Rudyard’s British Pub
2010 Waugh Dr.
Houston, TX. 77006
(713) 521-0521
Booking: Wed. 9PM-2AM, or Mon. 3-9PM; Scott Walcott (713-528-7839; “rudyards” at “hotmail dot com”)
FB/Web Updates: “rudyards_web_geek” at “hotmail dot com”
General Info: Another of the few “venerable” clubs left in Houston’s sort-of-scene, Rudyard’s is more a bar than a “venue” (as opposed to, say, The Engine Room or Fitzgerald’s; nobody goes to those places just to get drunk). They’ve even got dart tournaments on Sundays at 8PM, following The Simpsons. The bands used to be just about all local acts, but these days they have a really diverse slate, everything from teeny-tiny local bands to kinda-major indie bands, death metal noise to country (the only thing I’ve never really seen much of is hip-hop, actually). Rudz has a nice “neighborhood” vibe, and since it’s 21+ only, there’s a Low AlternaTeen FactorTM , which can be very good. The food’s good, the crowd is friendly, and the folks who run the place are all laid-back and cheerful. Cool place to just sit around.
In case you haven’t been to the place in a few years, the old downstairs stage is now where the dartboards are, and the stage and sound system are all upstairs, to give the bands and the audience a lot more room. Damn good idea, and the sound system they’ve got is probably one of the best in town, despite the size of the place — sound man Joe really knows what he’s doing. Seriously, it’s a darn cool place both to play and see bands; go by & check it out…
Booking: Booking guy Scott is real friendly & open to new bands playing — they don’t always have bands every night, though, so space can be limited. Keep at it, anyway, ’cause this place is another of the few places in town where people show up for reasons other than the bands that’re playing, and a ton of Houston music-types hang out & drink at Rudz… Keep in mind, though, that the “hang out & drink” part can hurt, too — not everybody hanging out wants to hear whoever’s playing.
Leave a Reply