FFW – The Free Press Preview for May 12th – 18th
This Week’s Featured Show
Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival
@ HCC West Loop Campus
(5601 W. Loop S. )
$16 All Ages
Saturday (12-7PM)
Two Star Symphony
The Kimonos
Roky Moon & BOLT!
The Tontons
Sunday (12-5PM)
Sideshow Tramps
Ancient Cat Society
Peekaboo Theory
Alright! Let’s get fat!
Yes, foodies and music fans can enjoy a variety of Food Trucks and bands from across Houston. I’m sure that one I went to that one time in the heights that was selling organ meat tacos to an adoring crowd will not be there but I’m sure there will be enough to satisfy your palate.
Same thing with the music line-up. Sure the noise, hardcore, or metal scene isn’t gonna be playing, but it’s a solid selection of styles and personalities that will appeal to a lot of folks: The Sideshow Tramps’ old time music rave up is like no other, Ancient Cat Society brings us Buxton’s Sergio Trevino in a different context, Two Star Symphony and Rocky Moon bring theatrics in their own unique manner, and The Tonton’s smokey slinky rock is class on a stick. There’s more but you get the picture. It’s just a neat event and sure, some of you will turn your nose up at the whole food truck thing since it’s totally a foodie fad right now but, the fact of the matter is, it’s gonna be good food and good music so get over yourself and just have a good time.
OK now for the rest of the week…
Thursday May 12
Zoe Keating @ House of Blues (Bronze Peacock Room) – Really cool stuff – one woman, one cello, and a foot controlled laptop. Still not convinced? Then read our interview with her here.
Born Liars, Garbaj Kaetz, Coxcombs, Dead Roses @ Fitzgerald’s – Houston’s hardest rockin’ garage rockers the Born Liars at Fitz? Now that is a good way to kick off the week!
Moonlight Towers, Electric Heights, Beetle @ The Continental Club – Austin Moonlight Towers do that Power-Pop thing. There’s some good stuff buried in there even if I can’t get behind the vocals.
Vigilante, Alive At The Stake, Shut Up Sidney @ The Mink –Jack Daniel Betz said Vigilante sounds like something between The Stooges and Joan Jett. That’s not a band thing to be compared to.
Band Of Mercy, Dissent, Red River, Titan Blood @ Mango’s – I haven’t heard Band of Mercy but a Vegan hardcore band? Sounds pretty awesome to me! Add in Dissent and Titan Blood and you have one heavy ass show!
Los Lonely Boys @ House of Blues –San Angelino, Texas’ favorite sons return to the land of $8 lone star in a can.
Friday, May 13
Balaclavas, I Love You, Tech-Noir, Twisted Wires @ Mango’s –Balaclavas’ dubby atmospheric sound is one of the most distinctive in this city. If you haven’t seen them live, I suggest you do so ASAP.
Born Again Virgins, American Fangs, SaySaySay, Bearfighter @ Walter’s – I was gonna say it’s cool to see a woman take the lead guitar slot in a band (Houston needs more of ’em) and Born Again Virgins’ Adria can riff it up with the best of them but then I got totally thrown off by a band that named themselves after a terrible Paul McCartney/Michale Jackson song.
The Canvas Waiting, Courrier, Gatlin Elms, David Ramirez @ Fitzgerald’s – If the words “Alt Rock” is your thing, then here you go…knock yourself out.
James McMurtry, Picture Book @ The Continental Club –Damn, James McMurtry drops into Houston a lot doesn’t he?
Smokey Robinson @ Arena Theatre –OH GOD! Sorry, Smokey’s plastic surgery on his website freaked me the fuck out! And what the fuck? You can get his newest live album at Cracker Barrel???!!! I am not shitting you – Cracker – Fucking – Barrel! Apparently they have a music store on their site….Holy shit, Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, and Wynona Judd are in on this too. This is too weird! Oh sorry we were talking Smokey Robinson right? OK I just threw on some Miracles… I feel better now. Phew!
Last Rape, Streetmeat, Concrete Violin, Murex, Zomba, 2darvin3, Protists of Nebula @ Super Happy Fun Land –Ahh the sweet sound of Houston’s noise scene. Bring grandma; she’ll love it!
Billy Joe Shaver, Pear Ratz @ Firehouse Saloon – Do not even think about pissing off this Texas Outlaw Country Legend. Seriously, remember the whole thing where he shot that dude in the face? On the other hand, the other guy did come out without life threatening injuries so Shaver may not be that good a shot.
Saturday, May 14
The Smoking Popes, Girl In A Coma, The Energy @ Fitzgerald’s –Wow, this marks the Popes’ 20th year of punky pop!
