Credit: Jaime Monzon

With so much going on during Fiesta, it can be easy to overlook touring music shows. That would be a mistake this week.

In addition to Fiesta-related music events, including the long-running Fredstock fest and the revived La Semana Alegre, this weekend is packed with notable performances, including a show by pioneering post-punk act Gang of Four and Americana shapeshifters American Aquarium.

Let’s take a look.

Thursday, May 1

Fredstock featuring Powdered Wig Machine, The Wizard, Grupo Metal

Free music festival Fredstock celebrates the legacy of Fred Weiss, the professor who helmed San Antonio College’s music business and radio-television-film programs for more than 20 years. The Fiesta event will include plenty of food and drink, which benefit the college’s music business program. As per usual, the locally focused lineup is solid, featuring local favorites Powdered Wig Machine, The Wizard and Los #3 Dinners along with Grupo Metal and Jason Kane and the Jive. Free, 2:30 p.m.-10 p.m., San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., fredstockmusicfest.org. — Bill Baird

Thursday, May 1-Friday, May 2

La Semana Alegre

For those of a certain vintage, La Semana Alegre was the ultimate San Antonio music festival, drawing an impressive array of out-of-town headliners along with local favorites. While the current incarnation’s two-day run doesn’t live up to the “Semana” part of the name, its lineup is certainly stacked. Eighties-vintage Tex-Mex rocker Joe King, hometown heroes Girl in a Coma, rootsy oddball Garrett T. Capps, West Side Sound icon Sunny Ozuna and hard rockers Legs Diamond are among the treats. Check the festival’s website for a full list of performers and their stage times. Free, Hemisfair Park, 600 Hemisfair Plaza Way, lasemanaalegre.com. — BB

Friday, May 2

Gang of Four

Foundational British post-punk group Gang of Four is saying goodbye after this final tour. Guitarist Andy Gill died several years ago, and bassist Dave Allen passed earlier this month. For its final run, the band, which still includes original vocalist Jon King and drummer Hugo Burnham, will perform its iconic Entertainment! album in full. Essential for post-punk fans, plain old punk fans or, well, anybody with a pulse. $30, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB

Saturday, May 3

American Aquarium

American Aquarium, led by North Carolina singer-songwriter B.J. Barham, has earned plaudits from the Americana community for its ambitious releases and shape-shifting sound. The group has released work on the prestigious New West label and collaborated with noted producers Shooter Jennings and Jason Isbell. Their group is named after a Wilco song, which should give a sense of its vibe. $25, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB

Sunday, May 4

Julien Baker & Torres

Two talented young female songwriters have joined forces for a new project and the world has taken note. Matador Records artist Julien Baker is one of indie rock’s best new songwriters, with a sardonic confessional style that has made her a critical darling and led to her joining the supergroup Boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, both also excellent. A fresh voice for a new generation. Torres, meanwhile, is the moniker of McKenzie Scott. Together, they fuse indie-rock smarts with a cosmic country sensibility. $35, 8:00 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. – BB

Monday, May 5

Mat Kearney, Augustana

Mat Kearney’s journey as a singer-songwriter can be traced back to his days as a high school soccer star in Eugene, Oregon. A soccer scholarship led him to California’s Chico State, where he began playing music with a buddy in coffee shops. When his friend decided to move to Nashville, Kearney did too and never left. Over the years, he’s used a fusion of indie-rock, country, hip-hop and folk to drive five songs into the Adult Top 20, most notably the 2011 single “Ships In The Night.” $35-$95, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — Danny Cervantes

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

This article appears in Apr 16-29, 2025.