Cinematic soul and jazz-funk instrumental band Surprise Chef perform live at Radio/East in Austin.
Surprise Chef play Radio/East on Saturday, November 7, 2026. They're an instrumental outfit from near Melbourne, Australia, and this is an all-ages night, so you can bring whoever you want.
If you haven't come across them, they work in cinematic soul—moody, instrumental jazz-funk with a DIY streak. They formed in 2017 and signed with Big Crown Records, and they're the centerpiece of the College Of Knowledge Records roster. Their sound is a meticulous education in 1970s soul, drawing from the legacies of composer-producers David Axelrod and Isaac Hayes, with cues also taken from the catalogues of Daptone and Truth & Soul. It's built on punchy drums, infectious keys, and groovy guitar.
They're known for the albums All News Is Good News and Daylight Savings, and they've built a global fanbase around that deep-cut soul sound. If those names ring a bell, you've got a good idea of where they sit: instrumental, groove-heavy, and rooted in the soul records of a few decades back.
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Doors open at 7 PM, and the show starts at 8 PM. Tickets start at $42, and the venue is Radio/East, 3504 Montopolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744.
