FFW – The Free Press Music Preview for December 20 – 26, 2024

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This Week’s Featured Show

Sunday December 23

Ecocide (reunion tour)
Rotten Water
The Vipers
Come Clean
@ East Side Social Center
(4202 Canal; 7PM)

Honestly there is a lot of good stuff happening this week but this reunited San Antonio band easily stood out among the rest. Crust punk/black metal/doom band . OK that’s pretty awesome! Girl lead singer? Bonus Awesome! Oh wait, she plays violin and it’s right up there in the mix? Oh fuck yes! Infinity plus 1 awesomeness! That’s it! I give up! You guys win! In fact there is so much awesomeness here that I’m just gonna shut up, bang my head, give the Dio devil sign as hard as I can, and let the bandcamp EP and this practice video do the talking!

Thursday, December 20

Fitz Navidad, featuring Craig Kinsey, Mystery Flavor, Poor Pilate, Benjamin Wesley, A Sea Es, the last place you look, La Catrin, Hot Pants, Glass the Sky, Bang Bangz, & Featherface (all playing Christmas songs) @ Fitzgerald’s ($5 or 4 canned goods) – An all-star cast of top notch bands from Houston do their best to give Sunny 99.1fm’s Holiday tunage a run for its money.

Wheeler Brothers, Emory Quinn @ Fitzgerald’s – Austin Roots rockcers

Changoman @ The Continental Club – cubia rockers

Generation Landslide, Mindenema, Dead Links @ Rudyard’s – Scott Ayers of the Pain Teens and various other projects opens with the second show from his latest band.

Better Than Ezra, Papa Grows Funk @ House of Blues – 90’s rock dudes

Good Field @ Super Happy Fun Land – indie rock from Austin featuring Paul Price of Voxtrot

Martin Burniston’s 22nd Annual Christmas Singalong @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck (Thursday -Saturday, December 20-22 ) – Fitz isn’t the only one kickin’ it holiday style. The Duck chimes in with this three day program.

Friday, December 21

The End of the World, featuring Venomous Maximus, Pallbearer, Power Trip, Mammoth Grinder, War Master, Eagle Claw, Omotai, Oceans of Slumber, Transmaniacon MC, & Peasant @ Fitzgerald’s (free!, $10) – You know one thing I am looking forward to after this year? All this crap about the Mayan Apocalypse ending!! The date will come and go and the true believers will either pick a new date or move on to the next doomsday bullshit. Seriously, I love George Noori and Coast to Coast but even I am tired of this crap. Anyhow, at least it does have one bright side as it gives Venomous Maximus a good excuse to put together a great show before the world comes to an end. Easily one of the weeks best shows.

the last place you look 3rd Annual Holiday Bash, featuring the last place you look (EP release), Recovery Room, Another Run, & Satellite Brigade @ Warehouse Live (Studio) – The bearded one and his men of action release a new EP. Just in time for the holidays too.

MFAH Mixed Media: Party Like There’s No Tomorrow, featuring The Tontons, BOAN, Jessica Lozano, & Ceeplus Bad Knives @ Museum of Fine Arts Houston (1001 Bissonnet; 8PM-12AM) – Mixed medias are always awesome and with the Tontons leading the charge, this should be no different.

Project Grimm, Strange Weapons, DeLorean Rising @ Rudyard’s – The Ex Mike Gunn/Bleachbath crew drop anchor at the Waugh bar.

Indian Jewelry @ Cardoza Fine Art (free!) – Super Cool!! And free to boot! Merry Christmas everyone

Texas Johnny Brown & The Quality Blues Band, Quadraphonic @ The Continental Club – Quality… it’s there in the name!

iGnarly: Maya Skate Proffecy, featuring Gnar World Order, Fingers Crossed, Bayou City Kids, & The Witherees @ 807 William (8PM-1AM) – Personally speaking, I’m pretty amused by GWO but naming a show after a teen nick show?

A Fistful of Soul @ The Big Top – DJ bidness at the top

Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Toyota Center – Oh come on you didn’t think they would pass up Houston this year, did you?

Dwight Yoakam @ Arena Theater – The classic honkey tonker returns. Man, I actually am old enough to remember when his first album came out.

Amplified Heat @ Mango’s – Austin Heavy Blues Rockers

Red Bull Thre3style Massive, featuring A-Trak, Toy Selectah, RL Grime, Four Color Zack, Nedu Lopes, DJ Drummer, & Skillz @ Stereo Live – Some Red Bull deal where DJs go and “showcase their skills, battle and gain notoriety by rockin’ the dance floor.” And contrary to what you may thing the battle is not to the death.

Skyzoo, John Dew, 2-Twenty, Nya @ Warehouse Live (Green Room) – Brooklyn Rapper

Uncle Lucius @ Dosey Doe Music Cafe (Conroe) – Austin Southern rocky Americana dudes whose drummer has one righteous fro.

Saturday, December 22

Los Lonely Boys, Alejandro Escovedo @ House of Blues – San Angelo and San Antonio rockers team up

The Suffers, The Bandulus, Wilroy Black and The Boss @ The Continental Club – One of Houston’s brightest musical thrills of 2024 should help with any holiday blues you might have.

Mikey and The Drags @ The Big Top – May all your holidays be reverb washed and bright

Anti-Christ Mass XIV, featuring Perdition Temple, Blasphemic Cruelty, Funeral Rites, Hod, Blaspherian, Demoniacal Genuflection, Burial Shroud, & Legion @ Walter’s – Have yourself a very metal Christmas, may your amps be loud…

The El Birthday Metalfest II, featuring Sanctus Bellum Sanctuary, Sanctus Bellum Sanctus, Sanctus Bellum, Cauldron, Owl Witch, & H.R.A. with special guests Bobby Liebling of Pentagram and James Rivera of Helstar @ Rudyard’s – The show has got a pretty solid line-up but if you have tattoos and like heavy riffs, then odds are Pentagram is a revered section of your album collection and so co-founder Bobby Liebling’s presence here should make this evening a no-brainer. Also another top show this week. Bonus points for the most werdsies poster of the week.

Pre-Holiday Slaughter, featuring Future Blondes, Skullcaster, How I Quit Crack, RU-486, Richard Ramirez, The Whitehorse, DJ Sanyo, DJ Kyocera, DJ Princessa Talibana, & NIGHTatNOON @ Mango’s – If Domokos is behind this you know it’s gonna be weirdsies.

Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Fantasia, Christopher Williams @ Bayou Music Center – Damn if these cats don’t come through town regularly. Take a rest boys – it’s the holidays.

The Boulevard Nights, The Dead Revolt, Tim Qualls Band, Days Drive @ Fitzgerald’s- weirdsies 60’s vibin dudes

Gritsy, featuring Dieselboy @ Warehouse Live – post-post-apocalyptic Dubstep

InStereo, featuring Mat Zo & Seven Lions @ Stereo Live – British trance

Sunday, December 23

Mondo Generator, Donkey Punch, Hell City Kings @ Rudyard’s – Queens of the Stone Age fans have something to rejoice over this holiday season as bassist/singer Nick Oliveri drops into town on Sunday.

AR*V Sunday Songwriter’s Workshop, featuring Kerry Melonson @ Avant Garden (6:30PM) – Mr Satin Hooks sits in

Leela James @ Fitzgerald’s – Los Angeles R&B singer

Tuesday, December 25

30footFALL, The American Heist, Blackmarket Syndicate, Idiginis @ Fitzgerald’s ($10, $12) – You’ve been with the family for the last two days, you can’t eat another slice of Turkey, and you are bored with your toys already – time to head out to Fitz….