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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2007 > October
October 2007
Top 5 bands of Fun Fun Fun (depending on who you are)
If you’re an aging (or aged) punk rocker headed for the pit:
- 1. The Murder City Devils (Sunday, Stage Two, 8:40 p.m.)
- 2. Sick of It All (Saturday, Stage Two, 5:50 p.m.)
- 3. Poison Idea (Sunday, Stage Two, 5 p.m.)
- 4. Youth Brigade (Sunday, Stage Two, 4:10 p.m.)
- 5. Madball (Saturday, Stage Two, 4:15 p.m.)
If you like super-sized, proggy rock:
- 1. Neurosis (Saturday, Stage Two, 8:40 p.m.)
- 2. Explosions in the Sky (Saturday, Stage One, 8:40 p.m.)
- 3. Battles (Sunday, Stage One, 7:30 p.m.)
- 4. Evangelicals (Saturday, Stage One, 3:10 p.m.)
- 5. Don Caballero (Sunday, Stage One, 4 p.m.)
If you want to see nothing but up-and-coming Austin acts:
- 1. White Denim (Saturday, Stage One, 3:50 p.m.)
- 2. Brothers and Sisters (Saturday, Stage One, 2 p.m.)
- 3. Iron Age (Saturday, Stage Two, 1:10 p.m.)
- 4. Complete Control (Sunday, Stage Two, 2:05 p.m.)
- 5. Car Stereo (Wars) (Sunday, Stage Three, 5:45 p.m.)
If you want hip-hop and DJs:
- 1. Diplo (Sunday, Stage Three, 8 p.m.)
- 2. Girl Talk (Saturday, Stage Three, 8:40 p.m.)
- 3. Busdriver (Saturday, Stage Three, 7:40 p.m.)
- 4. Cadence Weapon (Saturday, Stage Three, 6:40 p.m.)
- 5. DJ Jester (Saturday, Stage Three, 4:45 p.m.)
If you are an indie rock separatist:
- 1. The New Pornographers (Saturday, Stage One, 7:35 p.m.)
- 2. Of Montreal (Saturday, Stage One, 6:30 p.m.)
- 3. Cat Power and the Dirty Delta Blues (Sunday, Stage One, 8:40 p.m.)
- 4. Ted Leo and Pharmacists (Sunday, Stage One, 6:30 p.m.)
- 5. Emma Pollack (Saturday, Stage One, 2:35 p.m.)
If you want metal, lumbering or thrashing:
- 1. Neurosis (Saturday, Stage Two, 8:40 p.m.)
- 2. The Sword (Saturday, Stage Two, 7:30 p.m.)
- 3. Saviours (Saturday, Stage Two, 2:55 p.m.)
- 4. Witchcraft (Saturday, Stage Two, 3:30 p.m.)
- 5. Battalion of Saints (Saturday, Stage Two, 5 p.m.)
Fun Fun Fun Fest
When: 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; the show will go on rain or shine.
Where:Waterloo Park, 403 E. 15th St.
Information: funfunfunfest.com.
Toni Price’s Hippie Halloween
Embracing the spirit of a “Hippie Halloween,” Toni Price had the Continental Club decorated like a gypsy’s den and came dressed for a party. Swathed in spangles and scarves and funky bracelets — her eyes rimmed with heavy mascara — Price took the stage with a dramatic twirl and addressed her audience as if casting a spell.
“I am Queen of the Gypsies,” she proclaimed. “And you are my subjects.”
Hey, no argument here. Price put on an uproariously fun show Tuesday night — the singer’s second visit to her old “Hippie Hour” haunt since moving to Southern California five months ago. (No, she’s not moving back). Paired with old friend Rich Brotherton on acoustic guitar, Price was in commanding form during a bluesy, torchy, playful two-set show that included beautiful renditions of her old hits, intermittent readings of tarot cards and wry impressions of her new life in California.
Price remarked on stage that she’s fascinated by the California surf culture, particularly the sight of “cute surfer guys” who bob about in the ocean, in a long line, 20 feet apart. “I’ve bought some binoculars,” she told the jammed house, a sparkle in her eye.
Price’s stage essence was confident and rested — and she let it all loose in the second set with soul-pure renditions of “Angel From Montgomery” and “Hey,” as well as the magnificent “Right Where I Belong” from her new “Talk Memphis.” Price brought down the house with a muscular, burn-to-the bone version of “Richest One” — an experience that stirred Brotherton so deeply that he reached out for Price’s left hand and lifted her arm to the sky in triumph at the end of the song.
The Queen of Gypsies let it all out before a costumed audience that included an alluring Cleopatra, the Burger King, a Red Cross nurse and a Norse warrior, a bear cub and a flapper, a wicked witch and a white-winged angel sipping a bock beer. A memorable night, this.
Halloween means it’s time for the Cramps.
Yes, it’s Halloween, time once again for my annual rant about the greatness of the Cramps.
There are pretty much two types of people in the world: Misfits people and Cramps people. Surely, there are those who like both, but really, most folks who are aware of both catalogs tend to lean in one direction or the other.
Had I been exposed to the Misfits first, had an older kid in my high school (God bless you, John Pickett, wherever you are) been playing the Misfits’ “Walk Among Us” and not the Cramps’ compilation “Off the Bone” in our high school art room, I could be a Misfits person today.
But no, I remember standing there after school as the wall of fuzz at the beginning of “Human Fly” just flattened me against the wall. Two guitars, two chords, no bass, BZZZZZZZZZZZ “Well, I’m a human fly/I spell (it) F-L-Y”
There are a couple of songs I remember thinking, “I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear this.” “Sister Ray” by the Velvets. “Loose” and “TV Eye” by the Stooges. “Waiting Room” by Fugazi. And “Human Fly” by the Cramps. Two guitars, no bass, thumping drums, a sound that said rockabilly, 3 a.m. movies, and old comic books all at once. Trash rock as art rock as punk rock, all held together by Lux Interior’s reverbed bellow: Elvis, Bela and Ghoulardhi, all at once.
“I’m a human fly/and I don’t know why/I’ve got 96 tears/and 96 eyes.”
Everything you need to know about the Cramps is in that one line: a fondness for simplicity, an awareness of rock history and an absolute unwillingness to take it remotely seriously. These guys were smart, they loved junk culture, and they made no bones about it.
They were also a bit older than their punk peers, though I didn’t know how old until ‘03, when I found out Lux was two years older than my father, who didn’t have kids until he was well into his 20s. I mean, what was Lux doing in the ’60s? Hanging out in leather pants and listening to Charlie Feathers? Collecting every rockabilly single he could find? Watching the Late Late Late Movie somewhere in Ohio and thinking, “Yeah, I could be that.”
Now that I think about it, probably all three.
