OUR TOP PICKS
Golden Dawn Arkestra. DAVE CREANEY FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN.
Friday-Sunday: Saturnalia in Austin. Traditionally, the ancient festival celebrating the Roman god Saturn is timed to coincide with the Winter Solstice, but the carnival arrives in Austin early this year. Your art jazz ritual leaders, Golden Dawn Arkestra, invite you to “prepare your masks and dust off your most elegant gowns,” for a weekend of intoxicating revelry, fuzzed out riffs and experimental groove-making. Hotel Vegas hosts a pre-party on Friday, then the event moves east to Sahara Lounge and the Webberville Road Baptist Church. It includes performances from the Allah-las, Octopus Project, American Sharks, Ringo Deathstarr and many more as well as light artists and food trucks on site. $40 wristband includes all shows. See the event’s Facebook page for more details. — D.S.S.
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Saturday: Heart of the City: A Celebration of the Cosmic Cowboy at Emo’s. The annual fundraiser for the SIMS Foundation, which helps provide mental health services for Austin musicians and their families, tips its hat to the 1970s era of Austin music that gave rise to the likes of Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Murphey. The evening will include performances by Carrie Rodriguez, Monte Warden, James Petralli, Rosie Flores, Bob Livingston, Charlie Mars, Kelley Mickwee, Warren Hood, David Ramos, Michael Ramos, Conrad Choucroun, John Michael Schoepf, Billy Cassis, Teri Joyce, Corey Baum, Amber Digby, Wild Bill Ogden, Andrea Magee and John Baumann, plus a tribute to the late Austin bassist George Reiff by the Dixie Chicks’ Martie Maguire and Emily Robison Strayer. $35-$125. 8 p.m. 2015 E. Riverside Drive. simsfoundation.org. — P.B.
Make merry at the annual Holiday Sing-Along and Downtown Stroll on Dec. 2. Dave Creaney/AMERICAN-STATESMAN.
Saturday: Holiday Sing-along and Downtown Stroll. Gather at the south steps of the Capitol building for caroling led by KUTX DJs Elizabeth McQueen and John Aielli at 6 p.m. Marvel at the Capitol tree lighting at 7, then stroll down Congress Avenue and take in local sounds on two stages with tunes from Gina Chavez, Riders Against the Storm, Charlie Faye & the Fayettes and more. Free. 1100 Congress Ave. downtownaustin.com/holidays — D.S.S.
ALSO PLAYING
Friday-Saturday
Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones at Continental Club
Friday
Dream Theater at Bass Concert Hall
Fastball, Moving Panoramas at Antone’s
Snails, Boogie T, Squnto at Emo’s
FKJ at Vulcan Gas Company
Bonnie Bishop, Harvest Thieves at 3Ten
Thor & Friends, Bill Converse at Lemon Lounge
Anthony Da Costa, Jeff Plankenhorn, Denny Freeman at Saxon Pub
Cody Canada, Dalton Domino at Empire
Actress, Telefon, Tel Aviv at Barracuda
James Polk’s CenterPeace at Elephant Room
Rebecca Loebe, Korby Lenker at Cactus Cafe
Susannah Joffe at Townsend
Emily Bell & the Talkbacks, Canvas People, Diamond Thieves at Mohawk indoor
Saturday
Dead & Company at Erwin Center
John Fullbright at Cactus Cafe (two shows)
Charlie Robison, Arkansas Dave at Antone’s
Nine Mile Records & Touring Holiday Party with Patrick Sweany, Juanita Stein, Carson McHone, A. Sinclair, Belcurve at Mohawk indoor
Queue Queue album release, Kay Odyssey, Daniel Francis Doyle, Stretch Panic at Sidewinder
Porterdavis record release, Nakia & the Blues Grifters at Saxon Pub
Susto, Esme Patterson, Gold Fronts at Stubb’s indoor
Nina Diaz, Infected Mushroom at Empire
Megalodon, Skism, Krimer at Vulcan Gas Company
Red Young Quintet at Elephant Room
Palomino Shakedown, Rick Broussard’s Two Hoots & a Holler at ABGB
Sunday
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox at ACL Live
Petula Clark at One World Theatre
Superhero Kids Organization benefit with Ginger Leigh, Patrice Pike, Wendy Colonna, Shelley King, Rod Williams & Shelley Mac at Stateside at the Paramount
8th annual Byrd & Street Mistletoe Jam with Austin Lounge Lizards, Bob Livingston, Betty Soo, Dave Scher,Bradley Kopp, Richard Bowden, Chip Dolan and more at Threadgill’s South
Soul of a Musician series with Matt the Electrician at Iron Cactus North
Lavelle White, Bobby Mack at Antone’s
Hilary York, Aimee Bobruk at C-Boy’s
