All Along: The Best of The Week
Kid Cudi, Photo: Greg Noire
Well, it’s certainly beginning to look a lot like Houston again with all of the events that have been happening as of late. This week is no different when a comedy festival and even acts like Kid Cudi, pictured above will be rolling through town. Houston, here’s what’s happening this week.
Wednesday you might be a secret Barry Manilow fan, and if you are then you can catch him on his “farewell tour” at Toyota Center. He has a ton of hits, I’m not going to oversell it, so if you’ve wanted to see him live then this is your chance. The all ages show has doors at 6:30 and tickets between $19.75 and $249.75.
Justin Furstenfeld, Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
Of course, you’d probably rather head to House of Blues for an evening with Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October. The mournful tunes this guy belts out only make the fact that he’s a native Houstonian sound sweeter. He’ll be performing tracks from his latest solo release, “Songs From An Open Book,” as well as I’m sure some of your favorite Blue October tunes as well. The all ages show has doors at 7:00 and tickets for $30.00. There’s also a show Thursday with the same door time and ticket price.
Satellite Bar will host the punk Americana of Nashville’s The Punknecks. This duo makes plenty of fun jams that tonk the tonk while they honk the honk. They’ll have the Celtic punk of Houston’s The Dead Rabbits on as direct support, and the alt country Americana of The Grizzly Band on as openers. The all ages show has doors at 8:00 and tickets for $8.00.
Revention Center will host the massively popular hip hop of Cleveland’s Kid Cudi. The rapper has made a name for himself since coming onto the rap scene in 2024. He’s collaborated with Kanye among many others, and he’s here in support of last year’s “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven.” There’s no word of an opener, however that could change. The all ages show has doors at 9:30 and tickets between $45.00 and $55.00.
Guilla, Photo: Haley Garrett
Thursday you can start at Nightingale Room, when Houston’s Guilla drops a hip hop set. For the last year this guy’s been prepping what I hear is actually three separate projects due in 2024. Come catch him live and you’ll more than likely hear tracks from each performed live. The hip hop of MC Genesis Blu will be on as direct support and opener, and should give Guilla a run for his money with her mad mic skills. The 21 & up show has doors at 7:00 and it’s 100% FREE.
If you’d rather laugh then you could head to Improv to catch the popular and hilarious Pablo Francisco. Francisco has had two Comedy Central specials, he’s been on The Tonight Show, as well as all over the world. His last album, 2024’s “They Put It Out There,” is pretty funny, and he’s always a riot to catch live. As per all of these shows, the host and feature act will both be taken by two of Houston’s better comics. The 18 & up show has doors at 7:15, the Friday shows have doors at 7:00 and 9:00, the Saturday shows have doors at 6:15 and 8:00, and the Sunday show has doors at 6:45. All of these shows have tickets between $22.00 and $32.00.
Brooklyn’s downtempo electronica duo, Beacon will be over at Rudyard’s for a live set. These two have been on a tear dropping releases at a pretty alarmingly quick rate. Their latest release is a full length from this year called, “Escapements,” and it’s full of pretty crazy tunes. The downtempo R&B of Natasha Kmeto will be on as direct support and opener on the all ages show with doors at 8:00 and tickets between $10.00 and $13.00.
Trae Tha Truth, Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
Warehouse Live will be bringing the hip hop of Houston’s Trae Tha Truth to life. This month Trae dropped a pretty sick album with “Tha Truth, Part 2.” The album features collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign, Yo Gotti, Young Thug and many more. There’s no word of an opener, but I’m sure there will be a few. The all ages show in the ballroom is 100% FREE with RSVP, though the RSVP doesn’t mean you’ll get in if it’s crazy packed, so get there early. The doors are at 8:00.
Friday you could start off at Boulevardier for the Deep Cuts “While The House Fills Up” video debut and DJ set. The 21 & up show should be fun, it starts at 6:00, and it’s 100% FREE.
You can kick off the Come And Take Comedy Festival weekend at Warehouse Live for the live recording and kickoff show. Over in the studio, the lineup will be headlined by Texas Outlaw comic and Houston comedy legend, Andy Huggins. Huggins has been doing comedy so long, that his 2024 album “Inspired By True Events” comes off as effortlessly as his punchlines do. The show also hosts a slew of Houston comics like Jaffer Khan, Dale Cheesman, Gabe Bravo, Chase Durousseau, John Nguyen, Zahid Dewji and many more. The all ages show, presented by Roologic Records and The Secret Group has doors at 6:00 and tickets between $12.00 and $15.00 for the seated performance.
