So, if you fall off the horse, you’re supposed to pick yourself up and get back on it again, right? That’s what I’ve always heard, and it kinda-sorta feels like it applies to yours truly right now. I’d planned on doing all the weekend-rundown stuff last weekend…and then other things intervened, like me getting sick, and one of the kids getting sick. It happens; sorry about that…
Written on October 7, 2016 | Posted in
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First off: yeah, I know it’s been a while. This whole past year feels like a giant wave that washed over yours truly and never let up, and because of that, SCR has taken a definite back seat to a whole lot of other things. The plan, though, is to turn that around and get shit moving once again. Part of the reason why I’m dying to get things back to an even keel, I should note, is because there’s so much damn cool stuff going on right now in Houston’s scene…
Written on January 9, 2016 | Posted in
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Ever since the news first broke about local booking maestros Pegstar opening their very own purpose-built venue, the sweet-looking White Oak Music Hall, it’s felt like it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped…
Written on August 26, 2015 | Posted in
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Yeah, yeah — I know The World’s About to End (again), what with a maybe-hurricane maybe-bearing down on Houston, but that doesn’t mean all movement has to cease, right? That’s especially true today, because H-town rawk dudes Knights of the Fire Kingdom cut loose with some big, big news. Not only have they finally announced the release of their long-awaited full-length (which I swear to God I’ve been listening to for in some form or another for close to two years now)…
Written on June 15, 2015 | Posted in
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At long last, my friends, here we are, standing on the precipice before the steady collapse into heat-induced delerium and music-induced euphoria that accompanies every Free Press Summer Festival just as surely as the sun rises every morning. It’s gonna hurt, yes, but you’ll love it just the same…
Written on June 6, 2015 | Posted in
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Got a nice surprise in the inbox this week: the Pegstar folks have officially released their plans for their long-promised new venue, which they’re planning to have up and running early next year. The new place is going to be called White Oak Music Hall, a name that has pretty lofty aspirations and a nice historical tie both to the current Pegstar venue, Fitzgerald’s…
Written on May 14, 2015 | Posted in
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The mesmerizing, hypnotizing, beautiful Angel Olsen and her four-piece band came to Houston for a show at Fitzgerald’s a little while back, bringing with them the opening band, Lionlimb, who happened to be Ms. Olsen’s guitarist Stewart Bronaugh and drummer Josh Jaeger‘s band. Lionlimb were an easy-going, light surf-rock-meets-Pink Floyd affair…
Written on May 13, 2015 | Posted in
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Live Reviews
Oh, how I love this band. {The Suffers} may be the ones getting all the press right now (and deservedly so), but my own personal Magic 8-Ball proclaims/hopes that {The Wheel Workers} are the next H-town band to surge upwards into the spotlight. They are simultaneously brilliant and down-to-earth, sincerely progressive and catchy as hell, that rare band that can incorporate thoughtful politics into music while keeping things fun and engaging. All of which explains why I’m so, so happy to see/hear new full-length Citizens coming down the pike…
Written on May 7, 2015 | Posted in
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There’s a veritable ton of good music going on today/tonight (Saturday, April 11th, that is) — including Earth Day Houston over at Discovery Green, which I completely had no idea was happening ’til just now…argh — and while I can’t get to most of it, there’s one show in particular that I want to point everybody to…
Written on April 11, 2015 | Posted in
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Shovels and Rope have played Houston before, but it must have been a while ago, because it seems like I’ve been waiting forever to see them live since I learned about them, thanks to them winning the Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist of 2013 over my beloved Milk Carton Kids. “Who are these guys that beat my favorite act?,” I thought…
Written on March 4, 2015 | Posted in
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Live Reviews
