Enjoy the strange and unusual with Evah Destruction, Gothess Jasmine, Noodles, and special guests - plus stick around for the Dragula rewatch party.

Side Show

House of Lepore and Kind Clinic team up for this bi-weekly class on "practices for ballroom members to commune and develop their craft across various ballroom categories (i.e., Vogue Performance, Sex Siren, Runway, and Face, etc.)." Kind Clinic will also provide STI/HIV rapid testing services.

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Meetup with other queer adults for a sober and inclusive night of board games.

Queer Game Night

Queer creatives of all mediums can drop in and hang out with other LGBTQ folks while working on personal projects. Masks required for indoor meets. Note: This is not a space for allies.

Queer Art Night

Louisianna Purchase hosts bingo at this East Austin patio bar.

Drag Queen Bingo

Saddle Sores, Manny Velazquez (6:00)

Theatregoers will feel the earth move as one of Austin’s foremost theatre companies closes its 2023-24 season with this Tony Award-winning musical that follows King’s early career and includes classics such as “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Natural Woman.”

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Trumpeter Bob Meyer (1941-2013) not only established himself as a top-flight player in Beto & the Fairlanes, among other outfits, he also spent decades working the other side of the aisle with the Austin Federation of Musicians, the City of Austin (as the first official music liaison), and UT-Austin (as director of Jazz Studies). He also led the Concept Orchestra, a contemporary big band that upheld tradition without being shackled to it. CO mainstays Elias Haslanger (sax), Michael Mordecai (trombone), John Mills (sax), and Mike Sailors (trumpet) lead the cast for this tribute performance to their leader’s melodic and swinging compositions. – Michael Toland

Elias Haslanger Quartet (Bob Meyer tribute), Susanna Sharpe (6:00)

Tsui Hark. John Woo. Wong Kar-wai. Certainly there are Hong Kong New Wave filmmakers who made bigger waves in America. But don’t sleep on Ann Hui (Song of the Exile, A Simple Life), whose body of work is notable for its longevity, its centering of women, and social commitment. Screening as part of Seaport Selects – the Drafthouse’s ongoing intro to world cinema program – the newly restored in 4K July Rhapsody (2002) follows a professor of Chinese literature’s midlife reckoning with his abandoned youthful ambitions and a student who challenges his status quo. – Kimberley Jones

July Rhapsody (2003)

Winner of Grackle Games cycle four, Queen Fantasia brings her onstage skills every other Wednesday. A writer, an actor, and a proven songstress, the Queen pulls together an ensemble cast of Malibu Imported, Eileen Dover, and Maxine LaQueene for her original musical Behind the Cubicle. This production – which has its last performance this Wednesday – follows “the stories of women in the workplace trying to stay strong, motivated, and feminine in their uniquely country way,” according to the Queen herself. – James Scott

The Queen’s Playhouse

Zach Telander, the Drakes (6:00)

Childhood trauma-monger Don Bluth struck again with this soul-crushing tale of the immigrant struggle masquerading as a kid’s movie. I mean, check out this adorable animal story! Who are we kidding, this is one of the classic Nineties cartoons that radicalized a generation, as it deals with the manipulation of an immigrant mouse family by literal fat cats ruling the city through intimidation and voter fraud. Family-friendly fun for all. But seriously, for a tearjerker with gorgeous animation, it doesn’t get much better than this. Besides, there are worse things than having “Somewhere Out There” stuck in your head for weeks. Bring a hanky and prepare for a serious post-movie talk with your children. – Cat McCarrey

An American Tail (1986)

The Georges

Moeller Brothers

Midnight Grass

Warren Hood

Ace Peppers blues jam

Redcliff

James McMurtry

Frank Cavitt & the Honky-Tonk Doctors

Canned Beets

Guthrie Girls

The Brannen & Red Show

Running till August 16, Xavier Alvarado’s solo exhibition at 2324 Gallery features one of the most enduring themes in art: love. Raised in Texas “with deep Trinidadian roots,” as he notes on his website, Alvarado has collaborated with big names like Austin FC and Louis Vuitton, and his work spans multiple different media from painting to installation. With both new and old pieces in the show, Alvarado emphasizes “the transformative power of sharing in relationships and communities,” the exhibition text reads. Alvarado says this body of work “represents the heart’s capacity to connect, give, and enrich others” and “invites reflection on how sharing shapes our experiences of love and deepens our understanding of the heart.”– Lina Fisher

“Hearts: How Deep Is Your Love”

Libby & the Loveless

South Austin’s first dedicated comedy venue is spearheaded by local comics Martin Henn, Andre Ricks, and Raza Jafri, and brings top-notch acts to South Austin every Wednesday through Saturday. Note: The upcoming comics – including nationally touring acts, local sweethearts, and everyone in between – will be listed on Instagram each night.

