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houstonlocalus-blog · 7 years ago

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Element: The Best of The Week

Kendrick Lamar, Photo: Universal Music

Last week we got to see what can happen when we try to navigate the heat in search of entertainment options. And while it’s not cooling down anytime soon, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of options on what to do this week. The likes of Kendrick Lamar, Elysia Crampton, and DJ Shadow will be in town while locals like MIEARS, Studded Left, and Jazz Radio will be on hand to fill the spaces in between. Houston, here’s how to map your week.

Wednesday you can begin upstairs at White Oak Music Hall when the pop punk of Oakland’s Mt Eddy swings by to perform. Of course, this is Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day’s other son, Jakob, with a new name for the four-piece originally called “Jakob Danger.” The band will be here in support of this year’s Chroma, which sounds more like an indie rock band than a pop punk outfit. Houston’s TURNAWAYS will bring their pop punk aesthetic on as direct support as the openers for the all-ages show, with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $8 and $11.

The Improv will help you get your laugh on when Ku Egenti headlines a show at the iconic venue. Egenti has been going pretty strong in the Houston comedy scene since losing his day job at a Toyota dealership a couple of years ago, including dropping a comedy album, Your Favorite African, earlier this year. The show will also see a slew of comics like Rich Williams, Mike Rao, Crystal Powell and more on hand for the 18 & up show, with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $15 and $25.

Azizi Gibson, Photo: Rogue Agency

Over at Walter’s, hip hop artist Azizi Gibson will be on hand to drop a set. The German-born and LA-transplanted rapper has made quite the name for himself with his slow jam style and ironically energetic live shows. He’s here in support of his latest, this year’s Memoirs of the Reaper, and should bring plenty of fire to his show. There’s no word yet of support or openers for the all-ages show, with doors at 7 pm, but that could change. The tickets run between $15 and $50, the latter being a meet and greet option.

On the patio at Raven Tower, the Will Van Horn Trio will be around to drop the twangy goodness they have become known for. Playing with Robert Ellis hasn’t hurt Van Horn’s street credibility one bit. And as one of the strongest pedal steel players in the state, he’s quite the hot commodity. Van Horn has a new solo record coming out any day now, and I promise you’ll be glad to catch him for the all-ages set that has doors at 7:30 pm and is free to attend.

If you’d rather head to Stafford, you could make it over to The Redneck Country Club to hear Magnolia’s Folk Family Revival. This rock-fueled Americana four-piece is definitely a family, with three brothers in the band alone. Their latest release, last year’s Water Walker, is pretty solid, and their live shows feel like a down-home hootenanny. The 18 & up show has doors at 7:30 pm and tickets for $10.

Today Is The Day, Photo: Southern Lord Records

Thursday, Nashville’s Today Is The Day will bring their intense mix of metal and grindcore over to Walter’s. Here in support of the twentieth anniversary of their album Temple Of The Morning Star, this technically proficient band has been around for twenty-five years and should no less than scare everyone with their intensity. Brooklyn’s Kayo Dot will bring their groggy, avant-goth sounds on as direct support, while the drone-heavy death metal of Houston’s KRVSHR will go on beforehand and show them how it’s done. The prog doom of Houston’s Crimson Void will open the all-ages show, with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.

You could also swing by the upstairs of White Oak Music Hall to hear what A. Savage, the solo project of Andrew Savage from Parquet Courts, sounds like. He’ll be backed by the Peyton Andrew Green Band, and it could be pretty awesome to witness. Alex Dupree, of Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band, will be on hand to open the all-ages show, with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $10 and $13.

Bob Schneider will bring his eclectic blend of funk, rock, soul and singer-songwriter vibes to Mucky Duck for two shows. Schneider is no stranger to fandom, and his latest release, Best Of Funk 2016, is as entertaining as his last regular release, Burden of Proof. The 21 & up shows are at 7 pm and 9:30 pm, and the seats have since sold out–making them both standing room only–with tickets between $28 and $30.

