It’s Valentine’s weekend so you’re probably already dead broke from spending every cent on inevitably disappointing presents for your SO or you’re sulking in a corner watching Pawn Stars reruns and sobbing, but assuming you’re feeling human enough to go out, there are some great shows going down. We’ve put together our selections for our ideal weekend out if we didn’t already have dinner reservations at the only local restaurant that serves armadillos. Wait. You don’t think they mean that in a serve armadillos sense, do you??
Friday
Even if the defamation suit hadn’t legally forced us to say nothing but positive things about Otis the Destroyer from now on, we’d be all about this show tonight. I mean, what’s not to love? Every band on the bill comes pre-approved by us to the point where I had to check to make sure we weren’t actually the ones putting this show on. But we’re not, so we are ethically in the clear. It’s especially great to see BLXPLTN on a rockier bill for once, since so many of the bookers in town apparently look at their line-up and go “oh, black people, let me find a hip-hop bill to awkwardly force you on instead of putting you alongside bands that actually sound like you.” Just kidding, Austin promoters. Except, you know, not at all. But I digress. Otis the Destroyer are one of Austin’s finest unapologetic rock bands and this show really sends them off on their tour in style, so be a champ and make an appearance. Here’s a sample of what you’re missing if you don’t turn up:
Saturday
On Valentine’s Day itself, you can make no bolder move than to attend White Bronco’s goodbye show at Beerland, if only because it features the best, most fucked up poster I’ve seen in forever. Whoever put together that masterpiece of romantic commentary deserves a medal made out of queso. But even without that freak art element, this is a stellar show. Borzoi is headlining, but White Bronco deserves your attention, both because this is their farewell show and because their music is a pretty phenomenal mix of Touch and Go and 4AD, matching Jesus Lizard rhythmic intensity and sluggishness with Pixies-style shouty male-female vocals and skeletal guitars. I admittedly slept on this band and their excellent Elevate the Lowlife EP, so to atone for my sins I am begging you all to drag whoever you’ve tricked into loving you to come out to this. They will either hate you forever and thus make you realize it wasn’t meant to be anyway or you will realize you need to marry them on the spot. Please don’t sue me if this doesn’t work.
Sunday
Something about the name “Yeast by Sweet Beast” terrifies me but I’m putting aside my hatred of oddly named unknown entities to recommend this show at Cheer Up Charlie’s because it features one of my favorite newer Austin bands, Que Pasa, as well as a long time Austin favorite, Ichi Ni San Shi (who are curiously absent from that poster, but not the other poster that I don’t like the look of as much). Both groups should fit well on this bill, as it’s a especially adventurous and eclectic showcase of Austin’s more experimental punk and indie groups. I get the sense that Que Pasa is on the verge of becoming an Austin breakout band, though, so I highly suggest you catch them here while they’re still playing free shows for your broke asses.
Nick Hanover got his degree from Disneyland, but he’s the last of the secret agents and he’s your man. Which is to say you can find his particular style of espionage here at Ovrld as well as Loser City, where he mostly writes about comics. You can also flip through his archives at Comics Bulletin, which he is formerly the Co-Managing Editor of, and Spectrum Culture, where he contributed literally hundreds of pieces for a few years. Or if you feel particularly adventurous, you can always witness his odd .gif battles with his friends and enemies on twitter: @Nick_Hanover