Yr. Weekend, Pt. 3: And So I Watch You From Afar (Rev’d!) + TTNG + John Fogerty + Funeral Horse + Oceans of Slumber + More

Hey, all — it’s Sunday, October 20th now, and as I sit here recovering from the gorgeous day outside and wishing all year could be like this (please?), I feel compelled to mention that yes, there’re still some great shows going on tonight. Here goes:

And So I Watch You From Afar/TTNG/Mylets/Sunrise and Ammunition @ Fitzgerald’s
This is the big one, to me, not least of all because I’ve been listening to And So I Watch You From Afar‘s new album, All Hail Bright Futures, nearly nonstop for the past two days. And holy fucking wow, is it amazing. The Belfast instro-rock outfit mashes together supremely technical prog-rock guitars, bouncy Afrobeat rhythms, crunching epic metal, and ridiculously infectious melodies together into something that’s unlike anything I’ve heard before (and I’ve heard quite a bit). Check out the full review over here.

Plus, they’re playing with Oxford band TTNG (formerly “This Town Needs Guns,” before this year), who are also pretty darn cool — they’re similarly prog-influenced, but quite a bit quieter and more thoughtful, with an almost jazz feel to it. They’re almost like a British American Football, really (and boy, is that a confusing sentence). SCR reviewed their latest album back in May, right here.

Opening up the night is about the most appropriate band the Pegstar folks could’ve picked, Houston’s own {Sunrise and Ammunition}, who also straddle the line between pop melodicism, prog/jazz technicality, and flat-out rock. Finally got to see S&A at Yes Indeed! Fest last month, and honestly, they were better than I’d even hoped they’d be. Get up to the Fitz now, y’all.

John Fogerty @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
I’m pretty sure every student at the college I went to was required by law to own three albums: the Beastie Boys’ Check Your Head, Abba’s Abba Gold, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Chronicle. For some reason, one of the three seemed to get played at every dang party I ever went to in school, and it was a pretty rare afternoon when you could cross the Quad without hearing one or the other of ’em.

And hey, that was fine by me, because even as a kid, CCR was one of a handful of rock bands from my parents era that I actually did think lived up to the hype that came after. I still know the words to every damn song on that one compilation album, even songs I could’ve sworn I’d forgotten years ago, like “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.” So I’m glad to see John Fogerty is still alive & kicking & playing his old songs once again; love to be able to see him live one of these damn days.

Widower/Destroyer of Light/Funeral Horse @ Rudyard’s
On the darker side, Rudyard’s has a cool-looking lineup tonight, too, with a heavy (and heavy) helping of sludgy, doom-y metal to get you through the remains of the weekend. I’ve only heard of Austin bands Widower and Destroyer of Light, but everything I’ve heard has been good; on the flip side, I have heard opening band {Funeral Horse}, who are themselves a spinoff of the sadly-departed Art Institute, and have been mightily impressed by their sludgy awesomeness, despite the band claiming they’re a trio of half-asses. Don’t believe it — these guys are damn freaking good.

Oh, and if you hurry, you might be able to catch a little bit of the Level Up show with Michael Priest that’s going on right now…

Periphery/Born Of Osiris/Dead Letter Circus/Twelve Foot Ninja/Oceans of Slumber @ Fitzgerald’s
And speaking of metal… The other floor of Fitzgerald’s has a promising-looking slate of metal/metal-ish bands, some of which I’ve heard of & some I definitely haven’t. Heard good things about Chicagoans Born of Osiris, although the deathcore thing isn’t much my scene, and prog-metallers Periphery are supposed to be good, too. The ones I’ve actually heard, though, are local dudes {Oceans of Slumber}, who do a very cool mishmash of death metal speed and bluesy rock and whom I like quite a bit. Get there early for this one, folks.

Runners-Up:
Michael Bublé @ Toyota Center
A Day To Remember/Pierce the Veil/All Time Low/The Wonder Years @ Reliant Arena
Local Live Houston Fall Carnival, featuring The Minx Delilah, Cassette Tape, EnSane, Kose, Staci’s Edge, Screwtape, Steve Krase & The Unusual Suspects, Sydnee Jane, Devil Killing Moth, Sand Dollar Swing, DeadEnd Cowboys, Grant Harrison, Myrna Sanders, The Mighty Orq, Lonestar Disciples, Abby Gough, C4 & Rory Jagdeo, & Wendy Elizabeth Jones Band @ Last Concert Cafe