Danger, Photo: UNI-T Production

Stereo Live will host the mysterious and cold pop-electronic sounds of Paris’ Danger. The elusive and masked producer has become well known for his dark mask with bright white eyes, and his latest release is full of bangers. The 18 & up show has doors at 9 pm and appears to have since sold out.

On Friday you could head out to the Woodlands Pavilion to catch a glimpse of nineties alt rockers, Third Eye Blind. While they aren’t really my thing, as they feel like manufactured pop rock, they did drop a pretty solid album no one seemed to care about called Out of The Vein. Being their twentieth anniversary tour, though, I’d guess it’ll be closer to just a set of “the hits.” Silversun Pickups will provide direct support and opening duties for the all-ages show, with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $25 and $95.

Avant Garden will host the tape release show for Houston surf-rockers Total Nightmare. It’s definitely time for this band to drop some music, as it seems they’ve been riding on a single for a good while–though their live shows are fun and full of energy. The indie pop of Austin’s Indoor Creature will be on beforehand, while the fuzzy garage of Houston’s Acid Jacket will go on prior and Redpalms will be on before them. The Free show, with doors at 7 pm, has the dreamy, alt rock gaze of Houston’s Dimphonic on as openers.

Over at Insomnia Gallery, they’ll host an album art show that’s worth making it out for. Some of your favorite album covers–alongside some of your not so favorite–will be recreated by the likes of ACK!, Wizard of Barge, Brandon Bowers, Honeybones, Blake Jones and many, many more. The all-ages show will have a donation bar, a food truck and so much more. All of the particulars are here. It’s free, and it gets going around 7 pm.

Ringo Deathstarr, Photo: Rocky Road Touring

Satellite Bar will host Austin’s Ringo Deathstarr for a return performance. The band was originally formed in Beaumont, but they’ve called Austin home for a good while now. Their live shows are always fun, and their last album, Pure Mood, from 2015, is pretty legit. They’ll have the interesting sounds of Max Cherry on prior, while the trippy psych of Houston’s Frog Hair will go on before. NOLA’s Bantam Foxes will open the all-ages show that’s free for 21 & up ($10 for under 21), with doors at 8 pm.

Walter’s will have a pretty intriguing show when Elysia Crampton swings by to perform her brand of experimental electronica. Known for almost reinventing things per release, her 2016 drop, Demon City, is a trip and definite ear candy. Houston’s Rabit will perform a set with San Antonio’s House of Kenzo prior, while the dystopian grime of B L A C K I E will swing by to drop a set as well. The dissonant, groove-heavy electronica of Studded Left will also perform, as will Austin’s Total Abuse and Houston’s Rough Sleepers. Disaro will spin records to get things started for the all-ages show, with doors at 9 pm and tickets for $10 to $15.

MIEARS, Photo: Daniel Jackson

Over at Continental Club, the Wallflower Records’ Pop Night shows continue with a headlining set from Velveteen Echo. It’ll be interesting to see what the electro-pop show is like, seeing how this is only the duo’s second show. Houston’s Pearl Crush will also be on the bill, while MIEARS will bring her synth-pop sound on as opener. The 21 & up show gets going around 9 pm and has an $8 cover.

On Saturday, you can begin with an in-store performance from Finger Guns over at Cactus. The melodic and emo four-piece dropped a pretty strong sophomore release this year with Life On The Floor, and their live sets are always entertaining. The all-ages event is free to attend–there’s gratis beer for the adults–and it gets going around 1 pm.

I would guess that many of you would be at Toyota Center for Kendrick Lamar. While the Compton rapper has been around for a minute now, his 2015 album, To Pimp A Butterfly, made him a household name. This year he’s returned with the intriguing new album Damn., and his sets here in Houston have been nothing if not mesmerizing. Houston’s Travis Scott will be on hand as direct support, while D.R.A.M. will get things started. The all-ages show has doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $49.50 and $179.50.

