Here at LiveMom, we understand that you had a life before you had kids. While the decision to become a parent can rock your world in ways you didn’t anticipate, it can also cause you to temporarily put aside what you used to enjoy…and guarantee that you are in bed by 9pm.
You say you love music? When’s the last time you saw a band in person? Living here in Austin, we are very lucky to have access to live music, every day of the week. Yes, you can choose to listen to a year’s worth of bands during festivals like ACL (man, did you see the lineup for this year? Wowsers!) and SXSW, or, perhaps it was too much to even contemplate in the haze that is also known as Spring Break. In the hopes of giving you a reason to get out of the house, an excuse to get a group of friends together and permission add a new band to your playlist, we’ll be issuing recommendations for shows for the coming month. Admittedly, the next day you might need an extra cup of coffee, but we promise, you’ll be glad you remember what it was like to be out with adults again.
Featured event
This Mother’s Day, you and your crew can plan something totally different than the usual brunch or breakfast in bed, but totally Austin, by heading down to Fiesta Gardens for the 7th Annual Pachanga Latino Music Festival. Admission is free of charge for children 12 and under who are accompanied by an adult ticketholder. Pachanga is a Latin-themed music, cultural arts and food festival showcasing Latin artists within a vast array of musical genres and styles that range from traditional to contemporary and include rock, alternative, cumbia, electronic, hip-hop and indie.
This year’s event will feature Puerto Rican garage rock act AJ Davila Y Terror Amor and Latin funk tribute band Brownout playing a Black Sabbath tribute. The lineup also includes Julieta Venegas, El Gran Silencio, La Santa Cecilia, DMK, Gaby Moreno, La Vida Bohème, Sonido San Francisco, Niña Dioz, Del Castillo, Chicha Libre, and Making Movies. Pachanga has also announced a number of pre-show and after parties surrounding the festival. Additional info on the parties and tickets can be found here.
In addition to bands the whole family can enjoy, there is a special H-E-B Niños Rock Pachanga Festival, which will will offer younger audience members a day of dynamic music performances from artists including internet darlings DMK, the Depeche Mode cover band consisting of a Dad and his music-loving tykes; music mentors Anthropos Arts; and percussion group Maracatu Austin, who will also lead an interactive drum circle; local group Son Armado; and all sister band Tiarra Girls. Niños Rock Pachanga will also feature a songwriting workshop with singer-songwriter Gina Chavez and an accordion workshop with Susan Torres. In addition to music performances, Niños Rock Pachanga will offer interactive activities including a photo booth, piñata party, and face painting by YELP. Niños will also be able to engage in a number of craft workshops where they can learn to make their own floral halos, masks, papel picado (Mexican folk art tissue paper designs), and ojo de dios (“God’s eye” yarn weavings).
May Music Roundup*
5/2
Quiet Company, the band we profiled in advance of SXSW, plays at Holy Mountain. Growl and Harvest Thieves open. Doors at 8pm for this all ages show. $10 cover.
5/8
Fort Worth-based visual/musical group Spoonfed Tribe plays at the Parish with Transcontinental Trip. The band is known for mesmerizing live shows combining hypnotic walls of percussion, psychedelic sonics and mind-expanding visuals. Doors open at 8pm and the music starts at 9pm. Tickets are $10 for this all ages show.
5/11
Jitterbug Vipers, the Austin-based band which took away four Austin Music Awards this year, including Best Jazz Band, plays a special Mother’s Day show at Z’Tejas downtown from 6:30-9pm. No cover.
5/14
Ingrid Michaelson plays Stubb’s Outdoors with Sugar + The Hi-Lows and Storyman on her Lights Out Tour. Ingrid was recently in town for SXSW and performed at Perez Hilton’s One Night in Austin show. Doors open at 6 for this all ages show. $25 plus fees.
5/16 & 5/17
The Austin-based Wheeler Brothers quintet brings its folk, rock, roots, Americana and blues mix to the Parish two nights this month. On the 16th, Paper Bird opens and on the 17th, Graham Wilkinson. Doors open at 8pm for this all ages show. $13 + fees.
5/17
Wiretree, the indie/pop/rock band from right here in Austin, plays at Lamberts at 9pm. Tickets are $8 for this 21+ show.
5/18
Ginger Leigh brings her sound to Bethel Hall at St. David’s downtown as a part of their Austin Artist Series at their 11:15am worship service. Ginger also plays on 5/11, 5/25 and 6/1.
5/20
Rock/punk band Skaters, who was recently in town for SXSW, plays inside at Stubb’s. Doors open at 9pm and tickets are $10 for this all ages show.
5/21
Perennial crowd favorites the Gipsy Kings play ACL Live. Doors at 6:30 and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets to this all-ages show start at $51.
5/22
Bob Schneider fans, take note: you can catch him for free as part of this season’s KGSR Unplugged at the Grove Series. Music starts at 8pm.
5/31
Parrotheads will be gathering at the Austin360 Amphitheater for Jimmy Buffett‘s This One’s for You Tour. Doors open at 6:30pm for this all ages show. Tickets start at
* Shows may sell out, so make sure to check the ticket links before making plans.
A native Austinite and soccer-playing mom, Nicole uses her 7-year-old son as an excuse to rediscover her hometown through his eyes. In Thoreau’s words, her mission is to “suck out all the marrow of life”, or in her son’s words, to cultivate in him a love of “advenchers”.
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