South Austin Comedy Club

This multimedia exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the beauty of botanical forms, expressed realistically and in the abstract, featuring the work of local artist Francine Funke.

Old Bakery Gallery: Fantastical Flora

Dreadneck Wednesdays w/ Mau Mau Chaplains, DJ Jah Bill (9:00)

Anderson Smith Band ft. Chris Reeves, two-step dance lessons w/ Hill Country Two Step (7:00)

Art and … math? Not as improbable as it may seem, especially when seen through the veil of fantasy. And that’s exactly what artist/gallerist/therapist Deanna Miesch does. Compiling works inspired by 1800s mathematician Edwin A. Abbott’s imaginary world of Flatland (with touches of fellow mathematician Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, of course), Miesch presents reality with a fanciful twist. Her visuals show our world, blurred or tilted a little askew. It’s easy to see portals to another world in every line and angle. What dimensions will you discover? – Cat McCarrey

Deanna Miesch: “Flatland Revisited”

Hurrah! It’s the only good thing about summer – sorry to summer-enjoyers – come back once more. Austin Public Library’s summer reading program runs from June 1 until Aug. 10 and challenges readers of all ages to get 20 minutes of reading done a day. They’ve also got activity badges you can earn – fun biz like using APL’s seed library, making a DIY nature journal, attending any of APL’s free events. Finish 10 reading hours and three activity badges to earn prizes like a free book (kids 0-17) or a camping mug (adults). But isn’t the real reward the great books you read along the way? – James Scott

Summer at Austin Public Library

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

Austin Public Pools Opening

Who doesn’t want to build up their CV in these trying times? Or perhaps you just want to fill your free time with something other than TikTok? Or maybe you want a behind-the-scenes, hands-on tour of Austin’s best place for sustainable craft supplies? Whatever reason you’ve got, it’s a good time to volunteer for Austin Creative Reuse’s Summer of Service program. Opportunities are abundant, with group projects like fabric rolling, dog toy making, or Funky Fabric Friday – that’s when they process all the weird stuff like purple faux fur or bright yellow vinyl. Sign up on austincreativereuse.org, complete 30 volunteering hours, and earn your Summer of Service certificate. Beats losing eight hours to ASMR slime-scoop videos, I’ll tell you what. – James Scott

Summer of Service

Zilker’s summer musical series celebrates its 65th production with the song-and-dance stylings of sorority girl-turned-Harvard Law dynamo Elle Woods.

Legally Blonde: The Musical

Hosted by Carlton Wilcoxson and Angelina Martin, and featuring the best local and national comics every Wednesday.

Buzz Kill Comedy

The first of two Summer Stock Austin productions this summer (stay tuned for Guys & Dolls on August 2), Disney’s The Little Mermaid revives Hans Christian Anderson’s enduring tale of a sea-maiden who dreams of life on land and enlivens it with standout music and lyrics by Disney Renaissance dream team Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. High school and college students make up the cast, but don’t confuse their youth with amateurishness: With 20 years under its belt, Summer Stock Austin knows how to put on a helluva show. – Kimberley Jones

Disney’s The Little Mermaid

The tale of a conservative town that overreacts to a tragedy by banning dancing might seem a little, um, familiar in theme right now. Authority taking drastic measures and fostering extreme fear is as relevant as ever. Resist and bask in a bit of hope with an upbeat musical full of rocking Eighties tunes (thanks, Kenny Loggins). We are holding out for a hero, and Footloose: The Musical might be the one we need. Besides, a free show under the starry Texas sky? Almost paradise indeed. – Cat McCarrey

Footloose: The Musical

Butter N Jam

Sydney Wright song swap w/ Naala

Open mic night

A.L. West, French Film, Chaepter, Old Joy

Hardened & Tempered

Nick Swift Band

James Speer

George Carver

Jamie Krueger Group

Camacho, Vegas Day Trip, Armpit Motel, Becoming Human

Ivy Mine, Past Model

Aubrey Logan

Ivy Roots

The group Mashable called “Austin’s answer to The Roots,” Magna Carda brings Monks Jazz alive on a Wednesday evening. The mellow grooves of the duo of Megz and Dougie Do instantly turned me into a fan. Coming from the school of J Dilla, D’Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu – the entire Soulquarians outfit – their brand of hip-hop endears itself in such an emotional way. It’s less about the feeling of going back to childhood (or late teen years); it’s about connecting with a band who understands the need for musicality in music. Can’t make it out? You can still experience the midweek cool of this incredible hip-hop power duo by purchasing a virtual listening room ticket via Monks’ website. – Cy White