Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect a rescheduling of Drake's San Antonio concerts and correct the date on Jake Muir's performance.
While many San Antonio music fans will be drawn to the performance of legendary singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, there's an abundance of other shows offering stellar talent in smaller venues. Let's run down the highlights.
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Madball
Formed from the ashes of influential New York hardcore punk band Agnostic Front, Madball is now nine albums and nearly two decades deep into a career of delivering angry, metal-tinged beatdowns. Expect a loud and aggressive show with rippin' riffs for miles. $20, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com. — Bill Baird
Friday, Jan. 19
Explosions in the Sky
Austin post-rock purveyors Explosions in the Sky is bringing its dynamic soundscapes to San Antonio as the first stop on a tour supporting the September release END. The band's intense, often-intricate sound first garnered wide acclaim in 2004, after it was used as the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Buzz Bissinger's bestseller Friday Night Lights.$39.50, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com.— Danny Cervantes
Friday, Jan. 19
Jake Muir, Space Available, Colin Andrew Sheffield, Patina Lush, Mt. Borracho
Pitchfork recently crowned headliner Jake Muir's latest LP one of the 30 Best Jazz and Experimental Albums of 2023, citing its hypnotic mix of synthesizer, field recordings and samples. That makes Muir the key draw on this bill of inventive electronics, experimental soundscapes and provocative ambience, but don't sleep on the rest of the lineup, which also promises plenty of bold sonic exploration. $15, 8 p.m., Warehouse Diner, 125 West Grayson St. — BB
Saturday, Jan. 20
The Texases
The Texases have emerged as one of San Antonio's most compelling cover bands. Specializing in classic country hits from the '60s through the '90s, this group led by Travis "DT" Buffkin and Jerid Morris delivers the goods every time, including crowd singalongs and folks actually dancing. It helps that the band is filled with seasoned and accomplished songwriters in their own right. Free, 9 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary's St., thelonesomerose.com. — BB
Love in the Doorway: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Golden Era of CBGB
What's not to like about Texas scenesters celebrating the seminal NYC punk club that gave birth to the Ramones, the Talking Heads and other legendary acts? Highlights include Sedated, a Dallas-based, nationally touring Ramones tribute, and San Antonio Misfits tribute Psycho 78. Other acts will give nods to the Cramps, the Plasmatics and Richard Hell and the Voidoids. $13-$18, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com. — Sanford Nowlin
Sunday, Jan. 21
Life Cycles, Flagrant Foul, Fortunes, WithAllSincerity, Open World, Born Savage, The Opposite Number
A benefit show for Jimmy King, the vocalist for San Antonio thrash band Executioner, this hardcore-slash-metal lineup features headliner Life Cycles — a heavy-hitting local act known for its uncompromising extreme metal. The group recently signed to Massachusetts' 1126 Records, and its debut EP, Portal to the Unknown, is expected to drop next month. The rest of the bill is packed with similarly bruising metal and hardcore outfits. $10, 6 p.m., B Side, 823 Fredericksburg Road, instagram.com/bsidesatx. — Dalia Gulca
Monday, Jan. 22
Damas de Jalisco, Mariachi Las Coronelas
For mariachi aficionados, this show is a must. Damas de Jalisco and Las Coronelas both boast all-woman lineups, and the groups are made up of some of the finest mariachi performers anywhere, regardless of gender. The show promises a San Antonio-appropriate baptism for the Pearl's new venue, Stable Hall. $27, 7 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB
Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Charlie Sexton
Legendary singer-songwriter Elvis Costello is taking his Imposters on a 15-city Southern tour with San Antonio sitting at the midpoint. Expect the artist to draw on a wide variety of material from a decades-long catalog that's run the gamut from punk to just about every other genre of popular music. His recent work includes critically acclaimed post-pandemic album The Boy Named If. $39-$500, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — DC
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