Live Music Soundtrack for Your Weekend

There's more this 4/20 weekend than just celebrating Mary Jane. Twerk out some riddim at the Austin Reggae Festival, get that hipster-rock on with the Breeders, and witness the miracle of young people playing accordion. Yes, young people play accordion. See more of our recommended events (music and otherwise) at austinchronicle.com/events.

FRIDAY

Austin Reggae Festival

Auditorium Shores
Fri., April 20

This annual springtime sun splash now celebrates a quarter-century as Austin’s premier riddim-generating, dance-inducing, people-watching, Jah-praising, life-affirming extravaganza. Synced to 4/20, the festival guarantees requisite irie vibes, particularly this year’s strong and varied lineup of legends, up-and-coming youngbloods, and the best of Austin’s genre talent. – Jay Trachtenberg

4/20 Celebration

Hole in the Wall
Fri., April 20

Party programming troupe Howdy Gals assembles seven smoldering Austin acts. Get glazed by Duncan Fellows’ twangy rock sunshine, debuted on LP with Both Sides of the Ceiling, then get lit with cheeky punkers Big Bill, pronounced in preposterousness on 2017’s Stand by Your Bill. Smooth garagers the Oysters spark the evening, Magic Rockers of Texas toke scuzzy pop-punk, and Ama waxes philosophical about riffs. Hi, Gene, and Mother Falcon’s Claire Puckett pass and puff as well. – Rachel Rascoe

Los Tucanes de Tijuana

The Coliseum
Fri., April 20

Tired of the hipster-rock grind? Established in 2014 as an alternative on the southeast side of Austin, the 4,000-capacity Coliseum, aka El Coliseo, specializes in Latin and Tejano acts from across the spectrum. The club also brings in established R&B veterans and country acts, plus DJs for old-fashioned booty shaking. Established by the same owners of several Dallas clubs, the Coliseum fills a niche the indie rock clubs don’t even consider. – Alejandra Ramirez

SATURDAY

Big Squeeze Accordion Finals

Bullock Museum
Sat., April 21

Twelve finalists, all 25 and under, mark year 12 of Texas Folklife's accordion-palooza. Grand prizes in polka, Cajun/zydeco, and two conjunto categories distinguish prodigies from a statewide pool of Texans performing inside the rotunda of Congress Avenue's other massive stone monolith. Your ear-to-ear grin will match the ivory smile of the squeeze-box all afternoon, 1-5pm, at this free fundraiser for the statewide nonprofit. – Raoul Hernandez

The Breeders

Emos
Sat., April 21

Finally, the return of the Breeders in ideal form: the same lineup as 1993 grunge-pop essential Last Splash. The Ohio foursome’s new All Nerve, their fifth LP, proves equally crucial, with Kim Deal still toting her effortlessly cool and aloof vocals over frenetic bass lines and Nineties skuzz. All moodiness and bite, they fish pop hooks from a wiry tangle of off-kilter alt-rock. – Raoul Hernandez

Loma

The North Door
Sat., April 21

Loma synthesizes the Austin artistry of Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg with Cross Record duo Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski. Fruition of a joint tour in 2016, the new assemblage weaves naturalistic, expansive sounds into dark folk compositions, ramping up the intensity on this year’s self-titled Sub Pop debut. Jess Williamson opens with a similarly local penchant for haunting softness, which bodes well for the upcoming and ethereal Cosmic Wink. – Rachel Rascoe

Exploded Drawing: Fusebox Edition

Fusebox Warehouse
Sat., April 21

Exploded Drawing eschews its typically homegrown lineup of beat dudes in teeming with Boss Babes for an all-female guest affair headlined by Brooklyn’s Anna Wise, who earned a Grammy in collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on “These Walls.” Bit-crushing R&B vocalist SassyBlack, textural composer Dot, jazz sampling Linafornia, trap-techno hybrid Vhvl, and San Antone’s FreshtillDef rep. – Dan Gentile

Corduroi

Beerland
Sat., April 21

Electro stacking: Austin psycho-pop vets the Sour Notes spin off Memory Keepers, which bumps Moroder-esque disco with New Order instrumentation. Corduroi is Cody Wilson, who draws drum ’n’ bass connections into richly layered hybrids of dance music suggesting Aphex Twin influences. ATX’s Peter Tran audibles Curved Light by patching modular synths together to live visuals from Deirdre Smith. Dallas marrieds Little Beards bounce siren synth. – Christina Garcia

SUNDAY

Charley Crockett

Stubbs
Sun., April 22

At the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar last year, San Benito son Charley Crockett, famously descended from Alamo casualty Davy Crockett, spooked up Texan folk-country ballads serenading ghosts of the Texas Revolution. Not literally, as his fourth LP and first of all-original material, Lonesome as a Shadow, demonstrates, but his breezy Lone Star twang haunts with incorporeal weightlessness. The country Leon Bridges, maybe? Austin cowgirl Carson McHone opens. – Raoul Hernandez