This week’s live music highlights offer a reminder that San Antonio’s music scene doesn’t need to choose between punk grit and indie nostalgia.
Hometown rabble-rousers Piñata Protest are launching a tour with a hometown festival worthy of a victory lap, while post-hardcore veterans Sparta are coming back to remind us why the At the Drive-In family tree still casts a long shadow.
And if neither of those hold appeal, there’s plenty more. Let’s take a look.
Saturday, July 11
No Pasa Nada Fest
In honor of hometown heroes Piñata Protest’s tour kickoff and newest album No Sabo, the punk rock-ska-cumbia-Norteño combo is headlining the Mexican American punk celebration No Pasa Nada Fest. Piñata Protest made an underground splash in the early 2010s — playing key SXSW showcases and jumping on high-profile tours — and the group’s continued to build its audience outside of the Alamo City. Other bands on the bill include Fee, Los Juanos and Hijas de la Madre. $15-$20, 6:30 p.m., Rah! Rah! Room, 6322 San Pedro Ave., therahrahroom.com. — Brianna Espinoza
Sparta
El Paso’s At the Drive In were a brief, brilliant band who threatened to explode from the DIY underground into the mainstream. When the band dissolved, the more experimental members formed The Mars Volta, while Sparta took ATDI’s more fundamental punk-rock and emo influences and distilled them into an alt-rock powerhouse. Frontman Jim Ward has racked up a good run with the band too, criss-crossing the globe to play to fans. While he’s expanded into Americana and more atmospheric fare along the way, Sparta’s more recent work marks a return to his melodic punk roots. $28, 7 p.m., The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 803-2101, therockboxsa.com. — BB
Sunday, July 12
Wavves, Bass Drum of Death, Worlds Worst
Alt-rockers Wavves released their latest album Spun in March following a 5-year hiatus. The band’s sunsoaked grooves are undoubtedly influenced by its San Diego home base, and now those vibes can extend into its own branded cannabis from Wavvy Supply Co. The single “Nine Is God” is an excellent jump-in point for what the group does best. $29.27, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes
Monday, July 13
Be Your Own Pet
Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet took the world by storm circa 2008, blowing away crowds with their reckless and compelling brand of noisy garage-rock. After signing to Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label, the band cranked out only one album before calling it quits. As it turns out, being a female-fronted punk band was damn tough. Fast forward 15 years and, after a personal plea from the famed Jack White, the band has reunited. Its latest album, Mommy, dropped in 2023 on White’s Third Man Records. $24, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB
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