Let’s just say the crowd was intimate for Friday’s show at Rudyard’s. That’s kind of a shame because as far as the music was concerned each band on stage came and delivered the goods.

First up was Dead Mineral which is likely Houston’s must underrated instrumental band. One minute they can groove like the most menacing Jesus Lizard track and the next be as spacey as the best shoegaze band. When they are at their best the dual guitar attack is a wonderful juxtaposition of melodies and rhythms that play off each other in a way that makes you forget the need for a vocalist. ( The rhythm section as well deserves so me props for holding down the back end beautifully.) I will admit that there were some songs that just seemed to be rambling and less focused than the better material but that was the minority of songs. Plus, I gotta give the band props for having the balls to do a sick cover of Wham’s “Careless Whispers.” Oh and, aside from Anvil, who else is going to play a solo with a vibrator?

Ghost Town Electric played a solid if rushed set. I’m not sure what the hurry was but I guess a 20 minute set leaves the crowd wanting more. They tore through a good number of songs with the only misstep being a cover of TV Eye which seemed more by-the-book than inspired but when the band was hitting their own material they did it with ass kicking fury.

Finally, and the reason I came out, was The Squishees reunion. Now, The Squishees may not have been Houston’s biggest band but they most definitely were one of Houston’s most unique. I asked guitarist Eric Westfall about the reunion and he explained that the drummer for his current band, 500 Megatons of Boogie, was out for the next few month’s studying to pass some kind of firefighter exam and so it seemed a good time to revive The Squishes just for kicks. The funny thing is that Westfall admitted that he couldn’t remember what he was doing in those old songs, “It was like learning songs off a Led Zeppelin record.” Regardless of his qualms about being rusty, you couldn’t tell at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the live versions I heard Friday played with so much manic, insane, energy that the recorded versions seem almost tame in comparison. From the first notes of “I Smoked a Joint with Carl Sagan” it was obvious that The Squishees had lost none of their fury. Helk, none of my photos even come close to doing the band justice because Westfall’s manic stage energy rendered most images blurry. How anyone can keep up that level of intensityfor a 50 minute set is beyond me but that is the thing about this band; there is this weird madness that simply can’t stand still and until you see them live, you’ll just ever get it, man.

Dead Mineral - No vox, all goodness..

Dead Mineral takes a page out of the Anvil playbook.

Ghost Town Electric played an excellent Hit and Run show.

Eric Westfall's face I think says it all.

The Squishees were so manic that ost of my pics came out blurry.

—Ramon LP4 01/10/2010

Omotai lays down the heavy at Rudyard's

A general rule of putting together a line-up is never put your strongest artist first.  Friday night’s show at Rudyard’s had to toss that rule aside out of necessity.   We’d come to see Omotai but as we arrived shortly after 10:30 PM we heard some gut-grinding metal emanating from the stairs to the second floor.  I raced upstairs and asked soundman Joe Omelchuck who was playing.

“Omotai!” he shouted back.

“Omotai?  What?  They were supposed to play last!”

“The touring bands had some van trouble between Dallas and here.  We’re not even sure they will make it tonight.”

Omotai's four-string powerhouse Melissa Lonchambon

Oh great!  So I raced up to the front to get an earlier than expected dose of Omotai.   For those of you unfamiliar with Omotai, let me just tell you that they are likely one of the best metal bands in Houston.  Not that you would pick them out as particularly metal in their looks but there are enough forgettable leather-clad long-haired tattooed metal bands in the world to prove that there is more to metal than just a uniform.  If you don’t have the bone crushing sound, the brutal riffs, and the athletic chops, no metal uniform alone will align the Norse gods in your struggle to kick your listener’s asses.  Truly, Omotai has all three elements yet the Norse gods will not align with them for they fear them.

“Their Metal is too awesome and too righteous for even the Gods,” says Norse God Odin (no metal slouch himself) “Anthony Vallejo’s drumming is a murderous inhuman pounding that sends chills down all those in Asgard; Melissa Lonchambon’s bass tone is so heavy and powerful that even Thor’s hammer shatters in its presence; and Samuel Waters’ guitar licks are so imperious and crushing that even my own Aesir warriors are rendered frail and weak.”

Omotai's Anthony Vallejo and his inventive use of duct tape.