Recommended listening:
“Gravest Hits” EP (1979, IRS)
“Songs the Lord Taught Us” LP/CD (1980, IRS)
“Psychedelic Jungle” LP/CD (CD includes “Gravest Hits”) (1981, IRS)
“A Date With Elvis” LP/CD (1986, New Rose)
Pretty much any bootleg from the 1980s.
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GLO on DVD
The New West label is rushing to capitalize on dance rock sensations Ghostland Observatory, releasing a DVD of the duo’s July 10 “Austin City Limits” taping even before the program airs on PBS. “Live From Austin, TX,” the latest installment of the New West series, will be available Nov. 13.
Featuring front man Aaron Behrens and drummer/producer Thomas Turner, Ghostland’s popularity has been destination: stratosphere in recent months, and anyone who saw their astonishing fulfilling ACL Fest performance saw the most show-stealing set of the entire festival.
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Tori Amos show moved from Austin to San Antonio
Tori Amos was scheduled to be one of the first shows at a renovated Austin Music Hall. Instead, her show will be at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre. A news release from Direct Events explains how to get refunds/new tickets and also says the music hall is on track for an opening celebration at the end of November:
The Tori Amos concert originally scheduled for Nov. 26 at the Austin Music Hall has been moved to The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio.
Due to the current renovations at the Austin Music Hall, Direct Events and Live Nation believe it is in the fans interests to move the concert. This will allow for the new Austin Music Hall to be completed and unveiled at its best when reopening to properly showcase the artists scheduled for the opening time period.
Ticket holders for the original Austin show MUST have their tickets refunded.
For information on refunds for the Austin Music Hall show, please call GetTix at 1-866-443-8849.
Original ticket holders for the Austin show will have an exclusive presale opportunity to access tickets for the new San Antonio show and will be notified this week via e-mail.
The general public on sale for Tori Amos in San Antonio is this Saturday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets and charge by phone.
The new Austin Music Hall is still tracking for an opening celebration at the end of November. For more information, photos of progress and concert announcements, please visit www.austinmusichall.com.
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Veejay winners announced
After 200 auditions, ME Television has announced that Miguel Benavides from Del Rio and Austin’s Meriah Garret have won the 2007 Next Veejay competition and have been added to the 24-hour music network’s on-air talent roster. Benavides will host “Weekend Airwaves” beginning this Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. Garret has been tapped to host Taste of Texas when it kicks off its next season in January.
For more info on the competition go here.
Show review: Fatlip and Tre at Emo’s
Long removed from their heyday as members of the West-Coast alt-rap group Pharcyde, Fatlip and Tre performed in front of a small crowd of fewer than 50 inside Emo’s on Thursday. The two have been scratching out solo careers ever since Pharcyde, an underground group that achieved crossover success in the mid-’90’s with hits such as “Runnin” and “Passin Me By,” disintegrated. As the small turnout at Emo’s would suggest, neither has been able to top Pharcyde’s success. And while they were clearly nonplussed by the initially drowsy audience, they still managed to put on an excellent show. It was old-school hip-hop at its finest: two emcees and a DJ moving the crowd with just a turntable and some microphones.
They opened with a medley of Pharcyde classics, but the biggest reaction came when they started playing their more recent work, in particular songs from Fatlip’s 2005 solo album “The Loneliest Punk.” The duo shared the stage well, alternating verses as the crowd sung along to underground hits such as “What’s up Fatlip” and “Today’s Your Day.”
And even though Fatlip had the more popular songs, it was Tre, aka Slimkid3, who stole the show. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat low on his head and a faded Polo shirt, his infectious energy made him seem like the bigger star. Alternately hectoring and praising the crowd, he won them over by bringing various girls on stage to dance and rap his verses: “I know that Fatlip carries a pack to cure the nicotine itch / because the only itch I have is for the indoe or ‘cess.”
The show ended with Tre passionately pleading with the audience not bootleg their music, a particularly widespread problem in underground rap, whose computer savvy fan-base has been on the file-sharing forefront. He told them if they don’t support their favorite artists, one day they’re going to wake up and wonder where those artists went.
After all, no matter how well Tre and Fatlip perform, if no one’s there to see it, his prophecy might come true.
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Wired: Vinyl sales strong
Wired notes something we have been mumbling for years: The combination of file-sharing and the decreased profitability of the compact disc has done wonders for the vinyl market.
(Thanks to Idolator for the link.)
Which reminds me, I stopped by the record convention this weekend. I went with a set amount of cash and a list. I figured once I found one thing on the list, I would leave. And that’s what happened. A few CDs, a few pieces of wax and I was out of there (and not wearing a barrel like last time). As for actual long-playing records, I picked up the following:
Icons of Filth — “Onward Christian Soldiers” (Mortarhate): A British peace-crust classic. Absolutely as good as its reputation.
Don King — “One-Two Punch” (Doublevision): Not quieter as great as I was hoping but a nice slice of post-no wave chug nonetheless.
“John Gavanti” (Hyrax): The infamous “no wave opera.” Totally lives up to its reputation as exceptionally difficult listening. In the immortal words of Elmo the Monster, “How can Elmo find out more?” Read here .
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Review: Joanna Newsom at Riverbend Centre
On Saturday night, followers of harpist Joanna Newsom were treated to the artist’s richest Austin performance. The Austin Symphony, performing Van Dyke Park’s arrangements for the 2006 release “Ys,” complemented Newsom’s elegiac lyricism and allowed her music to resonate with all the emotion Newsom conveys in her recordings. Though Newsom performed for more than 700 fans — the largest crowd she has played for in Austin — she maintained all the modesty she exhibited years ago, as a backup musician and opening act for Devendra Banhart.
The Riverbend Centre’s stadium seating guarantees every patron a clear line of vision to performers, and its modern elegance provides a handsome backdrop for any artist. At 8 p.m., Newsom appeared with her honey-colored curls spilling down a gathered gown, giggling to herself. To her sides were members of Newsom’s newly formed band, the Ys Street Band, Ryan Francesconi (guitar, banjo) and Neil Morgan (drums). After a sincere thank you to Peter Bay, the Austin Symphony’s conductor, Newsom quickly began the first half of her performance, dedicated to “Ys.”
Though Newsom can, and has, performed tracks from “Ys” without a symphony, the accompaniment added fullness to her work that brought listeners to tears during “Emily,” and added a driving element that only enhanced the storyline of songs like “Monkey and Bear.”
However, what was most striking was Newsom’s mastery of her childlike vocals that often breached shrillness in earlier performances. While many fans identify Newsom with the faltering pitches that trademark her recordings, the evening’s softly sung lyrics demonstrated how she has matured as a performer. After a brief intermission, Newsom and her band remained to perform old favorites from “Milk-Eyed Mender,” selections from her latest release “Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band,” and even a waltzing, unnamed selection for her upcoming album.
