Anybody’s Game: The Best of The Week

Har Mar Superstar. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Rickett & Sones

Well, I think it’s safe to say that our city has seen some stacked weeks throughout the year, however this one is a real doozy.  The neo soul of Bilal, a set from Mac Miller and a comedy festival closed out by Har Mar Superstar will all be here this week along with a ton of shows by locals.  Houston, here’s how to navigate the next seven days.

Wednesday you can begin over at Raven Tower for the popular synthpop jams of New York duo Great Good Fine Ok.  These two craft some catchy jams, their live shows are usually filled with attendees getting down, and their new album Remixes, Vol. 1 is full of booty shaking tracks.  The infectious and popular indie rock of Brooklyn trio DREAMERS will open the all ages show with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $12 and $16.

Warehouse Live will host the atmospheric indie rock of LA’s Warpaint over in the studio.  This four piece has gained a ton of popularity as of late, they’re known for grandiose live sets, and their latest drop Heads Up is definitely trucking along with plenty of steam.  The chillwave of LA’s Goldensuns will provide direct support while the funky tunes of Vs Colour will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $22.

TAME. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Ysabel Arias

You can get all your hip hop needs fulfilled with AF the Naysayer and TAME kick off their tour with a pop up set at the Crumbville TX storefront.  AF has been dropping jams as of late and his live shows are always on point, while TAME has been going crazy on the same tip, recently dropping a collab with B L A C K I E.  The all ages show gets going around 7 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

You can get all trippy when the psych rock sounds of Houston’s Frog Hair swings by Under The Volcano.  There’s something about this four piece past the fact that two Houston music legends are in the band that you can’t deny the power of.  Aside from the fact that their live shows are like an existential romance between the past and present, their debut album A Long List Of Shortcomings is like riding on a donkey while on LSD in the Texas mountains at midnight.  The experimental sounds of Houston’s Weak Creatures will open the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and a TBA cover.

Over at Continental Club you can put on your boots and kick up dust with St. Louis’ Jack Grelle.  Grelle has earned the respect of pretty much anyone who has seen him perform his country tunes, and his latest album Got Dressed Up to be Let Down is like walking into any Texas honky tonk thirty years ago.  The always impressive and entertaining singer songwriter songs of Houston’s Craig Kinsey will open the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and a TBA cover.

Zahid Dewji. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Ryan Seymour

Thursday you could begin at The Secret Group for the kickoff party for the Come And Take It Comedy Festival.  Sets from a ton of local comics including Andrew Youngblood, Zahid Dewji, Kristin Lindner and more will be on hand, while a special secret headliner will close out the evening.  Without giving too much away, the headliner does have a Comedy Central special, and should make for a fun night.  The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $20 and $25.

If you’d rather get some great songs in your eyes while grabbing a bite or a brew, then you should head to MKT Bar to catch a set from Houston’s John Egan.  There’s something engaging about the brooding nature in which Egan’s vocals mix with his soft acoustic in person and all over his last release Amulet.  The all ages show gets going around 8 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

Doomstress. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall, the heavy psych of Ohio’s Electric Citizen will roll through town.  The Cincinnati four piece is here in support of their doomy and trippy new album Higher Time, and their live shows are known to be stellar.  The proto metal of Sweden’s Horisont will be on to provide direct support while the doom metal of Houston’s Doomstress will open the all ages show with 8 pm doors and tickets between $15 and $17.

Warehouse Live will bring A$AP Ferg of A$AP Mob to the ballroom for a set.  Ferg has been enjoying the success of his single “New Level” from this year’s ALWAYS STRIVE AND PROSPER.  He’ll have the upcoming rap sensation Playboi Carti as his direct support while the hip hop of San Diego’s Rob $tone will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $25 and $30.

Over at Satellite Bar you could catch the rootsy blues of Colorado’s The Yawpers.  This trio has a way with words on last year’s American Man and their live shows have been known to get chaotic and quick.  The gritty rock n roll of Minnesota’s The 4 On The Floor will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a TBA cover.

