Being Boring: The Best of The Week

Pet Shop Boys. Photo: Courtesy of Artist

Well, we’re in the full stretch that leads us to the end of the year.  While last week had a ton of offerings, this week is still pretty packed up.  Legends like Pet Shop Boys will roll through as well as acts like Lettuce, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and BAIO of Vampire Weekend alongside plenty of locals doing their thing.  Houston, here’s how to navigate the following week.

On Wednesday you can begin at the lawn at White Oak Music Hall for the legendary electro pop of Pet Shop Boys.  It’s crazy that the duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have been making their romanticized pop tunes for 35 years, but the London-based group has scored a ton of hits and sold over 50 million albums.  I’ve seen them twice, once in the nineties at Astroworld and once in Europe about 6 years ago, and both shows were mind blowing.  Their latest album Super continues their trend of fun electronica, and they rarely come this way anymore.  The all ages show has doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $49.50 and $52.50, with no word of support or openers.  

You can get your hardcore fix when San Antonio’s Amygdala swings by Walters.  This band is kinda insane, mixing screams and chunky riffs while covering abuse, misogyny, and more all over their new debut, this year’s Population Control.  The intense experimental sounds of Houston’s MOTHS will provide direct support, God Fearing Fuck will go on prior, and the insane sounds of SPARSE will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $5 and $10.

Satellite Bar will have a headlining set from Houston’s Sunrise & Ammunition.  These guys play experimental sounds that are pretty crazy and worth checking out.  The math heavy sounds of Nevada’s Alaska will go on beforehand with the garage sounds of A Tribute To The Sun opening the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $5 cover for the adults or a $7 cover for the kids.

Thursday you should head to Warehouse Live if you want to get funky with New York’s Lettuce.  The collective has been dropping funk jams for over twenty years, and their latest album Crush from last year has elements of soul from start to finish.  Colorado’s Michal Menert will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $21 and $24 in the ballroom.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Photo: One Nation

At House of Blues you can get all trippy with the fuzzy garage rock of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  The BRMC crew usually doesn’t disappoint when they play live, and their last full length Specter At The Feast was a real trip.  The massively popular rock of Death From Above 1979 will provide direct support while the female lead blues rock of LA’s Deap Vally will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $25 and $35.

Nightingale Room will see Houston rapper Mark Drew celebrate the release of yet another new album, the recently dropped September.  No matter what you might think, you can’t say that this mic spitter doesn’t work hard, and his live sets are definitely worth making it out for.  The punk rap of Houston’s Sobe Lash will open the 100% FREE 21 & up show with doors at 7 pm.

Small Black. Photo: GoodMusicAllDay

Friday you should start off at The Secret Group to catch the synth washed indie pop of Wild Nothing.  Touring in support of this year’s Life of Pause, the group brings joyous tunes when they perform live.  Portland’s Small Black will bring their indie pop on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with tickets between $16 and $18 with doors at 7 pm.

If you’d rather go more dark, then you could head to Raven Tower when the brutal EBM sounds of LA duo Youth Code stops by.  These two make music that’s like a modern day Front 242 and their live shows are as impressive as their latest release, Commitment To Complications from this year.  The blip blop industrial electronica of Houston’s Secret Sands will provide direct support and the dark electronica of Spit Mask will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $12 and $13.

BAIO. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Walters will host a barn burner when the synth pop of London’s BAIO comes to town.  Also known as Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend, this guy makes synth pop with ease, his live shows are rumored to be a real trip, and his latest album, The Names from last year, is pretty impressive. The indie rock bedroom pop of Houston’s Rose Ette will bring their energy heavy live show on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $13 and $15.

If you want to get your first wave emo fix, then you should go to Satellite Bar to catch Garrett Klahn.  Klahn lead the nineties emo core group Texas Is The Reason, and his first solo effort Garrett Klahn from this year is a solid release.  He’ll have direct support from Houston’s Valens while Clay Melton Band will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a TBA cover.

Over at Rec Room you can catch Australian singer songwriter Georgia Maq.  Maq is also the leader of the band Camp Core, but her solo stuff is pretty impressive including her latest Brain Studio Session.  Houston’s Evan McCarley will be on as direct support while the alt dream shoegaze of Houston’s Aporia will open things up.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

Ruiners. Photo: T Gonz

If you’d rather get a little punk going, then you could swing by Avant Garden for a charity show benefitting Search Homeless Services with the pop punk of Houston’s Kemo For Emo at the top of the bill.  These guys exhibit all the things you love about pop punk on their latest release, this year’s A Picture Perfect Romance, and their live sets are always fun.  One of the best new bands in Houston, Ruiners will bring their crazed intensity to the show as direct support and the ambient rock of Houston’s March To The Sea will go on beforehand.  Funboy will open the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

You can close your Friday over at Alley Kat when the hip hop of Houston’s Kay Jay returns.  Kay Jay is rumored to be dropping a new album soon and his live shows are on point.  The feud between Houston drummer/comic Gabe Bravo and Kyle Hubbard will be on hold when the two perform a Hubbard set together.  Hubbard just dropped another track called “This Is Houston,” and the set will also feature Mark Drew.  Flyger Woods will open things up and he’s definitely a rapper you don’t want to miss.  The 21 & up show has doors at 9 pm and a $5 cover.  

