Damn, damn, damn. I go to work this AM and it's a normal, plain-jane day, 'til my boss comes in and says, "okay, start shutting down -- we need to have all the computers off and locked up in an interior room by noon so we can go home." Naturally, my schoolboy-at-heart self thinks, "whee, free day! More fun for me!" But alas, it's just sucking and more sucking. Not only is every channel but the BBC seemingly stuck on an infinite loop of "We're all gonna fucking die!!!! Run!!!", but now apparently every damn show scheduled for this weekend is suddenly evacuating to Austin or Dallas, too.

Which sucks, because I've been listening to Drew Smith's Lonely Choir all afternoon, preparing to write up tonight's show at The Continental Club. Apparently sub-headliner Dustin Welch is still playing, as are local folk Beetle (they're on now; Welch's at 10PM), but from the Continental Club's answering machine message, Smith & co. are no longer on the bill.

Argh. It really, truly sounded like it would've been a very good show. Smith's music rides the line between '70s pop (and I doubt he'd disagree, given that one of the songs on the band's latest is called "Nilsson Sings Newman") and countrified folk-pop, sort of like a rootsier, less brainy Okkervil River, and it's pretty damn intriguing. One minute they're bomp-bomping along like a Spoon outtake, then another they're Son Volt -- and to their credit, both sides of the band work freakishly well. Only now I'm not gonna get to see 'em. Damn you, Ike, you bastard! [shakes fist impotently at the heavens]

Again, though Mr. Smith is hardly alone. Here's what else I've seen floating around that's been cancelled this weekend; if anybody knows of more, post it in the comments:

Thurs., September 11th:
Street Dogs/Hell City Kings/Los Skarnales @ Warehouse Live
Drew Smith's Lonely Choir @ The Continental Club (other bands still on)
Witchcraft/T.K. Webb & the Visions/Graveyard @ Rudyard's

Fri., September 12th:
Bob Schneider/Kanude/Jeff Boortz Band @ Warehouse Live
Disco Expressions @ The Continental Club
Mechanical Boy/Thee Armada/The Last Place You Look/Veloura/The Tastydactyls @ Fitzgerad's (rescheduled to 10/24)
Jeremy Nail/The Will Evans Project @ Rudyard's
Jason Aldean @ Sam Houston Race Park
Shining Force/Neoclana/Randy Dickey/Ralph Mendez/Graved Honor @ Walter's
BluntForce/Stale Mind/Velocity/Jewel Rifle @ Fitzdown
Necrofaith/Within Chaos/Sol34/Broken/Metavenge @ The Meridian

Sat., September 13th:
Sigh/Unexpect @ The Meridian
Spoonfed Tribe/D.R.U.M./Zwee @ Fitzgerald's (rescheduled to 11/22)
House of Orange/The Endangered Sea Lions/The Mondays/The Alice Rose @ Fitzdown
Secret Saturday Shows @ The Shady Tavern

Sun., September 14th:
Eagles of Death Metal/Jewel Rifle @ The Meridian
Graham Colton/Green River Ordinance @ Warehouse Live

Damn. Looking down the list, I'm starting to think David at Houston Calling has the right idea: assume it's all off, people, at least 'til you pick up the phone & call the club. So far, the only shows I was looking forward to this weekend that haven't been kicked to the curb are Wreckless Eric/Amy Rigby, Samiam, & Dr. Dog. And of those, Samiam might still be up in the air (perhaps literally). Wow...

For my part, it's looking like I'll be spending this weekend at the well-fortified SCR Complex, rocking the iPod/iPhone. Stay safe, everybody.

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Public Service Announcements, Things To Do

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