Anti-Flag, Photo: Katie Maznevski
Walters will be bringing the punk sounds of Pittsburgh four piece, Anti-Flag. Here in support of their latest release, last year’s “Cease Fires,” these guys are pretty on point when they perform. Mixing old school punk intensity with melodic verses, these guys are definitely worth making it out for. The intensity of Baltimore punk five piece, War On Women will be on as direct support. Their latest album, “War On Women” from last year is energetic and speedy. Pittsburgh post punk acoustic meets electric protest act, The Homeless Gospel Choir will also be on the bill, while Houston’s The Turnaways will be there to give everyone a run for their money. The all ages show has doors at 7:00 and tickets between $15.00 and $18.00.
The legendary female rockabilly pioneer herself, Wanda Jackson will be over at Continental Club. Jackson isn’t the tallest woman on earth, but her pipes are still as tall and strong as ever. If you’ve never seen her before, I’d suggest catching her this time around. She can still bring it and her latter day albums are still great. Her latest, “Unfinished Business” is just as strong as her Jack White produced 2024 album, “The Party Ain’t Over.” She’s no Spring chicken, so this early show might be your last chance to see her perform live. The 21 & up show has doors at 7:00 and tickets for $23.00.
Vinal Edge will have a good show when Dollie Barnes drops by to perform a live set. If you’ve never seen Barnes before, watch out as her sets are not only becoming more popular, but they’re really entertaining. She has a strong band and a mean set of pipes that are all over her track from the “Nextwave” compilation, “Chandelier.” The high energy and indie rock jams of Houston’s Rose Ette will also perform, and should bring plenty of fun. Their latest, “Jungle” from last year is pretty tight, and their live sets are always worth seeing. The all ages show gets going around 7:00 and it’s 100% FREE.
Satellite Bar will host the soul pop stylings of Dallas’ Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials. Last year these guys dropped two singles that were in the vein of Stevie Wonder meets D’Angelo, and the latter of the two “Break Free” is definitely worth giving a spin. The magical and soulful sounds of Houston’s Moji will be on hand as direct support. Last year’s “Desert Son” EP proved that a band doesn’t have to fit into a genre to be great, and their live sets are always impressive. The rough and rumble bluesy tunes of Houston’s Nathan Quick Band will be on the bill as well. Quick gave us a three song EP last year with “City Lights,” and took his sound in a whole new direction. He’s definitely worth getting there early for as his sets are always a mix of intense, groovy, and soulful. Houston’s Positive Disturbance will open the all ages show with doors at 7:00 and tickets for $10.00.
Hoodie Allen, Photo: Samuel Trotter
The ballroom at Warehouse Live will be hosting the massively popular pop rap of New York’s Hoodie Allen. Though his 2024 EP “All American” was a big deal, he’s kept moving forward. His latest, “Happy Camper” from this year and “People Keep Talking” from last year are what he’ll be here performing, so get ready for new jams. California’s SuperDuperKyle will bring his trap heavy and electro pop hip hop to life as direct support, while the R&B jams of LA’s blackbear will open the all ages show with doors at 8:00 and tickets between $25.00 and $27.00.
Notsuoh will host the psych blues sounds of Houston’s Mantra Love. This three piece dropped the “Mantra Love” Ep last year, and echoed a mix of psych, new wave, and blues all over the six songs. An added bonus is that they play those songs better in a live setting. Dallas psych quartet, Moon Waves will bring their Jefferson Airplane version of psych as direct support. Last year they dropped the crazed album, “Try Harder Little Hypnotist,” and they should be a trip to catch live. Houston’s Mind Shrine will open the all ages show has doors at 9:00 and a $5.00 cover.
Eric Andre, Photo: Team Coco
Saturday you can kick off at Warehouse Live for the second annual Come And Take It Comedy Festival. This year the headliners are strong with Kyle Kinane, the cast of Broken Lizard, Eric Andre and more. One the first day of the fest, you can start off in the ballroom with comics from Austin’s The New Movement, or start in the studio with the hilarious Nick Meriwether and Scotty Peterson followed by Phil Hanley. There’s tons of comedy from start to finish including sets from the hilarious Sean Patton, Ron Funches, alongside great locals like Dale Cheesman and Gabe Bravo. Things close down on day with with a set from Eric Andre of Adult Swim’s “The Eric Andre Show,” who I caught last year at Fun Fun Fun, and you have to see him for yourself as it’s amazing. He has the cast of Broken Lizard afterwards, and if the name doesn’t ring a bell just remember that these are the guys who wrote and starred in “Super Troopers,” “Beerfest,”and the upcoming “Super Troopers 2.” The all ages event is two days, the tickets for both days are between $69.00 and $125.00 VIP option. The doors on Saturday are at 4:00.