Giant Kitty. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/M Villegas Photography

However, you should close out Thursday over at Leon’s Lounge with an intimate show from Houston’s Giant Kitty.  I’m guessing after the election results, the Houston punk group won’t be calm or quiet, and might even add some much needed protest songs to their set that includes their debut This Stupid Stuff.  The 21 & up show has doors at 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

On Friday the opening night of the Come And Take It Comedy Festival will get going over at The Secret Group.  The first night of the festival will feature plenty of laughs and hijinks to make anyone chuckle for hours.  Headlining sets from Joey “Coco” Diaz, Todd Barry, Tony Hinchcliffe and Rhea Butcher will all be on hand alongside the Air Sex World Championships.  Locals like Matthew Broussard, Slade Ham and many more will also be in tow for the all ages show with 3-day passes between $79 and $129, or single day passes for $35 and doors at 6 pm.  

The neo soul sounds of Philadelphia’s Bilal will be on their lush and full display upstairs at Fitzgerald’s.  This guy is definitely one of those voices that you should check out.  His vocals are impeccable, he mixes R&B and jazz with ease, and his latest album In Another Life is pretty beautiful.  The funk soul pop hip hop of N THE CLOUDS will provide direct support, Houston’s Jack Freeman will go on prior, and DJ sets from DJ Big Reeks and Mark Divita will open the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $15 and $20.

Deep Cuts. Photo: Jay Tovar

Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall you can get all groovy and psyched out with Houston three piece, Khruangbin.  Aside from the fact that this band is gaining steam every day, or the fact that they’re getting big in Europe, there’s something about their sound that’s a mixture of soulful, classy, and hip.  Their latest release The Universe Smiles Upon You is the latest incarnation of their high end sound.  Houston good time boys, Deep Cuts will be on as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $15 and $17.

Ak’Chamel. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Walters will host the industrial drone of Austin three piece Troller.  The way in which these three make shoegaze jams you can groove to is pretty awesome, and their new album Graphic is lush and intense.  The immense and insane sounds of Terry Nunn, Halston Luna, and Andrew Sainz will provide direct support as TRILLBLAZERS.  Seriously I saw them practice recently and was pretty blown away at their crazy and diverse sound.  Pleasure 2 will bring their groovy noise sound to life as well while the always diverse sounds of Ak’chamel will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $7 and $10.

Rudyard’s will have your rockabilly covered for a good while when Rockin’ Lloyd Tripp from the UK swings by.  He’ll also play a tribute to Joe Clay set with some pals beforehand.  If that’s not enough, Big E, Felipe Galvan of Los Skarnales, Black Slacks and Abrahan will all be on prior with rockabilly themed DJ sets.  The 21 & up show has doors at 9 pm and a $10 cover.

Over at Boondocks you can close the evening with the Four Year Anniversary of Blackout.  The dance party is definitely hitting its stride and this edition will feature the entire crew of Ape Drums, Leckie, Hyro, and Act Badd.  Miami’s Reid Waters will also be on hand as a special guest for the 21 & up event with doors at 10 pm.  The show is FREE with RSVP or $5 after 11.

Saturday you can start off at Satellite Bar to get your doom metal fix when the First Church of Amplifier Worship ascends on the venue for an all out assault of music.  Sets from Switchblade Jesus, Stone Machine Electric, Omotai, The Dirty Seeds, and many more will be on hand all day and night.  There’s more information here, and doors for the all ages show are at noon with a measly $10 cover.  

Rhea Butcher. Photo: Courtesy of Artist Website

The Secret Group will host night two of the Come And Take It Comedy Festival.  The Saturday show features sets from Tim Meadows, Rhea Butcher, Vanessa Gritton, and Maggie Maye alongside the Todd Barry Podcast and locals like Stephen Brandau and Son Tran, as well as many many more comics.  The all ages event has three day passes between $79 and $129, or single days for $35 each.  The doors are at 6 pm with tickets here.  