After 2½ hours and a reluctant encore of “Sadie,” Newsom gave a slight wave and a smile and scuttled offstage, leaving the under-30 crowd (half-clad in Halloween costumes) in awe, once more.
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Waterloo Records Top 10 for the week ending Oct. 27
Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, ‘Raising Sand’ (Rounder)
Iron & Wine, ‘The Shepherd’s Dog’ (Sub Pop)
Ween, ‘La Cucaracha’ (Rounder)
Ryan Adams, ‘Follow the Lights’ (Lost Highway)
Neil Young, ‘Chrome Dreams II’ (Reprise)
Bruce Springsteen, ‘Magic’ (Columbia)
Dwight Yoakam, ‘Dwight Sings Buck’ (New West)
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, ‘It’s Not Big it’s Large’ (Lost Highway)
Band of Horses, ‘Cease to Begin (Sub Pop)
Toni Price, ‘Talk Memphis’ (Texas Music Group)
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Encore Music and Video’s Top 10 for the week ending Oct. 29
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss, ‘Raising Sand’ (Rounder)
Soilwork, ‘Sworn to a Great Divide’ (Nuclear Blast)
Exodus, ‘Atrocity Exhibition, Exhibit A’ (Nuclear Blast)
Hammerfall, ‘Steel Meets Steel: Best of Hammerfall’ (Nuclear Blast)
Iron & Wine, ‘The Shepherd’s Dog’ (Sub Pop)
The Black Dahlia Murder, ‘Nocturnal’ (Metal Blade)
Coheed & Cambria, ‘No World for Tomorrow’ (Columbia)
Sepultura, ‘Best of Sepultura’ (Roadrunner)
Sodom, ‘The Final Sign of Evil’ (Steamhammer)
Serj Tankian, ‘Elect the Dead’ (Reprise)
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Musicmania’s Top 10 for the week ending Oct. 28
Trae ‘Life Goes On’ (Rap-A-Lot)
Keyshia Cole ‘Just Like You’ (Geffen)
Hurricane Chris ‘5150 Rachet’ (J Records)
Gorilla Zoe ‘Welcome To The Zoo (Bad Boy)
Soulja Boy ‘Souljaboytellem.com’ (Interscope)
Plies ‘Real Testament’ (Slip-N-Slide)
Jagged Edge ‘Baby Makin’ Project’ (Island)
UGK ‘Underground Kingz’ (Jive)
Kanye West ‘Graduation’ (Def Jam)
50 Cent ‘Curtis’ (Interscope)
(Musicmania 3909 D North IH 35 #1 451-3361)
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Okkervil River overflow
One of my favorite feature writing techniques for when I know the space in the newspaper is going to be tight is to make a list of all the interesting things I want to try to work into the article. Usually I’m able to shoehorn most of the tidbits, but after I was finished with the Okkervil River profile which runs Tuesday in Life & Arts I saw that I had left out quite a bit. The beauty (and downfall) of online is that space is unlimited, so here are some more things I wanted to tell you about Okkervil Riverboat captain Will Sheff:
Sheff had tried to get the band to change its name after the first few gigs. He just didn’t see much of a future for a band called Okkervil River, plus a lot of people thought they were a country band that couldn’t spell. “They told me I was putting too much thought into it,” Sheff says, adding that he wished he had been more forceful in getting his way. Indeed, if the new record was called “Okkervil River” by a band called the Stage Names it would probably do even better.
Producer Brian Beattie thought the idea to segue “John Allyn Smith Sails” into “Sloop John B” was a terrible idea, according to Sheff. But the band, who receive co-producer credit, convinced Beattie to give it a try. Critics have called the unlikely mash-up a highlight of the record.
Sheff attended Macalester College in Minnesota to take creative writing courses, but turned to songwriting after growing increasingly frustrated about his teachers’ methods.
Much of the material on “The Stage Names” was inspired by the fidgety fandom Sheff has encountered since “Black Sheep Boy” made him a generational beacon. But the situation flipped when he met Lou Reed, one of his all-time idols. “I was literally shaking in my boots,” says Sheff, no doubt aware of Reed’s rep as “so-not-mister-feelgood.” But Sheff said Reed couldn’t have been more personable.
Sheff’s enthusiasm for music, classic and new, makes him come off a little like the Andy Kaufman character where he’s wide-eyed and enthused. “Thriller,” which came out when Sheff was six, was his first favorite record. But the first adventurous band that had an influence was the psych folk pioneer Incredible String Band, also an influence on Led Zeppelin.
Even though he grew up in New England, Sheff has never been much of a Springsteen fan, besides parts of “Nebraska.” He does have one weakness concerning the Boss. “That song ‘The River’ just kills me. It’ll start playing and I’ll tell myself ‘OK, this is just a corny song,’ but then it gets near the end and I have tears in my eyes every time.”
Shearwater is a spinoff band created to give keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg an outlet for his songwriting. Sheff plays guitar in the group. Sometimes Okkervil and Shearwater tour together, which makes the stage changes between sets a cinch.
Sheff really hates the “lit rock” tag, even as such acts as the Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens seem to embrace it.
Here’s a good quote that I had to leave out because it was too long (and he said something similar in that really terrific Pitchfork interview a few weeks ago.) “There’s a sadness to that connection you so desperately want from your idols. What you want out of them isn’t even articulated in yourself. Do you want to be friends with them? Do you want to marry them? Do you want them to give you advice? What you really want is for them to be the music they make, personified.”
One of the songs his parents played for him to fall asleep to when he was an infant was “House At Pooh Corner” by Kenny Loggins. “I just heard that song and it all just came back to me. It was not the words, but the voices, the harmonies and the melody that stirred up the memories.”
The best concert he ever went to was Iggy and the Stooges in Seattle last year. “Here were these old guys and they were owning up to their age, like, ‘Yeah, we’re old guys; now we’re gonna tear this place up.’ It was so powerful. I’ve seen these young stand-ins playing with, say the New York Dolls, and they’re panting just trying to keep up. “
Sheff’s voice has been described in many ways- “caterwauling” and “gut-wrenching” are the two most commonly misused. The word that best describes Sheff’s high and elastic voice is “enthusiastic.” His is not the classic rock star voice (“I’d love to be able to sing like Rod Stewart,” he says), but it’s the voice that belongs to the songs. You can’t separate them.
All Sheff’s stuff is in storage in Austin. “It just doesn’t make sense to pay rent when you’re touring all the time,” he said. After Fun Fun Fun Fest, the band doesn’t get back to Austin until January.
A proud parent pointed out that the article omitted the names of other Okkervillains. They are Patrick Pestorius, Jonathan Meiburg, Travis Nelsen, Scott Brackett and Brian Cassidy.
