Festival News
After Hot Luck's food events, attendees hit the bars and music venues to keep the party going.
Just a day before the joint food and music festival Hot Luck begins, guests get to see a full musical lineup. Ticketholders already knew about a few bands including longtime favorite White Denim, but a fleshed-out lineup now covers four days of local music at three venues.
The schedule is staggered, presumably to make room for the food events; it's possible (and fun) to go to both food and music events every day, but it's a very busy experience.
The choice is easy on Thursday and Sunday when only one venue is hosting events: on Thursday, everyone will be at High Noon, and on Sunday it'll be Hotel Vegas. Saturday will be the busiest day, with shows at all three venues.
Full schedule by venue:
Mohawk, 912 Red River St.
High Noon,2000 E. Cesar Chavez St.
Hotel Vegas (multiple stages), 1502 E 6th St.
"Headliners" are not really relevant at an event like this, but there are a few acts to know going in.
First is White Denim, a rock group that has been playing since 2006. They're known for strong musicianship and a style heavily influenced by Southern rock. In 2024, the band released their 12th studio album. They'll play with longtime punk band The Spits, who released their first single in 1997.
The nostalgic hip-hop duo Geto Gala has been all over Austin's local festival "circuit," so to speak, becoming a staple in 2025. Attendees won't have to seek them out, since they're on Thursday's one-venue bill. They'll play with the high-energy, guitar-driven rock trio Think No Think in support of their shared label, Spaceflight Records — one of Austin's most prominent creative platforms.
Hardcore groupMugger and experimental rap project Haha Laughing are having a special show that's a tour kickoff for both and an album release party for Haha Laughing. They'll also be joined by two other acts that don't appear on the condensed lineup: Prolific Charm and Froggy Style.
Food events will happen every day, ranging from a barbecue party headed by pitmaster Aaron Franklin to a big outdoor tasting at Jester King Brewery. Check out a breakdown of the food lineup in our editorial coverage from earlier this year. We'll be back with our highlights after the weekend.
Tickets to most events are sold separately at hotluckfest.com. At the time of publication, most music events do not yet appear on the website. The Whole Enchilada pass, which gives access to all events, is "highly recommended." A Whole Enchilada pass is $632.14.
Ticket sales will benefit the Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit for food and beverage workers. Beneficiaries can apply for help with mental health and emergencies like accidents, unforeseen expenses, or being the victim of a crime. Southern Smoke was founded by Houston chef Chris Shepherd.
The Golden Era Returns
The Golden Girls are back — briefly, and with a different cast. A live script reading and conversation at ATX TV Festival will celebrate the iconic series' 40th anniversary by bringing two classic episodes to life in a new context.
Guest roles will be filled by Constance Zimmer as Dorothy Zbornak, Carrie Preston as Blanche Devereaux, Yvette Nicole Brown as Rose Nyland, and Pamela Adlon as Sophia Petrillo. They'll work through the scripts at the Paramount Theatre on Sunday, June 1, at 1:30 pm.
The leads will also be joined by three more actors: Nathan Lee Graham (Mid-Century Modern), Dan Bucatinsky (Hacks), and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (UnREAL).
A press release does not disclose which episodes the guest cast will read.
After the reading, the participants will discuss the show's cultural influence, which has been so long-lasting, one could argue it's more iconic than ever. People still relate to the four women in their late 40s and up — although these ages are portrayed differently in the 2020s — mostly because themes about female friendship and witty scriptwriting hardly age.
ATX TV Festival is a wide-ranging event that isn't just tied to local work. Fans of The Golden Girls will likely be excited to see Christine Baranski receive the festival's 2025 Achievement in Television eXcellence Award. Other programming will include an opening night marquee conversation with Seth Meyers, a King of the Hill reunion and revival panel presented by Hulu, a Mad Men retrospective with Jon Hamm, and more.
Single tickets, badges, and TV passes for the festival are available at atxfestival.com.