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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

In a recent post to her Substack Sicc Palette, chef Deepa Shridhar described the metaphor-rich process of soaking saffron for hyderabadi biryani: “You just gotta let it soak, give it the time it deserves to be a force to be reckoned with, saffron will permeate and collaborate with facile joy at every layer.” Similar description could be applied to our local creative crew at Future Front, who have over the years permeated and collaborated with myriad layers of Austin artists to make for a flavorful, well, future. Shridhar helps FFTX secure that future by serving as curator to their Art Dinner, a multi-course meal influenced by South Indian & Texan flavors. You’ve got three chances to snag a plate of Gulf shrimp sukka, Texas root masala & grilled cheese kolaches, chili citrus & Texas sesame quail, or pecan pie with burnt jaggery gelato – plus natural wine pairings, a tour of FFTX’s gallery, and a satisfied sense you’ve helped a cool org stay alive. – James Scott

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is a picture both alluring and tragic. Her beauty lures you in, but can be deadly. The VORTEX presents her acolytes in artistic burlesque, movement set to Homeric and Orphic hymns praising Aphrodite and her son Eros. Blaise Ricin, resident artist and artistic director for occult burlesque Malum Malus, creates a lush world of dangerous romance. He’s taking cues from the gilded, murky dreamscape of 1971 arthouse film Pink Narcissus, a queer landmark marrying the pure and the profane. Here, Ricin has created a rich fantasy world with an edge. – Cat McCarrey

If you lived through the Eighties and Nineties, you’ll remember that the only Spanish movies you saw in America were either sex comedies by Pedro Almodóvar or movies trying to be an Almodóvar-esque sex comedy. Thank Heaven – or Hell – for Álex de la Iglesia, who blew that perception apart and introduced the world to the sleazy and sacrilegious joys of Spanish horror with The Day of the Beast (El día de la bestia). Join everyone’s favorite late-night horror host, Roxy Midnite, as she introduces his 1995 breakout, in which three of the worst demon hunters in the world try to avert the Apocalypse. – Richard Whittaker

Plans change, as they say. When the city proposed a route for its new light rail, it seemed like Austin’s oldest burger joint was going to be demolished just short of its centennial. With a shifted route, this 98th birthday celebration is no longer a sad farewell but a warm up for the big show in two years’ time. The dirt floors on which John Martin set his flat-top grill and eight-stool bar in 1926 may have been covered up over the years, but the tradition of Dirty’s – home to Quentin Tarantino’s favorite burger in Austin – lives on. Stop by to relive your UT glory days, with a cake-cutting and complimentary shakes at 7pm. – Richard Whittaker

It’s the second coming of surrealism at Ivester Contemporary. Josias Figueirido aptly updates the legacy of Dalí and Chagall with his vivid dreamscapes. His exhibit presents spirit guides Piri the Dreamer and Flying Coyote in increasingly absurd settings, smoothly bubbled characters possessing hypnotic shininess. Paintings of them hang in eerily vivid flashe paint, existing harmoniously beside their animated counterpoints in an immersive, interactive reality. It’s the wondrous love child of Cartoon Network and modernism. You don’t want to miss it.: – Cat McCarrey

Austin, Houston, Dallas – no San Antonio. So reads this Wu-Tang duo’s Texas trek, signaling the capital finally taking its rightful place among the second-biggest and most populous state’s leading destinations. Days after Brownout cousins Money Chicha blow out the Garage, GZA rolls in with Inspectah Deck. Famously backed by the dual axe-wielding ATX Latins in 2012, the Long Island MC crowed “Expect more shows from us,” so hopefully a special guest or two pulls into the Garage. “The chemistry is amazing,” GZA continued those dozen years ago, brandishing his solo rap enshrinement Liquid Swords. – Raoul Hernandez

When Tak “Tone” Nakamine became a born-again Christian in 2008, he may have found his faith, but he never once lost his need to ROCK! Heralded as “the first Christian heavy metal band from Japan,” this trio of metalheads are about one thing: blowing out your eardrums to the word of God. Though their sound does cross over into the more recognizable J-pop realm, the fact remains Nakamine (vocals and guitar) and his band members Marie (bass) and Shinryu (drums) lean heavily into Eighties metal like Judas Priest (how fitting) and Van Halen. They’re a rare breed, indeed – Japan’s faith demographic widely skewing toward Buddhism, while only about 1% of the population proclaims to practice Christianity. This has the potential to be an iconic occasion, one to which those who want to see some good old-fashioned headbanging should probably get a front-row seat. And, hey, if you happen to find a little faith… – Cy White