Sia. Photo: Courtesy of Artist

On Saturday you can start at Toyota Center for the UK pop jams of Sia.  Sia has won tons of awards, she’s known for a crazy live production, and her latest album This Is Acting is pretty great for a pop release.  The popular R&B of MIGUEL will be on as well as the electro pop R&B of AlunaGeorge who will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $35 and $125.

Bohemeo’s will host the 3rd Annual Scorpio Party presented and headlined by Houston’s Jealous Creatures.  There’s something about this band that you can’t deny as well as their penchant for eighties rock and indie rock hooks that stay with you days after one of their live sets or just one spin of their last album The Night Goes On For Days.  The alt art rock of Houston’s Dark Spark Rays will go on beforehand while the spaced sounds of Louisiana’s Cones of Uncertainty go on prior, with the crazed intensity of Houston’s Only Beast on before that.  The electro dream pop of Such Marvelous Monsters will also be on the show and Nicole Starch & Torpedoed Heart will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and a $10 cover.

You can turn back time at House of Blues when the punk of Pennywise swings by to perform.  The California four-piece will be rolling back the clock to play their 1995 album About Time in its entirety alongside other tunes.  The speed metal meets punk of Strung Out will be on as direct support with San Diego’s Unwritten Law on prior.  LA’s Runaway Kids will open the all ages punkstravaganza with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $22 and $30.

Supersuckers. Photo: Courtesy of Artist

Fitzgerald’s will host the trash rockabilly of Arizona’s Supersuckers.  These guys have always thrown killer live shows, they’ve been around over 20 years, and their latest release, Holdin’ The Bag from last year, was their best in a long time.  One of the best trio’s you’ve never heard, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, will provide support and bring their album So Delicious to life while Texas favorite Jesse Dayton will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $15 and $20.

Continental Club will host the always entertaining sounds of Alejandro Escovedo.  While this guy has been performing for forty years, hearing his latest works like his new single “Beauty And The Buzz” sounds just as fresh as his early material.  He’ll have a new album co-written and produced by REM’s Peter Buck to perform as well.  The road weary tunes of Michael Fracasso will open the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $20.

Birthday Club. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Returning from a tour, Houston indie pop four-piece Birthday Club will swing by to headline a show at Walters.  After a contentious start, this band has seemed to make plenty of smart moves including dropping a pretty solid debut album with this year’s Lighten Up.  In fact, the lead song off of the album, “Lighten Up” could be argued as one of the best written indie pop songs you may have heard.   The indie rock of Houston’s favorite good time guys Deep Cuts will be on hand as direct support as well as a set from The Lories.  The psych garage rock of Mantra Love will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a measly $5 cover.

Over at The Red Light at Springbok you could catch a headlining solo set from Houston’s Dillon Trimm.  While Trimm has been knocking around the Houston music world for a good while, it’s the intensity behind his current sets that make him an act you need to see sooner than later.  The indie rock of El Paso’s The March Divide will also be on hand while the brotherly indie pop of Carthy will open the 21 & up show with doors at 9 pm and a $7 cover.

Sunday you can start off at Insomnia VGC to catch the opening reception for poet and photographer Megan Gonzalez on her show, Narcissism: a look into the life of someone you prob don’t know.  The show which will have light bites and complimentary drinks is all ages, it gets going around 5 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

You can get all of the laughs at The Secret Group when the always insightful and funny Myq Kaplan swings by.  Kaplan might be the smartest intellectual comic going, his jokes are always funny and thoughtful, and his live shows never disappoint.  His latest album, Small, Dork, and Handsome is a laugh a minute as well.  The funny Zahid Dewji will be on as the feature act and Britt Vasicek will host the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $10 and $15.

Sam Turner & the Cactus Cats. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Satellite Bar will have a set from the almost throwback sounding rock of Austin’s Nick Allison.  This guy kind of sounds like early Elvis Costello mixed with early Tom Petty without sounding lifted, and his latest album Ain’t Tryna Go Downtown is hard not to jam at a loud volume.  The laid back college rock of Houston’s Sam Turner & the Cactus Cats will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.  

Monday you can get down with the guys from HEALTH over at White Oak Music Hall downstairs.  Though these guys came through twice last year, and though it seems like one of them just dances more than actually plays, their high energy sets are something you should see at least once.  Their latest album, Death Magic from last year is a real trip and a sonic assault at the same time.  New Jersey’s H09909 will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $15 and $17.

Kevin Devine. Photo: Chels Pineda

Tuesday you can swing upstairs at White Oak Music Hall for the return of indie rock darling Kevin Devine.  Complete with his Goddamn Band in tow, Devine will be here in support of his stellar new album Instigator.  The popular singer songwriter tunes of Memphis’ Julien Baker will be on as direct support while the indie rock Americana mixture of New Jersey’s Pinegrove will go on beforehand.  Pennsylvania’s Petal will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $16 and $21.

Being election night, there are a ton of parties, though the show at Nightingale Room with Houston rap duo Dirty & Nasty might make you forget about all of that.  These two are set to release a new album, though their energy heavy live sets are always worth catching.  The hip hop of Mo City’s Brew will open the 100% FREE 21 & up show with doors at 7 pm.

That’s about all that’s happening this week.  No matter what you do or where you go, please remember that a safe ride home is just an app away.

by David Garrick