A Couple of Quick Show Updates…

Yep, as always seems to happen this time of year, the shows scheduled are changing faster than yours truly can keep up with — a few shows slipped by me this last week, unfortunately (damn, that River Oaks Theater show sounded cool, too…), and didn’t even make the most recent Rundown, so I figured I’d post a quick little note about some of the changed/added/cancelled shows yet to come…

Mon., December 31:
New Year’s Eve Show, featuring Skyblue72, D.R.U.M., Snowshoe and Lewis, & Little Joe Washington @ Dean’s Credit Clothing
The original listing for this one had somebody named “Toby Champagne” playing, but that’s apparently bunk — instead, Snowshoe and Lewis and the irrepressible Little Joe Washington are rounding out the show. Which ain’t a bad thing.

Tues., January 1:
Mantis/Piano Vines @ Walter’s on Washington
Okay, so this is like the Mystery Show From Hell — two of my favorite under-the-radar local bands may or may not be playing tomorrow night at Walter’s, but the show’s only listed on the bands’ respective Myspace pages (here and here) and nowhere else that I can find. If anybody else’s playing, I’ve got no idea who it is, but if Mantis & Piano Vines are playing, then get your ass out of the house and nurse that hangover to some damn fine music.

Thurs., January 3:
Hank Williams III/Those Poor Bastards @ The Meridian
Sorry, y’all, but this one’s been cancelled — apparently Hank III’s got a bad case of strep, which (as anybody who’s had it knows) makes it real hard to sing, yell, or bellow. Ah, well.

Sat., January 5:
Dumbarton/The Eastern Sea/Earnie Banks/Elaine Greer/John Rawls @ Super Happy Fun Land
This one’s had a bit of a lineup shift — I Miss Being A Kid has apparently dropped off the bill, replaced by The Eastern Sea. Which, no offense to the Eastern Sea folks, really sucks, ’cause IMBAK play infrequently enough as it is. Damn. But hey, the bands playing are still definitely worth checking out…

Houston Food Bank Benefit, featuring The Riff Tiffs, B., Studemont Project, American Fangs, & Television Skies @ Numbers ($5/$7; showgoers asked to bring canned goods & blankets)
Can’t believe I didn’t hear about this one ’til now, especially given the general 1/5 insanity — here’s another excellent show to make your show-going decision that night even harder. The Riff Tiffs are pretty freakin’ great, and I’ve heard good-good-good things about B. and American Fangs, in particular. And hey, it’s a benefit for the Houston Food Bank, so maybe that’ll tip the scales for you one way or the other…

Cinco De Ano, featuring Felipe Galvan y sus Carnales, Sister Sister y Los Misters, & more @ Fitzgerald’s
Jesus. Could this Sat. get any more conflicted? Dang, man…it pains me in particular because I’ve been meaning to check out Felipe Galvan’s new band for a while now. Argh.

Sat., January 12:
Deep Ella/Windsor Drive/The Finalist/Alpha Rev/The American Masquerade @ Fitzgerald’s
Hadn’t heard about this one, either, so I wanted to make sure to mention it, since I really dig both The Finalist & The American Masquerade (who are, incidentally, about as alike as chalk & cheese, as my wife would say). This one promises to be an interestingly diverse show.

Sat., January 19:
The Toasters/Ryan Scroggins & the Trenchtown Texans/Deals Gone Bad @ Fitzgerald’s
Ooh, this is a biggie — the one time I saw the Toasters play, back at the Abyss, the place was absolutely packed to the gills, and even though the H-town ska boom is behind us, I’m betting this show’ll be crowded, too. Beyond the Toasters themselves, mind you, you really ought to go to check out local boys Ryan Scroggins & the Trenchtown Texans, ’cause they do some of the best trad-ska you’re likely to find in our fair state, much less in this city.