Murderous, inhuman, heavy, powerful, imperious, and crushing are all good words to describe Friday’s performance.  Even with the early and unexpected start, they killed.  Vallejo percussive blur of beats was only overshadowed by the hole in the crotch of his jeans that was patched with duct tape.  Honestly, I didn’t even notice it until I heard one woman say, “I know why he’s got that duct taped ‘cause if not I’d be all over that!”  Oh great! Thanks for pointing that out, now I can’t help but notice!  Thankfully, the patch held and Anthony escaped being assaulted on stage by lusting females.  Lonchambon meanwhile head-banged her way through the set with nimble fingers and heavy ass tone.  Let’s get this straight; the heavy in metal comes from the low end – the bass.  You walk into the arena with a low and dirty bass tone like Melissa’s and your band has won half the battle.  Waters, meanwhile, churned and ground his way expertly and with ear-splitting volume on the six-string.  One thing about metal is that I’ve run into a lot of bands where the songs can seem like a mash-up of unrelated riffs – not so with Omotai; Sam’s a good enough songwriter to take unexpected turns while keeping things cohesive and organic.  It’s adroit without being showy and Omotai is a band that doesn’t need to show off.   They let the music do the talking and for the crowd at Rudyard’s on Friday that was all that was needed.  Well, that and a good set of earplugs.

Ghost Town Electric

As you can imagine Ghost Town Electric had a tough act to follow but they held their own and then some. God knows they riled-up the crowd more than Omotai did.  I saw more heads banging and the crowd was packed right up to the edge of the stage.  Clearly the bands galloping riffs are a hit with the crowd but, for me, the band really stood out when then slowed it down for the bluesier Feelin’ Strange where the vocals and guitars had enough space to really build up some power.  What can I say, it was  a solid set and the audience really dug it.

While GTE was revving-up the crowd, the touring bands finally, after being pulled over by police and van woes, made it to Rudyard’s.  Unfortunately for them, the crowd had dwindled to about half after Ghost Town Electric’s set.

Canyons

Canyons went on first and I can’t say I was too impressed.  The guitar was thin and shrill, the drummer was adequate but not up to the level of Omotai’s Vallejo, and the vocals were forgettable.   A wholly unremarkable set that lacked any heaviness whatsoever and what heard were a group of songs that, despite the band’s volume and the vocalist’s antics, left me cold and uninterested.

That left me not expecting too much from Big Fiction but from the opening notes I found myself really into it.  So much so that I went down to the patio to entice my friends to come up and check it out.

“So what’s the word?”

“They are actually pretty kick-ass!   Some serious bad ass Jesus Lizard inspired bass action and you know I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff.  Y’all should really check it out!”

Big Fiction and big amps

So, I dragged them upstairs.  One friend noted the bassist was wearing a Jesus Lizard shirt (Nailed it!) and he seemed to dig it but another was less than impressed by the lead singer “not doing anything.”  OK sure, he didn’t jump around and engage in any crazy front-man antics but I can tell you that it didn’t make Canyons’ set any better.  Nah, this was just a solid rhythm section that was smart enough to allow enough space in their music to give the heavy room to pound your skull.  I can’t speak for their tracks on Facebook or Myspace, (which don’t pack the same punch as their live show) but from what I heard on Friday, these Dallas/Arlington kids are definitely worth an ear if you dig heavy and loud.  As brain crushingly awesome as Omotai?  No, but they could definitely make it an interesting cage match.

SLIDESHOW:

There most certainly is. On Friday, Houston will see whiny, emo, AP darlings, Hawthorne Heights at Warehouse. Make sure you get your tickets to that one early or those kids’ parents will first. A better choice however would probably be kickass multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Wesley at Dean’s Credit Clothing. Walter’s on Washington will also have a smorgasbord of local bands including B L A C K I E, Fat Tony, and Ghost Town Electric.

On Saturday the dashing Young Mammals will be kicking off their tour with Eastern Sea and Buxton. But if you feeling like partying as if it were your birthday then 50 Cent will also be performing at the Arena. The Wild Moccasins will be playing an intimate mid-day show at Cactus Music. And making a surprisingly unheralded appearance will be the Village People at Sam Houston Race Track. To finish the weekend up we also have a little Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special. Happy hunting!

