Music

A performer plays music on the church Sanctuary, turned into a makeshift stage. The photo has a church-like atmosphere, with dimmed lights, viewers seated on pews and the altar behind the musicians.

A Sanctuary for Sounds

A well-traveled journalist reveals world music to Austin.

Building D.E.E.P. Bridges

by Gayle Reaves

Olive Klug’s Melancholy Mood: A Visit with TikTok’s Nonbinary Folk Music Star

by Kit O'Connell

‘I’ve Always Been a Transplant’: A Global Perspective on Texas Hip-Hop

by Kit O'Connell

The San Antonio Philharmonic rehearses for an upcoming concert with Conductor Tito Muñoz and violinist Randall Goosby at First Baptist Church in San Antonio, Tx. U.S., on Thursday, January 12, 2023. The Symphony Society which ran the San Antonio Symphony declared bankruptcy in 2022 and dissolved shortly thereafter, canceling its planned season and putting its musicians out of work. The musicians reorganized as the San Antonio Philharmonic which is currently in the midst of its spring season.

The Life, Death, and Life of San Antonio’s Symphony

A decades-long fight for high art is also a fight for organized labor in the state’s second-largest city.

The facade of a shop in a row of shops, with a sign reading "bookshop" in clear block letters. Books and an Open sign are displayed in the window. Texas bookstores, and books about Texas, thrived in 2022.

Last Dance with Ann Richards: Best Texas Books of 2022

How Galvestonians used to dance until they dropped (for fun), a former figure skater turned journalist, and other Lone Star State stories.

Bowie Brae strikes a dramatic pose with the microphone as he performs with his band Nip Slip at Trans Pride Fest. He's wearing an open jacket with diagonal golden stripes on dark fabric, over a beige crop top, along with a belt with a huge belt buckle.

Denton’s Trans Pride Fest is Here to Stay

After right-wing trolls unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the first event, the inclusive and defiant festival's second round was a success.

by Steven Monacelli, Jesse Sanders, and Ismael Belkoura

Maren Morris smiles as she sings and plays a guitar at a micrphone. She's wearing a sleeveless black dress.

Country Music Women Keep Raising Hell

Outspoken performers like Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves continue a long tradition of female Western artists who aren’t afraid to rock the boat.

by Craig D. Lindsey

TakeOff, a Black man with thick dreaded braids, wearing sunglasses and a dark vest over a white shirt, raps into a microphone on stage.

Rappers Keep Getting Murdered in Texas

TakeOff, of the popular Atlanta group Migos, became the latest hip-hop performer killed in Texas, as the tragic body count grows in 2022.

by Craig D. Lindsey

Oct 03, 2022

Dallas’ Gory Punk Scene in Black and White

Vera "Velma" Hernandez brings her fans vivid photos from the heart of the beer- and grime-soaked mosh pit. Now she's taking her act on the road.

by Kit O'Connell

Fern Teems, left, points to what she believes may be one of the mystery lights near Marfa, Texas, as her husband James Teems looks on. Both are silhouetted against a blue, purple, and vibrant red sunset sky.

Calling All Marfans: Mystery Lights Inspire Annual Celebration

The annual Marfa Lights Festival brings together artists, tourists, and even Indigenous residents of the Big Bend region.

Beyoncé smiles as she accepts an award. She's dressed in a low-cut, glossy black dress, with dangly gold and black earrings, with her hair falling over her shoulders in waves.

Queen Bey Inadvertently ‘Elevates the Conversation’ Around Ableism

Outside of the Twitter drama, some disability advocates embraced musicians’ efforts to be inclusive through changing their songs.

by Craig D. Lindsey

Why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Needs Texan Johnny Nash

The “I Can See Clearly Now” singer was much more than a one-hit wonder.

by John Nova Lomax