Results tagged “austinistweekendmusicpreview”

The fourth edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest officially kicks off at noon tomorrow and naturally, one can be forgiven for looking ahead to day one already. The likes of The Jesus Lizard, Les Savy Fav, Chelsea Peretti, The Sword, Pharcyde, Neon Indian, and Shearwater are all on Saturday’s schedule but let’s hold our horses for we still need to indulge in a full night of revelry before we set up camp at Waterloo Park for the weekend. This evening, Austinist proudly presents the After The Jump blogger’s panel at 5:30 at The Mohawk, followed by the latest installment of our Local Music Is Sexy series, spread across the 'hawk and Club de Ville this year.

Texas has nurtured more than its fair share of talented musical acts over the course of our esteemed history. Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, Roy Orbison, and Stevie Ray Vaughan have garnered worldwide fame and acclaim, but digging a little deeper and looking beyond every instantly recognizable musician from the Lone Star State uncovers some of the most unique acts to emerge from this land. And thus, we arrive at the Butthole Surfers, a legendary Austin band armed with a moniker that’s had parents and censors running for cover for almost three decades, and a sound that has largely defied categorization through the years.

It’s no secret that we’ve been fans of White Denim for a long time. And for good reason. The band has churned out a handful of excellent records, and on stage, the trio of James Petralli, Steve Terebecki, and Josh Block exhibit an instinctive chemistry, combining effortlessly to execute their calculated sonic experiments. Although the new record Fits dropped in the U.K. this past June (read our review here), it finally saw an official release in the U.S. earlier this week and the boys will mark this momentous occasion at The Mohawk on Saturday night with a typically robust performance, no doubt.

This past weekend might have been one for the ages but The Mohawk is not resting on its mighty laurels just yet. This Saturday, prepare for yet another sonic blast at the venue when Japanese band Mono sets up shop to peddle its atmospheric post-rock compositions. Mono’s forte is epic instrumental soundscapes that build up gradually before erupting with ferocious splendor, à la Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. The members’ technical expertise is evident in the intricate details and it’s no surprise that they bring it all together in a very cohesive fashion -- they’ve been honing their skills collectively for over a decade now. The band formed in 1999 (a few years after that other Mono) and has released five full-lengths, including 2009’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind. No strangers to the use of assorted string instruments in their work, the band employed a chamber orchestra to further embellish Hymn’s lush, grandiose sound.

We’ll admit it. We’re still not fully recovered from the mud-a-thon that was this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival. And the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest, which has us licking our chops in anticipation, is still a few weeks away. Just when we thought it was safe to stay home for the weekend, a look at the line-up in store for us at The Mohawk has done away with any such feeble notions. Yes, the redoubtable Red River St. venue is home to three amazingly appealing nights of raucous rock ‘n’ roll all weekend.

Check out the Austinist Weekend Music Preview Slideshow above for details on a number of events in town this weekend.

Having changed its name from Volume to Mixx earlier this year, the spot that is 612 E. Sixth Street is now aiming to make the switch from dance club to live music venue. (Information for bands looking to play there can be found on the TwoGroove blog.) This Friday, the club takes a step in right direction by bringing in Rob Dickinson from Catherine Wheel for a solo set. The list of opening acts -- STEREO IS A LIE, Buttercup, and Lost Werks -- is not too shabby either. We fondly remember and still enjoy Catherine Wheel’s brilliant first two albums Ferment (1992) and Chrome (1993). The former contained gems like “Black Metallic,” “She’s My Friend,” and “I Want To Touch You” (which was included in The Brit Box, a Rhino collection from 2007) while “Crank,” “The Nude,” and “I Confess,” were some of our favorites on the latter. Three more full-lengths followed before Catherine Wheel hung up their boots after 2000’s Wishville, although there is no clear record of them officially calling it quits.

Fully recovered from The Sword’s epic two night stand at The Mohawk last month, Austin metal fans can now look forward to Motörhead’s foray into town this Sunday at Stubb’s. The iconic Lemmy Kilminster formed Motörhead in the 1975 followings stints with numerous bands. Motörhead’s self-titled debut landed in 1977 and in 1980, the band released its most acclaimed album, Ace of Spades. During the course of a career spanning thirty plus years, the band has been through quite a few lineup changes but with Lemmy at the helm throughout. Motörhead has released nineteen full-lengths, including last year’s Motörizer.

