Make Some Room: The Best of The Week

The Suffers. Photo: Daniel Jackson

Things are definitely heating up while the temperature finally starts to drop here in town. Last week we saw a comedy festival and a pop up set from punk legends Verbal Abuse, while this week we’ll see two sets from The 1975 a well as a return set from Houston’s The Suffers and the opening of the Heights Theater. Houston, here’s how to plan the seven days.

Wednesday you can begin at Heights Theater, fingers crossed, for the Hayes Carll show and venue opening show.  The Woodlands performer has made quite the name for himself with a string of hits, and his latest album Lovers And Leavers is pretty impressive.  Of course, Houston born rocker and singer songwriter John Evans will be on as direct support and opener and should wow the crowd with songs from his latest release Polyester.  The limited engagement has a handful of tickets left for $22.50 and the all ages show has doors at 7 pm.

Of course, you can also head to Rudyard’s for Bill Fool’s Annual Thanksgiving Eve Party.  This year a headlining performance from The Satanic Overlords of Rock N’ Roll will blisteringly award all who attend.  There’s also a support set from Modfag as well as intense tongue in cheek punk set from The Cops.  If that just wasn’t enough for you, High Mass will also perform while Dead Roses will bring their intensity to the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and an $8 cover.  

Ruiners. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Instagram

Walters will see the return of Houston’s Moth Wings, now home from tour.  These guys have a mix of 90s alterna rock and 80s new wave punk intensity all over their latest release Fi / M and their live sets are on point as well.  The proggy indie rock of Rome Hero Foxes will actually headline the show with Moth Wings as support while one of Houston’s best new bands Ruiners will bring their insane live show on prior.  Huntsville’s The Hammer Party will open things up, and they’re worth getting there early for.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and cover between $7 and $10.

At Satellite Bar you can catch the psych pop sounds of Austin six-piece Holy Wave.  Here in support of this year’s Freaks of Nurture, they’ve gotten quite the reputation for fun and inventive live shows.  The rock of Miami’s Plastic Pinks will also be on hand as direct support.  Houston’s Mikey & the Drags will bring their psych sounds as well, and should mix things up with a batch of new songs set for release sooner than later.  The chilled out psych of Houston’s Mantra Love will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

Thursday there’s pretty much nothing because everyone will be in a food coma from Thanksgiving.  

On Friday you can relieve all of that weight at Cactus when Houston psych rockers Frog Hair help with your “Black Friday” shopping for an in-store set.  These guys have been on quite the tear over the last year, their live shows are on point, and their debut album A Long List of Shortcomings is that LSD induced sound that reminds you of if Brian Wilson was in Butthole Surfers.  The all ages show gets going around 3 pm, it’s 100% FREE and there’s gratis Saint Arnold’s for the adults.

Later in the day you could head to night one of Radiation Weekend at Walters.  The first night of the three night event will see sets from Houston acts like In Memory Of and Patterns, as well as many more acts including a headlining set from metalcore act Above Caelum.  The three day pass is a measly $20, or between $10 and $13 per day at the doors.  It’s all ages and it gets going with doors at 6 pm.  

If you’d rather get your art fix, you could head to Insomnia VGC to check out some new artworks by Nicky Davis.  The show, titled Hibernation should be a nice diversion from all of the crazed holiday shopping.  The all ages event is 100% FREE, and it gets going at 6 pm.  

Catch Fever. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

The highly charged rock of Houston’s American Fangs will commence upstairs at White Oak Music Hall.  If you’ve never caught these guys, their live show is pretty impressive and last year’s Dirty Legs proved they aren’t slowing down.  A reunited set from post hardcore rockers The Finalist will serve as direct support while the Eye Against and To Whom It May will both go on beforehand.  The indie pop rock of Catch Fever will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.

At Numbers you can get all of the sexy feels when Dem Damn Dames bring their monthly show to life at the iconic venue.  This edition, titled Black Friday Burlesque will feature the troupe alongside Austin’s Ginger Snaps as well as a magic performance from Robby Bennett, something crazy from Skabz the Clown, and many more.  A large portion of the proceeds from the show will benefit the Houston Food Bank, and you can get up to $5 off of admission with five food cans as a donation as well.  The 18 & up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets are between $15 and $30.

Joke Joint Comedy Showcase will host the always funny humor of Houston’s Kristin Lindner.  If you have somehow missed her perform, you’re definitely been doing yourself a disservice, as television appearances and countless comedy clubs should be the universe’s way of telling you that she’s a definite riot.  She’ll have former owner of Joke Joint, comic, and mentor to more comics than anyone you’ve ever met; Danny Martinez on as her feature act as well as one of Houston’s better up and coming comics as the host.  The 18 & up shows are at 8 pm and 10:30 on Friday and Saturday with tickets between $16 and $21.  The doors are at 7 pm and 9:30 pm.

Over at The Secret Group, possibly the funniest guy you can see hold a mic, Katy’s Sean Rouse will swing by to record a new comedy special.  Rouse is easily one of the darkest comics you can catch, while his dark humor is always profound and riotously funny.  Rob Mungle will be on as the feature act while Houston’s one man party, Gabe Bravo will perform the host duties for the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.

