Austin’s Tear Dungeon will bring the blood-drenched mayhem Friday at Faust. Credit: Instagram / Tear Dungeon
From Latin-infused surf and electronica-tweaked shoegaze to a mashup of West African idioms with the folk tunes Appalachia, many of this week’s best live music shows feature stylistic fusions. Let’s take a look and what’s getting mashed up and where.
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Los Shadows
The group Los Shadows bills itself as “four vatos from National City,” California, which doesn’t exactly tell you a lot about the music. Here’s what you need to know: it’s catchy and fun. Think of surf embellished with Latin percussion, laid-back vocals and a few psychedelic freakouts. $18, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Bill Baird
Thursday, Sept. 18
Bleary Eyed, Cashier, elnuh, fawn
Indie-rock outfit Bleary Eyed straddle a fine line between shoegaze and computer pop thanks to the heavy use of samples. Born in the DIY movements of DC and Philadelphia, Bleary Eyed’s music seems both distant but familiar, as if you’re hearing it filtered from another room in the house. $17.83, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes
Friday, Sept. 19
Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co.
Texas indie-folk luminary Will Johnson has quietly built one of the most impressive catalogs in modern music. For this new project, he’s teaming up with Magnolia Electric Co., another one of the premier names in modern underground indie-folk. Together, under the moniker Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co., they’re playing a short Texas run to honor the songwriting legacy of the late Jason Molina, the beloved mastermind behind Magnolia Electric Co.’s seminal albums. $24, 8 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerosesa.com. — BB
Tear Dungeon
Austin’s wildest punk band Tear Dungeon isn’t for those who want a leisurely concert experience. If you’re looking to “vibe,” look elsewhere. These vibes are bad. And don’t wear anything you care about to the show, trust us. It will get covered in the fake blood the members spew from the mouth openings of their matching gimp masks. Even so, the band challenges crowds to “wear white, you cowards” in an effort to see the full carnage on display by the end of the set like limbs strewn on a battlefield. Throughout Tear Dungeon’s chaotic sets, frontman Andrew Cashen is known to climb on anything in close proximity — including audience members and the roof of Paper Tiger during the band’s courtyard show following Amyl and the Sniffers in April. The Austin Chronicle has described the group’s sound as “Melvins covered in piss and rolled in broken glass.” Against their better judgment, St. Mary’s Strip metal bar Faust is hosting this free show INSIDE. Mephistopheles help them, it’s something like lighting dynamite after locking yourself in a broom closet. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Free, 10 p.m., 517 E. Woodlawn Ave., instagram.com/fausttavernsa. — Stephanie Koithan
Saturday, Sept. 20
Emery, As Cities Burn, The Classic Crime, Good Terms
Seattle-based post-hardcore rockers Emery seem to have done it all since forming in 2001 in South Carolina. Although best known for the decidedly edgy “Walls” from the 2004 album The Weak’s End, Emery continues to push its own boundaries. This performance will highlight the 20th anniversary of Emery’s album The Question. $36.88, 6:30 p.m., The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., therockboxsa.com. — DC
Cherubs, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy
Noise-rock band Cherubs is one of the holdovers from the burgeoning ’90s Austin scene before grunge took over the nation. The band was signed in 1992 by Trance Syndicate — the record label formed by King Coffey of the Butthole Surfers — before even playing its first show. Expect plenty of crushing riffage along with a big dose of weird. Local outfit The Grasshopper Lies Heavy — one of the heaviest bands currently operating in San Antonio — will round out the bill. $10, 6 p.m. Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerosesa.com. — SK
Kota the Friend
New York’s Kota the Friend has taken an inspiring DIY approach to hip-hop culture – self-recording and self-releasing most of his music, turning down major label deals and starting his own fashion brand along the way. His rapping flow feels unforced and smooth, and the beat production is spot-on. 8 p.m., $63, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB
Sunday, Sept. 21
Mon Rovia, Khatumu
New musical hybrids can be an inspiration to behold, and few artists can top Mon Rovia in coming up with a fresh, unexpected and engaging hybrid. A refugee from the Liberian Civil War, the Tennessee-based musician fuses West African idioms with the music of Appalachia and totally makes it work. Lest we forget, the banjo is originally an African instrument. A portion of each ticket sale will benefit victims of Hurricane Helene. 8 p.m., $32, Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB
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This article appears in Sep 3-17, 2025.