Live music in Austin: ¡Eso Es! throws a fiesta with Sofía Valdés and more

Eric Webb and Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman
·4 min read
Sofia Valdes headlines ¡Eso Es! at Mohawk this weekend.
Sofia Valdes headlines ¡Eso Es! at Mohawk this weekend.

They don't call us the Live Music Capital for nothing. Here are our picks for concerts to check out the week of Dec. 15-21.

Dec. 16: Holiday Swingin’! A Kat Edmonson Christmas at the Paramount

The cabaret queen, who polished her pipes at Austin’s Elephant Room before heading to the Big Apple, released a collection of jazzy renditions of Christmas standards in 2021. She puts her swing on “Jingle Bell Rock,” offers a smoldering take on fireside classic “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and snuggles up to a sensual “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” $25-$50. Info: austintheatre.org.

— D.S.S.

Jazz queen Kat Edmonson gets merry at the Paramount Theatre on Friday.
Jazz queen Kat Edmonson gets merry at the Paramount Theatre on Friday.

Dec. 17: ¡Eso Es! with Sofía Valdés, Victor Internet and more at Mohawk

Resound Presents' "big-ass fiesta" is back for another round, presenting seven Latinx acts for a mini festival at Mohawk. Panamanian singer-songwriter Sofía Valdés, an Austin City Limits Music Festival alum, headlines. Also on the lineup are vibey pop artist Victor Internet, Dallas alt-R&B act Ariel & The Culture, El Paso art-pop group Estereomance, San Antonio singer Andria Rose, Danny Bonilla of Luna Luna, South Texas hip-hop experimentalist HiMarcus and DJ Helios. Plus, ¡Eso Es! will have a holiday market with local vendors like Las Ofrendas, Barrio Vintage and Ojitos Alegres, as well as food from Qué Sazón. Free, but $5 donation to Latinitas suggested. Info: resoundpresents.com/eso-es.

— E.W.

Kady Rain is one of the acts performing for Girls Rock Austin's Festive Fest this weekend.
Kady Rain is one of the acts performing for Girls Rock Austin's Festive Fest this weekend.

Dec. 17: Festive Fest at Feels So Good

Girls Rock Austin hosts this end-of-year fundraiser concert at South Austin record company Feels So Good. Come for music by punk rockers Peelander-Z, sibling band We Don't Ride Llamas, local pop star Kady Rain, queer art-rock band Transy Warhol and an acoustic performance by Carrie Fussell of Calliope Musicals. According to their description, Girls Rock Austin is "empowering girls, trans and gender nonconforming youth through music education, mentorship and self-care." $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Info: tickettailor.com/events/girlsrockaustin/807222.

— E.W.

More:Hyperreal Film Club runs the coolest, weirdest movie night in Austin

Dec. 19: Michael Martin Murphey’s Cowboy Christmas at ACL Live

Throughout a storied 50-year career, Texas native Murphey has released 35 albums featuring hits like “What’s Forever For,” “Long Line of Love” and “Cowboy Logic." Murphey’s songs have been recorded by Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Lyle Lovett, John Denver and many more. Murphey released the live album “Cowboy Christmas” in 2019. $29 and up. Info: acllive.com.

— D.S.S.

Dec. 19: Chris Isaak's Everybody Knows It’s Christmas tour at the Paramount

For his second Christmas album, the 65-year-old crooner, whose 1989 hit “Wicked Game” left an indelible mark on American pop culture, pays tribute to the aesthetic of Sun Records, the famed Memphis label that was home to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. Isaak recorded the album in Dave Cobb’s “iconic RCA studio where John Prine had placed a year-round Christmas tree to keep the holidays alive," he said in a news release about the event. The collection of soft country Christmas classics and originals breaks into a boot-scootin’ rockabilly groove on rollicking tunes like “Run Rudolph Run” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” $35-$80. Info: austintheatre.org.

— D.S.S.

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Dec. 19: David Archuleta's The More the Merrier Christmas Tour at Antone’s

"I'm finally learning what it's like to actually love myself," Archuleta told People magazine last month. Even as his career took took flight after a second-place finish on Season 7 of the reality singing competition show “American Idol,” the angel-voiced singer felt tortured as he tried to reconcile his Mormon faith and his sexuality. After coming out as queer, he told People, “I feel liberated.” On his 2009 album “Christmas From the Heart,” he tucked in a sweet rendition of the Spanish villancico "Ríu Ríu Chíu" among the holiday songbook singalongs, paying tribute to his Honduran mother and his father, who is of partial Spanish descent. $30. Info: antonesnightclub.com.

— D.S.S.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Live music in Austin: Eso Es, Kat Edmonson, David Archuleta, more