Middlefinger, Opposite Day, Lick Lick @ Fitzgerald’s –Matt Kelly (now of Lick Lick ) leads this reunion of the once ubiquitous Middlefinger. You may recall them as one of those bands that ruled the ska-punk landscape in Houston’s last century.
J. Period/ BlackThought/ BURNTmd/ D.fishgrease.Murray/ Snap/ John Dew/ Tawn P/ DJ Nimbus/ ThatKidNamedCee/ BBC @ Groundhall –Brooklyn based Mixtape DJ, J. Period headlines a night of Djs.
Art Institute, Knifight, PVC Street Gang, Animal Farmacy, A Sundae Drive @ ECHO –The sound quality on the live recordings on AI’s reverb nation are so low-fi that I’m not sure of it’s good or not but I figure the first track had 2 minutes of aimless chatter that was so maddening that I gotta at least give them props for annoying the hell out of me.
Spaced Out Danse Party, featuring Walter Jones, Eleven Eleven, La Catrin, Divorcee, Ceeplus Bad Knives, Cuba Gooding Jr., G-Wizz, Stephen Farrell, & more @ The Mink –DJ’s. Nuff said
Venomous Maximus, Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys @ The Continental Club –Venomous Maximus – tattoos, heavy riffs and one dude who makes hot sauce…how can you go wrong?
Making Movies @ Mango’s –Not really my thing but, given the small number of bands playing afro-Cuban rock this week, I figured it was worth a mention.
Matt Grindmaster’s 21st Death Attack, featuring Insidious Decrepancy, Grotesque Formation, Gored, Diminished, & Human Chunks @ Walter’s –OK I should discuss the bands – and this is a pretty solid Metal showcase – but did you know that grindmaster is a coffee grinder? That is so much less awesome than what I’m sure Matt had in mind.
Sunday, May 15
Voodoo Glow Skulls, Mustard Plug, Los Skarnales, The Failed Attempt, Skaretas, Fuska, Always Guilty, DJ Moonstomp @ Warehouse Live – More Ska Punk than you can shake a stick at.
The Caroline Sessions, featuring Runaway Sun & Tim Qualls @ Caroline Collective (2-5PM) –Bluesrockers Runaway Sun play the Caroline sessions.
Lovers, Vivian Pikkles & The Sweethearts Über Alles @ Mango’s – Sorry Lovers, you should look at Houston super-group Vivian Pickles to help you come up with a less generic name.
Gipsy Kings @ Arena Theatre – Dude, now I’m in the mood for Tapas!
Neon Trees @ House of Blues – Wow, this band has the worst hair since Flock Of Seagulls. That alone is worth a mention.
Sunday Acoustic Jam, featuring Libby Koch @ Last Concert Café – Nice country stuff for a Sunday evening.
Loreta Kovacic @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck –OK there is something weird about Kovacic. The music is eclectic and odd in a charming manner but her website is so braggy that it only adds the weird value. It claims she’s an “internationally acclaimed musician” but no reviews beyond one in the Houston Press appear on-line and her claim that she “started her career as a teenage rock star in ex-Yugoslavia, where, aside from actively performing as a classical pianist, she was also known as her country’s first female rock electronic keyboard player.” is equally unverifiable yet oddly charming. I mean if she’s bullshitting at least she’s going for the gold and if she’s not, it’s kind of awesome.
Ivan & Alyosha @ Rudyard’s –Nice folky-pop from Seattle. I downloaded their newest EP and liked it so there ya go.
Tuesday, May 17
Mogwai, Errors @ Warehouse Live – Glasgow’s most well known post-rock band returns for a night of instrumentals that will likely improve with copious amount of illegal substances. In case you missed it, we interviewed multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns – you can read it here.
Wednesday, May 18
Fat Tony, Muhammad Ali, White Crime @ Mango’s – This is a pretty bad-ass triple bill. Fat Tony is hands down one of the most fun shows you can see. Toss in Ali and White Crime (whose new album is solid and heavy) and it will be worth the Thursday morning hangover.
Destruction, Heathen, Warbeast, Nocturnal, Witchaven @ Numbers – They’re German they play metal and their name is Destruction. Do I really have to explain anything further?
Celtic Woman @ Toyota Center –Wow, I am trying to wrap my head around how much this sucks. Take the awesomeness of the two shows I just mentioned. Now imagine the opposite! That’s what this is. Seriously check out the wikipedia page on this band and tell me where to start on the badness?!! All I can say is that I will bet you money this has been (or will soon be) on PBS on a Saturday night.
