H-Town Rock

For the Weekend of October 9th-12th, 2008

Suffice to say, dear readers, that this weekend is a prime example of quality over quantity. There aren’t quite too many shows this weekend as usual, but the ones we do have at our fingertips should be oh, so tasty. Even the apparent buffet that is the Westheimer Block Party on Saturday is more an exercise in learning how to select the correct samples from an elaborate taste test of delectable Houston bands. While Thursday’s fare should be thick and hearty and Friday should be a mix of down-home vittles with eclectic treats, Saturday provides everyone the opportunity to eat to their heart’s content, walk off the mid-day meal, and then consume more of this finer musical offerings. Unless you’re the musical version of a raw food vegan (maybe not even then!), you have no excuse to not find a way to collect your friends and enjoy some music this weekend.

Thursday, October 9th

While we do enjoy the music of Mr. Schneider and most any show that goes down at Walter’s, we never overlook an opportunity to join up with our crazy roommate, nouveaux kicker brother, and our favorite barista at the same show. Yes, we’re aware that we don’t come across as anything approximating a fan of metal and hardcore, but we’ve enjoyed the engaging mathcore stylings of Norma Jean for the last 5 or so years. Throw in some three other bands performing their own versions of new school hardcore and metal and we’ve got ourselves a night full of banged heads, surfed crowds, and pitted moshes.

Bob Schneider at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Norma Jean, Haste The Day, The Showdown, and My Children My Bride at The Meridian
The Walkmen, The Little Ones, and Young Mammals at Walter's on Washington

Friday, October 10th

Confession time – we’ve got a rather not-so-small crush on one Ms. Chan Marshall, and since she had to cancel her Houston appearance back in Spring 2008 due to a possibly serious throat ailment, there’s really no chance that we’re going to miss her this time as she passes through our fair city. Her 2006 release, The Greatest, was one of our favorites that year, so we hope that our good friends in Buxton and Sideshow Tramps will understand if we’re not present on this night for their set on this night. But for those of you Houstonist readers (all eleven of you) who aren’t interested in some Memphis-soul-meets-indie-folk goodness, I’d suggest you do make it over to at The Continental Club or to Rudyard’s to enjoy some excellent local musical selections.

Cat Power and Appaloosa at Warehouse Live
Ghostland Observatory at House of Blues
Good Night Goddess and The Goods at Fitzdown
Gym Class Heroes and Estelle at The Meridian
Monotonix, Dizzy Pilot, and American Sharks at The Mink
Orents Stirner, Alkari, and Hearts of Animals at Rudyard's
Sideshow Tramps, Buxton, and Molly and the Ringwalds at The Continental Club

Saturday, October 11th

Do we really need to convince you attend this festival? This is one of those days when all residents of Space City need to get out there, on the streets, supporting our city’s artists. Yes, we know: technically, the Block Party is put on by a “competing” publication, but it’s times like these when we need to set down our partisan bickering, pick up a drink (or four), and enjoy the music of this town. So, be on the look out for our rollicking presence at the corner of Westheimer and Taft for most of the day Saturday. You should be able to find us enjoying acts like Bring Back The Guns, Spain Colored Orange, Ceeplus, listenlisten, and Tambersauro. Check out Free Press Houston for a more exact rundown of performance times and venue schedules.

Deep Ella, Johnny Goudie, Deadbeat Darling, and Five Dollar Friend at Fitzgerald's
Dertybird, mr. Gnome, and Violence of the Sun at Rudyard's
Westheimer Block Party: Featuring Antarctica Starts Here, Antenna Inn, B L A C K I E, Bring Back The Guns, Ceeplus Bad Knives, Cop Warmth, The Defenestration Unit, D.R.U.M., Free Radicals, Tha Fucking Transmissions, Gold Sounds, The Goods, Guy Schwartz, The Jonbenet, Karina Nistal, Lazlo, Lisa's Sons, listenlisten, The Literary Greats, The Mathletes, The McKenzies, O Pioneers!!!, O'Doyle Rules, Rebel Crew, The Riff Tiffs, Satin Hooks, Shina Rae, Sideshow Tramps, Something Fierce, Spain Colored Orange, Studemont Project, The Sweaters, Tambersauro, The Tontons, VoxTrot, The Wild Moccasins, and more at Austin Layne Hotel, Avant Garden, La Strada, Mango’s, and Numbers.

Sunday, October 12th
Akimbo and Ghost Town Electric at The Mink
Presidents of the United States of America and The Black & White Years at House of Blues
Rock the Boat: Hurricane Ike Relief Concert: Featuring Pale, Deep Ella, Paris Green, and Morgue City at The Meridian