Qmmunity: A Purrfect Week

Meow, meow, meow: I hope you’re having a purrfect week, Reader. I’ve started this column on a feline note because the Chronicle’s frequent visitor, a fluffy black cat we call Sriracha, came by this morning and let me pet them. (Yeah, I’m still on the woke operating system where I don’t like to use gendered pronouns for animals if IDK what they’re working with.) Life really seems better after a cat meows at you. Anyway, onward into the October event rush.

OH ALSO: Thanks to everyone I chatted with at Lone Star Zine Fest last weekend. I tabled with my personal zines under Just James Press, but also had a wonderful time meeting Qmmunity and Chronicle readers. It’s nice to hear people like the column, like, out loud and in person. Especially grateful to the person who said “Oh! You’re the funny one!” when I told them my name and employer. In college, I got the chance to have drinks with Susan Stryker before her speaking engagement through our university’s Women & Gender Studies department. There was a large group of us chatting with her, and later a friend referenced me when discussing the event with another participant. They drew a blank from my name alone, and so my friend said, “He was the jokes boy” – a moniker based on my inability to go two seconds without humorous interjection even when in the presence of a leading trans scholar. That immediately jogged the other person’s memory. Great to know that this particular attribute continues to be my most notable. I’m forever the funny one, the jokes boy, the eternal clown sans facepaint (too sweaty).

Marvel Witches & Sorcerers Trivia Thursday 15, Vigilante Gastropub & Games

Come in for a spell and see if you’ve got the magick knowledge of the MCU’s more mystical characters to win this trivia night hosted by Lawrie Bird. 7:30pm.

Bite-A-Dyke Thursday 15, the Flower Shop

Sipping Sapphic organizer Xander the Party Pixie celebrates their birthday with a vampy to-do featuring comedy, belly-dancing, burlesque, blood pit wrestling, live music, as well as an R&B-themed drag show. 7pm.

BaeCL Friday 16, Neon Grotto

Need an indoor edition of the last two weekends’ pricey Zilker Park party? Babe ATX brings together DJ sets by Hip Stir, Loa, and MARISSA at the Grotto’s downstairs area. 9pm.

Pumpkin Party Friday 16, King Bee

Carve a creepy or cute face into either a provided or otherwise procured pumpkin with your Little Gay Shop and Queer Craft Night friends. Tools and stencils supplied. 6:30pm.

333: Major Arcana Friday 16, Tiny Minotaur Tavern

The Trans Era leads an all-trans cast for this edition of her gothic fantasy drag show – themed to the major arcana of tarot. Sacred Yolotl opens with a group divination. 9pm.

Bark After Dark Friday 16, Sir Rat Leather and Gear

Wag your tail to terrifying tunes spun by DJ Exiled Electronica and Boost at this Halloween party featuring vendors, costumes, bootblacks, and hot dogs – and not just the kind that come with ketchup and mustard. 7pm.

Ghosted! By Roz Hernandez Saturday 17, Cheer Up Charlies

Podcast taping alert: Comedian Roz Hernandez brings her queer paranormal cast to Chup’s for a taping featuring an audience ghost story competition. 8pm.

Slay the System II Saturday 17, Epoch Coffee – Village

Colors of Pride brings back their evening of entertainment and education with performances, free food and drink, and “a real, unfiltered chat about voting, showing up, and tapping into our collective power.” 5pm.

The Glow Up Saturday 17, Atomic Heart Lounge

Host Maxine LaQueene opens this drag stage to everyone for a non-competitive show. Kickoff performance special guest mentor is Jupiter. 9pm.

OutWellness Halloween Party Saturday 17, RSVP for location

These local wellness workers are throwing a Halloween happening with a healthy amount of creepy crafts and a costume contest for the most creative, the best group, and the scariest looks. 8pm.

Second Annual Sandwich Gala: Club Sandwich Saturday 17, Lynny’s on 12th

Another year in the books means Lynny’s is serving up the runway once more with a slathering of slayful sandwich-inspired looks. Wear your best lettuce, tomato, bacon, and beyond with host Aira Juliet providing culinary commentary. From the kitchen come spaghetti sandwiches, so even if you don’t get the grand prize trophy, everyone goes home full. 8pm.

Hard Rubber Saturday 17, Coconut Club

Laser pit opens up for all “rubberristas” with spins by Mrs. Javii and Body Mechanics’ Dream Days. 10pm.

Georgetown Pride Saturday 17, Wellspring UMC

Celebrate the Ls, the Bs, the Gs, the Ts, and the pluses of this community with your Georgetown fam. RSVP for free to give the organizers a good headcount. 1pm.

A Formal Fetish Affair  Saturday 17, Beerburg

A night of kinky glamour awaits for you and yours at this gala held by Boop Society of Central Texas. There’ll be food, entertainment, a play room, and all the sexy stuff you’d expect. Chique Fil-Atio emcees. 6pm.

