Home Events

Amidst the rush of reactions to the startling M. Knight-adjacent visual mindfuck that is “Lithonia,” and riding the cresting madness post Drake’s musical disembowelment with track “Yoshinoya,” Childish Gambino brings his New World tour to the perfect place for stunts, shows, and gloriously indulgent music. With his latest release rumored to be his last under the baby mob boss moniker, Gambino gifts fans of his music and of spectacle something to behold, supporting an album that’s as much a film as it is a collection of sonically filmic narratives. The effervescent musical brilliance of WILLOW is a perfect match to Childish Gambino’s ostentation. – Cy White

Even as their world burns, students in Gaza are picking up their cameras to tell original stories and depict their lives. Even more astoundingly, they are still able to get those short films out to the world, and in 2023 the ConnectHER Film Festival curated six of those shorts, all giving insight into the lives of young women under occupation and bombardment. Now, AFS Cinema presents that program, complete with a post-screening Q&A with Watermelon Pictures founder Alana Hadid and ConnectHER founder Lila Igram. This is a free screening: Please RSVP in advance at AustinFilm.org. – Richard Whittaker

Imagine one’s introduction to the world coming in the form of a shitty album … literally. When Green Day dropped Dookie on the world, there wasn’t anything quite like them on the scene. The ever-evolving shape of punk music from its 1960s origins brought us to this trio of bad-mouthed crash-bang rockers, who defined Nineties-era teen angst and outright rage at a system that seemed to set us up for failure. Thirty years after their debut, the band has sold a billion albums, worked with some of music’s elite – U2 and Lone Star legend Miranda Lambert, to name a few. Rancid co-signs the Nineties nostalgia while half-Asian, half-Latina L.A.-based indie crashers the Linda Lindas bring the angst and fury. – Cy White

Jon Deas won himself a Grammy Award for his work as keyboardist for Gary Clark Jr. by playing on the guitarist’s head-turning 2019 LP This Land. Outside of his day job, the multihyphenate runs KeyzStreet – a combination production house and record label – and, more to the point, leads his own bands on jazz stages around town. Blending hard bop, funk, blues, and soul, Deas and his banks of keyboards get the feet moving, head nodding, and heart pounding with his badass current quintet: Matt Muehling on guitar, Ryan Hagler on bass, Charles Reid on drums, and Mike Gonzales on percussion. – Michael Toland

Autumn is the time for settling into a comforting nostalgia, a pleasant low-grade melancholy that will carry you through the colder months – making the shift to spring all the sweeter. And what better film is there to provoke ambient melancholy than Paris, Texas, Wim Wenders’ heart-wrenching epic of lost love and desert-wandering? Starring the most disheveled man in the world (Harry Dean Stanton) and the most radiantly blond woman in the world (Nastassja Kinski), Ry Cooder’s windswept slide guitar score draws you in and never lets go. – Lina Fisher

In a different world, Miller Drake finishes directing Piranha II: The Spawning, and we never hear of James Cameron except as a special effects guy for B-movie legend Roger Corman. But Drake gets fired by bullying producer Ovidio G. Assonitis, who replaces him with Cameron and then fires him two and a half weeks later. Cameron, so disgusted by the experience of having no control over his set, makes his zero-budget sci-fi slasher on completely his own terms – and changes action cinema forever. Against his wishes and much as he has tried to disown it, Piranha II is listed as his first directing credit, but his Arnold Schwarzenegger-led film of a merciless robotic killer is his real debut. Catch this incredible new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative, with new Cameron-approved Atmos sound mix. Plus, happy to report, Cameron and Drake remained friends. – Richard Whittaker

One thing I’ve loved about newer theatre or museums is the space given for land acknowledgement – statements about the ancestral roots of the space being used. Space that was not always ours, but taken. The Blanton’s latest exhibit tackles that question, but pushes the boundaries. It’s not just about what Native America was, but what it can be. Curator and lauded artist Wendy Red Star has assembled nine other Native artists to create a rich exploration of what life in America is today. Shown through a variety of mediums, something is guaranteed to resonate with the audience. Whether it’s the photos, paintings, videos, or multimedia works is up to you. – Cat McCarrey

For two glorious weeks, some of the best restaurants in town are offering prix fixe menus, drink specials, and more, all to benefit Central Texas Food Bank.

Mamma mia: Did you know the game we call bingo originated in Italy? Descended from the Italian lotto game, bingo has been delighting young and old – okay, mostly old – since the 1500s. Enjoy boffo bingo from your friends at Bat City Bingo, who bring free “beano” to patios all over town, every Tuesday at Long Play Lounge. – James Scott

Do you enjoy contemplating the deep questions that come with being human? Join conversations facilitated by Asenath Avinash based on Buddhist books from great teachers to explore these questions and meditate. Drop-ins welcome; no registration required.

Children’s growing minds and bodies are always looking for something to do, and it’s costly keeping them occupied. So bring them to Thinkery children’s museum, which “strives to be an inclusive, friendly, inspiring space to learn for our entire community, regardless of income, mental/physical abilities, ethnicity, nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender expression/identity or family status.” From 3 to 7pm Tuesdays, kiddos can visit all the STEAM activities and exhibits like Train Town, the Spark Shop, the Story Nook, and the Move! Studio to have tons of fun while learning and wearing themselves out before bedtime. And it’s all free! Just don’t let them start looking at the not-free items at Toy Joy. – Kat McNevins

Top off your TuezGayz with this Diamond Dior Davenport-hosted drag show featuring top-notch performances.