Results tagged “stubbs”

What is left to say that hasn’t been said, written, or sung about this motley crew? Rumors of Shane MacGowan’s death have been greatly exaggerated, and 27 years on from their founding, The Pogues remain one of the rare bands that deserve to be on anyone’s “see before you die” list. The fact that we have an opportunity to witness the London troupe reunited with talisman Shane MacGowan at the helm is somewhat miraculous—after MacGowan was dismissed from the group in 1991 for his erratic and unreliable behavior, the band experimented for a brief time with Joe Strummer and then original member Spider Stacy on vocals before fizzling out temporarily in 1996. Most assumed the group would be relegated to the history books at that point, but the original members (including MacGowan, minus bass player Cait O’Riordan) reunited briefly in 2001, and since then have gradually worked their way up to playing several dates a year.

Photos courtesy Tyler Nutter.

Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.

Don't miss the I Heart MJ Party featuring Who’s Bad, The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band w/ DJ Mel at Stubb's. Go here for more details

There was a definite buzz in the air. And the excitement was palpable. You don’t get too many opportunities to witness legends from bands like The Beatles, The Doors, or in this case Led Zeppelin, live in concert and it wasn’t surprising that the eager crowd included a good chunk of our city’s media personnel. Plus there were a handful of local luminaries in attendance -- Spoon’s Jim Eno sat directly behind us while Lance Armstrong, in the section to our left, seemed to enjoy himself throughout. But the star power tonight was undoubtedly on stage.

Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.

Thievery Corporation’s unique musical formula blends beats and grooves from all over the world, resulting in diverse, invigorating concoctions that transport the listener to exotic spots across the globe, be it a comfortable South American cafe, a mysterious Middle Eastern lounge, or a crowded Indian bazaar. Lucky for us, we get to enjoy it all in the cozy confines of Austin’s city limits this weekend.

Nostalgia can pervade in a number of ways. There’s the undeniable scent of objects from the past that can take us down memory lane in a flash, and of course, straightforward outlets such as a photograph or a home video can easily transport us back to a romanticized time and place. Music works pretty well too. Listening to a record you enjoyed repeatedly as a child can help you reminisce endlessly. And then there are bands that just bleed a certain era. Prescott Curlywolf would fall into this final category -- you barely get through a handful of PC’s gritty powerpop ditties before you pine for Austin in the mid to late 90’s.

Photos courtesy Steve Hopson.

With the Austin City Limits Music Festival approaching, Dell Lounge’s annual The Sound and the Jury contest is fast gaining momentum once again. This year’s five finalists, Andrew Tinker, The Bright Light Social Hour, The Bubbles, Mobley, and OK Sweetheart will battle it out next Wednesday (the 30th) at Antone’s for the coveted Dell Stage spot at the fest. The Steps were victorious last year, and this Thursday at Stubb’s, the Austin360 Concert Series give you the opportunity to check up on the winning band from the first installment of the competition in 2007.

Photos courtesy Tyler Nutter.

The intriguing collective that is Soulsavers performs at Stubb’s tonight in support of their third full-length Broken. English duo Ian Glover and Rich Machin formed Soulsavers at the start of the century, releasing a numerous EPs and singles before garnering further fame with remixes of Starsailor’s “Good Souls” and “Poor Misguided Fools” and Doves’ “Satellites.” Rich, textured tracks boasting a slew of instruments, perfectly assembled by producers Glover and Machin, are the basic building blocks of Soulsavers’ soundscapes. Add a handful of notable vocalists and a brilliant lyricist or two to the mix and the already impressive songs, which run the gamut in terms of genre, take on new vitality.

Reviewing YouTube videos of The Cult's work over the years, it starts to make a lot of sense why they still sport such a fierce following across the pond, why Oliver Stone would ask that old ham sandwich, lead singer Ian Astbury, to play Jim Morrision in The Doors (which he turned down, obviously), and why 2.5 decades after their inception, they still appear to be badasses in their own frilly-wristed way. Arguably, they are the Diet Guns and Roses of Britain, the Tab to G'n'R's Coke.

