Austin live music picks: Father John Misty, Local Natives and a Beyoncé drag tribute

Here are our top picks for live music events in the Austin area for the week of August 11-17.

Friday: Father John Misty at Waterloo Park

“Chloë and the Next Twentieth Century,” the latest album from the folk pop artist Joshua Tillman, is decidedly less acerbic than most of his catalog as Father John Misty. With lush arrangements provided by a full symphony orchestra, Tillman’s stories of life with Chloë (a friend? a lover?) are heartfelt and lovely, more nostalgic than sardonic. Expect him to recreate some of the gorgeous swells that fill out sweeping tracks like “Q4” with live strings. $28 and up. Suki Waterhouse opens. 7 p.m. waterloogreenway.org

Friday: A drag tribute to Beyoncé at Elysium

Queen Bey’s latest “Rennaissance” is a triumph of rhythm and emotion that makes no secret of the debt it owes to drag ballroom culture. We mere mortals aren’t likely to see the H-Town hero live this year, so watching one of Austin’s top drag artists put a spin on “Break My Soul” might be your best shot at hive-life Nirvana. Queens from the House of Davenport, plus Elysium house troupe Poo Poo Platter (with national breakout stars Bulimianne Rhapsody and Louisianna Purchase) will be on hand to break it down Bey-style. $10. 10 p.m. doors. elysiumonline.net.

Friday-Saturday: Lost Well 9th Anniversary

Supercharged gentrification transformed the face of its Eastside neighborhood and the pandemic was perilous for music venues, but the Well has endured as a haven for hard rock and a meet up space for motorcycle enthusiasts since 2013. The club celebrates nine years with a bone-rattling bash featuring heavy sounds from Austin and beyond. On Friday, Matt Pike from metal bands Sleep and High on Fire will perform with his new project Pike vs the Automaton on a bill that also includes Austin heavies Broken Teeth and Ungrieved. Pike is back on Saturday to perform alongside doom rock outfit Ancient VVisdom, who will play their 2012 release “A Godlike Inferno” in its entirety. The bill also includes Eagle Claw and Bridge Farmers. $25 Friday, $30 Saturday. 7 p.m. thelostwell.com

Friday: Meditations, Jemere Morgan at Flamingo Cantina

It’s been over 30 years since Austin’s home for reggae staked out a spot on Sixth Street and they’re still serving more abundant irie vibes. Ansel “Meditation” Cridland, who performed with his trio at the 1978 One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica and backed the likes of Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Issacs, leads a couple young guns to create his group’s iconic tight-laced harmonies. Jemere Morgan, son of Morgan Heritage’s Gramps Morgan, fills out this Jamaican power bill. $20 advance, $25 door. 9 p.m. flamingocantina.com

Sunday: Vanessa Zamora at Parish

Dreamy melodies and gauzy vocals float through vaguely psychedelic soundscapes on the Mexican singer and multi-instrumentalist’s ornate pop compositions. Latinx culture webzine Remezcla dubbed her 2020 song “Ayer” a “heartbreaking queer anthem” and her latest, “Tracender,” is steadily building steam on streaming platforms. $20. 7 p.m. parishaustin.com

Tuesday: Local Natives at ACL Live

Look, we could all use some good vibes right about now and when this indie pop powerhouse spins sunny harmonies over cascading guitar riffs, it’s a spirit-lifting mix. The Cali crew’s Inside An Hourglass Tour is their first major outing since the pandemic shutdown. Jordana opens. $35 and up. 8 p.m. acl-live.com

Wednesday: Hiatus Kaiyote at Emo's

Anchored by the astounding talent of vocalist/guitarist Nai Palm, the Australian standouts create complex and beautiful compositions that straddle the lines between soul, funk and art jazz. Their brilliant 2015 album “Choose Your Weapon” was sampled by Anderson.Paak, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The band’s acclaim was steadily building before a prolonged break in 2017. During that time Nai Palm released a solo album and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her recovery coincided with the onset of the pandemic, but quarantined together the band wrote the magnificent 2021 album “Mood Variant.” $39.50 and up. 7 p.m. emosaustin.com

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Top concerts in Austin: Father John Misty, Local Natives, more