“The Stage Names” is the best album by an Austin act since “Gimme Fiction” by Spoon.
- SoundCheck360: Okkervil River
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Music roundup: Quick clips - Nas controversy, Houston in Norway, more
- Nas explains the controversial title of his new album [Rolling Stone]
- Nas’ freedom of speech, Def Jam’s pockets threatened by state boycott [Idolator]
- TI’s back home with some heavy thinking to do [Miss Info]
- Houston rap hits Norwegian TV [via HoustonSoReal]
- Jive records drops Kelis [A Hot Mess]
- Care to look like Kanye? [Vibe Confidential]
- Church organizers support for Britney [AP]
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Live review: White Trash Revue
Dino Lee has always loved to keep crowds waiting, so why should his reunion with the White Trash Revue be any different? The horn-heavy band (three trumpets, three saxophones and a trombone) didn’t take the Antone’s stage until 12:40 a.m. Saturday morning, but as soon as the undisputed “King of White Trash” came out with white “Dumb and Dumber” wig and strange sort of cosmic shepherd get-up, the wait disappeared. With the double drummers — Hector Munoz and Mike Navarro — laying down a primal foundation and the horn section giving the funkfest a big liftoff, the band was instantly tight. Though not as outrageous as in his mid-80s heyday, Lee remains a good singer; all those years of crooning Sinatra as Mr. Fabulous have paid off. But more importantly, the folks onstage seemed to be having a blast.
Such 20-year-old songs as “Beer Party,” “Stud Pony” and “Everybody Get Some” struggled to keep from sounding dated and for the most part succeeded. The band got after the groove all night, which made it strange to see so many patrons drift outside by about the 45-minute mark.
At times it seemed a sad affair; the most outrageous and controversial local act of two decades ago didn’t come close to selling out a 500-capacity club for its first reunion. Attendance was no doubt hurt by the competing Austalgia fest, the Sluggo Ball at Emo’s. But those who did turn up — primarily old fans either drinking bottled water or stupid drunk — got a nice dose of the great big nasty funk sound without any whiff of the craziness of vintage White Trash shows. It’s hard to get down when it’s so far past your bedtime.
Tejano music rally scheduled for Sunday
The Austin Tejano Music Coalition, led by former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, is holding a free Tejano music rally and workshop Sunday at the H&H Ballroom (4402 Brandt Road. 282-1143).
The workshop, which will feature discussions of Tejano music and its place in Texas culture, kicks off at 1:30 p.m. The rally, which includes performances from Alfonso Ramos, Ruben Ramos, Los Tex Maniacs and more, starts at 3 p.m.
Barrientos is hoping to gain support around the coalition’s goal of returning a full-time Tejano radio station to the Austin airwaves.
Austin has been without a full-time Tejano station since KTXZ 1560AM switched formats to “Spanish oldies” in October 2005.
The next open coalition meeting will be at 6:30 p.m Tuesday at Little Mexico Restaurant (2304 S. First St. 462-2188). Check out www.austintejanomusic.com for more information on all things Austin and Tejano.
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Gary Clark Jr. drippin’ for success
I wish director John Sayles (“Lone Star,” “Baby It’s You”) could’ve been at the Victory Grill in June 2001 when Austin High student Gary Clark Jr. practically blew Bobby “Blue” Bland off the stage. Guitarist Clark wasn’t even advertised- he just jammed with the opening act for three or four songs - but women in the audience just flew out of their seats and veteran blueshounds couldn’t believe the soul being produced by those 16-year-old fingers.
Clark Jr.’s time in the national spotlight comes Dec. 28 when he pretty much reprises that night at the Victory in Sayles new film “Honeydripper,” an ode to 1950’s juke joint blues. The kid’s castmates include Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton and Mary Steenburgen.
Clark Jr. also appears Saturday on “Austin City Limits” (PBS 7 p.m.) as part of an all-star tribute to Jimmy Reed.
In a press release, Sayles says “Honeydripper” grew out of his fascination with the genesis of rock ‘n’ roll. “There was no single moment when R&B, blues, gospel, jazz and country all came together to create this thing called rock ‘n’ roll,” he said, “but a big change came with the advent of the electric guitar. Before that, piano ruled. Suddenly a poor boy like Sonny (Gary Clark, Jr.’s character) could travel around with a portable, cheap, high-volume electric guitar and peel the paint off the walls.”
Even walls where the paint done peeled off long ago. After the Victory show, I predicted stardom for Gary Clark Jr. It’s been a long time comin’ but it seems to be on the way.
Weekend Picks: White Trash Revue, Crescent City soul, costume balls and more
Friday: A Halloween Soul Happening at the Victory Grill. DJs Little Danny, Greg Most, Dr. Rhythm and company come together to present another deep soul shakedown. This time, in honor of fright night, they’ll “channel the rhythm of New Orleans for a stone soul seance to wake the dead with a set of strictly Crescent City grooves at midnight.” In addition, would be soulsters are encouraged to don their freakiest costumes for a costume contest to be judged by none other than Austin icon Gerry Van King aka The King of Sixth Street. $5. — Deborah Sengupta
Friday: Dino Lee and the White Trash Revue at Antone’s. By being the most un-Austinlike Austinite, Dino Lee pretty much owned “the little town with the big head” in the ’80s. A shock rocker who always had a top-flight band, Lee’s music was a mix of funk and rock back when the Scabs were still fresh wounds. But the thing that really set Dino and the White Trash Revue apart from all the other acts of the so-called New Sincerity movement (besides his two-foot pompadour) was that he was unashamedly ambitious and pushed the envelope of bad taste so far that it required extra postage. There was nothing like him in Austin. And there was nothing like Heidi Narum jumping onstage in catgirl tights. The White Trash Revue (including a horn section and the Jam & Jelly Girls) will get back together for one more show on Friday. $12-$15. — Michael Corcoran
Friday: Sluggo Ball at Emo’s (outside). In the late 1970s, Nick West and E.A. Srere founded Sluggo! magazine, one of the most influential fanzines of the time, which helped put the nascent Austin punk scene on the radar. Sadly, West is battling advanced prostate cancer and is currently in treatment in Germany. To help offset the enormous expenses for this innovative treatment, a series of benefits are being planned, including this one. Sally Norvell (ex-Gator Family) is coming down from NYC to do her cabaret act, plus Ty Gavin’s band SA Creeper will perform, but perhaps the biggest draw for this costume ball will be Lucid Dementia. $12. — M.C.
