The lull between Austin City Limits and South by Southwest seems to last an eternity. What is a local live music lover to do on a lowly Wednesday evening?
Luckily, the Red River Cultural District debuts a monthly concert series, Why Not Wednesdays, on Nov. 19, with concerts running from 5-9pm at Downtown venues Stubb’s (indoors), Chess Club, Feels So Good, and the 13th Floor.
At this month’s premiere event, Stubb’s is set to host Latin fusion family band Los Alcos, indie-pop duo Dorio, R&B pair Rococo Disco, and prog-funk outfit dodo. At Chess Club, Total Diamonds brings power-pop to the stage alongside synth wizards Pataphysics and garage rockers Cheap Fix. The Ripe takes the stage at the 13th Floor with a blend of folk garage music with support from fellow locals Guzzler and Dayeater. Meanwhile, a DJ set courtesy of No More Mr. Nice Guy lights up beloved screenprinters/vintage slingers/record label FSG’s new East Seventh location.
Unlike Red River’s no-cost winter festival Free Week and its July counterpart Hot Summer Nights, Why Not Wednesdays charges $11 to support Red River Cultural District community programming efforts and ensure performing artists get paid. Ticket-holders can pick up their required wristbands at Feels So Good starting at 4pm on the day of the show.
“Why Not Wednesdays is about reminding people that Red River doesn’t just come alive on the weekends,” said Nicole Klepadlo, executive director of the Red River Cultural District, in a press release. “We’re creating a fun, affordable midweek tradition that supports local venues, artists, and restaurants, who are the lifeblood of our downtown community. Our ultimate goal is to build off the success of Free Week and Hot Summer Nights in uniting venues to work together to create a much-needed economic boost through unique and collaborative community programming.”
Why Not Wednesdays takes place on the third Wednesday of nearly every month. It follows up this month’s lineup on Dec. 17, then returns in the new year on Feb. 18 – presumably skipping January in lieu of Free Week, which returns Jan. 9-10. The series also skips March and concludes on April 15.
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