Gwen Best

Gwen Best plays Carousel Lounge on Thursday, August 6, from 5 PM to 7 PM. It's an early one, so you'll be out and about while most of the city is still in the office, and the set is just her.

If you haven't spent much time there, the Carousel Lounge is a dive bar on East 52nd Street that positions itself as a more casual alternative to the Sixth Street and Red River haunts. It runs a rotating roster of local acts, most of them free, in a room that seats no more than a hundred. The bar is cash-only and not kid-friendly, and it's picked up several Best of Austin Awards over the years, including the Readers Poll Best Other Club in 1999.

That fits the vibe of a Thursday afternoon show: a small room, a local name, and a set that starts and ends before dinner. The Carousel is the kind of spot where you can drop in for a drink and a song without making a whole night of it, and since the music is on the early side, it's an easy one to work around. The address is 1110 E. 52nd St, Austin, TX 78704.

One thing to keep in mind before you head out: the bar is cash-only, so make sure you've stopped at an ATM. There's a cover for the show, and it's cash only, too. Gwen Best takes the stage from 5 PM to 7 PM.