Friday: RockIt! Halloween with Afrika Bambaataa. One of hip-hop’s pioneers, DJ and community activist, Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation in the late 70s, in an effort to redirect youth energy from the gang violence that plagued the Bronx into something positive. Through community events led by reformed gang members, the Zulu Nation was instrumental in establishing hip-hop as a socially conscious urban culture incorporating elements of breakdancing, DJing, graffiti writing and later MCing. Bambaataa is also credited as being one of the main originators of breakbeat style DJing, and he hosted many legendary NYC parties throughout the ’80s. RockIt! parties, hosted by local funkmeisters DJs Manny and Big Face and featuring the Super Sonic Soul Squad dance team, are always a world of fun. Add the Latin funk machine Brownout! to this bill, and you’ve got a full force throwdown. $13 adv (at DJ Dojo), $15 at the door. — D.S.
Friday and Saturday: Fiery Furnaces at Emo’s (inside). On ‘Widow City,’ the Furnaces remind you that they never really got over the 1970s. Not the riffs, not the AM-rock keyboards, not even the hair (see also Eleanor Friedberger’s flowing-yet-bangsed locks on the cover). $12. — Joe Gross
Saturday: Joanna Newsom with the Austin Symphony Orchestra at Riverbend Centre. Reactions to Newsom’s 2006 album ‘Ys’ were all over the place. Some deemed its massive, folky, proggy sprawl brilliant and classic. Others called it inscrutable and indulgent. Judge for yourself and hear these songs with the full orchestrations with which they were recorded. $35. — J.G.
Saturday: Yarah Bravo, DJ Vadim and Abstract Rude at Emo’s Lounge. The last time I caught Vadim with Yarah Bravo, the pint-sized Brazilian/Chilean/Swedish London-based MC, ol’ girl rocked an oversized ball cap and ridiculous sunglasses and bounced around the stage with the frenetic energy of an punk rock cheerleader. A lot of the delicacy of her rhymestyle, which on recordings is at times closer to spoken word that slides into honey-voiced soul, was lost, but she was adorable. Her positive vibe was a definite crowd-pleaser. A year later, presumably with a good amount of tour mileage under her belt, she’s added a few aggressive electronic tracks added to her repertoire. It will be interesting to see how her mic skills have developed. I’m always happy to see a female MC come into her own. $12. — D.S.
Sunday: Sinead O’Connor at Hogg Auditorium. Let us face and embrace the stereotype, people: At some point, your good Irish friend, the raconteur, the wag, the poem-reciter, is going to start talking about God. Pro, con, both, whatever —- God is going to come up. This gal is no exception. ‘Theology’ is her eighth album, a double at that. The first single is ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ Get ready. $35 to $45. — J.G.
Also playing this weekend:
Friday
- Collective Soul at Stubb’s
- Doobie Brothers at the Backyard
Saturday
- Rock the Casbah at the Parish
- Hanson at La Zona Rosa
- Trail of Dead, Black Joe Lewis at Emo’s
- The Diamond Smugglers Halloween Ball at the Continental
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Musicmania Top 10 for the week ending Oct. 21
UGK ‘Underground Kingz’ (Jive)
Soulja Boy ‘Souljaboytellem.com’ (Interscope)
Plies ‘Real Testament’ (Slip-N-Slide)
Keyshia Cole ‘Just Like You’ (Geffen)
Kanye West ‘Graduation’ (Def Jam)
Rick Ross ‘Rise To Power’ (Sauve II House)
Sir Charles Jones ‘Best Of” (Madri Gras)
J.Holiday ‘Back Of My Lac’ (Capitol)
Gorilla Zoe ‘Welcome To The Zoo (Bad Boy)
Jagged Edge ‘Baby Makin’ Project’ (Island)
(Musicmania 3909 D North IH 35 #1 451-3361)
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In the clubs: Car Stereo (Wars)
- SoundCheck360: Car Stereo Wars
- The A-List: Car Stereo Wars at the Beauty Bar, 8.18.07
Chris Rose, also known as Car Stereo (Wars), almost doesn’t consider himself a DJ. The 23-year-old has been playing records in public for only about two years. It’s only now, with the release of his debut album, “The Bandit,” on his own label, Artifact Workshop, that he feels like he’s finally figured out what Car Stereo (Wars) is.
“It’s evolved a lot,” Rose said. “It started out as this DJ night at Plush. Not all that serious. Then it evolved into learning how to beat match and become a more serious DJ, which evolved into working on a lot of stuff on my computer, learning how to cut up and rearrange stuff. Now I’ve decided to stop DJ-ing entirely in order to concentrate on the mash-ups.”
“Mash-ups” are, of course, the result of combining the recorded versions of two songs in new and (it’s hoped) interesting ways. They were a genuine fad a few years ago. Now they feel like another arrow in a good DJ’s quiver. Rose is good at them.
Live, Rose likens Car Stereo (Wars) to a puzzle, all of the pieces on his laptop. “I have things divided into one- and two-minute sections,” Rose said. “I have a bunch of stuff to pick and choose from. Ultimately, I want to do less of it through the computer and pick up a keyboard and drum machine.” Yes, kids, he does all this with just a laptop and bits of other people’s music. Is this a great country or what?
As DJ Spooky once said, “Give me two records and I’ll give you a universe.” Car Stereo (Wars) is Austin’s one-man Big Bang, building up and breaking down multi-verses with ease. And a laptop. For now.
In the clubs: Car Stereo (Wars) plays Wednesday at Beauty Bar. 617 E. Seventh St. 391-1943.
(Photos by Tammy Perez FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Talking with Ed Davis of Juliette and the Licks
When the gloriously noisy rock band Juliette and the Licks blasted through Stubb’s indoor stage Tuesday night, it was a homecoming of sorts for their drummer, former Austinite Ed Davis.
Davis moved from Austin to Los Angeles less than two years ago. He joined actress Juliette Lewis’ band in 2006.
Lewis became known in 1991, when she lit up the screen as the coy and Daisy Miller-esque Danielle Bowden in her Academy Award-nominated performance for Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear.”
Since 2003, Lewis has fronted Juliette and the Licks, a thunderous, 1970s-inspired rock band that is all Marshall stack groove, lusty vitriol and untamed, unrestrained sexual id.
Davis and I were bandmates in Schatzi, and I caught up with him backstage at Stubb’s minutes before Juliette and the Licks obliterated the stage. Davis took a few moments away from his pre-show rituals to speak about why he needs new pages for his passport, how he ended up replacing Dave Grohl and his determination to become a better drummer. (Davis didn’t speak about the end of his rumored romantic relationship with his theatrically inclined bandmate, although the Source confirmed that tidbit from other … sources).
The Source: Are people surprised that Juliette Lewis fronts a rock band since so many people know her from her acting?
Davis: Sometimes. It’s more like that in the States. The band has been touring Europe for the past two years and hasn’t done anything in the States. So now we’re on a seven-week tour. It’s kind of like a new beginning for the band.