Later on if you want to laugh for a good cause, then you could head to the SHAPE Community Center for a comedy benefit for the people of Flint, Michigan. Hosted by the hilarious Eric Green, the show will be a pay what you can event that will have sets from Netra Babin, Ku Egenti, Son Tran, Clinton Shorter, and many more. DJ AB the Elaborate will also be on hand for the all ages event that starts at 7:00.
Rudyard’s will host electro folk pop five piece Grizfolk to town. They’ll be here in support of this year’s “Waking The Giants,” which should make for an engaging set. Arkansas retro dance rockers Knox Hamilton will be on as direct support and openers. The four piece is here supporting this year’s “How’s Your Mind,” and they’re an act worth getting there early for. The all ages show has doors at 8:00 and tickets between $12.00 and $13.00.
Over at Satellite Bar you can get your rock on when Houston’s Middlechild headlines a set. These guys make sounds that are like a mix of about nine bands while still having their own thing. Last year they dropped “Middlechild,” a full length that’s a mix of college rock and indie goodness. They’ll have the pop indie rock of Get A Life on as direct support. If you ever wanted to see Chase from Deep Cuts/Guess Genes/Children of Pop, etc. rock out on guitar, then this is the band to watch him do it. Last year’s “As If Emoji” is pretty damn legit as far as albums from a guy in a ton of projects goes, and they’re pretty stellar live. The rock of Knights of The Fire Kingdom will go on prior, and basically drop rock n’ roll science. Matching outfits, showmanship, and guitar rock goodness are all over their live sets, and last year’s full length “Knights of The Fire Kingdom,” was amazing. The indie fuzz pop of Houston’s The Lories will open the all ages show with doors at 8:00 and a $5.00 cover.
Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys, Photo: Glenn Damato
One of the best rockabilly acts you can see perform, Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys will be over at Continental Club. These guys mix jump blues, rockabilly, and Western swing into an infectious and engaging live show. Their most recent album, 2024’s “Rockin’ Big Sandy” is a treat to your ears. Grab your dancing shoes for the 21 & up show with doors at 8:00 and a $15.00 cover.
Notsuoh will host the high energy of Houston’s Only Beast. This three piece, that sounds like a five piece is a trip to watch. Between a guitarist playing bass at the same time, snappy drums, and an energetic singer, they’re intense and entertaining. Last year’s “Live At Notsuoh” should give you a sample of what’s in store. The fuzzed out indie rock of A Sundae Drive will go on prior, and will more than likely become your favorite Houston band. 2014’s “The Senseless & The Sound” was a powerhouse album, and their live sets are as powerful, as they will open the all ages show with doors at 8:00, and a $5.00 cover for the adults & $7.00 for everyone else.
Over at Numbers you could catch the always entertaining sounds of Robert DeLong. The LA based electronic artists has made quite the name for himself with a crazed live show, and his latest release, “In The Cards” from last year is pretty great. Florida two piece Colours will be on as support and opener on the all ages show with doors at 8:00 and tickets between $16.00 and $20.00.
Walters will have a show full of Wonky Power acts headlined by Handsome Beast. Last year they dropped the funky album “Sexy Face Reaction Time,” and they’re pretty strong in a live setting. The R&B pop jams of Satellite D’Homme will go on prior, and should bring singles like “The Wolf” and more to life when they play. The jammy and bluesy sounds of Houston’s Muddy Belle will also be on the bill, while the electro pop of Rex Hudson will go on prior. DJ Squincy Jones will open the all ages show with doors at 8:00 and tickets between $7.00 and $10.00.
Terry Francis, Photo: Diego Tobango
You can close out your Saturday over at Jet Lounge when legendary DJ Terry Francis comes to town. Francis is known for flawless mixing skills and killer live sets. His latest, “Gas Works” is off the chain, and his set should be on par with what he’s become known for. He’ll have Henry Chow on prior, while things will be opened up by Noey Lopez. This show will more than likely sell out. The 21 & up show has doors at 10:00 and tickets between $10.00 and $20.00.
