False Alarm: The Best of The Week

The Head and The Heart. Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

Things are definitely gearing up for the close of the year with tons of acts rolling through town to close their years out as well.  While last week saw three one-day festivals grace our city on the same day, this week acts like The Head and The Heart, of Montreal, Suicidal Tendencies, and many more perform alongside Halloween festivities.  Houston, here’s how to navigate the next seven days.

Wednesday you might have wanted to catch skatepunk legends, Suicidal Tendencies at Scout Bar, but the band has postponed the show until February.   Details about rescheduling or refunds should be on the venue’s website.

Over at Nightingale Room you can catch the always crazy live set from Houston’s Giant Kitty.  The four-piece mixes punk and melodic pop punk all over their debut album This Stupid Stuff, and their live sets usually end with someone on the floor.  The indie rock of Houston’s Jealous Creatures will be on beforehand, and they’ll blow minds while playing tunes from last year’s The Night Goes on for Days.  The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

The Wheel Workers. Photo: Courtesy of Artist

Satellite Bar will bring back Houston’s The Wheel Workers fresh from tour.  This band is pretty electrifying live, their songwriting and song craft are top notch, and last year’s Citizens was one of the best releases of last year.  The indie pop of upstate New York’s One Red Martian will bring this year’s atmospheric Late to life as direct support while Denton’s Criminal Birds will open up with their blend of indie psych rock.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and a paltry $7 cover.

Thursday you can start off over White Swan for the post hardcore of New England’s Lesser Men.  The screamy four-piece has become well known for a crazed live set and their 2024 release Loathe is pretty intense.  The post-hardcore screamo of Houston’s Meraki/Toska will bring their intense sound on as direct support while the third wave emo core of Houston’s Valens will go on beforehand.  Houston’s Taking Forever will go on prior and Date & Destroy will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and a $7 cover.

If that’s not your thing, you can head to Revention Center when the folk pop of Seattle’s The Head and the Heart swing by.  The six-piece has gained plenty of acclaim for their almost Beatlesque version of Americana pop, and their live shows are always worth catching.  They’ll be here in support of this year’s popular new release, Signs of Light.  The indie pop of British performer Declan McKenna will open the all ages show with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets for $39.75.

Walters will host Ambient Night when the ambient drone synth of Austin’s Curved Light performs.  Curved Light, part of the Holodeck Records crew, makes these almost spiritual tracks that are all over his latest release, this year’s Prismatic/Loomstate.  The trippy electronic duo of Splendid Emblem will provide direct support while the dark drone of Houston’s Tanner Garza will perform prior.  Anisa Boukhlif will also be on hand and Pure Land Infinity Reservoir will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $7 and $10.

Camera Cult. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Fitzgerald’s will host the electro pop of Houston’s Camera Cult downstairs.  These guys make dance heavy jams, their recent drop Don’t Hang Out is a mix of disco and finely tuned pop, and their live shows are always fun.  They’ll have the indie rock of Houston’s Cleen Teens on prior and Poor Pilate on as openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and an $8 cover.

You can close Thursday with Gracie Chavez, DJ Navo, and Principe Q for a Bombon set featuring Gio Chamba over at Arlo’s Ballroom. Club music, classics, and Cumbia will all get played for the 21 & up show that gets going around 10 pm and is 100% FREE.

Mars Capone. Photo: Artist Facebook/Sheridan Original

Friday you can start off at Numbers for another edition of tomfoolery and burlesque with Houston’s Dem Damn Dames on The Honeypot Whodunnit show.  The 4th annual murder mystery extravaganza will shock and amaze you while titillating your senses.  Alongside the Dames themselves and regulars like JD Hickcock and Nick The Vegan, are special performances from Denver’s Bunny Galore, Amarillo’s Lascivious Lark, Austin’s Gemme Galactic and more.  If that weren’t enough, some extra special guests will be on hand for the 18 & up show, and with doors at 7 pm the tickets are between $15 and $30.

At the Hardy & Nance Studio, you can grab plenty of art at the Monster Show X.  The tenth installment of this long-running art show series will include art from the likes of Sawblade, Brandon Bowers, Shelby Hohl, EYESORE, and so many more you won’t believe it.  Though originally thought up by the now defunct Domy Books, the show now hosted by Insomnia VGC is a long standing tradition in Houston.  It’s 100% FREE, it’s all ages, and it gets going around 7 pm.

Walters will help you get geared up for Halloween for their Halloweening IV show.  This time Deep Cuts will play a ton of your favorite 90s and Top 40 hits under the name All That.  Prior to that, an all-star cast will perform a Smashing Pumpkins set as Smashing Pumpkin Spice Latte, as well as Giant Kitty performing an all-Bikini Kill set as Bikini Kitty.  Not to be outdone, a mixture of Gwar and Alanis Morrissette will open things up as Alanis Gwarissette opens the show.  It’s 100% FREE with costume, there’s more info here, $7 without costume, and the all ages show has doors at 7:30 pm.

Fat Tony. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Downstairs at White Oak Music Hall you can catch the UK based producer duo also known as Snakehips.  Mixing downbeat hip hop and R&B, these two have gotten pretty popular pretty fast and their latest release Cruel (Remixes) is pretty tight.  Virginia’s LAKIM will be on as direct support, while Houston’s Fat Tony will be on as opener, and should get the crowd going once they hear tracks from his latest, the P. Morris produced Look.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and tickets between $18 and $22.

