![_Dandy Warhols at Emo's East [Show Preview]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2012/05/DandyWarhols-thumb-250x250-715813.jpg)
Weekend Music Preview: Big Pop and Some S**t
Saturday, November 27
Beerland (711-1/2 Red River)
[info]
Show-going this weekend is understandably limited by the amount of Austinites out of town, out of sorts, or otherwise taking a vacation from the live music grind that makes our town so special but occasionally overwhelming. But that doesn't mean you can't score a good performance or two during the holiday hubbub. Choose wisely, and you may be in for a show far better than the tattoo display at your third cousin's porch post-dinner.
For one, power pop never sleeps. Never an act to fall squarely within mainstream tastes in the first place, the Posies balance sugar-sweet harmonies with crunchy guitar rock - America's answer to Teenage Fanclub and their catchy ilk. Arriving with Brendan Benson for a show tonight at La Zona Rosa, it's a night tailor-made for big noise at its most hummable.
For a more singer-songwriter sort of evening, you'll want to head to Stubb's to catch some acoustic guitar strummin' young storytellers. The headliner is Sahara Smith, an artist you may have caught on Letterman on Wednesday if you weren't stuck on an icy bus somewhere headed to Salt Lake City or something...or maybe even if you were. Thanks, internet! Performing with Smith is Danny Malone, who forgoes electric guitar and underwear to provide lilting folk songs. His last album Cuddlebug came out in 2009. The bill wouldn't be complete without a sixteen year-old fiddle and guitar whiz, so naturally Ruby Jane Smith from Dallas was additionally recruited.
On Saturday we get a revitalization thanks to a couple of benefits for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Beerland's benefit will feature Hex Dispensers, The Young, Cruddy, and the Shitty Beach Boys. The Young, repped by the hot-shit Mexican Summer label, just put out their debut record Voyagers of Legend. And the Shitty Beach Boys, well, we hear it's as shitty as advertised. Antone's is having their own HAAM show with Heartless Bastards, Ume, and Amy Cook. : Correction, it's become known that we were mistaken here - the Antone's show isn't for HAAM, but we bet it's fun anyway.
On Sunday you can relax a bit. You might could stop by Cherrywood Coffee to see San Antonio musician Marcus Rubio (who has played with a million musicians, including our Spells and SA's Buttercup) as he either braves the cold on the outside deck to perform or takes the musicmaking inside. Either way, a good cup of coffee will be your friend. Or beer. And while it isn't a show per se, the Ready Steady Go! '60s dance party at Rio Rita will be a good, free opportunity to dance to music once danced to by your parents when you were probably the last thing on their mind. On their mind: shimmying and "The Frug."