Do y’all take breaks for her film work?
Actually she’s been devoting all of her time to the band. It’s hard to fit in a schedule for a movie when you have a whole tour planned out. She’s still open to doing film, but this is her baby right now.
Juliette and the Licks are beginning to blow up in Europe, yet the band is just starting to snowball here through word of mouth and off the strength of your live shows. What are some of your favorite countries and audiences that you’ve visited and rocked?
Brazil, Japan, China, Israel, Turkey, Russia…
Turkey? Russia?
Turkey was crazy. We’ve played there twice. One show was a festival, one was a regular show. There were about 1,000 people the first time we played. It was pretty amazing (for playing somewhere for the first time).
How are the overseas shows different from playing in the United States?
It’s weird. The whole European thing — compared to the States — is way different. It’s (all about) different energies. I think a lot more of the people over there are hungry for music … or just anything, especially if you’re coming from the States. It’s a privilege.
Japan was cool. We played the Fuji Festival with a bunch of cool bands: the Mars Volta, Beastie Boys. I forget where we flew in from, but we had a 13-hour flight getting there. Then we had to make a 5 to 6 hour drive up the mountain. And actually we were in a van with (the Minneapolis pop-punk band) Motion City Soundtrack to get there while driving up the mountain. (Motion City Soundtrack is playing an early show Wednesday at Stubb’s.)
How did you go from playing with the Start to the Licks?
In 2005, after playing with Schatzi, after playing with the Cutaway, I was bouncing around in Dallas, Austin and Los Angeles, flying back and forth, doing research studies to make enough cash so I could hang out. The Start had been touring forever and then things slowed down as they started going through the whole writing process. I ended up painting houses while living out in Long Beach, Calif. I wasn’t really playing that much, and all I really wanted to do was tour and play. Juliette and the Licks needed a drummer and had just recorded a record with Dave Grohl on drums.
My buddy Kimball Walters (formally of the Austin band the Rise) was already playing guitar with Juliette and the Licks and ended up asking me if I wanted to play. I said, “Sure, I’m down.”
So now you are living the dream: getting to travel around the world, rocking the masses with in-your-face rock music. What do you want to do musically in the future that you haven’t done yet?
I’m constantly wanting to be a better player, and I feel like I don’t get to do that (while on tour). When I’m actually playing, I feel like I’m at a level where I’m held back by my knowledge of playing. I feel like I should know more. I have all these thoughts that run through my head concerning what I want to play, but my limbs won’t catch up with my thoughts. I’d like to just lock myself up (in a room) and just play by myself, because it has been so long. For years I’ve been in band situations where it has been like, “You want to play in this band? Here’s 20 songs. Can you learn these in four or five days, and then go on tour forever?”
The whole creative process part of my brain isn’t (as active) anymore, so I want to go back and get that flowing again. I want to just keep playing. I want to become a better player. I want to be able to play all types of music and just nail it.
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Booker T and the MGs to play benefit
Love second chances. If you missed the Stax Soul Revue at SXSW in March (I did), you get a do-over, for a great cause. Booker T and the MGs will headline the annual Help Clifford Help Kids fundraiser, started by Clifford Antone, Nov. 8 at Austin’s Palmer Events Center.
The event will also feature William Bell and Eddie Floyd. Doors to the music open at 8 p.m., and $20 individual tickets are available at www.antones.net, Front Gate Tickets and the door.
Dave Adelson of “E! News” will emcee the event, which raises money for American Youthworks, whose charter high school for Austin’s at-risk youth has been named among the 10 best redesigned high schools in Texas by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Show review: Fall Out Boy, Cute is What We Aim For, Plain White T’s, Gym Class Heroes
Of course there’s something exhausting about Fall Out Boy. The eyeliner on hey-look-at-me! bass player Pete Wentz, the fact that Wentz plays bass like a guitar (which gives the band no swing whatsoever) and the fact that singer/guitarist Patrick Stump’s importance in the band runs a distant third to Wentz and Wentz’s eyeliner (in that order).
But in an age where genuinely charismatic rock bands are hen’s-teeth rare, well, the great unwashed will take what they can get. Especially if the great unwashed are teenage and twenty-something girls - they seem to find Wentz’s battery-bunny energy (all those spins!) and eyeliner simply irresistible. Those audience screams at the Frank Erwin Center Tuesday night — where Fall Out Boy headlined the Young Wild Things Tour — sure were high-pitched.
In fact, they were not unlike the screams one heard at hair metal concerts two decades ago. That’s what Fall Out Boy is, really; the Motley Crue of their age
Instead of translating the underground thrash of, say, Venom into hooky, good time pop-metal, Fall Out Boy morph the nth generation hardcore punk they grew up with into something modern rock radio can love. (Crue and F.O.B. both have skinny, songwriting bassist/bandleaders and slightly pudgier singers who are clearly insecure that the bassist is also the bandleader. No Tommy Lee to be found in the new kids, however.)
Does this make the “Young Wild Things” tour a “Monsters of Rock” for 2007? Sure, but unlike the older monsters, these guys take inspiration from Maurice Sendak’s Wild Things, from childhood icons made older but no wiser.
Openers Cute is What We Aim For (for the love of Ozzy, that’s a terrible name) and Plain White T’s (you might recall their hit “Hey There Delilah” from any teenager-made mix this summer) were perfect in-genre openers. Their pop punk was vaguely catchy, fairly energetic and largely forgettable, the better to remind you that Fall Out Boy know a thing or three about memorable hooks.
Gym Class Heroes, on the other hand, have more raw potential than any mainstream pop act I’ve seen in years. Seemingly perfectly comfortable with modern rock and hip-hop tropes, the multiracial six-piece band threw down like rockers, spit rhymes like rappers and crooned like skinny, hoodie-clad lovermen. Frontman Travis “Schleprok” McCoy comes off as the tall cut-up as savvy as he is funny. He dedicated “On My Own Time” to the parents in the audience “who hate their jobs,” eliminated the crucial “don’t” from Stewart’s ‘80s hit “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off,” and generally seemed brighter than anyone else on stage. These dudes seem completely prepared for the 21st century. One day they might make a classic.
Fall Out Boy are just here to entertain you, thanks. Fall Out Boy made up for their grimly unoriginal band name (it’s a “Simpsons” reference) with brilliant titles for songs as hard to tell apart as Big Macs. “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down,” “Grand Theft Autumn (Where Is Your Boy),” “Hum Hallelujah,” and “The Patron Saint Of Liars & Fakes” all buzz and howl. Stump’s high voice was made for arena rock, bearing a weirdly strong resemblance to the pipes of one Steve Perry, late of Journey. The Jumbotron screens were reserved for animations of the band as wild things, various magazine covers with the band on ‘em and short, violent cartoons. Never thought I’d think of Motley Crue as grown-ups.
