Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: the last place you look + Venomous Maximus + Thre3style Massive + The Tontons + More

Wow. Tonight’s the first night of the weekend, Friday, December 21st, and it’s not only the first day of Christmas/holiday vacation for some of us (okay, fine; mine was yesterday) but also — if you listen to people who think science is all made-up nonsense but paranoid ideas about aliens and magnetic pole reversal and prophecies are perfectly logical — maybe-kinda The End of the World.

Actually, I’m told the world was supposed to end at 5AM this morning, so we apparently dodged the nonexistent bullet, so there’s that; now can we all please start listening to smart people who know science and ignoring crackpots whose theories have no basis in actual fact? Good, glad that’s settled.

Anyway, don’t let the Nonpocalypse deter you from partying down like the world’s ending, because there’s a crapload of good stuff going down tonight. Here’s what looks/sounds good to me:

the last place you look 3rd Annual Holiday Bash, featuring the last place you look (EP release), Recovery Room, Another Run, & Satellite Brigade @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Okay, so this one holds a special place in my sarcastic little heart, because I was able to hit {the last place you look}‘s holiday party at Warehouse Live last year, and it was freaking amazing. No lie; one of the best, most entertaining shows I’ve seen a band put on, ever.

Granted, I love the post-emo, melodic-yet-heavy rock TLPYL makes to begin with, so I’m a little biased, but they were flat-out on that night, and the holiday covers they threw in (see over here for that) were great. Oh, and the “snow” machine? It was brilliant.

I meant to post a review of the show after the fact, but sadly, as with a lot of things like this in recent years, it fell by the wayside. But hey, I did take a ton of pictures, so now’s as good a time as any to put those up here:

Plus, tonight they’re playing with some cool other folks (I was only meh on last year’s one opening band, sorry, to the point where I don’t even remember their name), namely {Recovery Room} and {Satellite Brigade}, both of which I’ve heard good things about, and entertainingly quasi-funky rockers {Another Run}. Fans of good times and loud, heavy, yet melodic rock, this is for you.

The End of the World, featuring Venomous Maximus, Pallbearer, Power Trip, Mammoth Grinder, War Master, Eagle Claw, Omotai, Oceans of Slumber, Transmaniacon MC, & Peasant @ Fitzgerald’s (free!/$10)
Mëtäl. Yes, that’s what’ll save us from the Pockyclypse, folks, or at least provide an awesomely heavy, skull-crushing soundtrack to the destruction. And awesomely heavy is definitely what tonight’s about up at Fitzgerald’s, with a lineup of badass metal bands that will melt your face clean off.

I’m told quasi-headliners Pallbearer are excellently sludgy, but honestly, I’m more interested in local dudes {Venomous Maximus}, whose recent Beg Upon The Light has really grown on me in a hurry, and {Omotai}, who’ve mutated in recent months to something that’s less doom and more NY noisecore but remain one of my favorite bands from anywhere. Omotai’s new album, Terrestrial Grief, is epic as hell, too — check out the review over here.

Red Bull Thre3style Massive Benefit for Girls Rock Camp Houston, featuring A-Trak, Toy Selectah, RL Grime, Four Color Zack, Nedu Lopes, DJ Drummer, & Skillz @ Stereo Live
I’d put this one on the list a while ago because, hey, it sounded like a neat lineup of excellent, supremely talented DJs battling it out, including A-Trak and Mad Decent DJ Toy Selectah.

Now, though, I hear this will also be a benefit for {Girls Rock Camp Houston}, to boot, and that’s a cause I’m totally & completely behind, no lie. Go help the kids and bliss out on the dancefloor…

MFAH Mixed Media: Party Like There’s No Tomorrow, featuring The Tontons, BOAN, Jessica Lozano, & Ceeplus Bad Knives @ Museum of Fine Arts Houston (1001 Bissonnet; 8PM-12AM)
Or, alternatively, you could go hand out tonight over at the MFAH, where they’re having the latest of their Mixed Media series of shows, which let you chill out with awesome music while surrounded by incredible works of art (just don’t spray paint on any of ’em, ‘kay?).

Best of all, tonight’s Mixed Media features ever-amazing psych/soul/pop/rock band {The Tontons} as the headliners — they’re a band I literally can’t say enough good things about, dammit, and I’ve got my fingers tightly crossed that they break out and get recognized nationally sometime very, very soon. They’re headed that way, believe me.

Indian Jewelry @ Cardoza Fine Art (free!)
Speaking of art and good music, Cardoza Fine Art has one of H-town’s strangest-yet-coolest bands, the amorphous gang of mutants known (currently) as {Indian Jewelry}, who’ll be playing a free deal up there tonight. The band sent us their most recent album, Peel It, to review a few weeks back, and as I said about it at the time, yeah, their sound’s just a teensy bit more listenable than on previous releases I’ve heard. They’re still out to mindfuck you ’til you think you’re naked and drooling on the floor, don’t worry, but now you’ll be smiling while they do it.

72Names/Downer/The Visions @ Notsuoh
Moths/P.L.X.T.X/Josiah Gabriel/Cordial/Saya @ Notsuoh
Okay, and it’s Dueling Shows Time at Notsuoh tonight, it seems. There’s been a show scheduled for a while now with {72Names}, “Downer”, and The Visions — {The Lotus Effect} had been on the bill, too, but they’ve had to cancel. Now, though, I’m also seeing info about a show at the same dang venue (at the exact same time) with a totally different lineup, including {MOTHS}, {P.L.X.T.X}, {Josiah Gabriel}, {Saya}, & {Cordial}.

Which one will actually happen? Maybe they’ve opened up the upper floors of the building or something? No clue…

iGnarly: Maya Skate Proffecy, featuring Gnar World Order, Fingers Crossed, Bayou City Kids, & The Witherees @ 807 William (8PM-1AM)
And last of the bunch, I had to include this one because of the “iGnarly” name — as somebody who’s occasionally forced to watch the Disney Channel and the various interchangeable shows they air, it kinda made me crack up. Plus, this is the first show I’ve seen, at least, from a newish booking group in town that calls itself Team Slam Force Five, which I think has some connection to those crazy {Giant Battle Monster} guys. Always glad to see more folks putting on shows…

Runners-Up:
Project Grimm/Strange Weapons/DeLorean Rising @ Rudyard’s
End of the World Dance and Winter Solstice Social, featuring The Hightailers, Carrie Ann and the Apocalyptics, & Jimmy Lee Deen @ Last Concert Cafe
Texas Johnny Brown & The Quality Blues Band/Quadraphonic @ The Continental Club
End of the World Party, featuring Chase Hamblin & The Roustabouts, Shotgun Funeral, Easy Credit Dance Theatre, Days ‘N Daze, & Blarin’ Aaron Loesch @ Avant Garden
A Fistful of Soul @ The Big Top
Mama Tried @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
Doomsday at Dean’s, featuring Another Pearl Harbor, Cozy Blankets, Lang Freeman, & Think-182 (Blink-182 tribute) @ Dean’s (8PM-2AM)
Amplified Heat @ Mango’s
Skyzoo/John Dew/2-Twenty/Nya @ Warehouse Live (Green Room)
Blaggards @ Molly Malone’s (Spring)