“A lusty, self-written, one-woman oration on female sexual discovery, exploration, and empowerment.” That’s what we called Katie Folger’s one-woman show about dating in the pandemic when she debuted it in May 2023 at Crashbox. A year later, with a sellout L.A. run, a Best of Austin win for best actress, and a rave review from Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls podcast, now she’s bringing her raunchy memoir back for her hometown audiences. Make sure you’re in your seat early Friday and Saturday for a special comedy opening set from the hilarious Stef Dag. – Richard Whittaker

Gear up for an event with food royalty, as the incomparable Edy Massih brings his zesty book tour to our neck of the woods. Known for his inventive catering and immensely colorful Brooklyn storefront – Edy’s Grocer, specializing in Middle Eastern imports – Massih’s first cookbook is a feast for the stomach and the eyes. With pages as bright as his sparkling personality, Keep It Zesty entertains while sharing delectable Lebanese cuisine. He joins Eater editor and recent Best of Austin winner Nadia Chaudhury (yeah, we’ve got good taste) in conversation at First Light. Each ticket comes with a copy of the book, which is guaranteed to spice up your kitchen and your living space. – Cat McCarrey

Hoo-wee! Does anything feel better than a dip in the pool during a hot Texas summer? While some among us may be privileged to own private watering holes, most of us get to enjoy the great Austin PARD’s work at the 44 public aquatic facilities to choose from this summer. You’ve got regional, neighborhood, and community pools; a wading pool; splash pads; and the crown jewel: Barton Springs. Check austintexas.gov/pools-splashpads for up-to-date info on which pools are open, what their entry fee is, and whether you have what it takes to be a public pool lifeguard. Now, outta the way if you don’t wanna get wet: I’m gonna do a cannonball! – James Scott

Regine Malibiran is a woman of passion. She pours her soul into every project she undertakes – creative and entrepreneur, activist and advocate. Now as the founder of forth space productions, she has taken all of her passion and experience to forge a path for artists to express their truths fearlessly and with the support of forth space, whose mission and name derive from the “sociological concept of the fourth space as a realm where meaning is made and all the potential that lies between here and forward.” “BUMUO,” from the Tagalog for “whole,” is an exhibition that centers the strength and artistic brilliance of the Filipino community. Six artists tell the connective story of the Philippines, reclaiming their history, rejecting the manipulation of the colonizers who inhabited their home for four centuries, and building a future of healing and empowerment. On view through July 27. – Cy White

Thanks to Seventies funk band War, the word “lowrider” often calls to mind the unforgettable sax riff of the band’s 1975 No. 1 single. But lowrider can mean a snazzy customized car with hydraulics or a person who works on such a vehicle, and the culture around these cars has strengthened Mexican American communities in the Southwest since the Forties. Learn more about them at this exhibit featuring an interactive touchscreen mural, cars and bikes on display, and stories about the people who make lowriding a community. A member reception takes place May 18. – Kat McNevins

A lucky few may have already seen the “Sonder” show at Davis, but if you haven’t, please rush to the reception this Saturday. It’s a perfect time to bask in a wealth of styles and mediums. Dissect the surreal landscapes of Garrett Middaugh and Isabel Stensland. Lose yourself in the hypnotic shapes of Lisa Beaman and Joseph Hammer. Marvel at the intricate details in sculptures by Dana Younger and John Sagar. Sigh at Denise M. Fulton’s brightly impressionist nature paintings. And those are just small portions of artists represented! There’s something for every artistic taste, so gorge yourself on Davis’ impeccable buffet of beauty. – Cat McCarrey

We’re in that liminal space of summer, where life is lush and blooming, right before it succumbs to death by heat. Big Medium’s curator Coka Treviño has collected an exhibit full of garden scenes representing that magical explosion of garden growth. In her own words, it’s a way “to forget how heavy it feels to be a human.” There’s constant discovery in the wide variety of works, from dozens of artists like the established Dawn Okoro and up-and-comers MuthaGoose. Join the opening reception this Friday to view interpretations of glorious greenery. – Cat McCarrey

School’s out for summer! And out forever, at least in Beyond August Productions’ Exit Strategy. The story of a run-down high school finishing up its final year before eradication, Exit Strategy follows students and staff on the edge of displacement. Education is a hellscape in the best of times. One can only imagine the anarchy within a school on the brink of annihilation. In cases like that, does anything matter? Get ready to test those limits with Exit Strategy, showing the humor and madness in dire circumstances. – Cat McCarrey

That's right: Cap City Comedy Club, the longtime cornerstone of Austin's comedy scene for nearly four decades is at a new venue in the Domain. And here's Valerie Lopez with a closer look at what's in store for the scene via the venue. Click for details!