Dinos, Sharks, Muppets, and Lots of Fireworks Lead Our Recommended Events

Star Spangled Fest: Austin Symphony Orchestra

Thursday 4, Vic Mathias Shores

Wahoo! For 47 years now, the Austin skies have gotten painted all shades of red, white, and blue to celebrate Independence Day. This year’s no exception as all y’all Austinites are invited to spread out over Auditorium Shores aka Vic Mathias Shores aka the spot outside of the Long Center. Lovely tunes from the musicians of Austin Symphony Orchestra will fill the air – probably including “America the Beautiful,” the best of our nationalistic themes – and oh, won’t you be glad you grabbed a ticket to this longstanding tradition.   – James Scott

Jaws Movie Party

Thursday 4, Alamo Slaughter Lane

Look: Either you like Jaws, the 1975 creature feature that defined the summer blockbuster, or you’re wrong. In what became a signature for his Hollywood hits, Steven Spielberg combines big-screen spectacle with illustrative character moments for a story that pits human ingenuity against animal instinct. Now, because you’d be seein’ Jaws at Sony Pictures’ Movie Hut née Alamo Drafthouse, this American classic will screen with extra goodies: shark hats, yellow floaty drink holders, and tons of in-theatre surprises. Let’s just say, you’re gonna need a bigger drink.   – James Scott

Chris Conde With Caleb De Casper

Thursday 4, the Little Darlin’

To be honest, I’m having a hard time remembering when I first came across the leather-clad grandeur that is Chris Conde. It very well may have been a shout-out from another Austin legend, Mama Duke, at one of the first shows I ever attended with her as the headliner. It might have been a passing fancy that crossed my desk in the shape of a rapping metal-cased butterfly (#IYKYK). What I do know is that when I heard their acoustic version of Nineties Freaknik hood classic “Freak Like Me” by queen Adina Howard, I was irrevocably in love. It’s quite fitting that this NB shibari darlin’ will take the Little Darlin’ stage to ring in the nation’s near Semiquincentennial. The Notorious F.A.G. comes home after being away for a few years, and shares the spotlight with “Austin’s prevailing rock and roll glamour boy,” Caleb De Casper.   – Cy White

“Summer Break”

Friday 5, ICOSA Collective

Parents talk about “summer slide,” where kids get lazy and sluggish, losing any academic momentum. I posit there’s an adult summer slide, where we forget how to be alert, how to look for inspiration. Cue gallerist Kevin Ivester. He’s curated a slice of the current Austin art scene at ICOSA on view through Aug. 3 – opening reception on July 5. His vision of what’s out there is colorful, bold, and requires active viewership. The pieces are full of architectural lines echoing Austin’s ongoing construction of self: three-dimensional forms taking up space, exerting themselves in a changing landscape. Ivester’s outlook features a bevy of Austin’s best, but they have one thing in common – they’re surprising works that demand thought. It’s not homework, it’s a jolt of needed energy with this “Summer Break.”   – Cat McCarrey

Good Luck Club

Friday 5, the Ballroom

Pop music got a sapphic shock when Chappell Roan finally broke into the mainstream with her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. No industry plant here; just pure goofy girlie drag queen fun – which’ll reign supreme at this “unapologetic party” hosted by event peeps What the Dance. Local cowboy DJ BoyFriend sets down the Stetson for the night and puts on the pop girlies: Chappell, boygenius, Reneé Rapp, MUNA, Kacey Musgraves, you name it. So come “Hot to Go” in pink glitter and wear your dancing shoes – this event’s gonna be a “Femininomenon.”   – James Scott

Gutenberg! The Musical!

Friday 5, ColdTowne Theater

It’s all fun and games until art imitates life – then it’s even MORE fun and games! The local comedy crewmates of ColdTowne take this new Broadway hit and give it an Austin welcome. With Kat Williams and Kyle Romero in starring roles, direction by Matt Alspaugh, music by Ritika Bhattacharjee, and choreo by Sarah J. Bartholomew, comedy and musical theatre fans will delight alike in this onstage silliness. Catch a show or two during its run that lasts through July 20.   – James Scott

Jurassic Quest

Friday 5 - Sunday 7, Palmer Events Center

It’s an established fact that dinosaurs are cool for everyone – kids, grownups, and in-betweens – so is there a more perfect event than this, the No. 1 dino experience in North America? Jurassic Quest combines elements of a natural history museum with an adventure park to create an unforgettable and educational outing for all ages. Expect to find huge rideable animatronics, bounce houses, fossil digs, dino crafts, tons of photo ops, and even lifelike baby Triceratops and Camarasaurus replicas to meet. It’s like getting to go to Jurassic Park without the risk of getting eaten by a T. rex!   – Kat McNevins

Stalker

Friday 5 - Sunday 7, AFS Cinema

Careful what you wish for: That’s the warning at the heart of sci-fi classic Stalker. For his final Russian film, Andrei Tarkovsky asked brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky to adapt their 1972 novel Roadside Picnic about a three-man pilgrimage to a mysterious Room in a bizarre place known as the Zone. The midpoint between War and Peace and Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation, its haunting imagery and subtle terrors will make you question what it is you really want – unless what you want is a ticket for this unmissable classic.   – Richard Whittaker

