My hats off to my wonderful Austin Music Map colleagues, Haley Howle and Delaney Hall, for organizing something as tremendous, multicultural, and stimulating as MapJam 2013. This is a event to be proud of! A huge part of putting this together involved quite a bit of strategic planning, mapping out performance locations throughout East Austin, and a lot of thought into selecting the performing artists. This is no small undertaking, people. It is literally a mini-festival that will attract music lovers from all over town, very likely visiting some of the venues on the bill for the first time ever.
It’s an exciting occasion, and admission is free, so take advantage of this opportunity for musical discovery.
– Things kick off today with stellar folk/bluegrass raiders Wood & Wire, performing at Hops & Grain, 507 Calle. This band rocks it acoustic and a cappella style, killing it with instrumentals that will blow you away.
– Sensational orchestral pop ensemble Mother Falcon performs at 1:30 p.m. at Tillery Park, 801 Tillery St. This award-winning multi-instrumental group has swept away fans in both the local music and performing arts scenes.
– You gotta shake it like a tambourine when you see Akina Adderley & The Vintage Playboys take over The Historic Victory Grill, 1104 E. 11th St., at 3 p.m. Austin soul with unique blends of rock, funk, and old-school R&B. Singer Akina Adderley does it right, baby.
– And you don’t stop. Husband-wife hip hop duo Riders Against the Storm are set to go at 4:30 p.m. at Hotel Vegas, 1600 E. 6th St. Head-turning hip hop with lots of power. Sensational.
– Get your conjunto on con Conjunto Los Pinkys, playing at 6 p.m. at The White Horse. Traditional Tex-Mex conjunto on fire. Featuring Isidro Samilpa and Chencho Flores, two musicians from Austin’s Chicano music scene whose careers date back to the 1950’s cantinas of East 6th Street. Please note that this show is 21 and up only. It is not all ages.
– Do not leave the earplugs at home. One of my favorite bands, Residual Kid, rocks Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E. 6th St., starting at 6 p.m. Max Redman (age 12), Ben Redman (14), and Deven Ivy (14) are masters of rock. Brace yourself.
– Super guitar star Rosie Flores and her band The Riveters play tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St. Since the late 70s, the guitarist, singer, and songwriter has been an outstanding presence in both the Austin and Los Angeles rock, rockabilly, and alt-country scenes. One of the hardest working people in the biz – and she rocks.
– At the end of the day, get ready to dance. DJ Chorizo Funk spins killer Afro-Latin, Afrobeat, funk, soul and hip hop mixes, starting at 9 p.m. at Tillery Park. Then cumbia/merengue/salsa masters El Tule step in at 10 p.m. for a live performance, also at Tillery Park. Infectious grooves to move you. ¡Orale!