Coming Out: Night of the Living Gays Saturday 17, ColdTowne Theater 

Moe Christine wrangles this cavalcade of queer comics into a showcase that’ll have you laughing, loving, and absolutely living for it, honey. 8pm.

Coco Coquette’s 11th Annual Costume Sale Sunday 18, Coco Coquette

Get your Halloween look down by sifting through the vintage and handmade treasures buried in this East Austin spot. This year’s sale features new vendors, old friends, and even gems from the late Lucy in Disguise vault. Noon. 

Everything’s Bigger Cabaret Sunday 18, Showpony

May Buzetti hosts this night of drinks, raffles, and showghouls for one night only. 7pm.

Austin Idol Season 2 Finale Sunday 18, Highland Lounge

Aria Rey’s songbird competition crowns its winner this weekend, with Drag Race’s Adore Delano as special guest judge. 8pm.

Black Lesbian Journal Club Sunday 18, allgo

Now at a new location, this Black-sapphics-only social offers journaling prompts and creative support to those itching to pen their feelings. Plus, bring your paddleboard or kayak for a post-meeting sail from Rowing Dock. 2pm.

Queer Frequencies Sunday 18, Otherworld

Incoming transmission from Planet Dance: This Halloween edition of Exiled Electronica’s groove sesh features Lavender Thug, Fish_Frogs, Dante999, and Annihilate on the decks. Cupcake hosts. 6pm.

Revenge Revue: A Feminine Rage Show Sunday 18, Revenge Bar

Fierce and fiery feminine fury rules this show from Nicolita and LeFevres Traveling Cabaret, traveling in from New Orleans. 6:30pm.

A Brunch of Drag Sunday 18, Firehouse Lounge

See performances by Serena Blake, Paris Heels Epiphany, Kylie Kinks, and DJ Xoy with Eileen Dover on host duty. Noon. 

Queer Two Step Monday 19, Sagebrush

With live music by Devin Jake, dance lessons from Driftin Cowpoke, and the introduction of vendor pop-up Cuntry Store, your boots’ll be sliding on your feet all by themselves just to get you on this dance floor quicker. 7pm.

Indieween Tuesday 20, Cheer Up Charlies

Spin the clock back to Halloween in the 2010s at this indie music-centric celebration featuring performances by Aqua Marie Pardi, Embry Officially, Peewee Her-Man, and Sir Dree. Kino Kino DJs. 9pm.

LegiSLAYtion & Liberation Tuesday 20, Oilcan’s

Brigitte Bandit brings back her civics crash course for the upcoming midterm elections with info on voting requirements, locations, and just what the heck’s on the ballot this year. Drag performances also, duh-doy. 7pm.

Animated Horrors Tuesday 20, Ani’s Day & Night

The Freakz of Nature present another drag open stage, this time themed around cartoon creepies. Riot Eterna Molotov and Jack the Stripper co-host. 7pm.

Calabazas y Chismes Wednesday 21, Mueller Lake Park

Meet Somos Sapphics at the Mueller Lake Park pond for a pumpkin-carving hangout. BYOGT, as in bring your own gourd and tools. 6pm.

The Ghoul of Rain Pageant Wednesday 21, Rain on 4th

Basura hosts this competition to see who’s the most G.O.R.-geous creature on Fourth Street. Winner grabs a $500 prize as well as a crown and paid booking, but the audience wins a great show just by attending. 10pm.

Night of 1,000 Elviras Thursday 22, Elysium

There’s never enough Elvira, but maybe a thousand will satisfy as Shock Therapy delivers a tribute to the Mistress of Darkness. Munster Mash hosts and BB Crux does DJ duties, plus live tunes by Aggressive Menace. 11:30pm.

More To Do Gerl Gurl Gorl! Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 and Thursday 22 – Saturday 24

Much newness abounds in the Austin premiere of performance artist (and previous Chron cover subject) Andie Flores’ one-person show. Though this production’s already toddled out at the Philadelphia Fringe to rave reviews, its local opening comes from newborn theatre company One Big Yes – especially fitting given lead character GIRL is a just-born baby sprung from a butt. With inspiration from childhood cousin playdates, bad boyfriend recovery, and mommy-induced maladjustment, this play written by Flores, directed by Sam Mayer, and featuring the voice talents of Sawyer Stolz and movement direction by Kelsey Oliver offers a deeper look into “love, autonomy, and McDonald’s.” – James Scott

Valena Beety: Pink Crime Monday 19, BookWoman

You’ve perhaps heard the phrase “be gay, do crime” at least once in your lavender-shaded life, but consider that, sometimes, the being-gay part is considered a crime all its own. From author and Indiana Innocence Project co-founder Valena Beety comes an in-depth dig into how women and the queer community overall have been criminalized for their identity. “In the United States,” the BookWoman description reads, “nearly three-quarters of all wrongly convicted women were convicted of crimes that never occurred at all.” Yikes! Beety sits with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maggie Freleng this week for a discussion on the various pitfalls of our current legal system, including “how prosecutorial overreach, flawed forensic science, and cultural panic have dramatically expanded the reach of criminal law.” – James Scott

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