Static Somewhere: The Best of The Week
Girlpool. Photo: Kacie Tomita
Now that tours are rolling through town like they always seem to around this time of year, there’s more than enough acts coming to town this week to keep your nights busy. This week brings performances from the likes of Girlpool, Lee Ranaldo, and Mystikal alongside locals like Trillblazers, Rose Ette and more to fill in. Houston, here’s how to navigate the next seven days.
On Wednesday you can begin over at Discovery Green for their Party on The Plaza series featuring Houston’s Say Girl Say. With a more electronic sound in the works alongside shades of a new record, these two offer a sound that’s intriguing to say the least. The shoegaze indie rock of Galveston’s El Lago will perform beforehand and bring their sonic sounds to life for the Free all ages show that gets going around 5 pm.
Spiral Stairs. Photo: Steve Simko
At White Oak Music Hall upstairs, you could get your indie rock fix when Spiral Stairs of Pavement fame will swing by to perform. Here in support of his latest solo effort Doris and the Daggers, the guitarist should delight any fans of his work. The dream gaze sounds of Moving Panoramas will be on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $12 and $17.
Walter’s will host the emo tinged punk of Nashville’s Free Throw. Of course, these guys have a sound closer to indie rock than punk, but they’re rumored to be pretty crazy at their live shows and their latest release Bear Your Mind is pretty solid. Illinois’ Homesafe will be on hand as direct support while the indie rock power pop of Cleveland’s Heart Attack Man will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.
Dollie Barnes. Photo: Lauren Marek
Rudyard’s will play host to night three of Houston Benefit Week with a headlining performance from Dollie Barnes. While Barnes can captivate anyone with a performance, it’s pretty amazing how she seems to add new touches to the songs off of Caught In A Phase when she plays live. The electro pop of Houston’s Bang Bangz will go on prior while the singer songwriter goodness of Arthur Yoria will be on hand as well. A set from Houston favorite Chase Hamblin will also be on the bill while the 21 and up show will get opened up with a set from the always impressive Adam Bricks. All proceeds from the show go to Christian Kidd of The Hates with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.
Thursday you could head to White Oak Music Hall downstairs for the technical metal of Canada’s Gorguts. Here in support of their last release Colored Sands, these guys should melt faces with their intense sounds. The prog metal of Maryland’s Exist will be on hand as direct support while the intense grindcore of Houston’s Cryptic Void will go on beforehand. Baring Teeth will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $16 and $20.
If that’s not your thing, then you could swing by Discovery Green for a performance from the always entertaining and guitar slinging sounds of Jesse Dayton. The Beaumont native has always tread alongside a mix of honky tonk and blues, and his latest release The Revealer definitely mixes things up. The rockabilly of The Octanes will open the all ages free show at 7 pm.
Talking Forever. Photo: Jonathan Mazaltov
Walter’s will host a barn burner when night four of Houston Benefit Week takes place with a headlining set from Houston’s Another Run. One of the longer running bands of the past decade, these guys know how to bring it when they play live, and their last release Be Honest is their most cohesive to date. Legendary Houston punks MyDolls will be on hand as direct support while the indie rock fun of Houston’s Rose Ette will be on prior. The emo energy of Houston’s Talking Forever will also be on the show with the indie pop rock of Birthday Club on as well. The Daphne Blue, formerly Valens will make their show debut while Sergio Trevino of Buxton and Ancient Cat Society will open things up. The all ages show will have all of the proceeds going to Christian Kidd of The Hates with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $10 and $15.
The Secret Group will have the dance heavy jams of Night Drive over to perform for their album release party. As far as getting down to electro pop goes, these two have it down as their last single “Trapeze Artist Regrets” alone is a jam. The electronica of MNYNMS will be on as direct support while YUNGINTERNET will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.
Mojave Red. Photo: Dani Wilie
Satellite Bar will have the trippy psych sounds of Houston’s Disfrutalo over for a live show. These guys are a trip to see live and their album Disfrutalo! was produced by the late Ikey Owens and it’s a trip. Mojave Red will bring their bluesy psych sound on as direct support while the spacey sounds of Dallas’ Monoculture will go on beforehand. The insane psych sounds of Bernie Pink will open the 18 and up show with a $10 cover and doors at 8 pm.
Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall the fun times of Louisiana indie pop rock six piece Sweet Crude will swing by to perform. Here supporting their latest, Creatures, this band creates fun tunes with hints of Gypsy soul infused throughout. The singer songwriter fun of houston’s Sherita Perez will be on as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $10.
Black Kite. Photo: Jeromy Barber
On Friday you can start off at The Secret Group for night five of Houston Benefit Week with a headlining set from Houston’s Trillblazers. One of the most intriguing groups in Houston, these three make electronica haze like no one else. The dark electronica of Black Kite will be on as direct support while Guilla will bring his eclectic blend of hip hop on beforehand. The synth pop of Tee Vee will also be on the bill, while Kyle Hubbard will swing by to drop bars prior. The crazed electronics of Pitter Patter will open the all ages show with all proceeds going to Christian Kidd of The Hates. The doors are at 7 pm with tickets between $10 and $13.
The highly acclaimed country twang of Texas’ Robyn Ludwick will be over at Mucky Duck. Ludwick has received praise from No Depression and Texas Monthly, and her latest release This Tall To Ride is the better of the new country spectrum. The 21 and up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $20 and $22.
The Heights Theater will host a performance from comedian Demetri Martin. Martin has been on a tear doing stand-up since his show on Comedy Central went off the air, and his last album Standup Comedian from 2024 is still a fan favorite. The all ages show has doors at 7:30 pm and tickets for $54.
Walter’s will have the popular drummerless guitar and bass duo known as Girlpool. The popular duo has been making waves for four years, but their latest release Powerplant is their best and most diverse. The lo-fi indie pop of Baltimore trio Snail Mail will be on hand as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $12.
Only Beast. Photo: Overholser Photography
Satellite Bar has the alt rock of Houston’s Only Beast. I say alt rock, but honestly I don’t know how to describe a band that embodies so many other genres. The proof is in their intense live shows that are flush with energy, and their last release Live At Notsuoh should give you an idea of what you’re in for. The prog rock of Houston’s Treehouse Project will be on as support while the ambient psych of Dead Leslies will open the 18 and up show with doors at 8 pm and an $8 cover.
Over at Continental Club you can get your groove on when the long running dance party of A Fistful of Soul rages on. The DJ dance affair is always a good time, and a great way to hear some of your favorite soulful tunes. The 21 and up party gets going at 10 pm and it’s free.
Ruiners. Photo: Keith Hatch
On Saturday you might want to head to Cactus for an in-store set from Houston’s Ruiners. The four piece is definitely making their way into the hearts of pretty much everyone who hears their blend of Wire meets The Nation of Ulysses branded punk. The set is for their tape release of Plebeian, from Houston’s Miss Champagne Records. The all ages show gets going around 3 pm, it’s free and there’s gratis beer for the adults.
If you wondered what Houston’s The Suffers would sound like with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, well you can find out at the Woodlands Pavilion. There’s not much more to it than that, other than The Suffers are one of the hardest working bands in town & they’ve earned any and all success that they’ve had, so seeing this happen is nice. While you may hear some new material, it should be interesting to hear songs off of the group’s debut The Suffers with all of that extra instrumentation. The all ages show has gates at 7 pm and tickets between free and $25.
Over in the studio at Warehouse Live, Kiki Maroon and crew will return with another edition of Kiki Maroon’s Burly Q Lounge. The vaudeville inspired show with burlesque, comedy, and music is always fun for anyone who attends. This show will feature performances from Roxxy Reckless, Burly Cutie Showgirls, and so much more. The 18 and up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets for $25 on the seated show.
The Secret Group will host the legendary comedy of Emo Phillips. Rumor has it that the comic has performed over six thousand shows since he began in the mid seventies, his shows sell out pretty much all over the globe, and he’s regarded by the likes of Jay Leno and most comics as the best joke writer on the planet. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, his 2024 album Live at The Hasty Pudding is one of the strongest comedy albums ever released. Two of Houston’s better up and coming comics may serve as host and feature, but that’s not set in stone. The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $18 and $23.