Flyger Woods. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Of course you could get your groove on over at Satellite Bar when Rosewood Thievz bring their soulful R&B sounds to the East side venue.  I feel like you’re insane if you miss this three piece live and their new track “Freedom” from the album Two & ½ Years is one of the best things to come out of Houston in a long time.  The hip hop of Mark Drew will be on as direct support and the crazy intense rap of Flyger Woods will be on beforehand.  DJ Angiesliste will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

Over in the House of Blues Foundation Room you can catch alt rockers Another Run bring their high energy to all.  These guys have been busting their tails for over a decade and their latest drop “700 Days” is their strongest effort to date.  The indie rock jams of NOLA’s Paper Bison will open the 100% FREE all ages show with doors at 8 pm.

You can get down with a  return performance from Houston’s Spain Colored Orange over at Continental Club.  Possibly one of the most underrated bands to come out of Houston, this six piece always drops a fun live show and their last release Sneaky Like A Villain will keep you dancing for days.  The cumbia jazz rock fusion group LGM, or Los Guerreros de la Musica, will go on prior while the indie tunes of Arthur Yoria will open the 21 and up show with doors at 8 pm and a $12 cover.

Over at Big Top you can get all groovy with Mikey Drag while he spins sixties jams for another edition of Shakin’ All Over.  I’ve been a part of one of these sets and not only is Drag a top notch DJ, but it’s definitely a hip shakin’ good time.  Chase Hamblin will swing by to drop a DJ set as well, and should pick some strong classics to add to the set. The 21 & up event gets going around 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

The 1975. Photo: Roger Deckker

Saturday you can get going at Revention Center for the first of two nights with British indie pop act, The 1975.  The first time I heard these guys I knew they’d be huge, and they’re definitely on track to prove that they’ll be just that.  Their latest album, this year’s I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it is pretty solid, and their live shows are always on point.  There’s no word of support or openers, but that could change.  If there are any of the $39.50 tickets left, the all ages show has doors at 7 pm.

In the big room at House of Blues, Houston’s The Suffers will bring their energy heavy live show back to town.  After multiple tour dates, festival appearances, and spots all over national television, the ten piece will perform back at home while bringing their debut The Suffers to life.  Not to be close to being outdone, the neo soul of Detroit’s JMSN will be on as direct support.  This guy is like being swooned by desire when milky notes drizzle from his lips, and his new album It Is. is the kind of album that makes you want to procreate.  The electro pop of Dallas’ ISHI will energetically open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $30 and $45.

Fitzgerald’s will host the always entertaining sounds of Denton’s Riverboat Gamblers.  These high energy rockers eventually relocated to Austin, and then went on a quest to spread their high energy live show.  While it’s been four years since their last release, the group returned this year with Massive Fraud, a two song release that falls in line with the previous two years where they released tracks in a similar fashion.  The melodic indie rock of Austin’s Quiet Company will bring their latest Regressor to life as support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $12.

Nick Gaitan’s Tune Parlour. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Edna J

Continental Club will host the This is Tejas Roots showcase from Nick Gaitan’s Tune Parlour.  This edition will not only feature Gaitan’s well assembled house band, but a set from San Antonio’s Los Nahuatlatos, Mas Pulpo, and a DJ set from Tejas Got Soul Sound System.  The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and tickets for $14.

Sunday you can get all of your stoner rock chills when Portland’s Red Fang swings by the studio at Warehouse Live. I don’t ruin the name of metal by pairing these guys with the genre, but I will say that their thick riffs are close enough to at least get comparisons to the doom side of things.  Their live shows are always impressive and their latest album Only Ghosts from this year has more melody but still hits hard.  The heavy riffs of Torche will be on as direct support while the noisy and fierce sounds of Atlanta’s WHORES will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $17 and $20.

Dillon Trimm & Chase Hamblin. Photo: Courtesy of Dillon Trimm

However, you might want things a little calmer on a Sunday, and if you do then you should head to Dean’s downtown to catch a VS. set between Dillon Trimm and Chase Hamblin.  Of course, the two singer songwriters won’t actually duke it out, but you can catch two of the most underrated performers in town.  The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

Over at Revention Center you can catch night two with The 1975.  The details from the Saturday show apply here as well with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $39.50.

On Monday your time is better spent at Warehouse Live in the ballroom for the Sounds of Houston show featuring Trae Tha Truth.  While there have been many to give the long running rapper some lip, he did just drop two albums this year with Tha Truth, Part 2 and the recently released Another 48 Hours.  Not to be outdone, he’ll have the popular jams of Lil’ Keke on prior, as well as sets from Branzil, Beat King, and many more.  The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $30 and $40.

DJ QUEERMO. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

At Arlo’s Ballroom you can bid farewell to Houston queer positive rapper, DJ, and creator of the Dykon Fagatron show series, Biz.  You might know them as Jay, or Brian, or Biz Vicious; but it’s the last hurrah and they’ll drop jams as DJ QUEERMO before leaving us for Seattle.  The 21 & up show gets going at 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

That’s about all that’s happening around town.  Remember that because it’s a holiday week, there will be more amateur drinkers on the road, so getting home safe is always priority number one.  

by David Garrick