Today: Houston SunBurn Festival 2012 Hits Downtown

Just in case you thought the HPMAs were the only music festival-type thing going on in Downtown this weekend… Got word earlier in the week about a new(?) deal called the Houston SunBurn Festival, which will be going on today, Saturday, August 4th, up at the Jet Lounge, the seemingly zombie-like Engine Room, and the Last Concert Cafe.

They’ve got quite a few cool people playing, including a bunch of people I really, really like, like great Conor Oberst-tinged folk-pop group {Harts of Oak}, metal dudes {Venomous Maximus}, {Craig Kinsey} of {The Sideshow Tramps}, Cheap Trick-esque power-pop band Jim & The Toms, sprawling noise-rockers {Peloton}, fast-moving rapper {iLL LiaD}, electro-funky pop band {Electric Attitude}, rap-noise implosion {B L A C K I E}, & R&B-slash-hip-hop crew {Twenty Eleven}. Beyond that, there’re a lso a bunch of folks I’ve been meaning to check out, like {FLCON FCKER}, {excuseMesir}, {The Bad Drugs}, Old Yeller, & {Female Demand} offshoot P.L.X.T.X.

There’s a little bit of a bent towards DJs, it’s true, mostly at the Engine Room “Outside” stage, but overall it’s a nicely-picked cross-section of good, good music in this city. The thing starts at 2PM and runs allllll the way to 3AM(!), at least at a couple of the venues, and it’s $15 for the whole shebang — buy tickets here.

The idea behind this thing, btw, is apparently to raise money to get members of the group Houston CORE (“CORE” apparently standing for “Circle of Regional Effigies”) to the Burning Man festival up in Nevada, where they’ve been selected to build one of the big sculptures. Here’s the details, from the group’s site:

Houston’s CORE effigy is our symbolic public offering at Burning Man. It’s an interactive sculpture of a gaunt but strong longhorn steer emerging in triumph from the desert floor as he pulls himself up out of the very earth. The longhorn is a classic Texas symbol, but also a universal symbol of virility and fertility, honoring Burning Man’s theme for 2012. For us, it also represents both the powerful urge to create, and the struggle often necessary to bring our creations to life.

It is a huge honor that ReinCOWnation has been chosen to be a part of Burning Man this year. This will be the first Houston CORE effigy to grace the playa and we only have roughly six weeks to raise $25,000 and build the bull, with 100% volunteer power! We are going to need the Houston community’s support to succeed. We will need you to help us get this bull to Burning Man!

I’m not a huge Burning Man fan or anything, mind you, but hey, if that’s what they want to do, it doesn’t bother me one bit. ANd heck, I like the fact that they’ve named the thing ReinCOWnation…

Anyway, that’s the deal. And if this all sounds good to you, well, here’s the full schedule:

THE ENGINE ROOM:
MAIN STAGE:::
3 A.M.:: RUDEBWOYZ (MC BUDA LOVE & DJ SINIK::MURDERLAND)
2 A.M.:: FEATURE CUTS(FONG SHWAY)
1 A.M.:: BART BLACK(UNDERWORLD)
12:35- 1A.M.:: B L A C K I E
11:50- 12:30 :: POWER TRIP
11:-11:40 :: VENOMOUS MAXIMUS
10:15-10:45:: PELOTON
9:30-10 P.M.: NINE MINUTES
8:50-9:20P.M.:: THE BAD DRUGS
8:00-8:40:: DOWN FOR THE CAUSE
7:05-7:35P.M.:: CASINOS
6:35-7:00::BENDING VILLA
5:55-6:25 P..M.:: LAST OF THE ANALOG PEOPLE
5:10-5:40:: I AM THE ARCHITECT
4:30-5PM: P.L.X.T.X.
3:45-4:20:POR MIS PISTOLAS
3:00-3:30:: OLD YELLER
2P.M. MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL

ENGINE ROOM OUTSIDE::
3 AM:: NATHANIEL RED FT. LULLABY
2 AM:: DAVIZM(THE CREW)
1 AM:: ATHENA
12AM:: DEJA VU(UNDERWORLD)
11PM:: PHARMER(MURDERLAND)
10PM:: IAMNOTIC(THE CREW)
9 PM:: MR.PEABODY(SDC)
8 PM:: J.ODDIO(MURDERLAND)
7 PM:: DARTH FADER(KRYPTONITE/MURDERLAND)
6 PM:: MAD MIKE(MURDERLAND/UNDERWORLD)
5 PM:: FUZZ(TX DUB / 20Hz)
4 PM:: FAIEL
3 PM:: FUNKY JESUS
2 PM:: DJ WISE

—–
JET LOUNGE:::
4 AM::FEAR & LOATHING (MURDERLAND)
3:25-4am:: DONTKIDURSELF(PLAYERS CLUB)
2:40-3:25::ADAMS BANKS(MURDERLAND)
1:45-2:40::ROB BASS(TXDUB/MURDERLAND)
1:05-1:45 AM::WONDERKID(KLANGING N BANGIN)
12:25-1:05 AM::KROMLY(BF BASS)
11:40-12:25AM:: CATAKLYSMIC KONTACT(FONG SHWAY)
11PM-1140:: COMP 1
10:25-11PM:: TWENTY ELEVEN
9:50-10:20:: LOZ THA LYRACIST
9:30-9:50:: iLL LiaD
9:00-9:30:: INSERTCREDIT(S)
8:25-9:00:: JIM & THE TOMS
7:40-8:15:: CASINOS
7:05-7:35:: THE DONNER PARTY
6:20-6:40::EXCUSEMESIR
5:40-6:10:: PURPLE
5:10-5:35::ALIBI
4:35-5:05 FRANKIE G DA MEX
4:04-4:30:: METRO MUSIC
3- 4PM::GYDOOM,D
2PM:: LEAVION

—–
LAST CONCERT CAFE:::
7:30PM-8:20PM:: CYCLEA
6:50PM-7:30PM:: JOSIAH GABRIEL & NIKKHOO
6:00PM-6:50PM:: NICK GREER & THE G’s
5:20PM-6:00PM:: FLCON FCKER
4:20PM-5:20PM:: CRAIG OF THE SIDESHOW TRAMPS
3:50PM-4:20PM:: MUTULU KAFELE
3:10PM-3:50PM:: ELECTRIC ATTITUDE
2:40PM-3:10PM:: PAPAYA
2:00PM-2:40PM:: BOMBON

There you go; head on up Downtown, y’all.