Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: Toadies + Supersuckers + Art Car Ball + Institute + Back To Back + Loretta Lynn + Nathan Quick + More

Yeah, so I’ve been a wee bit preoccupied this week, but dammit, shows are still happening, even tonight — Friday, May 9th, to be exact — so I’m going to try to point to the good ones, at the very least. Here we go:

Toadies/Supersuckers/Battleme @ House of Blues
I know I’ve said this before right here, but it still boggles my mind that the Toadies are still alive and kicking, after breaking up in the early ’00s and reuniting in the mid-’00s. And while I have to admit that I wasn’t a big fan back then, I find myself liking ’em a whole hell of a lot more now — I don’t know if that means my tastes have changed or if the rock world at large has moved in directions I’m not that keen on, but eh. Whichever, I find myself going back to Rubberneck now and enjoying the heck out of it.

Their newest album, too, 2012’s Play.Rock.Music, surprised me with how good and strange it is/was; there’s a desperation and a weird vibe that wasn’t really there the first time around, and yeah, it makes me like the band even more. Check out “Laments of a Good Man” to see what I mean…

And hey, the Supersuckers! Holy crap, it’s been a long time since I saw those guys; The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers still holds a hallowed place in my KTRU-DJ heart, even now.

The Legendary Art Car Ball, featuring Whiskey Shivers, A Fistful of Soul, Free Rads 2nd Line, & Third Ward Community Choir @ Two Allen Center (1200 Smith; 6-11PM)
And for the swankier/artier set, there’s the ever-great Art Car Ball, the big, kooky, costume-heavy party The Orange Show is throwing (always throws?) to kick-off this weekend’s Art Car Parade here in our fair city.

They’ve got the Fistful of Soul DJs playing this evening, along with a “Second Line” performance by Nick Cooper‘s {Free Radicals}, and Austin folk/blues/bluegrass (“trashgrass”?) mess Whiskey Shivers. They’re all damn good, and I’ve actually wanted to see the Shivers live for quite a while now, so I’m a bit bummed to not be there this evening. Ah, well — you go party in my stead, okay?

Institute/Back To Back/Breakout/Mystic Inane @ Mango’s
To clarify: the band Institute who are playing tonight are not Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale‘s now-dead side project. They are, instead, a punk/hardcore band of the messy, noisy variety from up in Austin, and they happen to be playing tonight at Mango’s, alongside excellent locals {Back To Back}, who I’ve been pretty impressed by. Hardcore kids, this is for you.

Loretta Lynn/Amber Digby @ Nutty Jerry’s (Winnie)
For those waaaaay-outside-the-Loop-ers (and fans of classic country music, naturally), there’s a great show going on out at Nutty Jerry’s in Winnie. The real-live Queen of Country (to me, at least), Loretta Lynn, has come back around and is playing tonight, and dangit, that just makes me happy. If you don’t already know who she is, well, you can look her up on her own, but let me put it to you this way: the woman has released 54 full-length albums since 1963, and most of ’em have been awesome. Oh, and 2004’s Van Lear Rose saw her teaming up with Jack White and coming out on top, which is no mean feat when it comes out on top.

The Canebrake/Matthew & the Arrogant Sea/Nathan Quick/Espantapajaros @ House of Blues
Last but not least, there’s this cool little show over at the House of Blues; I don’t know most of the folks playing, it’s true, but I’ve heard good stuff about {Espantapajaros}, and thanks to doing those Madness on Main Street previews, I now know {Nathan Quick} somewhat, and like him, as well. If you didn’t read the preview, let me just say that Quick plays raggedy Americana that makes me think of Robert Ellis, Folk Family Revival, and David Ramirez, all of which are great comparisons. Catch him tonight, then see him again tomorrow, alright?

Runners-Up:
War Master/Oath of Cruelty/Legion/Versklaven/Texas Massacre @ Fitzgerald’s
Folk Family Revival @ Yaga’s Cafe (Galveston)
Closed Eyes Open/Ak’Chamel/Orchard in Bloom @ Rudyard’s
Maddie’s Birthday, featuring Whit, Tejas, Darwin’s Finches, & Howl and the Rougarou @ 2215 Commerce Street ($3)
Mantra Love/Mojave Red/Battle Between @ Notsuoh