Holy Freaking Whatever Fest, Y’all (Coming August 9th & 10th)

Yeah, yeah; I know, I still need to get my damn writeup online about this year’s awesome FPSF (soon, I swear by all that is good and holy…), but while you’re waiting for that — as I’m sure you all are, with bated breath and everything — there’s been some badass-sounding news this week about another music festival, which will be having its inaugural run August 9th and 10th.

It’s called Houston Whatever Fest, and just looking at the lineup is kinda making me freak out. They’ve got party-rock icon Andrew W.K. playing, which would have me psyched all by itself, but they’ve also pulled in utterly mindblowing band The Hold Steady, industrial-tinged (well, okay, they were in the ’90s, alright) alt-rockers Filter, modern metal godfathers Helmet, underrated rock dudes Local H, and punk creators The Dwarves.

Basically, the bill fills in all those holes in H-town’s summer concert schedule that’ve been irking me lately (esp. The Hold Steady, who I’d been really hoping would make a Houston stop), and then keeps adding to the pile ’til it’s overflowing. Along with the names I happen to like, Whatever Fest also has Mute Math and Blonde Redhead, the nominal headliners, Passion Pit and Neon Indian doing DJ sets, Kreayshawn, Trust, The Queers, Rebirth Brass Band, Goldlink, and Cheap Girls, plus some truly excellent homegrown folks like {Knights of the Fire Kingdom}, {We Were Wolves}, {Night Drive}, {Another Run}, {A Sea Es}, Fox & Cats, {Catch Fever}, and {LIMB}.

Beyond that, it turns out Houston Whatever Fest isn’t strictly about the music, but means to meld the worlds of music and comedy like some kind of combo candybar that tastes weird at first bite but which you end up being unable to put down. I can’t claim to know the vast majority of the names on the “Comedy” side of the bill, it’s true, but HOLY FUCKING SHIT THEY’VE GOT BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT. Seriously? I had no idea he was even still doing live shows, and that’s freaking awesome.

The festival takes place in what the organizers are calling EaDo Party Park, but which you may know better as that block of the Warehouse District that’s just across 59 from the convention center. It’ll encompass both Warehouse Live and next-door Lucky’s Pub, apparently, as well as what looks like the parking lot behind, presumably cramming in a stage or two between the back of the Warehouse and the BBVA Compass Stadium.

Now, for the best part: two-day passes for this thing are on sale now, and they only cost $55. Yes, you read that right. People who get hit with sticker shock when they see the prices for FPSF wristbands these days (and yes, that includes me), this one’s for you. Two days’ worth of awesome music and laughs for less than what my own little family of four can get away with paying at a decent Mexican restaurant. Damn, y’all.

BTW, when word first broke about Whatever Fest, it was a little unclear who or what was running the show; emails to the addresses posted on the site bounce, and the contact form doesn’t work, so our attempts to find out more went pretty much nowhere.

I’d actually suspected that this was intended to kinda-sorta replace the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase for this year, honestly (and, um, more on that very soon in a separate post), but apparently that’s not the case. From his post earlier today, it sounds like HP music honcho Chris Gray was as befuddled as I was. Check out the article to get the info yours truly wasn’t able to, alright?

And kudos to the actual organizer, Jason Price of the aforementioned Warehouse Live, for putting this thing on. He’s taken a huge gamble here, but it looks flat-out great, and I hope to God it succeeds beyond all belief…