Hitchhike Love: The Best of The Week

A Giant Dog. Photo: Daniel Jackson

Well, we’re inching closer and closer to SXSW meaning that we should see a steady influx of bands coming to town for about two weeks.  The next seven days are pretty stacked with performances by A Giant Dog, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Priests, while locals like Miears and Mydolls host special sets as well.  Houston, your week is packed and planned out.

Wednesday you should swing by White Oak Music Hall downstairs to get your throwback fix, when the thrash metal of California legends Suicidal Tendencies perform.  While these guys have been around since the early eighties, they’ve pretty much locked into their current sound, meaning last year’s World Gone Mad is on par with their previous albums.  The metal of NOLA’s Crowbar will be on as direct support while the thrash of Colorado’s Havok will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $24.75 and $30.

House of Blues will have the first night of The Art of The Teese from Dita Von Teese.  The burlesque revue featuring the famous pinup model and author should be tantalizing to say the least, and the 18 & up show has received plenty of press.  The doors are at 7 pm and tickets are between $40 and $100.

Priests. Photo: Audrey Melton/Pitch Perfect PR

I’d guess that many of you would be over at Walter’s for the post punk sounds of DC’s Priests. The popular quartet has turned heads for a good while now, but their latest album Nothing Feels Natural from early this year is their most progressive and cohesive to date.  Add to that an intense live performance and you have a recipe for a heck of a great show.  The aggressive bedroom electronica of DC’s Olivia Neutron John will provide direct support while The Lories will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $12.

On Thursday you could start off for the beginning of a concert series hosted by Mid Main Lofts called First Thursday.  The series kicks off with two stellar Austin acts thus being Calliope Musicals and Buenos Diaz.  Calliope Musicals has been hailed for their crazy live shows, and their latest release, Time Owes You Nothing from last year, really makes this trippy psych band pop.  However, they shouldn’t out shadow the beauty and complexity that Buenos Diaz offers up. With recent tracks like “San Fransymphony” and “ 1 2 3 4,” Diaz, who is originally from Houston, is on the verge of giving Elvis Costello a run for his money, as he’s as diverse and equally talented.  The all ages event has gratis adult refreshments, things open up around 6 pm, and it’s 100% FREE.

If you’d rather get some Americana in your life, then you could head to Smart Financial Centre in Sugarland to catch Colorado’s The Lumineers.  Though the band that’s known for intimate performances is in its fifteenth year, last year’s Cleopatra proves they aren’t going anywhere soon.  Iceland’s Kaleo will provide direct support while the Americana of Susto will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $49.50 and $64.50.

Kyle Hubbard. Photo: Jessica Weiss Beal/Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Satellite Bar will host the hip hop of Extra Regular featuring Houston’s Kyle Hubbard alongside Fullmetal and DJ Discipline.  With a stacked group like this, their live set should be pretty legit. Virgil Wolfe will go on prior with Grid Squid on before that.  Houston producer, rapper, DJ Mark Drew will spit rhymes as well while Beonk will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $7 or $10 for under 21.

Friday you can get your metalcore fix at The Secret Group with Los Angeles’ Silent Planet. While the band hasn’t even been around five years, their latest release Everything Was Sound has kind of catapulted the band onto may fans of the genre’s radar. California’s Hail The Sun will provide direct support where Orange County’s Dayseeker will go on prior.  The intensity of Illinois’ Ghost Key will also be on the bill while Houston’s Great White Fire will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $13 and $15.

Houston punk legends, Mydolls will be over at Lawndale Art Center for their Speakeasy series. The show that will feature the band performing as well as discussing the band’s storied career that spans right at four decades together.  The all ages show with doors at 7 pm will be a rare treat and will also include a limited number of red vinyls of the band’s latest album It’s Too Hot For Revolution for the 100% FREE show.  The Girls Rock Camp alumni group, Lazer Kittenz will open the show.

MIEARS. Photo: Daniel Jackson

Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall, Houston’s MIEARS will unveil her solo album Who Will Save You? at her album release party.  While this set will include a live drummer, I’ll say that hearing these songs live at a private event a couple of weeks ago really brought the room together as they hit like they’re supposed to with intensity and synthesized soulfulness.  Houston’s TEE VEE will be on as direct support and should bring their indie electronica to life, and Pearl Crush will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm for the 100% FREE show.  Tickets for those under 21 are $5.

Satellite Bar ushers in the return of the raucous sounds of Austin’s A Giant Dog.  After inking a deal to Merge Records, the band has really gotten the steam they deserve with the success of Pile alongside the band’s crazed live sets.  The crazy and tripped out rock of Houston’s Frog Hair will provide direct support while the indie rock of Huntsville’s The Hammer Party will go on beforehand.  Howard and the Nosebleeds will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

Sick Of It All. Photo: Uncredited/Century Media Records

Walter’s will host the 30th Anniversary tour of New York hardcore legends Sick Of It All.  While it’s been 30 years, these guys still go hard when they play live and last year’s When The Smoke Clears proved they aren’t slowing down. Eighties punks Murphy’s Law will be on as direct support and should make for a nostalgic show no matter what.  There’s no word of openers, but that could change for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $18 and $20.

The Clinic will have the garage tinged reggae rock of Washington’s Rik & The Pigs.  Here in support of last year’s Don’t Tell On Me, they should be pretty interesting with their lo-fi sound. The punk of Houston’s The Pose should be dropping a new album as direct support while the intensity of Sexpill will be on beforehand.  No Come will also be on the bill and the hardcore of Houston’s Substance will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $5 cover.

