Free Press Houston
By Will Guess
Can you believe it? The end of 2024 is here. This year went by in the blink of an eye and brought with it so many great shows that it’s hard to remember all of them. In December, it doesn’t slow down one bit. An icon artist, a hardcore fest that Boston would be jealous of, and a local legend. See below for the complete rundown.
Saturday, December 7 - Kanye West @ Toyota Center
It’s been 5 years since Yeezy has toured-the last being the Glow In The Dark tour, which was visually stunning and loaded with West’s seemingly endless list of hits. From the videos, pictures, and set lists that have been posted online so far, it looks like Kanye has only upped the ante. Love him or hate him, his musical creativity is something that can’t be denied. He constantly pushes the envelope, never doing anything twice and dare I say, he’s one of the last true rock stars we have left. Remember when bands used to trash hotel rooms? Kanye is our version of that. From classic rants about corporations and his own greatness, to calling out George Bush on the Katrina telethon, to breaking paparazzi cameras-he makes TMZ worth checking at least once a day. His antics are entertaining, sure, but it wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t have the musical prowess to back it up. His new album, Yeezus, is one of the most experimental and creative things to come out this year, and possibly this decade. It stretches the hip-hop genre and begs the question-what is rap music? Who knows when he’ll tour again-catch him while you can.
Saturday, December 7 - Fallcore 2024 featuring Power Trip, Die Young, Will To Live and more @ Walter’s
On the opposite end of the spectrum, for December 7th, Willow and HateTank Productions bring the year’s annual Fallcore Fest to Walter’s Downtown. This lineup is stacked. From current hardcore/metal all stars Power Trip and the reunited Die Young, to veteran shredders Will To Live, and newcomers These Days-the bill is solid from top to bottom. For some reason, Texas hardcore always makes its way into the ranks with scenes like Boston and Los Angeles-maybe the heat and humidity breeds pissed off people. If you’re a fan of heavy music at all, this one is highly recommended. Expect tons of basketball shorts, flat brimmed caps, and tattoos, along with constant stage dives, sing-alongs, and a bunch of people bringing the mosh. For all the people who say the hardcore/metal scene in Houston is dead, this show proves that it’s alive and well.
Friday, December 27 - Robert Ellis @ Fitzgerald’s
A few days ago, a friend currently traveling in Australia sent me a picture of a show she was at where none other than Houston’s own Robert Ellis was performing. I was first introduced to his talents at an apartment on Richmond Ave. when one of his friends bullied him into playing a song for the people there. I was immediately blown away. Not only can he play the guitar extremely well, but the guy has a voice that just doesn’t seem to come around very often. After doing a quick Google search, I quickly realized that he has come a long way since that initial meeting. The dude even has a Wikipedia page. If you’re a fan of real country music, not that new bullshit they’re calling country, you’ll love this. This is the first time in recent memory that Ellis has come back to perform in Houston. Come out and support local musicians doing big things.
Thursday, December 12 - Megadeth @ Bayou Music Center
Thursday, December 19 - Jay Z @ Toyota Center
Friday, December 20 - Dwight Yoakam @ Arena Theater
Tuesday, December 31 - FPH NYE featuring Girl Talk, George Clinton, Big Freedia, and more.
This article ran in the December 2024 edition of FPH.