Amadeus 4K Restoration

Friday 5 - Thursday 11, AFS Cinema

Picture this, Reader: A freshly 14-year-old James opening birthday gifts in the middle of Peter Piper Pizza. (Even though I KNOW there is a location in Austin, in case you’re unaware, PPP is an arcade/pizza eatery similar to ye olde Chuck E. Cheese.) My best friend at the time gets me the hottest two-disc DVD any teen could want: eight-Oscar-winner Amadeus. His reasoning? “I saw it and I thought you might like it.” Guess what? I love Amadeus. A beautiful tale of terminal hater-ation, the film lays out Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s life story through narration by contemporary composer Salieri – played by a red-hot F. Murray Abraham delivering side-eyes that’d melt the flesh off a lesser adversary. But gleeful giggling Mozart as played by Tom Hulce can’t be taken down by a mere look. His great weakness is an all-timer: daddy issues.   – James Scott

The Muppet Movie

Saturday 6, Paramount Theatre

It’s got puppets. It’s got pig/frog romance. It’s got a wacky hippie bus. It’s got almost 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s the effing Muppet Movie. If you are one of the few people who claim not to like this movie, we better not catch you yukking it up at the Paramount this weekend. In this 1979 banger, Kermit and his new friends trek across America to make it big in Hollywood, but a frog-killing bad guy is hot on their tails. Also, Steve Martin makes an appearance in his third-ever movie. We also get some epic origin stories. Spoiler/Kermit origin story alert: He was born in a swamp.   – Maggie Q. Thompson

Austin FC vs. New York City FC

Saturday 6, Q2 Stadium

El Tree returns home to square off with Uruguayan midfielder Santiago Rodríguez and the rest of the City Football Group-owned side. This match marks the first-ever league encounter between the two clubs. There’s not much currently separating mid-pack teams in the Western Conference as Major League Soccer’s pause for the Leagues Cup nears, so three points in this contest would provide a nice boost for ATXFC before its new signings can debut later this month.   – Derek Udensi

Steven Universe Drag Tribute Show

Saturday 6, Cheer Up Charlies

Cringe historians on the World Wide Web might try to downplay the historic impact of this beachy sci-fi cartoon as merely being discourse bait for the indoor queer set, but the truth is out there. Steven Universe, born from former Adventure Time animator Rebecca Sugar’s brain, played a massive role in bringing actual queer relationships to kids’ entertainment, breaking down barriers by being the first cartoon to depict a lesbian wedding. Pay tribute to this sweet series alongside host Damiana Divine in full Rose Quartz drag as fellow performers bring their own interpretations of the Crystal Gems and other Beach City denizens to the Chups stage. Plus: pop-up tattoos by Sunny of t4t tattoos, specialty SU drinks, and DJ Salem Purchase spinning.   – James Scott

Bilingual Storytime with El Niño y El Cuento

Saturday 6, BookPeople

Learning more than one language is important not only for communicating with others, but for developing the brain by increasing neuroplasticity and possibly even reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s. And while it’s never too late to start learning a new language, youngsters are at a prime age to do so, which makes bilingual storytime in the BookKids reading nook not only fun, but good for you and your kids’ health! Join Erika Martinez, Carmen Alvarez, and volunteers from El Niño y El Cuento at 10:30 for a Spanish/English storytime where they bring the libros, you bring the niños.   – Kat McNevins

Sunday Masc

Sunday 7, Cheer Up Charlies

If you’re a queer person missing the weekly ritual of Sunday mass but wish it was just a little bit gayer, Cheer Up Charlies’ newest event “Sunday Masc” may be up your alley. The event will feature an array of blasphemous activities, including a holy water wet T-shirt contest and a religious-themed drag king show. The show will be hosted by drag performer Arby’s (no relation), and features the performers Atlas Mars, Trey Devine, Tiny Taurus, Gerry Mander, Mx. Hot Lunch, King Jason Taylor, and Gender Destruction. Come dressed in your Sunday best and bring your church fan – because things might get a little steamy.   – Gabrielle Grace Hogan

Sana Sana: Inner Child

Sunday 7, Wake the Dead Coffeehouse, San Marcos

Created and hosted by San Marcos-to-Austin-commuters Kino Kino and Gender Destruction, this open-mic night invites all ages to bring their art to the stage. Poetry, drag, singing, and more: It’s all welcome at this monthly queer-soul healing. July’s theme is Inner Child: Consider what would bring the younger you joy, and integrate the answer into whatever you perform. This show’s hosted at San Marcos’ local caffeine slingers Wake the Dead, located in a “[funky] Tim Burton-esque house.” Grab one of their over 55 beer selections, a specialty espresso, a smoothie, or a tasty pastry treat before settling in for a sweet Sana Sana show.   – James Scott

Dyke Car Wash & Movie Night

Sunday 7, Museum of Human Achievement

Two of the campiest summer staples are located in the eroticism of the car – the car wash and the drive-in movie – and who looks better covered in grease than a dyke? You can even bring your bike to this combo car wash/movie night at the Museum of Human Achievement. “While we can’t promise professional-level shine, we CAN guarantee cargo shorts, carabiners, and a cleaner car than when you rolled in,” writes MOHA. “No ride? No worries! It’ll be a spectacle!” Even better, the evening’s entertainment features one of the hottest handymen to ever grace the silver screen – watch Gina Gershon ripple and smolder sweatily at Jennifer Tilly in the Wachowski sisters’ neo-noir 1996 classic Bound. Car wash starts at 6:30, movie at 8:30; general admission is $5-20, and you can get a wash for $20-30 – all proceeds go toward supporting one of the few dyke-specific spaces in the country. As MOHA reminds, “With fewer than 40 dyke bars left in the country, these spaces are precious.”   – Lina Fisher

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Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what's happening now or in the coming week.