If you’d rather help the community while getting your punk fix at Bohemeo’s for the 2nd Annual INH Punk We Can Do It show.  Benefitting the Houston Food Bank, sets from ']);"><Insert Name Here>, Kemo For Emo, Four Letter Language and more will be playing acoustic sets.  The all ages show gets going around 7 pm and it’s FREE, but donate if you can.

Morrissey. Photo: Photography By Baby J

The lawn at White Oak Music Hall was set to host everyone’s favorite British crooner and former lead singer of The Smiths, Morrissey.  However, due to illness from a band member, the show has since been cancelled.  Tickets are to be refunded by the venue.  

Walters will be bringing the thrash death metal of Virginia legends, Deceased… to town.  The first band to sign to Relapse Records, these guys have been making scary metal since 1984 and their latest release Fearless Undead Machines is intense and a little crazy.  The hardcore of H.R.A. will provide direct support while the thrash punk of Krullur will split head prior.  Sacrouse and Fuck With Fire will be on hand to open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a TBA cover.

Fitzgerald’s will bring Deadhorse back to town for the Welcome To Hellfest show.  Alongside Austin legends Ed Hall, the show features sets from Mexico City’s Seis Pistos, The Hates, Die Fast, and many more.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and tickets between $10 and $13.

Sunday you should head to Continental Club for the legendary sounds of Houston’s Josefus.  These guys bridged the metal hard rock gap before pretty much anyone else, and they’ve been dropping guitar heavy jams since the seventies.  Their latest, 2024’s Dead Man sounds like it was made in 1972, and it’s definitely worth hearing live.  The psych blues of Lone Star Hippie will be on as direct support while the acoustic rock of Tune Poets will go on beforehand.  GOQ will open the 21 & up show with doors at 2 pm for the 100% FREE show.

Maria Bamford. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Natalie Brasington

The Secret Group will host the third and final day of the Come And Take It Comedy Festival and it’s a doozy.  With a headlining set from Maria Bamford, as well as Billy Wayne Davis and a closing set from Har Mar Superstar, the final day is packed.  Locals like Reed Becker, Theo Taylor, Bob Biggerstaff and The Goddamn Comedy Jam are all on hand.  The doors are at 6 pm and tickets are $35 for the single day or between $79 and $129 for all the days.

Mac Miller will be at Revention Center if that’s your thing.  Here again I think for the third time this cycle, Miller will bring his popular new album The Divine Feminine to life.  There’s no word of support or opener for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $30 and $50.

Monday you can swing by White Oak Music Hall upstairs to catch the proggy sounds of Nik Turner’s Hawkwind.  Turner has been touring the Hawkwind songs for a couple of years, and it should make for a trippy set in the least.  The krautrock of Germany’s Hedersleben will be on as direct support while the psych of Houston’s Frog Hair will be on prior.  Cosmic Bug Loaf will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $15 and $22.

Walters will have the throwback sixties rock sounds of Berlin’s Gemma Ray.  Playing songs that have a mix of Beatles and Sharon Van Etten, Ray has made a name for herself for her lush live sets.  Her latest album The Exodus Suite from this year adds psych elements in a way that’s worth checking out.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

Tuesday you can hop on over to Walters for Australia’s Mr. Bill.  Touring in support of his latest glitch hop masterpiece Midichondria, this guy has been churning out electronic jams for a long time, and he rarely makes it down here to perform.  Australia’s Circuit Bent will be on as direct support while Austin’s Detox Unit will go on prior.  Things get kicked off by the electronic instrumentals of Austin’s Gaddy for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $10.

Kirko Bangz. Photo: 300 Entertainment

In the studio at Warehouse Live you can get your hip hop on when Houston’s Kirko Bangz will swing by to perform a set. Back in full force with a new album, this year’s Back Flossin, Bangz always brings his A-Game when he performs.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and is 100% FREE with a canned food donation with more details here.

That’s about all that’s happening around town this week.  No matter what you decide to do, be safe and make sure you get home in the safest way possible.

by David Garrick