Day for Night Lineup Revealed

Day for Night lineup revealed: Legendary DJs, Hip Hop Superstars, Björk, and more

Aphex Twin's first U.S. show in eight years, electronic duo ODESZA, and hip hop superstar Travis Scott will headline the second edition of the Day for Night festival, organizers announced Wednesday.

Set to take place December 17 and 18, Day for Night has grown substantially in its second year and is poised to build on the success of last year's event that saw thousands of Houstonians witness sets by Kendrick Lamar and '80s legend New Order. Moving to the former site of the Barbara Jordan Post Office in downtown Houston means the festival now has 1.5 million square feet of indoor-outdoor space that will house three stages for musical performers and installations by acclaimed visual artists from around the world.

“We’re trying to create a once-in-a-lifetime event by showcasing artists that audiences may never have the opportunity to see again,” organizer Omar Afra said in a statement. “Day for Night is simultaneously a current snapshot  of popular music, as well as a platform for trailblazers who continue to cross over from fringe to influential. The focus across multiple genres is on acts that specialize in an inventive and highly visual approach to performing.”

Snagging Aphex Twin for his first U.S. performance since an appearance at the Cochella Festival in 2008 has certainly made a splash, garnering attention from music press across the country. The influential electronic artist released the well-received Cheetah EP earlier this year.

In addition to Travis Scott, hip hop fans can look forward to performances by Run the Jewels, RZA + Stone Mecca Rider, rising Houston star Fat Tony, and a revival of Free Press Summer Fest staple Welcome to Houston, which will feature Slim Thug, Bun B, Lil’ Flip, Paul Wall, and others.

Festival organizers have also ensured that fans of alternative rock will have plenty to keep them entertained. Björk will "perform unique live digital sets," including a DJ set at Friday night's opening party. Day For Night will also present the artist's "interactive art experience, Björk Digital, an exhibition of digital and video works resulting from her collaborations with some of the finest visual artists and programmers in the world," according to a statement. Dallas-based band Butthole Surfers will perform for the first time in five years, and The Jesus and Mary Chain take the '80s legends slot. See the full lineup here.

Turning to the visual arts, the installations by Björk are certainly noteworthy, but the festival has also lined up artists including Shoplifter, Ezra Miller, Michael Fullman, and Damien Echols to create "indoor and outdoor installations . . . that explore the deep connections between light, technology, sound and space."

Tickets went on sale this morning at 10 am. Prices start at $150 for general admission to both days. For $250, patrons receive general admission to the festival and access to a party on Friday night that's hosted by Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike with a live DJ set by Björk, DJ Windows 98 (Win Butler from Arcade Fire), Kam Franklin and Lightwheel, as well as speaking panels and artist meet and greets. VIP tickets cost $700, which entitles purchasers to priority admission, lounges, special viewing areas, food, and swag.

Travis Scott will perform songs from Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight.

Courtesy photo

Travis Scott will perform songs from Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight.

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howling for you

Houston's interdimensional art exhibit books 4 local acts for summer concerts

The four members of Swimwear Department hugging

Photo provided by Meow Wolf

Swimwear Department is heading to Meow Wolf

Things are heating up this summer at Meow Wolf as they host their first ever summer concert series. Four hometown bands will take the stage at the immersive art complex for a series of shows in June and July.

“Houston’s music scene has always been bold, genre-defying, and deeply original, so it felt natural to bring that same energy into our Radio Tave world,” said Aaron Johnson, general manager of Meow Wolf Houston. “This concert series is about celebrating the artists who define Texas' sound and give guests a new reason to experience Meow Wolf in a whole new way.”

Ever since Meow Wolf first opened during Halloween last year in Fifth Ward, the collection of artistic spaces has wowed, delighted, and sometimes confused audiences. Cowboix Hevvven, the venue's "dive bar" with possible links to extraterrestrials, was designed by fifth generation Texan Cole Wilson and features a jukebox of 30 original songs Wilson created in collaboration with other Texas artists. Radio Tave, Meow Wolf's name for the exhibit as a whole, has been a huge critical and popular hit for Meow Wolf, winning two Webby Awards last month.

It's also the perfect place to show off some of the more esoteric bands that make up the Houston sound. The odd four-piece rock band Swimwear Department burst onto the scene in 2023, winning over audiences with their songs about pools and malls as well as a series of stellar music videos shot around the city. Their potent mix of quirk and early-alternative music has made them one of the best novelty acts in Houston.

Meanwhile, The Mighty Orq and Mango Punch have been mainstays for more than a decade. Orq is swamp blues royalty, and always adds a sense of the strange to his concerts thanks to his near-mystical aura. Mango Punch is almost custom built for Meow Wolf thanks to a hectic swirl of Top 40, disco and cumbia.

The schedule for the concerts is below with links to tickets.

Though Houston has never hurt for places weird bands can play, wedding the popular immersive art space at Meow Wolf with concerts is an opportunity to reframe music as performance art rather than just something to listen to while having a drink (though you can still do that at Meow Wolf). Should the summer concert series prove a success, it could quickly become one of the prime venues in the city, at least for groups looking to be a little out there.

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