I hope you guys had as much fun as I had this Saturday. I sure had a blast listening to great music, running into just about everyone I know, and it’s nice to see Westheimer with some hustle and bustle on its sidewalks.

Some highlights? OK! The Wild Moccasins played a great show outside Mango’s on a rickety stage that seemed to be on the verge of collapse from all the hopping and general Moccasins shenanigans. The added amusement for me was watching as my very serious and artistically minded six-year-old tried in futility to find a spot on stage stable enough for him to draw the five popsters. Damn it, how can I express myself artistically if you guys keep hopping around up there! Hearing Paul Winstanley and Lucas Gorham perform outside La Strada was wonderful too. I hadn’t heard Paul take a bass guitar to the edge like that in ages and it was wonderful and challenging to hear it again. Also fun was the (this time official) Cop Warmth and B L A C K I E gorilla set. Cop Warmth, for the uninitiated, is the musical equivalent of children running around the playground in pure chaotic frenzied joy. My favorite moment of the set was when Craig, running into the audience, made a woman squeal in fright. B L A C K I E meanwhile doesn’t so much a rap as spout words like a steel-driver laying down iron with every ounce of energy at his disposal. Balaclavas, at the acoustically pleasing space behind the Austin Layne Hotel, performed one of the best sets of the day as they kicked-out amazing new material that reminded you just how unique their sound is and how furious their shows can be. How they are not one of Houston’s biggest draws, I’ll never understand. Over at Mango’s, as we were waiting for Tambersauro, we got some drama as some drunk Asian woman was challenging another woman to some fisticuffs. Unfortunately, the fisticuffs did eventually occur outside but while no one was getting hurt, it was pretty amusing theatre of the absurd. Tambersauro though wasn’t about to be upstaged by a lone drunk and proceeded to tear into a raging set that almost made me forget that I was trying to see five bands in that time slot. Luckily a friend who knew this, poked me and pointed to her watch. Thanks mon ami! The McKenzies were quite a sight surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd of fans who had joined them on stage. Ah, those Houston pop bands sure know how to work-up a crowd. Buxton closed out the outdoor shows with an amazing set that had the entire crowd at the Austin Layne Hotel enraptured. After the first set, the audience clearly wanted more and thankfully JD (Secret Saturday Shows, Guitars, Lenny Briscoe, etc) demanded they play a few more and Sergio Trevino somehow agreed to it in his typical sheepish manner then proceeded to treat us with a work in progress that was much better than I think they realized. I think Trevino and company work their music with such expert care that they seem a bit worried about showing some rough edges. That’s OK because there is a bit of excitement about seeing a band not exactly knowing where they are going with a song and that vulnerability – that putting yourself out there with no net – is charming when you are as good a band as Buxton. Now for me that was pretty much the proper end of the Block Party for me. I was pretty tired by then but, like the Terminator, the Block Party just wouldn’t quit. Don’t get me wrong, I saw some amazing sets afterwards like Something Fierce laying down some serious and furious pop-punk and Satin Hook’s Lucas Gorham using a Tuvan throat singing technique for backing vocals but by the time the Jon Benet plowed into their set, I was physically fatigued. I’ll admit it. Another Block Party has left me beaten and bloody on the canvas. So, what’s new? At least I had fun getting pummeled.

Now one last thing before I get to the photos: Kudos to our heroic and fearless FPH leader Omar. Omar is the general behind all these operations; he books all the bands and gets everyone involved to little acclaim. That’s largely because he’s not one to self-aggrandize but, instead, seriously believes in the community of artists and people that live in this city. I for one, seeing a small bit of what he does behind the scenes, am always impressed at how the guy pulls it off twice a year. Of course Omar can’t do it himself and it’s only because of the efforts of all the local businesses, bands, artists, and the community in general coming together that makes these things so special. That’s also because, unlike the latter years of the wholly unrelated Westheimer Street Festival, this event isn’t just about attracting sponsors but about building and celebrating a community. That’s the way these things should be. So thanks everyone who helped and came out. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for another round next Spring.

Links:
Complete Sets on my Flickr.
* Westheimer Block Party (Link)
* Bonus: B L A C K I E & Cop Warmth’s Guerilla set (Link)

Oh and look:
Breakfast On Tour posted some pictures on their Flickr too (link)