Check out the Austinist Weekend Music Preview Slideshow for details on a number of events in town this weekend.

Located just east of I-35 on 4th St., the getaway from Red River St. that is Scoot Inn hosts three inviting nights of music this weekend. On Friday, when the wind blows in The Low Lows’ doleful lo-fi beauty, ponder upon Brothers and Sisters’ affecting Americana, tango with Mr. Lewis & The Funeral 5’s experiments in punk ‘n’ polka, and order your whiskey neat to The Sideshow Tragedy’s country fried rock. Return and recover on Saturday with a substantial serving of Black Panda’s garage ditties, sample and savor Kingdom of Suicide Lovers’ dark concoctions, dip into Manikin’s absorbing rhythms, and save room for some guest acts (and Sunday’s show) as well.

Check out the Austinist Weekend Music Preview Slideshow above for details on a number of events in town this weekend. Follow the jump for information on more shows!

Lucy The Poodle Productions brings us a bonanza of all things Pink Floyd this Friday at Club de Ville. A plethora of local talent -- Belaire, 'Til We’re Blue Or Destroy, My Education, The Hi Tones, The Raven Tree, The Clouds Are Ghosts, The Alice Rose, and The Noise Revival Orchestra -- will perform a couple of songs each by the legendary English band. The evening kicks off with a string quartet at 8 p.m. and there are plenty of activities planned to keep us busy all night long. Body painting, a Pink Floyd themed scavenger hunt, live visuals (of course), and naturally, a screening of the Dark Side Of Oz are all on the schedule.

In nearly ten years of existence, Room 710 hosted a wide variety of local and touring artists, tirelessly supplying the city of Austin with a multitude of live shows. Last week, owner Asher Garber shared his thoughts on the Room 710’s history, his own background, the good (and not so good times), and the challenges he faced as he toiled to keep the club afloat. During the interview, Garber was resolute in his belief that the venue did not only cater to the punk and metal fans. And as we approach the end of an era on 710 Red River St., his words could not ring truer -- Room 710’s Final Weekend features a veritable sampling of distinct genres, offering patrons a final opportunity to enjoy a stellar collection of shows at the club.

For now, stick to the beloved celebrations of the 80's, with a truly enticing one scheduled for this Saturday at Scoot Inn. Foot Patrol has previously dazzled us with many a Prince cover. This evening, the local funk outfit takes a stab at hits from the 80's. We’ve been promised renditions of 20 songs from the decade, including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” But that’s not all, not even close to it. There is a costume contest. And should you go all out and bust out the Molly Ringwald or Andrew McCarthy in you, there is a John Hughes themed photo-booth courtesy of Jounetsu Photography. Wow! Plus DJ Mahealani will be on hand to spin many, many more songs we love. The $10 price of admission might be considered a tad steep but it’s all for the noble cause of aiding a talented local band put its best foot forward -- the cover charge will go towards helping Foot Patrol fund its first N.Y.C. tour.

It’s natural to settle in for a cozy evening at home on Sunday and disregard any notion of the impending gloom that beckons. The thought of Monday morning’s alarm clock can grind away the memories of even the most buoyant of weekends. However, we do live in Austin and the well of inspirational live music never runs dry. Chug down a 5-Hour Energy drink or revitalize with a strong cup a’ tea. Then head down to The Mohawk with a keen ear to delay your case of the Mondays. The Veils, spearheaded by the redoubtable Andrew Finn, craft shimmering pop songs containing the sort of poignant lyricism that should have you reflecting on all the things in your life, good and bad, that make you tick. Finn’s astute songwriting only just overshadows his versatile voice which soars upon backdrops of pulsating rock and gentle folk alike and is regulary complemented by vibrant keys. It all adds up to the perfect antidote to your lingering feelings of doom and gloom. We’re so eager to get you out of the house we’re sending you to the show for free. Enter your details in the form below for a chance to win two tickets.

