The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the Week of August 22nd 2024

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON

Ye Olde School Metal

Saturday, August 23
Judas Priest / Heaven and Hell / Mötörhead / Testament
@ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Right, ironic isn't it, after giving Chris Gray shit about too many goddamn classic rock posts that I pick this. But I have to put turn-in my cool badge and admit this is a pretty bad ass line up...well except for Testament. Fuck Testament! I mean lookit - Priest, Black Sabbath (yeah that's right Sharon O. This is goddamn Black Sabbath too!), and Lemmy! If there was ever an excuse for paying for overpriced beer in a plastic bottle in a (more than likely) muddy field - this is it! I know what you're thinking "Dude - the Jon Benet, Something Fierce, Babelfishh, for god sake - Rad Rich's Birthday Bash!" Well sure, but consider the triumvirate. That's like the Ark of the Covenant of late 70's early 80s metal! You know where your face begins to melt because it's not meant for mortal eyes! What ever happens don't gaze upon Lemmy mole or Rob Halford's cod piece. The clincher - the most important reason to go - is to bow down to the Dio. Yes, that's right how many times have you made a Dio metal sign at a show? Right! He may sing about rainbows but metal wouldn't have it's universal symbol were it not for Black Sabbath's second frontman and unlike the Ozz, Dio has managed not to become a sad parody of himself and he can still belt it out like the old days. So rock on oldster metal. Rock on! \m/

ALSO THIS WEEK

Friday, August 22

Rudyard's 30th Anniversary Party,

Part 1 featuring

Spain Colored Orange & Three Fantastic
@ Rudyard's
Wow Number's, Fitzgerald's and Rudyard's all celebrate 30 years. What was going on in 1978 that all these local landmarks went up in the same year? I dunno but we're glad all three are sticking around. For its celebration, Rudz is having three nights of solid local bands. [Actually I'd probably make all three shows the local spotlight were it not for a clear conflict of interest.] Friday kicks of the trio of shows headlined by the poppy psychedelia of Spain Coloured Orange a band that somehow survived the dreaded Houston Press Music Awards Cover Curse - quite the feat!

Eye Against (final show)/The Jonbenet / The Last Place You Look / Supremacy / Grave Robbers / Indisgust / Euphilia
@ Fitzgerald's
Eye Against has been making loud chunky screamy metal for a decade but lo the god of metal is not kind and their time at Valhalla is nigh. Tonight will be your last chance to see them and flighting them away to the great hall will be the always ass kicking Jonbenet and other heavy friends.


Amplified Heat / The Mighty Orq / Splithoof / SCH
@ The Meridian
Austin's Amplified Heat bring their Hendrix meets ZZ Top shuffle down to Houston again and, if you haven't seen them, it's worth checking out.


Shake & Pop, featuring Witnes, Squincy Jones, Gracie Chavez, & more
@ Boondocks
also
DJ Jester the Filipino Fist/Dayta/Ceeplus
@ The Mink
They are the DJ's they are what they play. They've got believers who believe in them.



Fahl & Folk (CD release) / Carrie Ann & The Apocalyptics / Lisa Novak / Rich Hopkins / LL Cooper
@ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Record release for local folkies. F&F aren't my thing but, if you follow the folkie scene in Houston, I'm sure the supporting bands alone are likely to make you dance a jig.

Guitars
On KTRU's Revelry Report (6PM)
Woo! Tune your radio in for a MonocleLennyBriscoeAlarma-tastic show!

Saturday, August 23

Rudyard's 30th Anniversary Party,
Part 2 featuring
Poor Dumb Bastards, ..., & Something Fierce
@ Rudyard's
Sure, Poor Dumb Bastards have been doing their thing since the 90's and they are a lot of fun to see but right now the opener is who is on an amazing roll. Something Fierce are a band that's taken its pop punk craft and sharpened it so much since their first release, Come for the Bastards, that in retrospect that first album seems as thin as a cardboard cut-out . With two 7" - "Teenage Ruins" and now "Modern Girl" - the band has gone from student to master in the pop punk dojo. I suspect that, if they are able to keep the songcraft up at their current level and drop that into a full album, it would be the musical equivalent of taking a grenade, pulling the pin and holding in your mouth. BOOM! But bands like SF are bands that I've said so much about that I really just can't add anything more to the accolades. So fuck that! Let the music do the talking! Here's Modern Girl.





