Yr Friday Night: PUP + Miears + Ancient Cat Society + Tee Vee + The Tontons + Flower Graves + Bottom of the Food Chain + More

Holy shit, y’all. Yeah, it’s been a while — back in the fall, I had every intention of getting this ship righted and sailing again, but as always happens, life intervened. So I’ve spent the last few months dealing instead with madness at the Day Job and losing family members and pets at home, all of which has sucked, a lot. My apologies to everybody for dropping so, so, so many things; it’s been all I can do to even keep the shows list kinda-sorta updated.

That said, I’m working once more on getting things going in the right direction, and here’s my first little stab at that. There is a massive amount of excellent stuff happening this spring/summer, and this weekend is no exception. Tonight, in particular — Friday, February 28th — has a big, big pile of cool shows & whatnot going on. Here’s what looks good to me:

PUP/Screaming Females/The Drew Thomson Foundation @ White Oak Music Hall
First up, I just have this to say: holy fuck, PUP is an amazing band. No, seriously, they’re goddamn awesome; I was absolutely floored by their self-titled 2013 debut, and I’ve been a fan ever since. It’s one of those weird things, where it’s surprisingly hard to make music that’s energetic as hell but captivating at the same time, and these Canadian guys have absolutely nailed that formula; I don’t know how, but they have.

The music they play is fast and raw and loud and full of fury, but at the same time, it’s eminently hummable and fun, making you want to yell/howl along and foot-drum or headbang like you haven’t got a goddamn care in the world. And I dunno, maybe that doesn’t sound great to you, but to me, it’s freaking perfect. To me, the world needs more bands like this, dammit.

Oh, and beyond all that, their 2019 album Morbid Stuff is just flat-out phenomenal, taking all that energy and somehow focusing it down like a laser so it goes right where they want it to. And it makes me think weirdly of The Hold Steady’s Separation Sunday, so there’s that, too. Get on up to the WOMH, people; do it now.
 

Miears (album release)/Ancient Cat Society/Tee Vee @ Axelrad
Okay, so I’ll admit to being somewhat torn on whether the PUP show or this one should go first in the list; PUP won out by a hair. I’m glad to see Miears‘ self-titled project rolling on, because she’s a ridiculously good singer and songwriter, and her bright-colored electro-pop sound scratches that CHVRCHES-shaped itch on my heart; I’ve heard a teeny bit of new album Hanging On, and it’s really, really good. Plus, gently-smiling folk outfit Ancient Cat Society always makes me happy, and I’ve been liking Tee Vee a heck of a lot lately, too. Like I said, this was a close one, and three for three is why, so if PUP isn’t for you, head over to Axelrad, instead…
 

Spring Fling at the Moody, featuring The Tontons @ Moody Center for the Arts (Rice Univ. campus; 8-10PM)
Despite it being my alma mater, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about the Spring Fling before, which means it’s either a new thing, or (more likely) I’m totally out of touch. Either way, this sounds like a really neat event; it’s at the Moody Center for the Arts on the Rice campus, it’s free, and it’s all around the Center’s new exhibition, “Radical Revisionists: Contemporary African Artists Confronting Past and Present”.

Oh, and The Tontons are playing. Did I forget that part? Because honestly, that’s the best part of this whole thing, to me — I am happy beyond words that the Tontons crew is still alive & kicking, because it seems like they’ve been quiet for a good long while (since 2018, I think?). No clue what they sound like these days, but I hope that psychedelic-soul thing is still going on.
 

Flower Graves/Spirit Ghost/The Stacks/Ezra Black @ Satellite Bar
If you’re looking for something a little bit lower-key — but still on the “psych” side of the spectrum — get over to the Satellite Bar (or “Satellite Houston,” I guess, these days?). Flower Graves put out a hell of an album last year with Living in Diguise, a hunk of shimmery, warbly, haze-filled retro-pop that sounds like it came either straight out of the ’60s or — at the very least — out of Anton Newcombe’s fondest dreams. Go check ’em out, seriously.
 

The Suspects/Los Kurados/Carbide/Bottom of the Food Chain @ The White Swan
And last but not least, there’s this show over at The White Swan. Sadly, H-town ska icons The Suspects had to cancel, but it still sounds like a good lineup that’s left; I don’t know Los Kurados at all, but I’ve liked what I’ve heard about Bottom of the Food Chain, so I’d give it a thumbs-up for them alone…
 

Runners-Up:
LOTS Vol. 1, featuring Narrow Head, Alexalone, Astragal, Substance, Rick Glaciers, Small Chair, Pipe Dream, Saint Rosa (tape release), & Social Static @ House of J (323 Hutcheson; 6PM-12AM)
Unified Space/Fiddle Witch @ Darwin’s Pub (free!)
Opeth/Graveyard @ House of Blues
Tiësto @ Stereo Live
Nights Like This Vol. 4, featuring Lonny, Tobacco Ryan, Morgan Morgan, & chairsarepeople @ DARBLY (7800 Amelia)
The Guillotines/Pretty Vacant/Scary Cherry/Chaotic Justice @ Acadia Bar & Grill
Dale Watson @ Goode Co. Armadillo Palace