CD review: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss
“Raising Sand” (Rounder)
Four stars.
As insane as the pairing might seem to the regular listener, a Robert Plant and Alison Krauss team-up makes a musical sense that becomes more logical the more you listen to the lovely “Raising Sand.”
Both Plant and Krauss bent genres as they saw fit. Plant morphed American blues into stomping, high-octane British rock, while Krauss proved herself as good a fiddle player as anyone in the bluegrass business before selling millions of albums on the strength of great playing, smartly chosen material and pop-savvy production. Plant knows how to temper his vocal instrument to folkier material (see also much of “Led Zeppelin III”) and Krauss can sing pretty much anything decently, if often without heat.
While this is clearly a project record, it’s not really a duet album in the harmonizing-along-with-whomever and-whatever sense (see also most of Emmylou Harris’s career, sadly).
These gauzy, elliptical arrangements of songs such as Gene Clark’s “Polly,” Sam Phillips’ “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us” and the Everly Brothers’ “Gone Gone Gone” aren’t in the tradition of either performer (KGSR has been playing the heck out of the latter song).
In fact, it recalls the knowing covers and late-summer vibe on Yo La Tengo’s 1990 classic “Fakebook.” Call this “Fakebook” for the Starbucks customer.
They are, however, in the tradition of producer T-Bone Burnett, whose fingerprints are all over this puppy. Her’s sort of the roots rock Daniel Lanois these days, the mark of quality for a project that needs a certain sonic cachet — his productions always scream “good taste,” which his albums often err on the side of.
But he does know how to facilitate intimacy — rarely has either performer sounded so naked. Townes Van Zandt’s “Nothin’” — with Marc Ribot’s searing, fuzzy guitar and Plant’s sexy, blues-whisper vocal — sounds like the sort of mezmerizing music Zep itself might be making in ‘07.
“Please Read the Letter,” on the other hand, is the sort of music Zep (or, rather, Page and Plant) made on “Walking to Clarksville.” Krauss and Plant turn it into a plaintive split, grim yet mature. Adults of all ages will love it. All of it.
Explosions in England fest
Dillon, Texas’ favorite epic instrumental rock band, Explosions in the Sky, will be curating the Weekend of 2008 music festival in Minehead, England, May 16-18 and they’ve tapped fellow Texans Iron & Wine plus And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead to co-star, along with Dinosaur Jr., Broken Social Scene and more. Here’s more info about the event.
By the way, Trail of Debt, or rather Dead, have parted ways with Interscope Records.
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Houston rapper Trae at MusicMania
One of Houston’s finest talents the lyrically deft, streetwise rapper Trae will be down at MusicMania in the Fiesta plaza signing autographs and promoting his new CD “Life Is Good” at 6 p.m. tomorrow. You can listen to tracks from the new album (annoyingly, only in snippet form) over at Trae’s MySpace page.
(Photo courtesy of myspace.com/traethatruth.)
Web sites dedicated to Lance Hahn
As Kelly B. noted in our comments section, “There is now a website dedicated to lance that will have information on his memorial, a link for donations, and a place to post messages and submit photos.”
She says it’s still bare bones, but is being worked on.
Both of these addresses will get you there:
The obituary that ran in today’s paper can be found here.
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Review: Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits at Flamingo Cantina
I’m always impressed by the level of support for world music in Austin. It was a packed room at Flamingo Cantina when African legend Oliver Mtukudzi took the stage on Sunday night. “We are here to take you to Zimbabwe!” the singer declared at the beginning of his set. The crowd was predominantly white, but a strong contingent of African ex-pats flanked the stage waving a Zimbabwean flag. They all roared enthusiastically.
Fronting an eight-piece ensemble, Mtukudzi’s music swayed with cascading arpeggiated patterns passed off between the guitar, marimba and mbira, the traditional Zimbabwean “thumb piano.” Meanwhile polyrhythms created through the interplay of congas, hand percussion and a full drum kit kept an irresistibly danceable groove throughout. Mtukudzi sang primarily in the Zimbabwean Shona language and his plaintive voice rose and fell cracking occasionally with world-weary grit, only to be folded into the complex blanket of multilayered harmony from his backing ensemble.
But it was the expression of sheer joy on 55-year-old Mtukudzi’s face as he lifted his voice in song that made the deepest impression. He playfully engaged his ensemble initiating dance moves that the whole group picked up and at one point moving through a highly entertaining dance skit with his conga player. The group played for a good two hours with a brief intermission in the middle. The moment Mtukudzi stepped off the stage at the end of the night a cry went through the crowd “Tuku! Tuku! Tuku!” forcing the world music hero to return for one last song.
White Trash renewal Friday
By being the most un-Austinlike Austinite, Dino Lee pretty much owned “the little town with the big head” in the ’80s. A shock rocker who always had a top-flight band, Lee’s music was a mix of funk and rock back when the Scabs were still fresh wounds. But the thing that really set Dino and the White Trash Revue apart from all the other acts of the so-called New Sincerity movement (besides his two-foot pompadour) was that he was unashamedly ambitious and pushed the envelope of bad taste so far that it required extra postage. There was nothing like him in Austin. And there was nothing like Heidi Narum jumping onstage in catgirl tights.
So here’s a reunion I’m kicking myself for missing (out-of-town wedding). The White Trash Revue (including a horn section and the Jam & Jelly Girls) will get back together for one more show at Antone’s on Friday. The show is to announce the release of “King of White Trash Anthology, Vol 1” (Polyfab Records), which contains the two albums Dino recorded for French label New Rose. Such tunes as “Beer Party,” “Stud Pony” and “Everybody Get Some (But Don’t Get Any On Ya)” will be on CD for the first time.
Advance tickets are available on Antone’s Web site for $12; $15 at the door.
R.I.P Lance Hahn
Austin-based musician, journalist and punk rock icon Lance Hahn died Sunday after a long illness brought on by complications from kidney disease.
He was 40.
Hahn was best known for the prolific rock band J Church, which since its inception in 1992 produced dozens of singles, EPs, and albums of sharp, melodic songs mixed with punk attitude. As Hahn was quoted in 1995, “A lot of people write trying to keep track of all the records we put out. I can’t even remember.” (The band was only three years old at the time.)
Hahn also played in the punk band Cringer from 1984 to 1991, played guitar for the rock musician Beck in 1994, owned and operated the Honey Bear record label, was a long-time contributor to the international punk rock magazine “Maximum Rock n Roll,” and published the zine “Some Hope and Some Despair.” Many unfamiliar with Hahn’s music knew him as a manager at the Vulcan Video store on South Congress.
At the time of his death, Hahn was near completion on a book about the history of anarchist punk bands, portions of which have been excerpted in “Maximum Rock n Roll.”
