Doug Freeman

Shoegaze, hip-hop, jazz, and three days of Wilco

In the grand Christmas tradition of weird holiday music, composer, provocateur, and experimentalist Graham Reynolds has already savaged holiday music a half dozen times, taking your beloved favorites and turning them into moody, depression-triggering nightmares. He’s at it again for the seventh year, ready to curdle your eggnog, crumple your presents, and crack your candy canes. Reynolds usually ropes in guests from the Austin jazz scene to join the anti-fun; for this show, he’ll be accompanied by vibraphone sorceress Carolyn Trowbridge (Coke/Michel Sextet, the Azmaris). Watch one of Austin’s maverick geniuses jingle your bells in all the wrong ways. – Michael Toland

Call it a melting pot. At Might Be Magic, the love child dance party series born from the minds of Brett Johnson and Claudia Hernandez, weekly club nights at various Austin venues keep the freshest crate diggers in touch with old-school seasoned DJs. This week at Cheer Up Charlies, MBM welcomes back Brownsville-reared, Austin-nurtured DJ and producer CHKLTE (pronounced “Chocolate”), whose rising star has taken him around the globe playing alongside tastemakers Marco Carola, Shaun Reeves, Doc Martin, and Raresh. Repping Club Eternal, M.Shogi and Al V Dam team up as Tough n’ Pretty. Neon Grotto’s Industry Night mainstay Oh!V completes the bill. – Christina Garcia

Hotel Vegas and Volstead fill hearts with cheer year-round, and the Yuletide season serves as no exception. Celebrate at the East Sixth staple with Minor Mishap Marching Band’s festive horn line, resident drag ensemble Vixens of Volstead’s Holiday Revue performance, and DJ sets from King Louie and ulovei. After snacking on pop-up bites from Crumpet Bottom and El Borracho Tacos, peruse an ATX Thrift-curated market, say cheese in a photo booth with drunk Santa, or shine bright at Christmas karaoke. – Genevieve Wood

At Walker Lukens’ The Last Walt on Dec. 6, Carrie Fussell, wearing a glamorous black ball gown, belted “I Will Always Love You.” Usually, covers of this song – especially when sung like Whitney, not Dolly, as Fussell did – elicit in me only dread and secondhand embarrassment, as few people can pull off such an infamously difficult vocal performance. Fussell, apparently masking a powerful set of pipes during her time in Calliope Musicals, killed it. New project BRUCE reveals even more of her talents. “Cherry” offers insight into the artist’s neglected childhood, and preview tracks from upcoming projects signal art-pop experimentation. Knife Channel and Big Bill round out Friday’s bill. – Carys Anderson

During the pandemic, the Band of Heathens kept their creative connection by hosting the freewheeling weekly “Good Time Supper Club” livestream. The show quickly evolved into a showcase of guest artists who would Zoom in for a virtual jam session.

Under new management – the teams behind Resound Presents, Tweedy’s, Hotel Vegas, the Little Darlin’, and more – the venue at 2906 Fruth rebrands again to 29th Street Ballroom. They kick off Free Week early with a killer no-cost showcase of local alt-rock. Melodic post-punks Witches Exist headline on the heels of October single “Drown,” which explodes from quietly chugging verses into a fuzzed-out chorus. That same month, opening experimentalists Water Damage notched another edition in their ongoing “really” series – that is, 20-plus-minute ruminations entitled “Reel E,” “Reel Ee,” “Reel Eee,” and now “Reel LE” – while Dorothy’s debuted the ethereal EP Suite in May. – Carys Anderson

Lots of live music options ahead

If I could vote to retire one word from the English language, it would be “unprecedented,” which has been applied to a procession of health and political tumult over the past five years. But if there’s one person I’d allow to reclaim it, it’s Canadian American feminist icon Ani DiFranco. For years, DiFranco has been giving fans an outlet for frustration and confusion through her emotive but often frantic folk cuts, and

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Shake the Sheets, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists bring their high-energy blend of power pop, punk, and sharp commentary to 29th Street Ballroom. Performing the seminal 2004 album in its entirety alongside other career highlights, the band delivers soaring hooks, driving rhythms, and fiery passion. Known for their electric live presence and unflinching optimism, Leo and his Pharmacists promise an unforgettable night. Whether you’re revisiting Shake the Sheets or discovering its timeless urgency now, this Austin stop should not be missed. – Tim Stegall