Yr. Weekend, Pt. 2: Andre Williams (MP3!) + The Lotus Effect (Reviewed!) + Alkari + East Cameron Folkcore + Roller Derby Punk + More

Late, as usual, I know — even still, though, I didn’t want to neglect all the shows going on tonight (Sat., August 21st) and tomorrow (Sun., August 22nd). And yes, there’s quite a pile, and holy crap does it look good. Here’s what’s up:

Sat., August 21:
Andre Williams & The Goldstars @ The Continental Club
Oh, yes. Andre Williams just rules, I swear — the original dirty old man of R&B, he’s funkier and classier than Blowfly but still way, way raunchy and rude, and it’s great. He is a genuinely rough dude, somebody who knows the rock bottom not because he’s seen it in passing but because he’s lived there off and on throughout his life. The guy’s your grandpa’s age, but he can still kick your ass and steal your woman, all in the same night. Here’s proof:

Andre Williams & The New Orleans Hellhounds – “Can You Deal With It?”

It’s great that he’s back in the limelight again, and everything I’ve heard from him the past few years has been amazing. 2008’s Can You Deal With It is worth the price of admission just for the title track and (better still) “Your Woman” alone.

The Progressive Collective Show, featuring The Lotus Effect, Cavernous, Hydra Melody, Cirrus Minor, & After Time Has Passed @ Fitzgerald’s
Out of everything going on tonight, I have to say that this one’s the one I most wish I was able to get out & see (yeah, yeah; I suck). That’s in part due to listening to {The Lotus Effect}‘s excellent Rabbits & Royalty EP on repeat quite a bit lately — see the actual review over here — and being more & more impressed by the band’s prog-tinged, post-emo rock, but also because of the other folks on the bill, to boot. First and foremost, there’s {After Time has Passed}, who put a surprisingly new spin on the whole two-dudes-playing-instro-metal thing

I’d never heard of San Antonio’s Hydra Melody or Iowans Cirrus Minor before today, I’m afraid, but both sound pretty intriguing from the show sampler I got a hold of this afternoon. Not entirely sure how these bands are lumping themselves under the “progressive” tag, really, because while they do have elements of prog, sure, they’re nowhere near what I think of when I think of prog-rock, at least. But hey, what’s it matter what they call themselves, anyway?

On the bad side, I got word today that {Cavernous} might not be playing tonight, for somewhat personal reasons, which is a shame, because I really like the track on the show sampler, “Abyssal Plains”; it’s one of the best of the bunch. Even without ’em, though, this promises to be quite a show.

Alkari/Mike Booher & The Turkeys/Frank Smith @ Rudyard’s
I’m bummed that I missed {Alkari}‘s DVD release a while back (and sadly, I still haven’t been able to crack open the actual DVD they sent; mea culpa, y’all), because they’re a fine, fine, almost uniquely unclassifiable band, and I love seeing ’em, every time. I can’t really explain it, but I can’t even bring myself to add qualifiers to the word “rock” when I’m talking about ’em — they’re just a straight-ahead, smart, earnest (but not sappy), flat-out good rock band, period.

I’ve heard good things about Austin-dwellers Mike Booher & The Turkeys, as well, and while I haven’t heard ’em, I always dug his old band, Zykos, quite a bit. Plus, there’s Frank Smith, who friend Pedro was kind enough to introduce me to a while back & who does some darn good slide-inflected country-rock stuff.

East Cameron Folkcore/Hobomouth/Earhart @ i.am.we.commUNITY House (819 Land Grant, Richmond)
Ah, how I love those fun i.am.we.commUNITY folks — with their wide-open, warm-hearted house shows, they’re pretty much singlehandedly making Richmond livable for fans of anything punk or indie, as far as I can tell. Not real familiar with any of the bands playing, but Austin’s East Cameron Folkcore sounds pretty cool from the little bit I’ve heard.

Houston Roller Derby, featuring The Hates @ KICKS Indoor Soccer (611 Shepherd; 6PM)
Big (well, mostly), scary (yes, definitely), mean-ass ladies on rollerskates beating the hell out of one another as they zoom around the track + old-school, diehard, big-mohawk punk rawk == unquestionable awesomeness. Seriously, if you don’t think this sounds at least vaguely entertaining, I don’t want to know you. (FYI, {The Hates} are playing at halftime, I believe, so hopefully there’s still time get over to KICKS…)

duneTX @ The Big Top
Granted, I’m far from the biggest {duneTX} fan on the planet, but I have to give main dune-man Chris Sacco a hand for keeping the band alive literally a decade longer than most of his compatriots. Tonight at The Big Top is a bit of a special deal, too, with the band playing their seminal release — from waaaaay back in 1999, a freaking lifetime ago — Machowagon, in its entirety. Worth seeing/hearing, definitely.

94.5 The Buzz & Bud Light Weenie Roast, featuring Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Chevelle, Sevendust, & 10 Years @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Just so we’re clear: I would rather eat glass than pay money to witness most of these bands live. I have, however, been a fan of Sevendust for a long damn time now; they fit pretty well with the whole alternametal theme, yeah, but they can easily blow everybody else on the bill off the stage.

The Nightmare River Band/Chase Hamblin @ Walter’s
Greater Houston Urban Garden Festival, featuring D.R.U.M., Zin, David Sha, K Rino, Lee Coc, 144 Elite, Aziss Band, Korey Blues, Phoenix Ali, & Jaekim @ Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden (5309 MLK Blvd.; 6PM-12AM)
Natalie Merchant @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Orange Is In/Fondue Monks @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
Wayne “The Train” Hancock @ Armadillo Palace

Sun., August 22:
The Chop Tops/The Octanes/The Ghost Storys @ Walter’s
Buffalo Bayou/Kimberly Orr/Jacob Meador/Liquid Casing @ Warehouse Live