Sunday you can start off at Walters for the Insomnia Video Game Culture Street Fighter V Week One Tournament. If you’re good enough at the game, then you should make it out and enter. They’ll have tons of door prizes, the top eight will advance, and they ask that you bring your own controller. More details and to RSVP are available here. The all ages event starts at noon, and it’s $5.00 to watch, $10.00 to play, and $10.00 to play and enter the tournament.
Eugene Mirman, Photo: Brian Tamborello
If that’s not your thing, then you can laugh at Warehouse Live for the final day of the Come And Take It Comedy Festival. The second day starts off with Owen Dunn, Rich Williams, and Kyle Ayers in the ballroom, or Kazeem Rahman, Reed Becker, and a special guest in the studio. You can follow that with Ashton Womack and Clayton English in the ballroom, or Victor Tran, Stephen Brandau, and Emma Arnold in the studio. The latter part of the festival includes headlining sets from Kyle Kinane, Brian Posehn, Dave Ross, Taylor Tomlinson, and of course, Eugene Mirman. However make sure to catch the hilarious acts from locals like Andy Huggins, Nia De-Bose, Bob Biggerstaff, and Chase Durousseau. The all ages event has two day tickets between $69.00 and $125.00, the latter being a VIP option; and the doors are at 4:00.
House of Blues will have the popular sounds of pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen in town. Here in support of last year’s “Emotion,” the show should be packed with plenty of tweens. The electro synth pop of Cardiknox will be there as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 7:30 and tickets for $25.00.
Monday you can head to Satellite Bar when they host the alt country goodness of Houston’s Grand Old Grizzly. These guys should be bigger than they are, because they live up to their name with epic live sets. Last year they gave us the twangy and hook heavy album, “Cosmonada,” and they’re definitely a band you need to catch sooner than later. Arizona folk drone country act Ohioan will be on from out of town, while the alt country twang of Houston’s Ruckus will be on beforehand. Like Grand Old Grizzly, I’d beg you to check these guys out as their soft melodies and twangy guitars are pretty infectious. The always impressive jams of The Kelly Doyle Trio will open the all ages show with doors at 7:00 and TBA cover.
Tuesday you can start off at House of Blues for the always entertaining sounds of MUTEMATH. The pop rock quartet is here in support of last year’s “Vitals,” and is always entertaining in a live setting. There’s no word of openers, but that could change. The all ages show has doors at 7:00 and tickets between $24.00 and $35.00.
If you’d rather bang your head till you get whiplash, then you could head to Revention Center for the speedy sounds of Megadeth. Dave Mustaine and co are always on point at their live shows if you’re a metal fan, and this year’s “Dystopia” is in line with their previous works. The thrash neo metal of Children Of Bodom is on as direct support while the thrash of Denver’s Havok will open things up. The all ages show has doors at 7:00 and tickets between $37.50 and $110.00.
Johnnyswim, Photo: Associated Press
Over at Raven Tower, you can catch the popular sounds of husband and wife duo, Johnnyswim. These two makes songs that range from pop, to R&B, to country folk pop. Their latest album is a live one with this year’s “JOHNNYSWIM Live at Rockwood Music Hall,” and they’re a pretty strong act to catch live. If it helps, the male female duo is lead by disco legend Donna Summer’s daughter, Amanda. The all ages show has doors at 7:00 and tickets between $18.00 and $22.00.
Warehouse Live will host the soulful sounds of Brooklyn’s LOLO. After spending the past twelve years travelling all over, the singer seems to have really found her true voice. Her latest, and EP called, “Comeback Queen” from last year is pretty amazeballs. There’s no word of an opener for the all ages show in the green room with doors at 7:00 and tickets between $10.00 and $12.00.
Of course, if you’d rather have some ears bleed, then you could go to Walters for the death metal hardcore sounds of DC’s Darkest Hour. In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the band, they’ll be performing the album, “Undoing Ruin,” in it’s entirety. Houston’s Venomous Maximus will be on as support, while the metal of Houston’s Day of Reckoning will go on prior. The fast sounds of Mastema, formerly known as Legion will open the all ages show with doors at 7:00 and tickets between $16.00 and $20.00.
Mucky Duck will have a set from Minneapolis folk three piece, The Pines. These guys have made quite the name for themselves as a band that never compromises. Their live shows are always known as mesmerizing, and their most recent album “Above The Prairie” that just came out is pretty beautiful. The 21 & up show has doors at 7:30 and tickets between $20.00 and $22.00.
That’s about it in an otherwise stacked week. No matter what you decide to do, please do so in the safest way possible.
