Sunday was a day that made me long for the day when Houston’s downtown area will constantly be brimming with exciting local music — and the people that will come out and see it. It was great to see so many music fans spread around a few blocks around Main Street, popping in and out of various clubs to catch their favorite local acts.

Even with the heat, it didn’t seem that bad. In fact, having flown in from Chicago just in time to catch Bright Men of Learning’s 4pm slot, the Main Street area actually reminded me of how I feel when I am in Chicago. A real downtown, with people actually walking… What is that — light rail? Ah, progress.

On to the music.

I spent much of the showcase at Mercury Room, bailing out every so often to catch half a set down the street. After Bright Men of Learning at Red Cat Jazz Cafe (more on my late-night experience at this place later), I ran over to Mercury Room to catch Lanky’s set at 5pm. Backed by Arthur Yoria’s rhythm section, Lanky wowed the crowd with his catchy, alterna-pop. The band was so tight it was incredible — and Lanky has stage presence galore.

Soon after Lanky’s set, Arthur Yoria played yet another of his trademark stellar shows. The crowd was really into his music, as they should be. I left after a few songs to catch the last half of Drop Trio’s set at M Bar. It was a good room for their music, and the band impressed as always. It was a energetic, responsive crowd. Drop Trio keyboardist Ian Varley is not only a nice guy, but a seriously talented musician. I could listen to them for hours.

Next up were The Blaggards at Mercury Room. A friend of mine recommended that I check them out and I am glad I did — their music is a mixture of Irish folk music and old-fashioned metal. They were crowd-pleasers in every sense of the word, and seemed genuinely happy people were so into it. I highly suggest checking these guys out next time you get the chance.

Next up were two long-time Houston staples, Southern Backtones (Mercury Room) and Fondue Monks (Boaka Bar, which is the upstairs of Mercury Room). Both bands played sets to packed rooms and both bands rocked it like I haven’t seen in a while. There’s a reason Monks bassist Rozz Zamorano is nominated again for best bassist — his solo was jaw-dropping.

After the Backtones ended their pounding set (complete with cabaret girls), I caught a few songs from Spain Colored Orange at Grasshopper. It was weird to see the band packed into what looked like (and probably felt like to the band) a crawlspace, but they played incredibly regardless. After a while, I made my way back to Red Cat Jazz Cafe to catch the John Evans Band’s set. There was a line to get in…

I made my way in (thanks you-know-who for the VIP wristband), and stood slightly inside the room behind some couple seated at tables in front of the stage. Note to Red Cat Jazz Cafe: next time, do yourself — and all of us — a favor and lose the tables for a few hours. Not only was it completely packed, there was nowhere to go. Yet the bouncer constantly felt to need to try to get people to move from the front of the club. Worse yet — and this got me so mad I ended up leaving halfway through the set — the table of people in front of me kept complaining about the girl dancing in front of them and had the audacity to make the the bouncer bring the manager over. The staff of Red Cat Jazz Cafe, which is now on my list of places to never go again, threatened to kick her out because she was dancing in front of people who really shouldn’t have been sitting down in the first place. It was ridiculous.

She was harmless (wearing the humorous “Talk Nerdy To Me” T-shirt), and was just there to enjoy the music. It was obvious that the customers at the table were out for a night on the town and made a bad plan of when to go (or maybe they were there to see someone else earlier). Regardless, that they thought they could get someone kicked out for basically no reason — and who knows, they may have kicked her and others out after I left — reaffirms the fact that most people suck.

Advice to Houston: boycott Red Cat Jazz Cafe

Advice to Houston Press: next year, don’t book any bands at Red Cat Jazz Cafe

Otherwise, it was a great afternoon/evening of music. I wish every weekend could be this way in downtown.

Congrats to all of the bands nominated in the music awards. Good luck.

Quote of the night: “You don’t ask me to pay cover. Do you have any idea who I am?” — Little Joe Washington (to the bouncer at Red Cat Jazz Cafe)