Summertime in Austin constitutes its own rhythm. From tucked-away food truck gigs to sold-out Moody Amphitheater concerts, each set feeds into the season’s vibrance. The Daily Texan curated a list of live shows under $33 that keep the city’s heartbeat alive through the year’s hottest months, with some semblance of genre cohesion falling around garage-punk and surf-rock.
GIRL IN A COMA – JUNE 28
This San Antonian garage-punk trio got its start in the late 2000s when drummer Phanie Diaz and bassist Jenn Alva met in eighth grade, with Diaz’s younger sister Nina joining shortly after as guitarist and lead singer. The group released four studio albums between 2007 and 2011, with no music released since. Its sound is characterized by washed-out guitar feedback that screams nearly as loudly as the wailing vocals in songs like “She Had a Plan.” Tracks like “Si Una Vez” and “Yo Oigo” pull from the Diaz sisters’ Mexican heritage, sung mostly in Spanish while maintaining their punk-rock sound. Don’t miss this 21+ show at Hotel Vegas for $26.
WAVVES – JULY 19
Not only does this four-member band resurrect garage-punk that evokes nostalgia for late 2000s summers, but it has also (mostly) survived as a group since then. The group produced its most popular song, “Nine is God,” solely for the video game Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack. Following the upcoming release of its ninth studio album, Spun, on June 27, see Wavves play its $32 show at Mohawk next month. Expect a set full of jagged guitar riffs and explosive cymbals layered under shouted vocals sung with dragged-out vowels.
BABE RAINBOW – AUG. 12
Picking up the lineup’s tempo, this four-member Australian group carves a psychedelic surf-rock feel in hits like “Peace Blossom Boogy.” Its latest studio album, Slipper imp and shakaerator, builds on that sound, delivering rainbow-soaked tunes reminiscent of ‘70s Austin. Consider spending the day at Barton Springs before catching their $30 show at Mohawk later that night for a complete Babe Rainbow experience.
THE GREETING COMMITTEE – AUG. 22
This high school-formed band fuses bedroom pop with indie-rock in its most popular tracks like “Hands Down,” although its 2024 album, Everyone’s Gone and I Know I’m the Cause, falls more securely within pop’s parameters. It features some upbeat songs like “popmoneyhits” and “How it Goes,” but maintains somber lyrics throughout the LP. One of The Greeting Committee’s most recent singles, “Animal at Best,” experiments with melancholic synthpop, a song layered with heavy autotune and orbital tones. Catch the band’s latest sound for $30 at Radio/East.
