Houston Calling

Built to Spill, Pale, and more…

October 16th, 2003 · No Comments

Tonight, Built To Spill will perform at Engine Room with The Delusions and The Solace Bros. For some God-awful reason, they think they can get $15 + fees from the kiddies. This is a Clear Channel-sponsored event, so that explains that. I checked on cc.com and the service fees for tickets were $7.10. Whatever.

I am avoiding the show, even though I would like to see Built to Spill since I have yet to see them live. I am sure the ticket cost is enough to keep people away in the first place. Better to just go to Rudyard’s and see Houston’s own Pale. That show has my vote this time around.

Also playing tonight, Give Up The Ghost, Fairweather, The Bled, and Daughters at Mary Jane’s/Fat Cat’s on Washington. Or, if you’re so inclined you can catch Guster and Kathleen Edwards at Numbers.

I recommend seeing the always great The John Sparrow, who are playing with Casino and Sail On Silvergirl at Rudyard’s on Friday night. The John Sparrow recently recorded an album with Anton Newcombe from The Brian Jonestown Massacre as producer. The album should be released on Bomp! Records. The new album by BJM, …And This Is Our Music, is available from TeePee Records.

If you’re into packed venues, check out the Reverend Horton Heat with Throwrag and Southern Culture on the Skids at Engine Room. This is sure to be an amazing show. Both the Reverend Horton Heat and SCOTS always put on great shows.

I saw RHH in the late 80’s in Deep Ellum in Dallas and recently broke out the old vinyl copy of The Sounds of Deep Ellum compilation that Island Records put out in 1989 or so. That was a great time for music in Dallas–New Bohemians, Shallow Reign (my favs back then), Three On A Hill, Decadent Dub Team. Some really great music. The compilation is hard to find but you may be able to pick it up online or in a used record shop. It was released on CD but I didn’t have the forethought to pick it up at the time.

I just saw that the ex-New Bo’s/current Mrs. Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, released a new solo album, Volcano, this week on Universal Records. It was produced by Mr. “Beat So Lonely” himself, Charlie Sexton. I plan to check it out soon. If you have already heard it, let me know how it is.

Back to the shows.

Also on Friday night:

Japan’s lovely Shonen Knife play at Fitz’s with Superna and F For Fake.

The Walkmen play with 90 Day Men, Earlimart, Panthers, The Natural History, and The Day After Yesterday at Mary Jane’s/Fat Cat’s

The Hightailers perform at Silky’s.

Saturday night brings punk favs Dropkick Murphys to Number’s. The Casualties and Roger Miret and the Disasters will also perform.

The band that has my vote for best band name–Lemonenemy–play with Mur, Libra 3, and Playing with Stars at Rhythm Room.

Be sure to check out Texas Adaptive Aquatics Benefit Music Festival, featuring Hollister Fracus, Turbulent, Fondue Monks, Jail Break, SpyDust, and others at Crooked Ferret Pub on Jones Road in Northwest Houston. This bar is a hole, plain and simple. But it is one of the few places in NW Houston that supports local music on a regular basis. Fondue Monks should have their new live album for sale at the show. Visit their website for more information. Or visit bassist Rozz Zamorano’s website for more information.

Or go down the street from there and see a Journey tribute band at the Forgettaboutit Club on Jones Road at Grant.

For you rockers out there, check out Pushmonkey, The Hunger, and Lowerline at Engine Room. I haven’t seen Pushmonkey since they opened for KISS back in 1995 or so. Hopefully the sound will be better. The Hunger are sure to put on a great show.

Advance warning: Explosions in the Sky, from Austin, has a new album coming out November 4th on Temporary Residence Records, out of Portland. If you pre-order the album now, they will ship it to you a week before it is released. Only $12. EITS will perform one show in Houston at Mary Jane’s/Fat Cat’s on November 1st. Be sure to check out this great show. It’ll probably be a while before they return to town.

Also, several bands have come through Texas lately and not stopped in Houston. This includes Mogwai, Local H, and The Polyphonic Spree, to name a few. And that last band is from Austin, for crying out loud.

Please make sure you attend shows, both local and from national acts. Houston’s reputation is crap and bands know it. Several out-of-town acts have recently told me how they always hear Houston has no music scene or “why play in Houston?” And it just reinforces it when a band from Ohio, for instance, comes through town and there are maybe 15 people at the show–10 of which are in the other bands on the bill. Houston will never gain (or regain, as the case may be) any credibility in the music industry if it continues to have lackluster turnouts at shows.

Everyone knows a band like Radiohead will sell out The Woodlands, but when a free show by a band like Local H–who puts on an amazing live show–only draws maybe 50 people at Engine Room there is a serious problem.

My two cents. But you know I’m right. See you out and about.

Now Playing: The Webb Brothers — [self-titled]

Tags: Music