It’s been quite a tragic ten days or so and we’re all still coming to terms with the losses we experienced both last and this week. This Sunday, Scoot Inn is hosting a memorial for Sky Sunlight Saxon, a.k.a. Richard Marsh at 6 p.m. Sky passed away last Thursday morning at St. David’s South Austin Hospital. The cause has been identified as heart and kidney failure from an undiagnosed infection of his internal organs. Sky fronted and played bass for the garage-rock outfit The Seeds; the band had a legitimate hit with “Pushin’ Too Hard” in the 60’s. The song was named as one of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.” Sky performed at Psych Fest 2 this past March and at Antone’s as recently as Saturday, June 20th. He was rushed to the hospital on Monday the 22nd and remained in an ICU until his passing on the 25th.

A couple of Texas’ finest homegrown talents vie for your time on Saturday evening. Take your pick from The Eastern Sea’s easy-on-the-ears indie-rock will be showcased at Stubb’s (Inside) while Ben Kweller will bring his country tinged pop songs to Emo’s (Outside). Get your tickets here for the Stubb’s show which also features sets by Danny Malone and Jude/Ross. Meanwhile, Jones Street Station and Murdocks open for Kweller at Emo’s -- tickets can be purchased here.

The Meat Puppets, currently comprised of Curt and Cris Kirkwood and Ted Marcus, have been churning out stellar rock albums for almost three decades. Inspired by punk and hardcore, the brothers Kirkwood formed the band in 1980 in Phoenix with Derrick Bostrom on drums and dropped the In A Car EP on World Imitation a year later. Greg Ginn (Black Flag) took a fancy to the band’s sound and signed them to his label, SST Records. The first six Meat Puppets full-lengths and the Out My Way EP were all released on SST; In A Car was re-released by the California based label in 1985.

GadjoDisko, our favorite “Eastern Bloc Party” in town returns this Saturday to furnish Club Cockpit with a wide variety of music from quite a few different parts of the world. Expect to hear diverse genres including Immigrant Punk, Balkan Beats, Funk Carioca / Favela Funk, Slavic Hip-Hop, Ghettotech, Diskoteka, Ethnotechno, and Electrochalga at this veritable dance party. Whew! Yeah, we had to Wikipedia a couple of those! The list of entertainers is quite extensive -- the dancers known as the Brass Ovaries will be performing some amazing feats on the poles while live music will be provided by Beauty Queens of Chernobyl featuring Mistress Stephanie (of Mistress Stephanie & Her Melodic Cat) and Christeene Vale. And as intriguing and eclectic these performances might be, Angeliska Polacheck (one of GadjoDisko’s organizers) informs us that they will be short ‘n’ sweet since the main purpose of the night is to get everyone moving on the dance floor to DJ Chicken Kiev’s endless beats. GadjoDisko’s resident DJ will be spinning music from all over the globe throughout the evening and apparently has a hankering for Eurodisko at the moment. We sure hope to hear some Boney M. classics.

The brothers Carney, better known as Pontiak, line The Mohawk’s walls with sludgy psychedelic soundscapes this Saturday evening. Prior to that, at 5 p.m., the trio will supply the patrons of End of an Ear with ample drone as well. Lain, Van, and Jennings were born in Virginia and moved away to Maryland where they first started playing together, only to return to their farm in Virginia to build themselves a studio. After self-releasing their early efforts, they signed on with Thrill Jockey Records in 2008. The label re-released 2007’s Sun on Sun and Pontiak followed that up with a split record (with Arbouretum) containing new material along with John Cale covers.

After all the Chaos In Tejas last week, our city bounces back in the way she knows best -- with another onslaught of quality music all over town. From Junior Brown at Antone’s and Never Stop Dancing featuring The Juan MacLean, The Field, and Learning Secrets at The Mohawk on Friday to the second annual Pachanga Latino Music Festival at Fiesta Gardens and Dax Riggs and Leatherbag at Stubb’s on Saturday, once again we have numerous choice shows to select from when plotting our angle of attack this weekend.

The Mohawk continues to bring in a wide variety of acts to our city. In the next few months, we can expect to see The Juan Maclean, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Bonnie Prince Billy, Au Revoir Simone, Holy Fuck, B-Real (Cypress Hill), St. Vincent, Sunset Rubdown, 2 Live Crew, and The Orb at what can now easily be classified as one of Austin’s top venues, home to the perhaps the most diverse set of artists in town each month. We recommend adding those shows to your calendar sooner than later but this Saturday evening, cancel all your plans and head down to the 'hawk to catch the legend of Ghost. We’re expecting a truly memorable performance, a psychedelic extravaganza encompassing a number of genres, produced by exceptional musicians skilled in a plethora of instruments (including the flute, cello, harp, bouzouki, contrabass, tabla, theremin, among many others).

