavender Thug, and Boyfriend ATX; a vendor market with flash tats; and Mother Natalie Lepore and TENT Executive Director Emmett Morales Yoon on the mic for inspiring speeches. What a night! Be there or be *shiver* cisgender. – James Scott
“Tackle” by Lina Fisher (Courtesy of Lina Fisher)
Summer Salon Series II
Through August 31, Cloud Tree Studios & Gallery
Forty-four artists present their work on Cloud Tree’s walls in this series: an exciting array of mediums and subject matter to delight the senses. This marks the gallery’s second summer cycle of emerging artists, whose exhibits Cloud Tree says “emphasize the diversity of expression and medium.” Check the names included and you may see a familiar one: our very own Lina Fisher, who takes a break from breaking news to showcase her amazing paintings. Share a complimentary mixed drink or soda with these talented creators this Saturday, Aug. 10, at the opening reception. – James Scott
Plus-Size Clothing Swap
Saturday 10, the Future Front House
The thrift gods aren’t always kind to anyone who needs extra Xs on their clothes. Either no one donates their hard-found plus-size treasures or skinny Minnies & Mickeys keep taking them and “redesigning” the pieces for a 21-inch waist. Future Front members Xochi and Hali carve out this specific space so’s anyone looking for XL and up sizes can swap in peace. Nab a $25 ticket, bring your gently used and washed items, and swap ’em for a brand new wardrobe. Plus you’ll be entered in a raffle for prizes donated by Body PosiBarre, Harmonic Speech, Shapeshifter Studio, and many more. – James Scott
Austin Pride
Saturday 10, Fiesta Gardens + Congress Ave.
Step right up to the city’s official LGBTQ celebration – where the sequins shine with 2024’s theme “Queer Cabaret: Unleashed Glamour + Glitz.” According to Austin Pride’s description, this theme is all about “embracing the theatrical, the bold, and the beautiful.” Headlining up the Fiesta Gardens festival portion of Pride is rapper Saucy Santana, who is joined on the lineup by Mariah Balenciaga, Isabella Lovestory, Arya, Salina EsTitties, Kerri Colby, and Adore Delano. Parade-wise, this year’s grand marshals include local legends World Famous *BOB*, Morgan Davis, and County Judge Andy Brown. Dress up; have fun; and enjoy all the free corporate swag that’ll clutter your room for months to come. – James Scott
Austin Card Show
Saturday 10 – Sunday 11, Palmer Events Center
Every special interest has their Super Bowl. Whether it’s Comic-Con, 2025’s Star Wars Celebration convention in Japan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer-heads’ HellMouth Con, or simply when the first Spirit Halloween pops up in your area, if someone likes it, there’s a party for it. This weekend, card collectors have their day. With 250-plus tables – featuring Lucky 7 Cards and Collectibles, Kenny’s Collectibles of Austin, Legends Only Sports Cards & Collectibles, and Card Traders of Austin – it’s likely avid collectors will find something beyond their wildest expectations at the Palmer Events Center. – Lina Fisher
Courtesy of AFS Cinema
Yakona 10th Anniversary Screening
Sunday 11, AFS Cinema
Water rising: That’s what yakona means in the languages of the indigenous peoples who lived and thrived on the banks of the San Marcos River. It’s also the title of the landmark environmental documentary from Anlo Sepulveda and Paul Collins. A decade after Yakona made its debut at South by Southwest, its lyrical and poetic depiction of a fragile, lifegiving ecosystem seems all the more timely as Texas’ water system becomes ever more unstable in the face of eternal droughts. – Richard Whittaker
Courtesy of Kitty Cohen’s
FREEze Week on the Eastside
Through Sunday 11, Various Locations
Aug. 6 is National Frozen Drink Day, but a bunch of Eastside bars (plus Tweedy’s, for some reason) are celebrating chilly libations all week long. Kinda Tropical, Holiday, Kitty Cohen’s, Sunny’s Backyard, Hotel Vegas, Volstead, the Long Goodbye, Yellow Jacket Social Club, High Noon, the Cavalier, and Low Down Lounge are slinging margaritas, piña coladas, daiquiris, and other slushy concoctions to keep you cool in the August heat. Grab a punch card at any participating location – hit all the participating spots and earn a limited edition FREEze Week Austin T-shirt. Bottoms up! – Carys Anderson
Photo by Sabina Music Rich via Unsplash
Horror Movie Night
Sunday 11, Captain Quackenbush’s Coffeehouse
If you’ve never attended a movie night at Capt. Quacks, let me tell you: It’s a vibe. Screenings take place in their Soundspace next to the cafe, where there’s also a bar serving themed cocktails and free popcorn. The stage lights? Those stay on. The crowd? It’s your actual community: college kids, older folks, dudes working on their laptops, movie freaks like me who’ll see anything projected on a screen, service workers who clocked out eight minutes ago. The movie? Artfully obscured to avoid paying distributors a ding-dang dime, although there’s always hints. This week’s feature is described as: “[A] group of friends go on a weekend cruise on a luxurious party yacht! They forget to lower the ladder of their boat and find themselves stranded in the surrounding waters… OooOOOoooOOoO.” So spooky … – James Scott
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.
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