The Bright Light Social Hour

Claim Band

The Bright Light Social Hour is an American rock band from Austin, Texas. Born out of a university art-rock collective, The Bright Light Social Hour has evolved into an unabashedly wide-screen rock group, melding fists-up rock and roll with muscular funk, soul, and psychedelia. The band recently swept the 29th Annual Austin Music Awards during SXSW 2011 with an unprecedented 6 wins, including Band of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year ("Detroit").

The Central Texas-raised young men of The Bright Light Social Hour have built their growing reputation through exhilarating widely-acclaimed live shows. In culmination of their studied development, the band released their debut full-length album in late 2010, simply titled "The Bright Light Social Hour". Recorded in five studios around Austin during summer 2010, the album is founded on sun-drenched optimism, raucous youth, and an innovative brew of American music of varying types - hard rock and roll, indie, rhythm and blues, dance and soul. Producer Danny Reisch of Good Danny's utilized the best elements of vintage and modern recording to achieve a sound both forward-looking and evocative of 1970s hi-fi.

The first track, "Shanty," pairs southern rock with hard disco, featuring the searing slide licks of guitarist Curtis Roush. Following the lean, exuberant stomp of "Bare Hands Bare Feet," the band settles into the dark psychedelic-funk of "La Piedra De La Iguana," led by keyboardist A.J. Vincent's dusky vocal and Farfisa organ work. Throughout the middle of the record, the solemn rhythm and blues of "Detroit" is juxtaposed with "Back And Forth," a four-on-the-floor disco-funk romp. On "Garden Of The Gods," the album's penultimate 10-minute epic, the band evolves from stately ballroom Americana to an expansive, ensemble anthem, conjuring up their limber and unrelenting live sets. The fiery "Rhubarb Jam" closes out the record, featuring the agile, booming funk of bassist Jack O'Brien and drummer Joseph Mirasole.

The Bright Light Social Hour have also just released "New Year's Live," a 4-track live EP recorded during their sold-out set at The Parish Austin on New Year's 2011. Re-teaming with producer/engineer Danny Reisch, "New Year's Live" marks the first audio recording to capture the band's raw live energy, consummated with masterfully directed live video by Hussain Pirani.

The Bright Light Social Hour will continue touring nationwide in support of their debut album and live EP through 2012. Replete with their vital sound, deep brotherhood, and ever-growing facial hair, the band is steadfast in their singular aim - enduring rock and roll.

Upcoming Shows

Apr 19

The Bright Light Social Hour
- Liberty Theater
- Saturday, April 19, 2025
- 7pm doors / 8pm show
Show Details

The Bright Light Social Hour

Photos of The Bright Light Social Hour at Fountain Square on July 7, 2017.

Jacob Crews Photography

Friday, July 7, 2017

Bunbury Music Festival :: Saturday, July 14

Check out these photos from KP Photography and Sarah McDermott Photography!

KP Photography, Sarah McDermott Photography

Saturday, July 14, 2012

FOUND Holiday Homecoming This Weekend

For the first time, FOUND will host a free concert at The Banks on Saturday, November, 20th as a lead-in to the month-long celebration.

Courtney Phenicie

Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 9:00am

Current Events Amped for Bunbury Music Festival

Current Events are in line for an amazing year. The indie/post rock band is one of the few local bands to have been selected to play Bunbury Music Festival this year and then in will be opening for The Bright Light Social Hour on Fountain Square on July 7th! You can also check them out this Friday...

Courtney Phenicie

Monday, May 1, 2017, 1:43am

Indie Music Series Returns to Fountain Square

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Mod Sun, Eric Nally (former front man of Foxy Shazam), Delta Rae, and Com Truise are among the headliners performing at Indie Vol 2017. Celebrating its ninth year in 2017, the free weekly concert series will return to the P&G Music Stage every Friday, 7p-11p, June...

Courtney Phenicie

Friday, April 14, 2017, 6:00am

Nick D’ and The Believers with The Bright Light Social Hour

This spring, indie-pop rockers Nick D’ and The Believers will visit a collection of Midwest cities to promote their upcoming EP, to be released in the fall of 2016. The Crown Tour is named for the EP’s first single which will debut on March 29. Coincidentally, Nick D’...

Courtney Phenicie

Monday, March 7, 2016, 1:16am

#MusicMonday Must Haves :: 4/13/15

Each week we do our best to shine some light on a few songs that we feel should be on your radar. All of these songs will be added to our #MusicMonday Must Haves playlist on Spotify, so follow along & click play when you need to find some inspiration! Every artist below will be in...