Later on at House of Blues you can catch the psych hip hop of Houston’s Delayed Therapy.  These guys drop nutty sets, they have tons of energy and their debut from this year Delayed Therapy is definitely on point.  Speaking of energy, the duo known as Dirty & Nasty will swing by to open things up and bring their jams to all who attend.  The all ages show gets going around 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

Saturday you could start at Discovery Green for the Houston Egyptian Festival.  Egyptian culture, camel rides, belly dancing and crafts will meet beers and food from Phoenicia.  Music and more including a performance from the Luxor Folk Dance Troupe and plenty of kids’ activities will be on hand.  It gets going around 11 am, the tickets are $10, and kids under 12 are 100% FREE for the all day all ages event.

The Dead Rabbits. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

If that’s not your thing then you could head to the 8th Wonder Brewery for the Houston Halloween Fest 2024.  The Zombie Walk included, a haunted house, and The Secret Group will all be involved in bringing this all ages event to life.  Sets from Guilla, The Dead Rabbits, a Depeche Mode cover band and more will all be on this event that gets going around 2 pm and it’s 100% FREE with more details here.

The Secret Group will host another edition of the Cirque Hou show.  Featuring comedy, magic, and so much more, the show is something for everyone including plenty of sideshow antics like juggling and sword swallowing.  The 18 & up show has doors at 6:30 pm and tickets for $25.

If you’d rather get your tonk on, then you might want to sashay over to Armadillo Palace to catch Houston’s Grand Old Grizzly.  These guys mix old school country and alt country with ease, and their latest release, last year’s Cosmonada is a rockin blend of country twang.  The 21 & up show has doors at 7:30 pm and tickets for $10.

of Montreal. Photo: Courtesy of Polyvinyl Records

Of course, I’d guess that many of you would be over at Walters for the return of the always amazing antics from of Montreal.  I feel like there’s pretty much nothing that of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes can’t do.  He’s reinvented this band multiple times, the group’s live sets are always a mix of magical beauty and energetic prowess, and their new album Innocence Reaches is their most diverse and strongest to date.  The trippy and dreamy alt pop of Brooklyn’s TEEN will be on the bill as direct support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $17 and $20, and will more than likely sell out.

Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall, LA post rock duo El Ten Eleven will swing into town.  On the heels of a slew of popular releases, the two piece just dropped a new release with the two song EP Swoon/Fawnshawe Part 2.  They’ll have their work cut out for them as their direct support Bayonne will be on hand to get things going as well as more than likely blow everyone away with his crazy live electronica set.  The Houston native turned Austin transplant has been touring the world and his album Primitives is pretty mind altering.  The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and tickets between $15 and $20.

Sunday you could swing by Raven Tower for the tour kickoff for Houston funk groove soul group, Muddy Belle.  Performing from the latest jam, this year’s Come On In, the groove heavy six piece always brings their A-game when they perform.  They’ll have the intense energy of Houston’s Handsomebeast on as direct support while The Heights Funk Collective will open things up.  The all ages show has doors at 3:30 pm and it’s a measly $5 cover.  

CJ Boyd. Photo: Artist Facebook/Lance Stack

Later on at The Brandon Gallery, Memphis’ Holy Gallows will bring their experimental drone doom to life.  I say drone doom, but in all honesty, this group is multi-layered soundscapes that fall all over the map and the album Agita is closer to sounding like a dreamier version of what Godspeed You! Black Emperor does.  The always engaging and intriguing sounds of CJ Boyd will be on as direct support while the intense sounds of Sandy Ewen go on prior.  Evan McCarley will open the show that also features a video installation from FLCON FCKER.  The all ages show gets going around 7 pm and it has a TBA cover.

You can get your hands on the new Dead To The World vinyl when the band performs upstairs at White Oak Music Hall.  The renegade punk five piece brings tons of energy to their sets, and the limited vinyl pressing is one everyone should purchase.  They’ll have Houston’s Supergrave on as direct support and the punk of Revels on prior.  The intensity of Austin’s All Opposed will pen the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and a $10 cover.

Monday you can head to Walters to catch the energetic instrumental surf rock of Alabama’s Daikaiju.  Translated from Japanese as “giant monster,” this band is known for their energetic live show and their last release Double Fist Attack is pretty nuts.  Pretty Shitty will provide direct support while Houston’s Cop Warmth will bring their squealing punk insanity on beforehand.  Turbokreig is also on the bill as openers for the all ages show that’s FREE with a costume or $8 without.

Jeff Rosenstock. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

On Tuesday you should head back over to Walters for the DIY indie rock goodness of Jeff Rosenstock.  Rosenstock was a founding member of New York ska punk group Bomb The Music Industry!, his solo shows are getting attention from anyone who’s attended one, and he dropped a pretty catchy and amazing record last year called We Cool?  This year he’s back with an even better solo effort called Worry. that proves you can’t keep a strong artist down.   The hardcore feminist punk of Baltimore’s War On Women will be on as direct support while the indie punk of California’s Hard Girls will go on before.  The sparkle core of New York’s katie ellen will open things up making this the most hip show of the week.  The all ages evening has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.

That’s about all that’s around town though there are tons of Halloween weekend options not mentioned.  Remember that there are tons of unprofessional drinkers out there on Halloween weekend, so play it extra safe.  

by David Garrick