Born in Hawaii, Hahn was of the generation for whom punk rock was neither a just a genre nor a passing fashion, but a way of looking at the world. “He claimed to be the first person in Hawaii with a Mohawk,” said his partner Liberty Lidz.
His band Cringer was one of the first thoroughly documented punk bands in Hawaii and - as Hahn put it on the Honey Bear webpage - the first band of his “that anyone really cares about.”
After Hahn, by then a California resident, formed J Church, the band became a staple of the San Francisco punk rock community. The group’s catchy music, do-it-yourself work ethic and Situationist leanings were both a sharp contrast and perfect fit with hundreds of heavier or poppier acts.
Hahn and Lidz moved to Austin in 2000 so she could attend grad school. The Austin version of J Church included Austin punk stalwarts Chris Pfeffer on drums and Ben White on bass. (David DiDonato served as J Church’s second guitarist from 2002 to 2005.) These two line-ups produced three albums, a split LP and additional material.
Hahn was also profoundly well-liked by the American and international punk community. There were benefits held for Hahn around the world after his and Lidz’s apartment burned down in 2002, as chronicled here.
This summer, five independent labels (No Idea, Cat Food Money, Vinehell, Jerk Off and Tic Tac Totally) released “Let’s Do It For Lance!,” a J Church/Cringer tribute CD to help defray Hahn’s mounting medical bills. (He did not have health insurance at the time of his death.)
More information about Hahn and J Church can be found at their webpage and MySpace page.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
He will be missed.
(Photo by Dave Deluxe, COURTESY OF J-CHURCH.COM)
Show review: The Donnas
- The A-List: The Donnas at the Parish
It wasn’t just high-school girls with fishnet stockings and multicolored hair sharing the elbow room Thursday night in the Parish. By the time the lights dimmed and the air raid siren started blaring, even the middle-aged men with shirts neatly tucked into khaki shorts were screaming fanatically for the Donnas.
As the female foursome leapt on stage one-by-one, the eruption from the moderate-sized crowd was replaced by a rock ‘n’ roll sound that was ballsy and sexy and fun. There was no elaborate light show or flamboyant costumes. There was just an empowering, super-charging, sucker-punch-you-in-the-gut kind of girl rawk that blasted from a single guitar with a huge sound and an energetic rhythm section as the band danced wildly and pumped up the crowd to frenzy.
After commanding everyone to let loose, singer Brett Anderson launched into the punchy chorus of “Girl Talk” off the band’s just-released seventh studio album, “Bitchin’.” A blaring guitar solo and some chugging riffs accompanied as Anderson bent down and sang into the front row, and the fans answered back by pumping their fists and singing along.
There were also the older tracks, like “Who Invited You” off the mainstream breakout disc “Spend the Night,” which were full of squealing guitar solos, short and catchy song structures and a good bit of cowbell. Donita Sparks, whom you may remember as co-founder of L7, and the Stellar Moments played a distortion-heavy rock set that felt like Sparks hadn’t quite gotten all the ’90s alternative and L7 out of her system. American Bang (formerly Bang Bang Bang) opened the show with big rock bravado while the guitarists soloed and tossed their manes about with looks of elation and wonder plastered on their faces.
(photo by David Weaver FOR AUSTIN360)
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ME TV goal: $2.6 million this year
Real estate mogul and best-selling author Gary Keller of Keller Williams is a new investor at Music & Entertainment Television, which airs locally on Time Warner Cable channel 15. The former Austin Music Network hopes to raise $2.6 million in the next year to fund expansion to other Texas markets, with East Texas next in their sights. ME Television, which hopes to become profitable by selling its programming to other cable systems, raised $1.6 million last year. Time Warner owns 15 percent of ME.
“We’re currently in negotiations with Sudden Link cable operators (which has 700,000 customers), as well as Grande and Comcast,” ME spokesperson Elaine Garza says. “Exciting things are happening. Stay tuned.”
The 50-year-old Keller, whose investment amount has not been officially released, had rock star dreams as a teen, but rejected the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle for real estate. He collects Gibson ES-335 guitars favored by his idol Eric Clapton.
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Primich death ruled heroin overdose
Toxicology tests by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office have determined that Austin blues musician Gary Primich died of “acute heroin intoxication” on Sept. 23.
The life of the harmonica wizard, who died at age 49, will be celebrated with a memorial service at Saengerrunde Hall (1607 San Jacinto Blvd.) on Sunday Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. To find out more info, go here.
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360 Weekend Picks: Japanese rock, Middle Eastern groove, hip-hop, rock-a-billy and more
Friday: Boris with Michio Kurihara at Emo’s. For its most recent album, ‘Rainbow,’ the sludgy, heavy Japanese rock band Boris teamed up with noted Japanese guitarist Michio Kurihara, which resulted in the band’s most ‘classic rock’ sounding album. Expect some killer guitar solos. $10. . — Joe Gross
Friday: Alejandro Escovedo at Antone’s. The roots-rock hero, revered as much by fellow musicians as by fans, plays Antone’s Friday night. —Matthew Odam
Friday: Blacklisted Individuals at Flamingo Cantina. Adrian Croom is best known around town for his MPC Beat Battles, but he also hosts regular hip-hop showcases billed as the Alien BBQ. This one includes a performance by Blacklisted Individuals a duo, which includes local slam poet Da Shade Moonbeam. I’ve considered Da Shade one of the tightest word slingers in town for a hot minute now, but the minute I heard the hook on the socially conscious club banger “The Truth Don’t Make You Move” (featured on the group’s MySpace page) the group jumped to the top of my list of ATX hip-hop tour de forces. $5-$7. —Deborah Sengupta
Friday: An Arabian Night at the Red Fez. Syrian native Zein Al-Jundi celebrates the sixth anniversary of this monthly Middle Eastern dance party. Show up early if you want to partake in complimentary appetizers, stake out a seat and rent a sheesha (hookah). As the evening goes on the space will pack to capacity. Belly dance performances at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. Free. —D.S.
Friday: New Disaster at the Red Eyed Fly. New Disaster is in-your-face, sunset strip rock that harkens back to the glory days of Guns-N-Roses and Thin Lizzy. Loud guitars, loud drums and blistering guitar solos make these guys the antithesis of Austin’s indie rock status quo. Cover unspecified. —Brandon Cobb
Saturday: Qui at Emo’s. You might remember Qui singer David Yow from such legendary punk outfits as Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard. This trio can’t touch those bands, but Yow’s voice is in fine form. With Oh Beast! $10. — J.G.
Saturday: Ghoulwill Ball at the Hyatt Regency. Costume parties are notoriously lame, but Saturday’s Ghoulwill Ball featuring psycho-billy bad girls Satan’s Cheerleaders and the incompa