Cold War Kids will headline a free outdoor concert on the University of Texas campus this Saturday, giving fans a soundtrack before No. 19 Texas squares off against No. 7 Ole Miss in a nationally televised showdown. The Southern California alternative rock band topped the bill at Longhorn City Limits on the LBJ Lawn, with gates opening well ahead of kickoff and a postgame silent disco closing things out.
According to KEYE, festivities begin at 2 p.m. on October 24 with the opening of Tito's Tailgate and the Bulleit Frontier Lounge. Austin's own The Bright Light Social Hour opens the show from 3 to 4 p.m., followed by Cold War Kids from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., setting up a direct walk to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The concert itself carries no admission charge and requires no football ticket to access the LBJ Lawn area.
The Bright Light Social Hour is based in Austin and has performed at both Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, the station's report notes. The band was formed in 2004 by students Jackie O'Brien and Curtis Roush at Southwestern University in nearby Georgetown, Texas, according to Wikipedia, and it grew into a core act of the city's psychedelic rock scene after releasing early EPs in 2007 and 2008.
A Local Band With National Credentials
The group's local reputation is well established: it swept six categories at the 2011 SXSW Austin Music Awards, including Album of the Year for its self-titled debut, Song of the Year for “Detroit,” and Band of the Year, per AllMusic. The band's reach extended to television as well — it composed “Harder Out Here,” the main theme song for Amazon's original drama series Sneaky Pete, released in January 2017 after co-creator Bryan Cranston commissioned the group, as reported by Film Music Reporter. The theme ran as the show's main title track across all three seasons.
Cold War Kids, meanwhile, formed in Southern California in 2004 and built a catalog known for blending alternative rock with blues and soul, per the same account from KEYE. The band is recognized for songs including “Hang Me Up to Dry,” “First,” and “Love Is Mystical.” Its 2006 debut album, Robbers & Cowards, reached No. 173 on the Billboard 200 and contained the gold-certified “Hang Me Up to Dry,” according to Wikipedia. Nearly a decade later, the band's 2014 single “First,” from the album Hold My Home, became its highest-charting hit, topping the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in 2015 and earning RIAA platinum certification, according to AllMusic.
Concessions, Tailgate Perks, and a Postgame Silent Disco
The tailgate and lounge areas are open to fans ages 21 and older, offering specialty cocktails, shaded spaces, and giveaways, KEYE's report notes. Pinkerton's BBQ will be on-site for food, with select domestic beers priced at $5 and premium beers at $6.50. Longhorn City Limits caps the day with a postgame silent disco, letting attendees choose between three music channels hosted by live DJs through wireless headphones.
Series Has Grown Into an Austin Gameday Tradition
Longhorn City Limits was launched in 2018 by UT Athletics Director Chris Del Conte in partnership with Austin festival promoter C3 Presents, blending live music, local food, and gameday atmosphere on the LBJ Lawn, according to The Alcalde. The series debuted at the 2018 home opener against Tulsa as part of an effort to reshape the campus tailgating environment. Since then, it has hosted more than 80 musical acts on campus, including The Beach Boys, Nelly, Ludacris, Spoon, Tanya Tucker, Chris Stapleton, and Grouplove — a run Hoodline has chronicled in past coverage of the series, including the recent Grouplove and Robert Earl Keen gamedays.
This season's concerts are presented by clothing retailer Hollister, with organizers maintaining the series' free, open-admission policy regardless of stadium access, per University of Texas Athletics. The concert functions as the primary pregame entertainment ahead of a game with real postseason stakes: No. 19 Texas hosts No. 7 Ole Miss in prime time on ABC, according to On3. The matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs since September 14, 2013, when No. 25 Ole Miss defeated Texas 44-23 in Austin, and it will be their first contest as Southeastern Conference rivals, per University of Texas Athletics.
