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 September picks.
September 4: Oh Sees with Leather Girls at Hotel Vegas, 7pm
The moniker of John Dwyer’s preeminent punk act got shorter (the band just dropped the “Thee” from its name after nine years), but the group’s legacy continues to grow: hot on the heels of releasing its nineteenth (!) studio album Orc, the band returns to ATX for its (pretty much) annual throwdown at Hotel Vegas. Local garage rockers Leather Girls open the show.
September 8: Green Day with Catfish and the Bottlemen at Austin360 Amphitheater, 7pm
Not to be underestimated in a live setting, longtime West Coast rockers Green Day are poised to take over Austin360 Amphitheater supporting the release of their twelfth album Revolution Radio. Along with those new tunes, expect plenty of old-school faves, pyrotechnics and potent political outbursts—these punks have never been to known to pipe down during times of civic unrest.
September 17: KGSR’s End of Summer Splash with Ben Folds at Stubb’s, 7pm
Already known for performing three-hour-plus gigs on the regular, piano-pop master Ben Folds will revive an old tour trick that can only result in an exceptional live experience: he’ll allow the audience to write down song requests on paper, folding them into airplanes and launching them onto the stage after giving a countdown. Thus, the reasoning behind dubbing this jaunt the Paper Airplane Request Tour, which—with three decades’ worth of material from solo albums and other bands to draw from—should make for an unforgettable evening.
September 19: Bleachers with Tangerine at Emo’s, 7pm
For now, most people know Jack Antonoff as the guitarist of fun. and/or the producer and co-songwriter behind a few of Taylor Swift’s recent hits and most of Lorde’s sophomore album Melodrama, but chances are he’ll be just as revered in retrospect for fronting his latest live rock act, Bleachers. The thrust of their sophomore record Gone Now has landed them a headlining spot at Emo’s this go-round. That said, these anthems are arguably already arena-ready—we advise catching ‘em now while the setting remains relatively intimate.
September 20: Depeche Mode with Warpaint at Austin360 Amphitheater, 7:30pm
Yes, Depeche Mode is still around and realistically more relevant than ever. With almost 40 years under their belts, the British band’s recently released fourteenth studio album Spirit has topped charts the world over, and they’re packing venues everywhere, including this stop at Austin’s largest outdoor concert locale. Anyone with an inkling of what’s worth listening to among contemporary artists will arrive early to catch the wondrously woven soundscapes of opener Warpaint, touring behind last year’s terrific third album, Heads Up.
September 21: The Warlocks, Psychic Ills, the Well, Troller and more at Barracuda, 8pm
Fans of heavy-toned psych music rejoice: L.A.’s the Warlocks are coming out of hiding to headline a massive bill at Barracuda, which includes NYC-based, Texas-bred duo Psychic Ills, plus local stoner metal heavyweights the Well and premier electro-goth outfit Troller. Don’t leave home without your leather, darkest shades and earplugs (shit’s gonna get loud, ya’ll) for this one.
September 23: Descendents with River Boat Gamblers at Stubb’s, 7 p.m.
Since forming in 1977, quirky California punks Descendents have taken several hiatuses, but realistically they’ve never really stopped kicking ass. For their return to Austin—sure to conjure quite a few dusty circle pits at Stubb’s outdoor amphitheater—they’ll add to their usual effusively adolescent antics with material off their first studio album since 2004, Hypercaffium Spazzinate. Austin’s own mainstays of the genre, the notoriously rowdy Riverboat Gamblers, will rile up the ranks first.
September 27: Arcade Fire with Wolf Parade at Frank Erwin Center, 7:30pm
Ever just wanted Everything Now? If you answered in the affirmative, you can fulfill that desire when one of Montreal’s most epic bands takes over the Frank Erwin Center toward the end of the month to showcase material off their superb fifth album of the same name. In the spirit of this jaunt’s title, the Infinite Content Tour, the gig will be bolstered by a set from recently reunited Québecois countrymen Wolf Parade, who will release their highly anticipated fourth record Cry Cry Cry on October 6.
September 29: Black Pistol Fire album release at Emo’s, 8pm
On the eve of release day for their third disc Deadbeat Graffiti, garage rock duo Black Pistol Fire will truly cut their teeth as an Austin-based institution (they relocated from Toronto a few years back) by taking on a headlining spot at Emo’s to help close out a massive month of live music in ATX. If their notoriety for riotous live shows isn’t enough to make you splurge for tickets right now, support from local electrifiers Not in the Face and budding blues-rock boss Emily Wolfe should do the trick, right? Right.
September 29: Otis the Destroyer album release at Hotel Vegas, 9pm
In front of countless crowded rooms over the past three years, these local melodic heavy-hitters—who channel Queens of the Stone Age’s sexy swagger with plenty of pleasing hooks all their own—have already proven they deserve a prime place among Austin’s most formidable live rock bands. With the release of their full-length debut Keep Bashing, which coincides with this gig at Hotel Vegas, they’ll come full circle as an act equally adept at rattling eardrums through your headphones, home speaker systems and car stereos. If you’ve somehow lost faith in the power of pure rock n’ roll, we prescribe this celebratory show as your most readily available means of revival.
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