Funeral Horse. Photo: Jody Perry
Rockefeller’s has Night Six of Houston Benefit week featuring a headlining set from The Satanic Overlords of Rock N Roll. If ever there was a full throttled punk group to exist, these guys would be it. And with just dropping a set at Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas, their single “Blood On The Backdoor” will give you an idea of their crazed sound. The Cops will be dressed in full uniform and offer their tongue in cheek punk as direct support while Houston’s Ruiners will bring their energetic performance prior. The doom metal of Houston’s Funeral Horse will crazily also play, as will the psych insanity of Frog Hair, and the pop punk of Turnaways. Since Always will bring their indie rock sounds as openers for the all ages benefit show for Christian Kidd of The Hates. Doors are at 7:30 pm and tickets are between $12 and $15.
Arena Theatre will bring some hip hop into your lives from the past, when Juvenile and Mystikal return to town for a co-headlining set. While Juvenile is best known for his 1998 hit track “Back That Azz Up,” he’s stayed active and dropped an album in 2024 called The Fundamentals that’s pretty good. Mystikal is also known for his 2024 jam “Shake Ya Ass,” but he hasn’t done much since it was released. The all ages show has doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $29.50 and $39.50.
Walter’s will have the punk rock feminism of Alice Bag over to play. You more than likely don’t know who she is, but she fronted a first wave LA punk band called The Bags. Her solo work is very in your face and feminist-inclined, and her album Alice Bag from last year is pretty impressive. San Antonio’s Fea will be here again as direct support while the energetic sounds of Houston’s Screech Of Death will play beforehand. Houston’s MyDolls will bring their legendary punk on as openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.
King Finn. Photo: Misa Constante
Over at Avant Garden, King Finn will return to perform a new and redefined sound. After dropping the new single “The Flow” last year, the band regrouped and should bring a whole new sound to their catchy tunes at this show. Devil Killing Moth will bring their acoustic indie rock sound on as direct support while the pop rock of The Glass will open things up. There will also be sets from Gold Cherry in-between the live music as well as FLCON FCKER visuals for the free 21 and up show that gets going around 9 pm.
Rudyard’s will have the stoner doom of Montana’s Wizzerd. Here in support of their new EP, Doomchild, this five piece sounds like they’re worth making it out for. Houston’s HogLeg will be on hand as direct support while the stoner doom of Houston’s The Dirty Seeds will open the 21 and up show with doors at 9 pm and a $10 cover.
B L A C K I E. Photo: Daniel Jackson
On Sunday you can close out Houston Benefit Week over at Big Star Bar when B L A C K I E drops a set. The show, benefiting Christian Kidd of The Hates, should be one for the ages as his latest release Remains is his best to date. The intense noise sounds of MOTHS will open the pay what you can show with doors at 7:30 pm for the 21 and up show.
Monday at White Oak Music Hall you could check out the guitar mastery of Steve Gunn and Lee Ranaldo. I’m not sure what the actual set up of this show is, though it will either be solo sets from both or performances from the two together, intertwining each other’s works. Of course Gunn is a critic’s darling who has dropped some of the strongest solo releases in recent years, most recent being last year’s Eyes On The Lines. Ranaldo, of course, is no slouch either, as he’s been pretty busy with amazing solo releases since Sonic Youth called it quits. In 2024, Ranaldo dropped the gorgeous album Between The Times & The Tides and last year he released a single with “Harry and Hannah.” This should be a show you don’t want to miss with Meg Baird of the psych folk group The Espers opening things upstairs with a solo performance. The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $16 and $20.
Wimps. Photo: Daniel Berman/Duck Club Touring
Over at Walter’s, the DIY indie rock with punk leanings from Seattle’s Wimps will headline a set. Wimps have been around for a while, but haven’t really made their way down here in a good while. Their music is nothing short of amazing, and while they’re set to drop a new record sooner than later, their last release Suitcase is hard not to love. Clare will be on as direct support while Bask will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.
That’s about all that’s happening this week. No matter what you decide to do, please drink like an adult and stay hydrated.
