H-Town Rock

For the Weekend of July 31st – August 2nd, 2008

Hello there Houston. It’s time for another edition of H-Town Rock, your favorite place for information involving live music around our fair city. But let’s be honest – we all know that you’re really here to read the (occasionally) witty commentary regarding the music. If it’s anything, H-Town Rock is a place where we can share all of tacky, snide, and boorish comments about our least favorite musical acts as they pollute the air of our fair city (What’s worse: a Nickelback concert or the refineries?). All of that aside, we’d like to think that we’re providing some semblance of a service here at Houstonist by bringing you all of these musical names, dates, and places. Someday, we might even see one or two of our 13 or so readers out at an event that we recommended. So come find us: it would make our month!

Thursday, July 31st

Numbers has truly done Montrose and the general downtown area a favor with Recession Thursdays, bringing together a consistently fresh and varied assortment of some of the biggest stars in Houston, along with some growing ones. If you haven’t made one yet, do yourselves a favor and get out there to check out this week's headliners: Peekaboo Theory.

Recession Thursdays: Featuring Peekaboo Theory, Las Imagenes Ocultas, Barkus, Sly, and the Golden Egg, and Giant Battle Monster at Numbers
South Austin Jug Band at McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Friday, August 1st

If it’s not one stylistic amalgamation, it’s another. Hot on the heels of Recession Thursday at Numbers, Fitzgerald’s has put together its own genre-bending hodgepodge of Space City’s finest. Granted, we’re not sure if this is going to be a recurring feature at Fitz’s but Houstonist always enjoys a random bit of speculation and musical rumor-mongering. The Tontons and Two Star Symphony are not to be missed. Granted, there’s a fairly good chance that Houstonist might be at Walter’s for Sharks & Sailors, but you never can tell…

Sharks and Sailors CD Release Show: Featuring, UME, The Jonx, This Man Is Art, DJ Under Warranty, and (duh!) Sharks and Sailors at Walter's on Washington
Spain Colored Orange at The Mink
Leave Your Genre at the Door!: Featuring The Tontons, Perseph 1 & Andacc, Hueman, Kam, Evak 1, The Television Skies, Satin Hooks, Lower Life Form, Babel Fishh, Two Star Symphony, Peekaboo Theory, B.B. Aeroplane, and Dirty Dez at Fitzgerald's
Bullet For My Valentine, Bleeding Through, and Cancer Bats at Verizon Wireless Theater
The Gougers at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Peachcake, Thea, Unlikely Heroes, and Until We Got Caught at Javajazz Coffeehouse

Saturday, August 2nd
Confession time here folks: the only reason that we make mention of these shows is to let loose a series of guffaws and chortles at these selections. Let it be known that Houstonist can be a rather obnoxious music snob and there isn’t any better target than the pseudo-bluesy, weepy, sappy sounds from Mr. John Mayer. Admittedly, he does receive a slight pass for being part of one of our favorite Chappelle’s Show skits (but not much of one).

John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, and Brett Dennen at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Candlebox, Another Black Day, Kings Royal at Warehouse Live

Saturday, August 2nd - 3rd

Now these are the kinds of shows that Houston should cultivate and promote with a greater level of aggression and pride. First and foremost, the folks who run the Secret Saturday Shows over at The Shady Tavern have truly outdone themselves with this festival: to describe these two days of music as eclectic would be a gross understatement. Look at this lineup: Hearts of Animals, Something Fierce, listenlisten, The Wiggins, and so many others. People who bitch and moan about the dearth of good music in Houston need to be forcibly dragged to this event. And while we’re not quite sure if Ruben Studdard’s falls under the jazz rubric, he will be one of the headliners at this weekend’s 18th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival.

Secret Saturday/Sunday Shows Festival: Featuring The Ton Tons, The Holly Hall, Hearts of Animals, Something Fierce, Perseph One, Basses Loaded, The Monocles, Nosaprise, Ill Advisory, Evak1, Sabra Laval, Lenny Briscoe, Cory Derden, Sew What, Like Yeah, Lazyhorse, Teenage Kicks, listenlisten, The McKenzies, Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, You(Genious), AWAKE, Giant Princess, The Wiggins, Bigfoot and the Bear, & more at The Shady Tavern
18th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival: Featuring Ruben Studdard, Angel Lane Brass Band, and Summer Jazz Workshop All-Stars on Saturday and Sax Pack and Hiroshima on Sunday at Discovery Green

(The photos were culled from each band's MySpace page.)