Yr. Weekend, Pt. 2: Montrose Winter Social + Linus Pauling Quartet + Rachael Yamagata + Adelaine + More

Alrighty, y’all, it’s now Saturday, December 3rd, and it’s time to hold on to your shit, because today/tonight is where it gets a little bit crazy.

Before I get to that, though, I wanted to mention a few changes/odd things I’ve noticed lately in the show listings… First & definitely foremost, The Mountain Goats are coming to town in January — holy fucking yes, people. I need, need, need to see this show.

Only I’m now a bit confused, because while the email I got from the PR company for the Goats says the show is Tues., January 10th at Fitzgerald’s, the Fitz/{Pegstar} Websites both say it’s actually Fri., January 20th. So who’s right? Well, seeing as they own the venue, I’m going with the Pegstar date, but just be warned that there’s at least some confusion floating ’round out there about it.

Then there’re a few shows that have been moved lately, like the Tantric show Mon., December 12th at Warehouse Live, which was originally supposed to be at The Scout Bar down in Clear Lake. (Sorry, Southsiders…).

Later in the month, the Nuclear New Year show at Warehouse Live shifted a bit, too, from Thurs., December 29th to Wed., December 28th (still the same lineup/venue, though). And way, way further off, the much-anticipated Young The Giant show Thurs., March 22nd has been moved from its original home at Fitz (where I believe it was sold out) to — yep, you guessed it — the significantly larger Warehouse Live venue. So if you tried to get tickets for the Fitz show but couldn’t, well, you may be in luck.

With that out of the way, back to what’s on now:

Montrose Winter Social, featuring Shiny Toy Guns, Ishi, Giant Battle Monster, Moths, MC Buda Love, DJ Sinik, DJ Filthpusher, Jim & The Toms, Muhammad Ali, White Crime, Another Run, Blvd Nights, DJ Pharmer, Tax the Wolf, Screwtape, Disfrutalo!, Inzurgo, DJ Kruxx, Daphne, The Manichean, Glasnost, GoRealAh Soul, Bang Bangz, Boyfrndz, Featherface, Rivers, Prairie Cadets, Cavernous, This Moment In Black History, BMC, Texas Dub, The Niceguys, Guilt Party, Psychic Palms, Twenty Eleven, Buckamore, Second Lovers, Vipers, //TENSE//, The Handshake, Hello Chief, PAPAYA, DJ Rob Bass, iLL LiaD, Nosaprise, Stockz, Defending the Kingdom, Harold Borup, Thurogood Wordsmith, We Were Wolves, Peloton, Sleuth, Richie Roc, One Hunnidt, Black Cassidy, Purple, Infinite Apaches, HOSPITAL, Amorette, Abstract Cannon, Say Girl Say, Wayword, Danny Watts, Ricquo Jones, Tawn P, Major Major Major, Babel Fishh, Evak1, Mike Ro, Mikey & The Drags, Art Institute, Handsomebeast, & more @ Numbers/Mango’s/Avant Garden/Sole Purpose (12PM-2AM)
Oh, yeah. The Westheimer Block Party has been reborn again, against all odds and vows by the {Free Press Houston} folks that they weren’t going to do it ’til they could convince the City to shut the street down. Just can’t stop the rock, I guess…

This time out, they’re calling it the Montrose Winter Social (great name, btw), and they’ve recruited a who’s-who of Houston-bred badassery to fill out the schedule, including {The Manichean}, {Tax the Wolf}, {Muhammad Ali}, {Featherface}, {Cavernous}, {Bang Bangz}, {Giant Battle Monster}, {Glasnost}, {Prairie Cadets}, {Nosaprise}, {White Crime}, {Peloton}, {Art Institute}, Mikey & The Drags, {Screwtape}, {Infinite Apaches}, {Guilt Party} (first show!), {Second Lovers}, {The Niceguys}, {Thurogood Wordsmith}, {Babel Fishh}, {Defending the Kingdom}, {Twenty Eleven}, {Rivers}, & {iLL LiaD}, plus plenty of others I’m probably forgetting right now. Check out the Facebook event invite for the full schedule (the flyer. Seriously, it’s like they took almost every up-and-coming band in town and dumped them all out in a big pile.

Oh, and they’ve got a big(ger)-name headliner for the end-of-the-night show, namely LA band Shiny Toy Guns. I’m not real familiar with ’em, but music-loving friend Rhonda is, and she can’t recommend ’em enough; I trust her tastes pretty well, so there you go. I’m not entirely sure you have to buy one ticket for both the “concert” and the festival itself, by the by — take a look at the ticketing info to see what works best for you.

Defending the Kingdom/The Linus Pauling Quartet/Dead Mineral @ Rudyard’s
Talked about this one already, and yeah, it’s gonna be badass. I’m seriously considering tempting the wrath of my dear, dear wife and bailing tonight to go see the {Linus Pauling Quartet} for the first time in a long, long time. Those guys rule, and {Defending the Kingdom} do, too.