Grupo Fantasma just recently returned from a mid-east jaunt but is wasting no time in getting back to business in our fine city. The Grammy nominated collective will perform its intoxicating latin-funk concoctions at Antone’s on both Friday and Saturday with a very special guest. Greg Boyer, a child prodigy and fabled trombonist, has worked with the likes of Prince, Hank Williams, Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buddy Guy, and Kid Rock, to name a few, and joins Grupo on stage for the two gigs this weekend. Bavu Blakes & the Extra Plairs open on Friday; Hacienda and Peligrosa All Stars get things going on Saturday.

Austinist is proud to sponsor this Saturday’s River Revolution Party on the banks of the Colorado River (7601 Shelton Lane, 78725). Vinyl Entertainment has put together quite a line-up -- live performances by The Story Of, SUNSET, Diagonals, The Eastern Sea, and Maryann Price will be complemented by DJ sets by members of The Black and White Years, DJ Thibault, and DJ Bill the Butcher. Check out our full preview for the event including details on camping, shuttles, etc. here.

It’s almost May and as the temperature soars, so does the number of quality shows in town. Just this past Tuesday, we were stuck in a conundrum, trying to pick between the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Spoon, Ladytron (and The Faint), and Dr. Dog at various venues, as well as a quality local bill of Harlem and Cry Blood Apache at The Mohawk. This weekend is pretty epic too, with The Kills, Franz Ferdinand, and Napalm Death all gracing our town with their presence and providing ample entertainment choices. However, the cream of the crop might be a local event away from downtown proper at the United States Art Authority (at Spider House just north of UT campus). Entitled Triple Scoop, this free show features a stellar line-up of local musicians and artists, and aims to raise awareness about the City Council elections.

Houston Ritcheson, one of Red River St.’s permanent fixtures, was recently diagnosed with cancer, and this Friday, a number of concerned Austin citizens are throwing a shindig at Red 7 to celebrate his birthday and raise funds to help pay his medical expenses. Ritcheson has been a part of numerous punk bands including Brewtality Inc., The Contradicks, Lower Class Brats, Four Violent People, Belligerent 86, The Knocked Out Stiffs, and Method Of Destruction. In addition to that hefty résumé, Ritcheson is easily recognizable from his shifts as a staffer at The Back Room and Headhunters. We also learnt via a message board that he helped build a practice rink in town for the Texas Rollergirls.

One of our current favorites in town, The Calm Blue Sea brings us a fascinating show this weekend at Alamo Drafthouse (Downtown at the Ritz). The band has been hard at work the last couple months scoring the Fritz Lang classic from 1924, Die Nibelungen: Siegfried.

We definitely want to see you at our Local Music Is Sexy 7 party on Saturday night at the Pure Volume House (RSVP) but we have to mention that one of our favorite local bands White Denim is back in action on the same night at Red Eyed Fly. The trio was truly amazing at our Local Music Is Sexy 5 shindig last SXSW; we caught up with James Petralli from the band this week to assess the band’s plan for a new record in 2009; read our interview further below.

One more weekend to go before the madness that is SXSW takes over our city. How will you spend that last Saturday night? Surely you must prep for the upcoming celebration of music, film, arts, and more by testing your own ability to stand and deliver in front of a crowd? Well, we think so, and would like to invite you to Austinist Indieroke: the pre-SXSW edition, as always at The Mohawk. We will have Indieroke shirts for the winners in the “Best Female Performance,” “Best Male Performance,” and “Best Duet or Group Performance” categories.

Cactus Cafe, an intimate venue located inside UT’s Texas Union, has hosted many a legend in its 30 years of existence. Just a quick glance at the posters on the wall outside the room can give one the goose bumps -- Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Loudon Wainwright III, Alison Krauss -- the list of famous past performers at Cactus Cafe is endless. And a good amount of these legends tend to play Cactus Cafe again whenever they return to Austin. Richard Thompson is another to have performed at the venue in the past, and he returns for two sold-out shows this Sunday and Monday.