There are plenty of things to do in Austin throughout the year, but deciding on what live music to see is a whole different conundrum. In the Live Music Capital of the World, there are literally dozens of gigs happening each night, including plenty of touring artists plus more must-see local acts than the average concertgoer knows what to do with (we’ve got a ton of talent here, ya’ll). To help you out, we’ll be taking the liberty of putting together monthly lists of the top 10 concerts you’ve got to see. In chronological order, here are our October picks.
October 1: The Flaming Lips with Mac DeMarco at ACL Live, 8pm
For those familiar with the consistent zaniness of the Flaming Lips’ shows, you might not need much convincing to kick off your month of live music with them in this relatively intimate space. For those on the fence, just know that it’s kinda like watching a volcano full of catchy, psychedelic jams, rainbows, fantasy creatures and confetti erupt non-stop for 75 minutes—on acid. We’re not suggesting you partake in consuming illicit substances; in fact, with an open mind, you won’t even need ’em to feel the spectacle’s full effect. Bonus if you show up early: you’ll get a healthy dose of chill vibes from indie darling Mac DeMarco—how much you wanna bet he makes a cameo during the Lips’ set in some sort of crazy costume?
October 1: SZA at Emo’s, 7pm
Since joining Kendrick Lamar’s imprint Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013, much anticipation mounted for SZA’s full-length debut. After various setbacks and allegedly creating about 200 songs during the recording process, June’s Ctrl delivered a fantastically forward-thinking and emotionally raw exploration of contemporary R&B, sure to impress at Emo’s with the added dimension of her on-stage exuberance.
October 1: Wilco at Bass Concert Hall, 6:30pm
It’s no secret that the men of Wilco have a soft spot for Austin. Though they hail from Chicago, many of their greatest recordings were made at Willie Nelson’s studio in nearby Spicewood, and they wrapped up their last tour here (behind 2015’s Star Wars) two years ago with a pair of gigs at Stubb’s. Now armed with another stellar set of songs off last year’s Schmilco (silly name, superb album), the experimental songwriters touch down at Bass Concert Hall, a warm auditorium that should set the tone nicely for an evening of rock-fueled feels.
October 3: Andrew W.K. with Otis the Destroyer at Mohawk, 6:30pm
Though “Party Hard” maven Andrew W.K. hasn’t released a full album since 2010’s Mother of Mankind, he has announced a new record (title TBD) due in March 2018, so this show may yield some new tunes for ATX fans ahead of that release. At any rate, whose curiosity isn’t piqued by a man whose last touring venture was a spoken-word seminar called “The Power of Partying”? Know what else is super party? An opening performance from local heavy rockers, Otis the Destroyer, who'll drop debut full-length Keep Bashing just a week prior. PARTY!
October 6-8: ACL Festival, Weekend 1, 11am-10pm
We don’t need to convince you that attending ACL Festival is a must if you live in Austin (we’ve already laid out a thorough guide of recommendations and tips), but we will take this opportunity to remind you that some bands change from weekend to weekend, so if you’re on the fence about which one to splurge for, here’s a quick list of acts only playing the first weekend that would make it totally worth it: UK–bred power duo Royal Blood (Friday, Oct. 6), Portland’s angelic sister-triple-threat Joseph (Saturday, Oct. 7), France’s experimental psych revue La Femme (Friday, Oct. 6), local groove masters Capyac (Saturday, Oct. 7) and L.A. bass extraordinaire Thundercat (Saturday, Oct. 7).
October 13-15: ACL Festival, Weekend 2, 11am-10pm
Of all the acts exclusive to ACL Festival’s second weekend, here are the ones you absolutely can’t miss: British experimental pineapple party-starters (you’ll see) Glass Animals (Saturday, Oct. 14), the Southern California desert’s rude and rowdy Eagles of Death Metal (Friday, Oct. 13), Austin outlaw country up-and-comer Paul Cauthen (Saturday, Oct. 14), pinnacles of Kentucky punk White Reaper (Sunday, Cot. 15) and local psych/surf badasses Annabelle Chairlegs (Friday, Oct. 13).
October 19: Blackalicious with Lyrics Born at Empire Control Room & Garage, 7pm
All it takes is one listen of the Gift of Gab’s rhyme scheme opus “Alphabet Aerobics” to realize he’s one of the greatest MCs still in the game (since 1994, ya’ll)—and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of four albums’ worth of funk-and-soul infused feats in collaboration with producer/DJ Chief Xcel as Blackalicous. With another ’90s Northern Californian legend in tow, Lyrics Born of Latryx, any self-respecting hip-hop head should make every effort to catch this concert.
October 20: Tricky with In the Valley Below at Mohawk, 8pm
Chances are you’re familiar with Tricky’s music and don’t even know it. The trip-hop pioneer was a frequent collaborator with the likes of Björk and, most notably, Massive Attack, additionally releasing several chart-topping solo albums throughout the ’90s and early aughts. Maybe you’ve never heard any of those, but if you’re a trip-hop fan, you certainly won’t want to skip this rare Texas booking at Austin’s best intimate concert venue.
October 21-22: Formula One featuring Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder at Circuit of the Americas, 7pm
Maybe live music is more interesting to you than car races, but lucky for you, the price of the most basic Formula One package (a relatively modest $175 for three-day GA) includes each day’s musical finale. By all rights, they ought to be enough to get you out there, because both of this year’s selections should be stunners: pop superstar Justin Timberlake closes out Saturday at the racetrack with his first Austin appearance since 2013, and the legendary Stevie Wonder headlines Sunday. Considering tickets for an individual concert from either of these acts typically costs more than the F1 combo, this is a no-brainer bargain.
October 25: JR JR at Mohawk, 6:30pm
JR JR (aka Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.) is perhaps one of the most underrated indie-pop groups of the past decade. From start to finish, each of the Detroit-bred band’s three albums offers a near-perfect palette of incredibly catchy recordings, which culminate on stage as some of the most uplifting performances around. Their latest (self-titled) record was released almost exactly two years ago, so chances are this tour stop at the wonderfully tiny Mohawk will yield some new tunes.
October 31: LCD Soundsystem at Austin360 Amphitheater, 8pm
Just over one year after their double-weekend coup at ACL Festival 2016 and a few months following the release of long-awaited and utterly fantastic fourth album American Dream, New York City’s dance-rock royalty returns to headline at Austin360 Amphitheater—on Halloween! That can be one of the craziest nights to catch a show, but with the venue so far removed from downtown, it should actually provide a reprieve from the chaotic crowds. So get busy designing your spookiest outfit for the occasion—just don’t forget to incorporate dem dancin’ shoes!
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