Rachael Yamagata/Mike Viola @ Fitzgerald’s
I’m not super-familiar with Rachael Yamagata, it’s true, but I fell in love a while back with her smoky, deep-down, Fiona Apple-but-sweet voice after seeing her perform “Worn Me Down” on Saturday Night Live. And now I’m hit the same way by new track “Starlight,” which is awesomely murky and alluring, like a Concrete Blonde track as performed in some sort of Parisian burlesque lounge or something. Take a listen right here:

Rachael Yamagata – “Starlight”

A dream Asleep/American Fangs/Born Again Virgins @ Big Star Bar (free!)
phew. I swear, every time {American Fangs} fall off the radar somewhat, I get scared that they’re gone for good; my blood pressure rises ’til they pop back up on the schedule someplace. Why? Well, because they’re one of a handful of bands floating around town these days that I really, truly believe will break out of the H-town musical ghetto and get noticed elsewhere in a big way, and hell, who doesn’t want that for a band they think is awesome? But this being Houston, even the most promising of bands often implode far before they really hit their stride; here’s hoping the Fangs guys hang in there.

KIDS (ex-New City Lions)/Emergency 911/Adelaine/Valise @ The Mink
Yeah, I know it seems like I’ve been talking about {Adelaine} a lot lately; what can I say? They’ve hit me like a freight train in recent days, especially with new EP Take Heart. They play my favorite kind of rock: melodic, sweet, hopeful/yearning, loud, and fearless, pulling in elements of emo and straight-up alternarock alongside folks like Eisley, While You Were Gone, or Veruca Salt, and the combination is pretty mesmerizing. Check out the interview we did with the band this week right here…

Big Daddy’s Hot Sauce Extravaganza, featuring Venomous Maximus & From Beyond @ The Orange Show (7-10PM; $10)
Okay, so I can’t claim to being a big fan of hot sauce in general — outside of a weird episode in my youth where I ended up drinking salsa on a dare, I’m a full-on wuss for that sort of thing. But hey, I am a fan of {Venomous Maximus}, Houston’s current kings of darkly-imagined, half-stoned, quasi-fantasy metal (think The Sword or Early Man, and you’ll get close), and I’d highly recommend checking ’em out, hot sauce lover or no. Plus, I’ve heard from people who know their shit that Big Daddy’s makes some pretty good stuff, so that’s probably worth a try, too.

Peloton/Harold Borup/Major Major Major/Reverberation DJs @ The Big Top
Hrm. Okay, that’s a little worrisome. See, cool-ass prog-punk rock dudes {Peloton} are scheduled not only to play at The Big Top this evening, but also over at the aforementioned Montrose Winter Social. And so are {Harold Borup} and Austin’s Major Major Major, according to the schedule posted on the Continental Club‘s Website. Who knows? They’re all playing relatively early at the Social, so maybe they’ll just pick up & shift over to Midtown when they’re done…

Arthur Yoria @ Hendricks Pub & Eatery (3320 Kirby; 8PM)
Y’know, a year ago we mentioned that prolific, thoughtful/quirky/stoned singer/songwriter {Arthur Yoria} (a longtime hero of mine over here at SCR, btw) was leaving H-town for the gritty urban landscape of NYC, escaping from Helltown on December 4th…and then, mysteriously, he popped back up in Houston, playing fairly regularly these past few months, including a semi-regular gig at Hendricks Pub & Eatery. Not sure if that means he got beaten-down by the bright lights and cruel, cold hearts of the big, big city or what, but if it means he’s back here to stay (didja see what I did there? Yes, indeed…), I’m happy as hell to see it.

Runners-Up:
94.5 Buzzfestivus, featuring Rise Against, Flobots, & Riverboat Gamblers @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Centro-Matic/Spooky Folk @ Fitzgerald’s
Paige Lewis @ Watson Art Galleries (6-9PM)
Mojo Nixon & The Toadliquors/Dash Rip Rock/The WeedHawks @ The Continental Club
First Saturdays Arts Market, featuring Robin Kirby, Stevie Muree, & Rick Valente @ 548 W.19th St. (3-6PM)
Fist Pump Fest 2011, featuring Ready The Messenger, Sons of Thunder, Rise From Your Grave, Fingers Crossed, Surprise, Chemistry, Waverly Hills, Mercy, Varsities, Good Morning, Gorgeous, Feign, & Imagine Dreams in Action @ Champion Life Center (3031 FM 2920)
Coffin Case/Jetspeed Live Holiday Fashion Show and Concert, featuring Rainchild, Downfall 2012, EraseTheVirus, Sol 34, Eliza Reign, & Knocturnal Maddness @ Warehouse Live
The Night Before Christmas, featuring the Houston Symphony Orchestra @ Jones Hall