At Valhalla on the campus of Rice University, you can get down with the psych pop of NOLA’s Caddywhompus. Mixing psych and electro harmonized pop rock, these guys pack a punch and this year’s upcoming Odd Hours sounds impressive to say the least.  Austin’s Moving Panoramas will also be on the bill while the always good time chill vibes of Houston’s Deep Cuts will perform as well.  The folk hop of New York’s Jack Toft will open the all ages show that gets going around 8:30 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

Killer Hearts. Photo: Uncredited/Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

Rudyard’s will have Houston’s Killer Hearts over to spread their glam heavy sleaze rock all over those who attend. Mixing street glam with sleaze rock, these guy make a searing sound that makes you feel like it’s the seventies and everyone is about to fight.  Their release Death On The Dial is full of solos and throwback goodness that’s hard to ignore, like High Voltage era AC/DC when the band was still inventive.  The rapid fire rock of Die Fast will be on as direct support while the garage punk of Idiot City will open the 21 & up show with doors at 9 pm and an $8 cover.

The newest edition of Terraform will take place at a new venue called The Church.  Featuring sets from Russia’s Mindex and LA’s Asteroids & Earthquakes, the dance party that also has Austin’s Detox Unit and more should be a real trip.  More information is here, it gets going with doors at 10 pm and the open bar event is a measly $15.

Saturday you can start off at The Clinic when the hardcore metal of Houston’s The Lion of Wall Street swings by to perform.  Mixing elements of punk, metal, and thrash, these guys are definitely worth checking out, and their latest Oil should peak your interest.  No Remorse will be on as direct support while Valens will play one of their last shows under that name.  The surf rock of Total Nightmare will also be on hand and the metal of Shellshock will also perform. Houston’s Date & Destroy will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and an $8 cover.

Deafheaven. Photo: Kristen Cofer/Anti Records

In the studio at Warehouse Live, I’d guess many of you would head over to catch the experimental black metal intensity of San Francisco’s Deafheaven.  After the intense sounds of 2024’s Sunbather, one of the craziest live acts you can see returned in 2024 with New Bermuda, thus proving they weren’t done being inventive.  These guys are a trip to see live, and the brutal instrumental sounds of This Will Destroy You as direct support just make this show even sweeter. Multi-instrumentalist Emma Ruth Rundle will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $18 and $20.

Over at Satellite Bar you can get your skankin’ shoes on for the always entertaining ska of Houston’s The Suspects. Though they’re pretty long overdue for a new album, their last release in 2024, Lost Along The Way still holds up. The ska punk reggae of The Inverters will be on hand as well while the reggae of Metanoia will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $12 cover.  

Walter’s will host the most reinvented version of Americana that you’ve ever heard when Austin’s The Cover Letter performs a headlining set.  Kind of like if the rock of Meatloaf was thrown into the folk world, this five piece offers multiple instrumentation and multiple vocals on their latest, this year’s Cities Made of Sand.  Houston’s The New Offenders will bring their bluesy sound to life as direct support while the blues infused sounds of Houston’s Sik Mule will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.

Whit. Photo: Scot Overholser/Courtesy of Artist/Facebook

The Waughford will have the release party for the new single from Whit.  Since lead singer Madison moved to Austin to become a part of the group Sailor Poon, we’ve heard very little from the band that had played sporadically at best before, so this should be worth coming out for. The indie rock of Cleen Teens will go on prior while Traci Lavois Thiebaud will open the 18 & up show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

Notsuoh has the solo sounds of The Wiggins over to headline the trippy venue.  The Wiggins have been around a good while, and with the last album Greater Minds, Jon Read takes his solo sound to a whole new level.  The crazed one man drums meets electronica sounds of Pitter Patter will be on beforehand while the never disappointing strangeness of Ak’chamel will go on prior.  There’s also an ice cream tripatorium and live performance art from Jeremiah Carroll for the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and a $5 suggested donation.

On Sunday you could get going over at Walter’s for the second installment of the You Need Pics event.  This time there will be multiple photographers on hand to take pictures of you or your band while $3 Bloody Mary’s and $3 Screwdrivers are served by me behind the bar.  DJ Playlist will be on hand to churn out jams, and if you’ve wanted or needed new pictures, this is the place to get them from the likes of Daniel Jackson, Jordan Asinas, and many many more with more information available here.  The all ages event has a signup sheet and a $5 per person cover with doors at noon.

Green Day. Photo: Uncredited/Creative Artists Agency

Later on over at Toyota Center you can catch the always entertaining pop punk of Green Day. It’s hard to believe these guys are still around, as many said that pop punk would never go anywhere back when these guys dropped their album Dookie.  However, a lot has changed since, a punk rock opera, a show on broadway, and last year’s Revolution Radio prove that these guys had more in the cards.  It doesn’t hurt that they’re impressive to see live either.  The intense energy of Against Me! Will be on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $39.50 and $69.50.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Bradley Garner

On Tuesday you might want to catch the psych revival music of The Brian Jonestown Massacre who will headline a set over in the big room downstairs at White Oak Music Hall.  While this band was on every record label’s list to sign the controversial ways in which they conducted themselves kept them out of the mainstream.  However, aside from that, they might be one of the best live bands you can see perform and their latest release Don’t Get Lost from this year is breathing new life into their brand.  Flower Graves, formerly known as Mikey & the Drags will get things started for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $20 and $25.

That’s about all that’s happening around town this week.  No matter what you decide, remember that getting home safe is in everyone’s best interest so please, drink like an adult.

by David Garrick