Yr. Weekend, Pt. 3: The Toasters + The Cool Kids + (Maybe?) Benjamin Wesley + Peekaboo Theory + Trout Fishing + More

Sunday coming up (January 23rd, to be precise), and it’s still a fairly busy part of the weekend, which is nice; too often Sunday seems like an added-on afterthought to the show-going weekend.

Here’s what sounds cool to me, at least:

The Toasters/The Failed Attempt/Fuska/Always Guilty @ Walter’s
Holy crap. I honestly cannot believe NYC’s Toasters are still around; has it actually been 30 years since they started? Double holy crap. I mean, granted, Rob “Bucket” Hingley‘s the only original member left on the stage, but I still have to give ’em a hand for being one of the primary faces of the so-called “Third Wave” of ska here in the States. Without the Toasters & the band’s (well, Hingley’s, anyway) own now-defunct Moon Ska Records label, a lot of people my age, at least, would never have stumbled into ska ’til it was reduced to its most cartoonish, lamest elements & paraded on MTV. Those early Moon comps, in particular, blew this then-college-aged kid’s mind. I owe these guys.

And hey, it’s cool to see ’em sharing a stage with members of H-town’s latest crop of ska bands, namely {The Failed Attempt} & {Almost Guilty}; I’m liking what I’ve heard of the Attempt, in particular, and really need to hear more of both bands. Get out & dance.

The Cool Kids/Kydd/Napalm @ Warehouse Live
Haven’t been all that familiar with The Cool Kids ’til recently, although I’d heard quite a bit about ’em for a while now. After listening to the duo’s latest mixtape, Tacklebox (which you can download for free over here), I’m pretty impressed with their head-nodding, California-low delivery and cool, cool (duh) Black Star-like vibe. Hell, I’ve come close in recent years to giving up completely on hip-hop in general, but if more like these guys are out there, things are doing better than I’d thought…

Benjamin Wesley @ Fitzgerald’s
Okay. Is this show happening, or not? It’s not listed either on {Benjamin Wesley}‘s own Website or the Fitzgerald’s schedule, but nonetheless, I saw this listed someplace fairly reputable. I mean, I’d love it if it was happening; Mr. Wesley is a hell of a performer, and the effortless way he’s able to craft those gorgeous, mesmerizing, laconic-yet-beautifully layered songs, sometimes totally on the fly with loops & whatnot. Whether he’s got a band or does it solo, he’s an amazing musician. But again, not sure if this actually is a real-live show — roll the dice, yo.

The Texas Buzz, featuring Peekaboo Theory, Egress, & Potbelly @ The Scout Bar (Clear Lake)
I’ve yet to catch {Peekaboo Theory} live so far, unfortunately, but everything I’ve heard by and about ’em has been pretty damn great. The video they made for “Immediate Hesitation” early this last year is nicely frantic, desperate-sounding stuff, wedged halfway between hip-hop, funk, and metal, with some murky, quirky touches thrown in for fun. Well worth the slog down 45 to Clear Lake, honest.

Trout Fishing In America @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Talked quite a bit about these guys in days past, I know, so I won’t rehash all that — read the last writeup, on over here, or maybe here, if you want to know the full deal, but suffice it to say, they’re a hell of a lot of fun, even for adults & all that.

Runners-Up:
Society’s Plague/Up In Arms/After Time Has Passed @ Stereo Live
Binarium Sound Series, featuring Nectarine & more @ The Mekong Underground (8-10PM)