First Light Trio | Send off for Sam!

First Light Trio plays Monks Jazz Club on Wednesday, September 2, for a night that's as much a send-off as it is a concert. The trio consists of Chris McQueen on guitar, Sam Pankey on bass, and Kyle Thompson on drums. The show is billed as a live-taping and listening-room concert, and the club is enforcing a whisper policy during the taping, so it's a night for sitting and listening rather than chatting over the music.

First Light Trio started as a one-off gig at First Light Books in Hyde Park and has since become a fixture of the Austin scene, weaving a through line between indie rock, jazz, and groove music. The band is led by bassist Samuel Tate Pankey, a self-described Capricorn and comedian who's also a top-call bassist around town. This show doubles as a send-off for him as he heads west to Los Angeles, so it's one of the last chances to catch the trio together here before he makes the move.

If you're planning to go, keep the listening-room format in mind. Between the live taping and the whisper policy, the room will be quiet, and the focus will be on the music. It's a different vibe from a typical club night, more like a recorded session you happen to be sitting in on. The music itself pulls from that indie rock and jazz crossover the trio has built, with McQueen's guitar, Pankey's bass, and Thompson's drums holding it together.

Doors open at 7 PM, and the music starts at 7:30 PM. You can find tickets at the Monks Jazz Club box office or online.