Nakia & The Never Not Now

Nakia performs at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, October 25, as part of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix weekend. He'll be backed by his band, The Never Not Now, and the set is part of The American Soundtrack, a series of performances staged at the track throughout the race weekend.

If you've been around the Austin music scene for a while, the name is probably familiar. Nakia is a genre-bending queer singer and songwriter who's been a fixture here for more than 20 years. He's known as a bandleader with an electrifying stage presence and a voice that blends soul and blues, and he's fronted groups like His Southern Cousins and Blues Grifters. He also made it to the semi-finals of the first season of The Voice on NBC.

He's played all over the world and shared stages with a wide range of names—Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Sharon Jones, and even The Muppets. That mix of soul, blues, and a bit of everything else is exactly what he brings to the stage, and it's a good fit for a weekend that draws people from all over the place.

The show is on Sunday, October 25, starting at 1:30 PM, with Nakia and The Never Not Now taking over The Ranch stage at 1:45 PM. Admission is included with a Sunday F1 ticket, so if you're already heading to the track for the race, this is one more thing to work into your day. The venue is the Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit Of the Americas Blvd, Austin, TX 78617.