Here's what's happening in the Live Music Capital of the World this week.
OUR TOP PICKS
Saturday: RAS Day at Empire Garage. The annual music festival from husband-wife hip-hop team Riders Against the Storm marries music and healing energy. This year’s lineup features rising rapper Leikeli47 and Madison McFerrin, who is building on her father Bobby’s legacy with a fresh take on a capella music. “Beyond the aspect of healing and music and community, (RAS Day has) really been about putting women at the forefront,” Jonathan Mahone, aka Chaka from Riders Against the Storm, says. “We’ve always had at least half the lineup, or the majority of the lineup, being women, and this year it’s all women.” Riders Against the Storm, husband-wife team the APX, Dallas soul artist M3cca, local soul legend Miss Lavelle White and recent Austin360 Artist of the Month Eimaral Sol round out the bill. $25 in advance. 606 E. Seventh St. empireatx.com. — D.S.S.
Saturday: El Dusty, Federico7 at Stubb’s indoor. Corpus Christi-based electro-cumbia specialist El Dusty, local psychedelic Brazilian act Federico7 and singer Kelly Hafner play a blowout bash to celebrate the 10th anniversary of local boutique PR agency Press Junkie. Run by husband-wife team Mercedes and Ryan Romana, the agency grew out of a “vision and passion to work with under-represented music and musicians, to help them reach a wider audience,” Ryan Romana says. SIMS will be on site to share information and accept donations, and the Romanas will raffle off a pair of Austin City Limits Music Festival passes to benefit the nonprofit, which provides mental health services to Austin musicians. Free with RSVP. 9 p.m. doors. 801 Red River St. pressjunkiepr.com. — D.S.S.
Sunday: Rodney Crowell at Waterloo Records. The native Houstonian’s last Waterloo in-store performance in April 2017, to support his deeply emotional album “Close Ties,” just might be the best one I’ve ever seen at the iconic local record store, and that’s saying a lot. Crowell’s new album is called “Texas,” and it’s a reflection on his home state with an impressive guest list, including Willie Nelson, Billy Gibbons, Lee Ann Womack and token non-Texan Ringo Starr. The rules for this one: Prepurchase the album (or buy it on release day, Aug. 15) at Waterloo and get a free guaranteed-admission wristband for the in-store performance. 5 p.m. 600 N. Lamar Blvd. waterloorecords.com. — P.B.
Tuesday-Wednesday: Vampire Weekend at ACL Live. The Grammy-winning New York band's new album, "Father of the Bride," their first in six years, topped the charts on its first week of release earlier this year. Leader Ezra Koenig has said country sensation Kacey Musgraves helped inspire the record's songwriting direction, though early chatter has focused more on a rootsy jam-band vibe. However one pegs the album and the band, this two-night stand will be one of the summer's hottest shows. Young Mississippi blues sensation Christone “Kingfish” Ingram opens. $54.50-$99. 7 p.m. 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. acl-live.com. — P.B.
Thursday: The B-52s at Bass Concert Hall. Bang bang on the door, baby. The B-52s are coming to town. The iconic (not using that term loosely) new wave band are on their 40th anniversary world tour. Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson will hit the University of Texas’ concert hall, which does not have a tin roof, much less a rusted one. Berlin and OMD will join the band. $49.50-$149.50. 2350 Robert Dedman Drive. texasperformingarts.com. — Eric Webb
ALSO PLAYING
Friday
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band at ACL Live
Questlove DJ Set at Empire Control Room
Infamous Stringdusters, Fennario Flats at Mohawk outdoor
Faint, Ritual Howls, Closeness at Scoot Inn outdoor
“The Messenger: The Songwriting Legacy of Ray Wylie Hubbard” book release with Jonathan Tyler, Chris Fullerton, Matt Harlan at Waterloo Records
Jakob Ogawa at Barracuda
General Smiley, Skycranes at the Parish
Alex Lahey, Kingsbury at Antone’s
Jamestown Revival, Ian Noe at Gruene Hall
Sailor Poon, Pearl Earl, Whit at Hotel Vegas
Tomar & the FCs, Rosie Flores Revue at C-Boy’s
40 Acre Mule, Greyhounds, Blues Specialists at Continental Club
AJ Vallejo, Torino Black, Latin at Heart at One-2-One Bar
Bart Crow, Colby Keeling at Stubb’s indoor
RF Shannon, La Paz at Cactus Cafe
Bri Bagwell, Denny Freeman at Saxon Pub
Peligrosa at the North Door
Tomas Ramirez at Elephant Room
Lost Counts, Emily Gimble at Continental Gallery
