Michael Toland

Mar 6, 2025 | austinchronicle.com | Derek Udensi |Carys Anderson |Michael Toland |Raoul Hernandez

Friday 7 - Saturday 8, Chess ClubHotel Vegas owners Jason McNeely and Brian Tweedy, plus Flesh Lights singer/guitarist Max Vandever and Cliff White, plotted such a soft opening of Chess Club during South by Southwest 2022 that they only hesitantly confirmed it to the Chronicle. Three years later, the tiny, 100-something capacity venue at 617 Red River – formerly Plush – is one of this writer’s Downtown favorites.

Mar 6, 2025 | austinchronicle.com | Carys Anderson |Raoul Hernandez |Michael Toland

From rock to new age to Irish traditional, these are the incoming artists to see Over a thousand musicians from across the globe descend on Austin this week to perform for a slew of music fans and industry professionals alike. In a way, the official SXSW stamp of approval should be enough to convince you of every name’s merits, but all festival veterans know – there’s just too much to see.

Feb 27, 2025 | austinchronicle.com | Derek Udensi |Carys Anderson |Christina Garcia |Michael Toland

Get out and get loud Heavy Meddo Thursday 27, The 13th FloorA virtual early 2000s Austin supergroup, Heavy Meddo features Bill Baird and Jordan Johns, both of Sound Team, with Ichi Ni San Shi’s Jonathan Horne and more, for a mix of samples, electronics, and old-school guitar oddness that’s more on the electronic end than the strumming end. Queen Serene has been playing rough ’n’ ready indie rock since around 2020; both bands split a 7-inch late last year.

Dec 9, 2024 | bigtakeover.com | Michael Toland

SUBSCRIBE NOW Shop our Big Takeover store for back issues, t-shirts & CDs Follow The Big Takeover Clarinetist Ben Goldberg and drummer Scott Amendola formerly co-led the trio Plays Monk, in which they, well, played tunes by composer Thelonious Monk with bassist Devin Hoff. One bass switch to adventurous player/composer Todd Sickafoose later, the band take a different tack on Here To There.

Dec 6, 2024 | bigtakeover.com | Michael Toland

Now a name mostly floated in guitar nerd circles, Emily Remler was on her way to becoming a major star of jazz guitar before her untimely death in 1990 at age 32. Fortunately, she recorded and toured prolifically before then, leaving behind much music to be discovered. Produced by self-styled “jazz detective” Zev Feldman and guitar-focused writer Bill Milkowski, Cookin’ at the Queens: Live in Las Vegas 1984 & 1988 presents two Remler sets from two different years at the 4 Queens Casino.