Lost in the sAustin: August Residencies & Can't Miss Events

By Anna-Kay Reeves

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Well folks, August residencies are a bit of a sausage fest. Luckily, the gentlemen in question are genuine standouts in the Austin music scene. Anyway, even militant feminists enjoy a hot dog in the summer! 

Cactus Lee: Wednesdays in August @ Hole in the Wall

Have you ever listened to music that simultaneously made you want to cry and make out with the next consenting being to cross your path? Such are the sounds of country cool guy Cactus Lee. Hole up every Wednesday at 8 p.m. to catch a rotating cast of talented openers before Cactus Lee and band, including—could it be? Yes! Women! 

While Hole in the Wall isn’t a full-blown honky-tonk, recent residencies from Cotton Clifton to Bovine attracted two-steppers and hearkened back to the bar’s country roots. A favorite among the Western swing community, Cactus Lee is likely to attract dancers as well as a crowd.

Louisiana Surf Department: Thursdays @ Kinda Tropical (PLUS: Residency Drink Special)

Southern groovers Louisiana Surf Department (LSD) bring a subtle cheekiness to their songs. It's something about the slow but saucy blues-country twang—think Sublime playing Lynyrd Skynyrd, or vice versa. No strangers to the stage, you may have heard LSD before, after, or alongside fellow Louisianan-Austinites Bercy and Nether Hour. If not, you have four Thursday evenings at Kind Tropical to make it happen.

Music at “7-ish” kicks off a residency drink special: wear something tropical for half off a Still Austin Rye Thai, valid only while Louisiana Surf Department is on stage. Extra points if your outfit is only kinda tropical.*

*This rhetorical offer is not redeemable anywhere, probably.

Scott H. Biram: Thursdays @ C-Boys Heart & Soul 6:30-8:30

Also in residence on Thursdays in August (you can rotate!) is his eminence Scott H. Biram. Odds are you’ve absorbed Biram’s rough, nasty blues through pop culture, even if you don’t recognize his name; his music appears in movie and TV soundtracks like Sons of Anarchy and Hell or High Water. So, yeah – if you don’t know how to cry into your beer, you’re gonna learn. And you’re gonna like it.

Can’t Miss Shows

8/7: All My Groovy Friends at First Thursdays Park & Swim @ Austin Motel 

All My Groovy Friends is the footloose and fancy-free dude squad you didn't know you needed in your life. Catch them outside their natural habitat (White Horse on Sunday evenings) at the last Park & Swim of the summer. These shows open Austin Motel’s iconic kidney-shaped pool to the public for free (day passes are regularly $25) and bring live music and hot dogs into the mix. Live music, swimming, and hot dogs honestly is the Austin summer trifecta.

8/15: Kristina Murray @ White Horse and 8/17 @ Sam’s Town Point

Not a drill: two nights of honky-tonk angel Kristina Murray in Austin. These shows are part of Murray’s promotion for her new album Little Blue, a luxurious folk-country spread that commands attention while staying down to earth. Mark your calendars for a certified barn-burner lineup at the White Horse on Aug. 15 with Kristina Murray headlining a night featuring Croy and the Boys and Cotton Clifton. If you’re allergic to 6th Street–adjacent events, catch Kristina Murray later that weekend on Aug. 17 at Sam’s Town Point.

8/23 Stay Weird, Austin @ Sagebrush, Benefiting Preservation Austin

Stay Weird, Austin is the latest event from Think Flamingo, a grassroots collective that celebrates and supports Austin’s unparalleled creative scene. For a mere $25, you can catch nearly eight hours of music featuring Fajita Flats (DJ), JD Clark, Conner Stephens, Bob Schneider (solo), Paul Val & Soul Man Sam, Brian Scartocci, Big Wy's Brass Band, Paige Plaisance, and Texas String Assembly. Early arrivals can also enjoy a spread from Austin restaurants. This is your August wild card—play it! After all, it’s for a good cause, with proceeds benefiting Preservation Austin.