I’ve never seen A Place To Bury Strangers live; after hearing Transfixiation, I’m not sure I’d survive the experience. Part of me wonders that, if I did, once I staggered, blood dripping steadily from my eardrums and my head full of darkness and fear and ruin, back out onto the street, maybe some new facet of the world I’d never fully recognized might suddenly reveal itself to me. Or, on the other hand, I might just pass out in the gutter, sobbing uncontrollably and unable to remember what all had happened. Still, it’s damned tempting to give it a try…
Written on February 26, 2015 | Posted in
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And here, folks, is where I will be tonight (specifically, Thursday, November 13th). I’ve been waiting very literally for years now to see/hear Scottish post-punk rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks, and when I saw their name appear on the list of upcoming shows over at Fitzgerald’s, I very nearly went through the damn ceiling in excitement…
Written on November 13, 2014 | Posted in
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It’s taken me a good long while to write this review. And until now, I wasn’t really sure why; after all, there are very few albums I’ve been more excited to hear than The Tontons’ long-awaited full-length, Make Out King and Other Stories of Love. So when I finally had a chance to check it out, I grabbed it, and listened…
Written on October 24, 2014 | Posted in
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Alright, y’all — I’m still feeling like hell, but I’m at least vertical now (relatively, anyway), and I didn’t want to not mention the cool things going on this evening, Saturday, September 20th. I may have to keep the blather brief, but here we go, either way…
Written on September 20, 2014 | Posted in
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Ten years is a long time to be in a band. It’s like dog years. I’ve never been in a band for ten years — the band I’m in now has had the name for that long, but only one of the guys has been in the band the whole time… So like I said, ten years is a long time, and that’s something to celebrate…
Written on July 24, 2014 | Posted in
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Live Reviews
Alright, so this may sound a little familiar, but…do you remember last month, when we got all psyched about the return of Roky Moon & BOLT!? Of course you do! And why in the hell am I bringing it up yet again?…
Written on March 27, 2014 | Posted in
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Hey, all — in case some folks haven’t yet heard, I wanted to pass along some bad (although not as bad as it could be) news. This past Friday night, while playing with his band {Alkari} up at Fitzgerald’s, guitarist/singer Mike Beatty had a heart attack…
Written on March 2, 2014 | Posted in
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Holy freaking hell yeah, people. Yes, the much-mourned Roky Moon & BOLT! are apparently reuniting at the end of March for a couple of badass-sounding reunion shows. Granted, that doesn’t mean it’s a “real” reunion beyond those couple of gigs, but hey, I’ll take it…
Written on February 19, 2014 | Posted in
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Yeah, I realize it’s a mere, lowly Tuesday, of all things (November 5th, to be precise), but damn, looking at the calendar for this evening, my jaw just drops. There is a nice-sized pile of excellent stuff happening this evening; here’s what you should be doing…
Written on November 5, 2013 | Posted in
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Damn. Sorry, y’all — family-related things had me tied up all day yesterday, and I’m afraid I blew it on the Saturday installment of this weekend’s shows-and-such rundown. sigh. Apologies to all…
Written on September 29, 2013 | Posted in
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Trying to get a little bit of a jump on the weekend’s festivities, in part because yes, this one particular show seriously appeals to me… At Fitzgerald’s tomorrow evening (Friday, June 21st)…
Written on June 21, 2013 | Posted in
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Busy, busy day coming up, on into Saturday, May 3rd — there’s a ton going on, so much that I’m not going to have time to really talk about even most of it. But hell, let’s hit the highlights; here’s what I’m thinking looks & sounds cool…
Written on May 4, 2013 | Posted in
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Yep, it’s Sunday, April 28th, and I hope everybody out there survived yesterday’s deluge; we took in a couple whose SUV got swamped while they were headed to their engagement party, and that ended up being our primary excitement of the evening. But hey, the weather’s holding off so far…
Written on April 28, 2013 | Posted in
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On into Saturday, April 27th, today, and again, there’s a crapload of good stuff happening. Here’s what looks/sounds good to me…
Written on April 27, 2013 | Posted in
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Last day of the weekend today, seeing as it’s Sunday, April 7th, but there’s still some good stuff going on, and I wanted to make sure it didn’t slip through the cracks. Here’s what I think looks cool…