Later on you could find yourself over at Warehouse Live in the studio for another installment of Kiki Maroon’s Burly Q Lounge. The vaudeville-style show will have burlesque, comedy, music and more. The 18 & up show has doors at 7 pm–it’s seated–and the tickets are $25.

Get A Life, Photo: Daniel Jackson

The upstairs and downstairs of White Oak Music Hall will be full of people trying to raise money for the UNT Health Science Center, with some of your favorite locals playing as some of your favorite bands at their PROM Event. Sets from Another Run as Duran Duran, MIEARS as Lucius, The Beans as Led Zeppelin, Get A Life as Third Eye Blind, Nathan Quick as Johnny Cash, thelastplaceyoulook as Prince and many more will be on hand. The all-ages show will see the venue match every dollar raised, with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $10.

Walter’s will get all trippy when Flower Graves, formerly Mikey & the Drags, will headline a show. The difference between the two bands is that it seems like Flower Graves is more psych and less garage. Hopefully they’ll drop more new music soon enough to tell, but their last live show was pretty entertaining. The psych pop of Austin’s The Rotten Mangos will be on as direct support, while the garage pop of Galveston’s India Tigers In Texas will get things started. There also promises to be visuals from Midnight Oil Liquid at the all-ages show, with doors at 8 pm and an $8 cover.

Over at Rudyard’s, Houston’s Adam Bricks will bring his lovely tunes to life. Bricks might be the most under-appreciated singer-songwriter in town, as his last album, Relations, is one everyone should own. His live shows are a mix of beauty and sweetness. The guitar-squealing indie rock of Austin’s Growl will be on hand as openers and direct support for the 21 & up show, with doors at 9 pm and an $8 cover.

B.o.B., Photo: Creative Artists Agency

In the ballroom at Warehouse Live, Atlanta’s B.o.B. will be in town to drop a set. While he’s been going strong since his debut in 2009, his latest release, Ether, from earlier this year, is his best in a good while. London Jae will be on as direct support, while Georgia’s JAQUEBEATZ will go on prior. Havi will open the all-ages show with doors at 9 pm and tickets between $25 and $99, the latter being a meet and greet option. Hopefully the show goes on without him mentioning that he believes the earth is flat–hopefully.

Continental Club will have the soulful blues of Austin’s Jai Malano. Malano not only has a strong set of pipes, but the energetic swagger to follow. And her debut album, Rocket Girl, has notes of rock, soul, blues and country intertwined throughout. The twangy country rock of Hard Luck Revival will be on as direct support, while Big E will drop a DJ set to open the 21 & up show that gets going around 10 pm with a $12 cover.

DJ Shadow, Photo: William Morris Entertainment

On Sunday, one of the best DJ’s to scratch a record, DJ Shadow, will return to town over at House of Blues. When you’re looking for the link to modern day hip hop and the past, Shadow is a great place to start as he’s worked with so many artists. Not to mention, his last tour with Cut Chemist was one of the best hip hop shows without an MC I’ve ever seen. His latest release, last year’s The Mountain Will Fall, was a return to form for the DJ, with features from the likes of Run The Jewels, Ernie Fresh and more. There’s no word of support or openers, but that could change on the all-ages show, with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $25.

On Monday, the indie-pop psych of Chicago’s Post Animal will bring their sounds to town upstairs at White Oak Music Hall. Essentially just a normal pop band, this five-piece could be worth checking out, as their new single “Special Moment” is definitely catchy. Houston’s Get A Life will be on as direct support, while Jazz Radio will open the all-ages show, with doors at 7 pm and a $10 cover.

Tuesday you can get your laughs in when BooTown hosts their popular Grown-Up StoryTime shows at Rudyard’s. The always hilarious shows have funny people read humorous stories, and they has become quite the tourist attraction as well. Now with two shows at 8 pm and 10 pm, the 21 & up events both have a $5 cover.

That’s about all that’s happening around town this week. No matter what you decide to do, remember that a safe ride home is just an app away.

Element: The Best of The Week this is a repost

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