Rad Rich's Birthday Bash,
featuring
Machete, Luxurious Panthers, Streetwise, The Takes, UYUS, Smugglaz, American Sharks, Full Contact, & more
@ Notsuoh
Well crap! I was going to make this my featured show of the week but goddamn if I can find a poster or much confirmed info on the web on this show. That's actually par for the course for Rad - a Houston punk rock icon since the 80's. He turns 15 years old today and will likely grace the Hands Up Board with an obtuse post from some exotic city today with more details. Happy Birthday Mr. Punk!


You Ain't Grunge,
featuring
Smoke Eaters (Foo Fighters), Deus Machina, Full Release (The Toadies), Sun Machine (Stone Temple Pilots), Darwin's God (Soundgarden), Dine Alone (Deftones), Cellcyst (Korn), Numero Unos (Screeching Weasel), Brown vs. Board (Rage Against The Machine), & Meaningless Conflict (Helmet)
@ Fitzgerald's
You ain't grunge is likely the most appropriate name for this festival of bands who, for the most part, are covering bands with no grunge connections whatsoever. Homework assignment for these bands - listening to Superfuzz Bigmuff. Essay due Monday.


The Sans-Bayonet (record release) / B-Side / Breathe In Your Neighborhood / Dim-Hearted / Dee-Rail / The Barista
@ Walter's on Washington
Yes the vocals are pedestrian and the mixes are no better but it's a local record release and thus will get a mention simply because of that. (OUCH!)

Red Alert / Oxblood / The Broadsiders / Lost City Souls/Coptic Times
@ Numbers
OI OI OI bands from the mildly amusing 1979 English Red Alert to mildly amusing Dallas' Broadsiders. My thing is I just want to tell the bands "Hey, pick up the tempo!"

Texas Johnny Boy & Milton Hopkins

@ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Ahh good old Milton Hopkins! I haven't seen that dude since I recorded him for KTRU ages ago. Yes, he's related to Lightnin' and this should be a pretty nice laid-back evening of Texas Blues.

J'ando (in-store)
@ Cactus Music (4PM)
Free Instore. Hooray!

Secret Saturday Show
@ The Shady Tavern
Free afternoon show at the ST! Hooray Hooray!

Sunday, August 24

Lucas Gorham & Dave Dove
@ Avant Garden (6PM)

Part of the They Who Sound series where unlike, all those bands who tout themselves on Myspace as being experimental out of ignorance or misguided arrogance, it's the real deal.

Rudyard's 30th Anniversary Party,
Part 3 featuring
Dollyrockers, Bring Back The Guns, The Trian Woodburns
@ Rudyard's
Hopefully, you got the word that Bring Back the Guns moved to Sunday from Friday Night. The Quartet has long been one of Houston's most energetic live bands and last year's album was phenomenal. Headliners Dollyrockers play straight-up bar rock and the Trian Woodburns play some nice down homey rock that I think sounds pretty cool when they whip out the acoustic guitars. Hope you enjoy the hangover on Monday.

Monday, August 25

B. / Hollywood Black / Dignan /Homer Hiccolm and the Rocket Boys
@ Walter's on Washington
B's over the top energetic frantic instrumental proggatastic shows are awesomeness in my book. If you loved (late) Blades and adore Tambersauro then these guys complete the trinity. They are playing with Hollywood Black who are hot off the heels of their newest album and McCallen's finest Dignan whose 2024 release is impeccably and richly produced indie pop.


Babelfishh/Brandon West
@ Boondocks
Admittedly, I have a pretty limited rap vocabulary but Babelfish is one local act that's just off kilter and crazy energetic enough to replace my morning coffee as a way to wake up.

Tuesday, August 26

Roger Creager (in-store)
@ Cactus Music (6PM)
Free Instore. Wooo!

Teenage Kicks
On the KTRU Local Show (8PM)
Local Punky Powerpoppers teenage kicks invade the local show! Awesomeness!

Wednesday, August 27

The Cute Lepers / The Powerchords / Avenue Rose / Alarma!
@ Walter's on Washington (8PM, $10)

Seattles' The Cute Lepers may play nice if disposable power pop but my money is on California's Powerchords who play the P pop with an energy and a wit that does what pop should do - be fun. Of course Alarma is always fun too so make sure to show up early.

Thursday, August 28

The Pleasure Kills / The Greatest Hits / Guitars
@ Rudyard's
San Fransisco's The Pleasure Kills do power pop in a 60s vein so if you dig Austin's Ugly Beats this might be up your alley. Guitars is this nutters supergroup made up of members of the Monocles, Lenny Briscoe, and Aarma - a recipe for awesomeness!

Recession Thursdays,
featuring
The Mathletes, B L A C K I E, The Goods, & Giant Princess
@ Numbers
This one's gonna be awesome just nobody break up or get sick eh? More deets on Thursday!