Kill County album release at ABGB
Guitar Grady, Mark Jungers at Sam’s Town Point
Connie Kirk & Her Jazz Quartet at Townsend
Eli Arbor album release at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
Ginger Leigh at El Mercado Backstage
Beth//James at Geraldine’s
Saturday
Grace VanderWaal at Emo’s
Infamous Stringdusters, Ley Line at Mohawk outdoor
Jamestown Revival, Ian Noe at Scoot Inn outdoor
Generationals, Pure Bathing Culture at Antone’s
Datri Bean, Thor and Friends at Central Presbyterian Church
Chloe Moriondo at Barracuda
Crazy World of Arthur Brown at One-2-One Bar
Mundo Tropidelico, Micah Shalom, Como las Movies at Hotel Vegas
Rebecca Loebe, Raina Rose at Radio
Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad, more at Empire
Emily Gimble, Greyhounds, Ted Roddy & the King Conjure Orchestra
Austin Lounge Lizards at Cactus Cafe
Micky & the Motorcars, 40 Acre Mule at Gruene Hall
Tomar & the FCs, “Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan” book release at C-Boy’s
Lost Counts, Beaver Nelson at Continental Gallery
PollenRX, the Infinites, more at Cheer Up Charlies
Albert & Gage Band at Donn’s Depot
Nakia at Threadgill’s
Lance Keltner at El Mercado Backstage
Guy Forsyth, Jim Scarborough at Saxon Pub
Graham Wilkinson, Curtis Lee Trio at Geraldine’s
Sunday
Lavelle White at Antone’s
Conjunto Los Pinkys at Sam’s Town Point
Poolside Sessions with Austin Boogie Crew at the Line Hotel
Tom Gillam & the Kozmic Messengers, Beat Root Revival at Gruene Hall
James Bullard, Ben Jones at Saxon Pub
Sophia Johnson Band at ABGB
Jeff Hellmer Trio at Elephant Room
Graham Wilkinson & Friends at Cosmic
Frosty Palms at Hotel Vegas
Purgatory Players at El Mercado Backstage
Jeff Lofton at Geraldine’s
Monday
Aaron Cohen, Ben Buck, Dama Nilz at Empire Control Room
Lonelyland, Hoody & the Wolves at Saxon Pub
Church on Monday Band at Continental Gallery
Steel Monday with Rose Sinclair at Sam’s Town Point
Weldon Henson, Peterson Brothers at Continental Club
Chris Gage at Donn’s Depot
Semihelix, Grady Philip Drugg Band, Naked Tungs at Mohawk indoor
Michael Mordecai’s Jazz Jam, Jon Blondell Trio at Elephant Room
Nate Boff & Rhett Frazier, Blue Monday with Jabo & the Old Dogs, James Bullard at Antone’s
Andy MacIntyre, Texas KGB, Jeff Warren Johnston at One-2-One Bar
Bluegrass Night at Radio
Tuesday
Durawa, Joe King Carrasco at El Mercado Backstage
James McMurtry at Continental Gallery
Alesia Lani at Geraldine’s
8-½ Souvenirs, Henri Herbert at C-Boy’s
Modern Medicine, Ezra Black, Palm Daze at Mohawk indoor
Jake Andrews, Antone’s Big Trio, Ruins at Antone’s
Tony Ramey, David Grissom at Saxon Pub
Bullard & Harris, Shelley King at Continental Club
Anna Larson, Reverent Few at Townsend
Sophia Johnson Band at Sam’s Town Point
Bone Pilots, Steve McCarthy at Carousel Lounge
Daphne Tunes, Kendra McKinley Trio at Hotel Vegas
Wednesday
Flynt Flossy & Turquoise Jeep at Hotel Vegas
E.N. Young and Imperial Sound at Empire
Stop Light Observations, Night Cap at Antone’s
Texas Radio Live with Adam & Chris Carroll, Kathryn Legendre at Guero’s
James McMurtry, Jon Dee Graham, William Harries Graham at Continental Club
Brannen & Red, Blue Moon Jazz Quartet with Rosie Flores at Continental Gallery
Kayley Hill, Barbara Nesbitt, Leeann Atherton at Saxon Pub
Warren Hood at ABGB
Shawnee Kilgore & Chris Gage at Threadgill’s
Kris Schultz, Andrew Savage at Townsend
Taylor Baker Duo at Geraldine’s
Trube Farrell & Snizz, Matt Hubbard Trio, John X Reed at C-Boy’s
La Mona Loca, Alan Haynes at One-2-One Bar
Genuine Leather single release, Blood, Nick Adamo, Reen & the Renegades at Mohawk indoor
Reese at Scoot Inn indoor
Thursday
Nelly, TLC, Flo Rida at Austin360 Amphitheater
George Clinton’s One Nation Under a Groove Tour with Parliament/Funkadelic, Dumpstaphunk, Fishbone, Miss Velvet & the Blue Wolf at H-E-B Center
Yelawolf at Emo’s
Croy & the Boys at Waterloo Records
Capleton, Roots from the Clay at Flamingo Cantina
The Deer, Sometimes a Legend at Saengerrunde Hall
Eburner EP release at Empire
Xetas, Pleasure Venom, more at Cheer Up Charlies
Unplugged at the Grove with Bob Schneider at Shady Grove
Chief White Lightning, Altamesa, Rattlesnake Milk at Antone’s
Zoso (Led Zeppelin tribute) at 3Ten
Larry Seaman at One-2-One Bar
Kenny Williams, Ryan Davis Trio at Parker Jazz Club
Shwayze at Stubb’s indoor
Lara Price, Patrice Pike, Love & Chaos at Saxon Pub
Bonnie Whitmore, Monte Warden & the Dangerous Few at Continental Gallery
Barfield, Casper Rawls at Continental Club