Written on April 7, 2013 | Posted in
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It’s looking like one hell of a day/night today, Saturday, April 6th, so I’ll skip the usual blather and just get right to all the cool things happening. Here we go…
Written on April 6, 2013 | Posted in
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There’s a small pile of benefit-type shows coming up, and hey, each one’s excellent and worthy in its own unique way, certainly. I must confess, though, to being somewhat biased towards one particular benefit concert going on tomorrow, Saturday, April 5th…
Written on April 6, 2013 | Posted in
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Getting a late start tonight, unfortunately; sorry ’bout that. It’s Friday, March 29th, y’all, and there’s definitely some good stuff going on tonight, even starting right now. Here we go…
Written on March 29, 2013 | Posted in
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Step right up, folks; duck your head as you make your way inside the tent, then prepare yourself for Chase Hamblin & The Roustabouts as the roll and ramble through their long-awaited full-length, VAUdeVILLE… First things first: the band’s…
Written on March 29, 2013 | Posted in
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When you have been in bands for 25 years, you can tell when a band has put everything they’ve got into a performance. This kind of effort was on display at Fitzgerald’s last night. With the release of their new album, Past to Present, The Wheel Workers…
Written on March 26, 2013 | Posted in
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Live Reviews
Hey, all — already into the weekend, I’m afraid, but there’s still lots going on tonight, Friday, March 8th/b>. Get on out the house, y’all…
Written on March 8, 2013 | Posted in
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I don’t know Christian Kidd, not really; we’ve exchanged emails a few times, sure, but we’ve never met in person, never had a conversation longer than a sentence or two. I think the closest I’ve come to introducing myself to the guy — who over the many…
Written on March 8, 2013 | Posted in
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Yep, yep, yep — rolling into a heck of a promising weekend, starting with tonight, Friday, March 1st. I’ve gotta keep it brief, so here we go…
Written on March 1, 2013 | Posted in
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Hey, all — sorry this is so damn late, but it’s been a weirdly non-stop day for yours truly, involving a lot of driving to and from Jacinto City and down to somewhere just east of Missouri City. I’m finally back in front of the computer, and holy crap, look at the time…sigh…
Written on February 23, 2013 | Posted in
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Brace yourselves, folks, because tonight, otherwise known as Friday, February 22nd, is promising to be one hell of a night, rain or no. There’s a metric crap-ton of good shows happening this evening, so you’ve honestly got your pick; here’s what I think looks cool…
Written on February 22, 2013 | Posted in
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Long, long ago, yours truly was in a band. We weren’t all that good, I’m saddened to admit, but we played some shows, recorded some songs, and had a blast for a while there. We found ourselves part of this amazing little scene and played, a lot of the time, only for ourselves…
Written on February 22, 2013 | Posted in
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Interviews
Okay, so I know the Ra Ra Riot show tonight up at Fitz is all sold out, but don’t lose hope just yet. You need to head to the other floor of the club, instead; trust me on this, people…
Written on February 21, 2013 | Posted in
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Holy fucking wow, y’all. Here I thought Friday was pretty jam-packed with shows, but it turns out it’s got nothing on Saturday, February 16th. There’s so damn much going on, I’m not entirely sure where to begin, but here goes…
Written on February 16, 2013 | Posted in
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I’ve gotten info about a bunch of different benefit-type shows lately, and while I fully intend to post about all of ’em at some point, this one really grabbed hold of me, in large part because it’s a benefit for awesome, insanely talented cool dude Lucas Gorham, a mainstay of the Houston scene and the […]
Written on February 10, 2013 | Posted in
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Whoa. Big, big, big night tonight — Saturday, January 26th, that is — with a whole heck of a lot of good shows vying for your attention. Here’s what I think sounds cool, at least…
Written on January 26, 2013 | Posted in
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