Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: Joe & Alicia Get Married + Haven Benefit + Honky Tonk Blood Brothers + The Illegal Wiretaps + More

Wow. Gonna be a busy weekend, y’all, although tonight (Fri., December 16th) isn’t quite as insane as tomorrow night. Before I go into the big-ass list, just a couple of things I wanted to note…

First up, tomorrow’s {Jandek} show over at the Menil Collection is no longer going to be outside on the lawn, as the organizers had previously planned, but will now be in the foyer of the Collection itself; apparently it’s supposed to rain, and while Jandek kind of fits with a torrential, crush-your-soul Houstonian downpour, that’s not so good for things like amplifiers and microphones. Inside it goes, and a little later, too — the pre-show DJ starts at 4PM, with Jandek doing whatever the hell it is he’s going to do this time at 7:15PM.

A bit of an update about another show tomorrow, too, namely Punxmas Fest 2011 — it seems trash-punks {The Wrong Ones}, while still listed on the only flyer I’ve seen for the show, are no longer playing. Per the band’s Facebook page, they’ve been banned from Mango’s, for undisclosed reasons I really, really don’t want to even theorize about. Still a good lineup, but no Wrong Ones, sorry…

Last but not least, it seems the show on January 26th with Tennesseans The Features has been shifted across town, from its original location at Warehouse Live to the equally-cool Fitzgerald’s. Just so you know.

Now, here’s what sounds/looks good to me this evening:

Alicia Plaza & Joe Ortiz Matrimony Mayhem, featuring Muhammad Ali, Darwin’s Finches, Giant Battle Monster, Cop Warmth, PAPAYA, The Annoysters, & Clockpole @ Super Happy Fun Land ($5)
Awww. Call me a softhearted sentimental sap, but yeah, I think it’s sweet to see folks celebrate getting hitched, especially when they do it using loud, crazy, noisy rock bands. Joe Ortiz is a neat guy — he’s the man behind the ever-odd {Clockpole} and the now-infamous “Free Hugs” guy from Summerfests past — and he and his bride-to-be have picked out an awesome slew of bands, including personal faves {Muhammad Ali}, spaz-prog guys {Giant Battle Monster}, and true oddballs Darwin’s Finches. Congrats, y’all.

Hip-Hop Before X-Mas Benefit for The Haven, featuring Rob Jay, Billy Black, Fat Tony, & Nameless @ Dean’s Credit Clothing (8PM; $5, or free if you bring a toy)
How can I not like this? It’s a benefit for The Haven, a nonprofit that’s dedicated to bringing fine arts education to kids living in shelters or in other lower-income parts of town — that right there is something near & dear to my heart, esp. considering my kid’s own elementary school had to cut art education this year. The benefit this year is apparently specifically for the families of the Fort Bend Women’s Center, who can definitely use the help, and beyond all that, holy crap, badass rapper {Fat Tony} — the best in town right now, in my book — is the headliner. Can’t beat that.

Runaway Sun/Electric Attitude/Mantis @ Fitzgerald’s
The Illegal Wiretaps/Devil Killing Moth @ Bohemeo’s
Two good, good shows showcasing some of my favorite bands in town, and all bands I desperately need to see live at some point. I’m particularly psyched about {The Illegal Wiretaps} lately, even if I’ve been (cringe) shamefully sitting on their debut EP. Damn. I’m going to attempt to catch up somewhat over the holidays, folks…

Honky Tonk Blood Brothers @ Heights Live! ($15)
No, I haven’t seen the movie, but the “Blood Brothers,” aka {John Evans}, {Johnny Falstaff}, and Hank Schyma, are each badass roots-country-rock guys in their own right, so I have to think that the combination of the three results in some sort of fucking awesome Voltron-esque robot that’s made out of guitars and beercans and speaks with a seriously backwoods twang.

Martin Burniston’s 21st Annual Christmas Singalong @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Yep, this is a pretty far, far cry from most of the other stuff on this list, but hey, what can I say? I’ve wanted to witness/participate in this Mucky Duck Christmas tradition pretty much since I’ve lived here, and I’ve just never been able to get it together…

Runners-Up:
A Fistful of Soul @ The Big Top
The Beans/Only Beast/Bloombox/The Lonely Giant @ Fitzgerald’s
Sloshtown/Static Collision/The Hates/Shut Up Sidney @ Mango’s
3rd Annual Feed Houston Concert, featuring Slim Thug & Juvenile @ Warehouse Live
The Umbrella Man/Dem Damn Dames/Hot Club of Cowtown @ The Continental Club
Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers/Jon McLaughlin @ The Capitol at St. Germain
Gina Chavez/Robin Kirby/Staci’s Edge/Erica Nicole Band @ The Mink