Yr. Weekend, Pt. 2: IDentity + DiverseWorks + Folk Family Revival + The Julys + Prairie Cadets + More

What is with the weekends, lately? Once again, we’re coming up on a Saturday (August 27th) where there’s literally so much going on I can’t even wrap my brain around it. Wow.

First and foremost, there’s the IDentity Festival out at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, which looks to be the most massive, high-flying lineup of electronic artists H-town’s seen since, well, maybe ever. I would hardly claim to be up on stuff like this in general, but I am a big, big fan of electronica pioneers The Crystal Method and the mind-blowing DJ Shadow. (And I heard Pretty Lights, Afrobeta, & Hercules and Love Affair are all pretty great, too.)

Luckily, we do have somebody here who’s a bit more of an authority with this stuff; her name’s Karen Hebert, and she went to this past spring’s Ultra Festival, which is run by the same folks who’re behind the IDentity Fest. She’s written up a cool review of Ultra Fest on over here as kind of a “preview” of sorts of this weekend’s extravaganza.

A little closer in to town, there’re some cool, cool fundraiser-y things, like the DiverseWorks FUNdraiser and the A Dog for Jessica benefit, both of which I’ve posted about recently — here and here — so I won’t go into ’em too much a second time, except to say that some damn fine musicians are playing at both of those, and they’re both damn fine causes.

For the earlybirds, there’re some great afternoon sets at Cactus, with the awesome {Folk Family Revival} — new album Unfolding is flat-out great — at 1PM and {The Mathletes} at 4PM…and hey, their new album Excalibur is flat-out great, too.

Speaking of new albums, {The Julys} released their new self-titled EP this past June — and I have to say, it’s pretty impressive, as well — and they’re playing tomorrow night at The Mink with Nic Armstrong. Glad to see they’ve emerged from hibernation…

Then there’s the House of Blues, which has ’80s girl-pop classics The Go-Go’s playing alongside new-school girl rockers Girl In A Coma, who’re excellent. I’d thought {Andrew Karnavas} was playing, too, but I’m not seeing the show on his site now, so eh.

A couple of others I can’t forget, either, like the show over at The Big Top (between The Continental Club & The Mink) with very cool guys {Prairie Cadets} and promising newcomers {Second Lovers}, as well as {Howler}, who I’m afraid I’m not real familiar with. And last but not least, weirdballs {Letters to Voltron} are up at Late Nite Pie — check out a review of LtV’s new album Robot Journey over here.

Here’s the very, very big list:

IDentity Festival, featuring Pretty Lights, Steve Aoki, DJ Shadow, Rusko, The Crystal Method, Datsik, Holy Ghost!, The Disco Biscuits, Booka Shade, Hercules and Love Affair, Le Castle Vania, Jessie and the Toy Boys, Afrobeta, Aeroplane, LA Riots, White Shadow, Riotgear, Doorly, Chad Hugo, Nervo, Marshall Barnes, & The Eye @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
DiverseWorks FUNdraiser, featuring Jana Hunter, The Wild Moccasins, sIngs, The Wiggins, & DJ Brett Koshkin @ DiverseWorks (1117 East Freeway; 8-11:30PM)
The Go-Go’s/Girl In A Coma @ House of Blues
The Mathletes @ Cactus Music (4PM)
Nic Armstrong/The Julys/High Dive/Psychedelic Sex Panther @ The Mink
Folk Family Revival @ Cactus Music (1PM)
A Dog for Jessica: A Benefit for Jessica Luberger, featuring Richard Cagle & The Voodoo Choir, Clara McVille, Cheyenne James, & more @ The Hot Dog Shop
Letters to Voltron @ Late Nite Pie
Howler/Prairie Cadets/Second Lovers @ The Big Top
Taking It To The Streets: Houston Street Culture Celebration, featuring Hollywood Floss, iLL LiaD, hasHBrown, Buckamore, Screwtape, Suraj K, John the 3rd, Upgreyed, Elroy Boogie, DJ Klinch, Dayta, Squincy Jones, DJ iPod Ammo, DJ Gracie Chavez, Navo, Trill Made, Skeezer, & Dirty M @ 2016 Mainstage
Los Skarnales/Pinata Protest/The Heart and Soul DJs @ The Continental Club
Sideshow Tramps/Vagabond Swing/Dead Rabbits @ Last Concert Cafe
Punk Rock Payback, featuring Poor Dumb Bastards, The Hates, & The Wrong Ones @ Rudyard’s
P.W.I./The Ballistics/Mike Terror/The Sellouts @ Fitzgerald’s
Orq Jam 3 Benefit for The Children’s Music Foundation, featuring The Mighty Orq (CD release), Arthur Yoria, Southern Backtones, The Octanes, Nick Gaitan & The Umbrella Man, Paul Ramirez Band, Wave, John Egan, & TCMF Orchestra @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers @ The Grand 1894 Opera House (Galveston)