Fort Worth’s Telegraph Canyon cruise down IH-35 to Austin tonight to celebrate the release of their new record, The Tide and The Current, at Stubbs’ inside stage. If you’re wondering why a band from Fort Worth should be throwing a CD release party in Austin, the short answer is that the group recorded The Tide and The Current here in town with Will Johnson behind the board. The album, which is the band’s second, takes The Arcade Fire’s anthemic melodies and dramatic orchestral swells and filters them through the dusty Texas prism of Johnson’s Centro-Matic, resulting in a sound best described as baroque Americana.

Something about walking down to the basement bar at Stubb's feels like you're walking back in time. You almost expect Teddy Roosevelt to charge you a nickel at the entrance for the price of admission and a brown paper cone of hot mustard peanuts. Now, we're well aware that Stubb's is not that old, and maybe it's just the smoky tang in the air from all that cooking meat, but we're just sayin'. It's pleasant. It's even better when you're coming out to catch four (count 'em) bands all worth their salt and a bag of chips.

Austin 360 is breaking the after show lineup this morning. Fans who aren't completely beat down by scorching heat at ACL Fest in Zilker Park can take in more music when the sun goes down at Stubb's, La Zona Rosa, the Parish, Emo's, Antone's, and the Paramount. Folks who skip the fest and head straight downtown during the weekend will be treated to a wide variety of late night options (provided they get their tickets early, they go on sale Aug. 20 at 10 a.m.).

Without a doubt, when it comes to longevity and raw talent, there are few more accomplished examples of indie-hop than Atmosphere. Representing the bootstrapping rapper element for well over a decade, "Slug" (the MC) and "Ant" (the DJ) hammer out deep beats and reflective numbers from a road-honed fusion of anything live, sampled, or spun.

The four impeccably coiffed lads that comprise local quartet The Steps have been playing around Austin for a couple of years now, and while they’ve already been exposed to the international music press and toured extensively, they seem to fly under the radar of music fans in their home town. Comparisons to The Strokes and The Stones are frequently lobbed at the band (and not without merit), and the members don’t necessarily discourage said comparisons, which are at least tacitly supported by their new EP and first official stateside release Take It All In. The EP sees the group further establishing their Strokes homage in style as well as sound, but you listen closely, The Steps appear to have more chutzpah than your garden-variety black-clad rock combo.

The one and only Snoop Dogg coasts into Austin on Tuesday along with reggae stalwart Stephen Marley as a part of the Blazed & Confused 2009 Summer Tour. Based on their fairly distinct musical styles, this might seem to be an odd bill but really, the cheeky tour title is all you need to read to comprehend the reasoning behind this pairing. Snoop also appeared on the Marley number “Traffic Main Answer” in 2007. The song was a remix of “The Traffic Jam,” from Marley’s debut Mind Control which took home the “Best Reggae Album” award at the 2007 Grammys.

Photos courtesy Steve Hopson.

Comprised of former members of 88 Fingers Louie and Baxter, Chicago’s Rise Against came into existence in 1999 as Transistor Revolt. By 2001, the punk-hardcore band had changed their name to Rise Against, signed with Fat Wreck Chords, and released The Unraveling. Their most recent (and fifth) full-length, Appeal To Reason dropped last year on current label DGC/Interscope. The band members frequently communicate their opinions on a number of subjects -- they were staunch supporters of Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential Election and their blistering anthems often address political and social issues. They are also firm believers in protecting the environment as evidenced by the “Ready To Fall” video and their vegan VANS. Rise Against stops in at Stubb’s tonight with Rancid supporting during this North American jaunt.

Despite the unbearable heat, Spoon's mini-fest was a huge success over the weekend at Stubb's. Austinist contributing photographer Aasim Syed was there to capture everything.

Here’s your chance to catch a couple of future mainstream pop stars on us, as Greg Laswell headlines a double bill of burgeoning singer/songwriters tonight at Stubbs indoors. On his 2008 LP Three Flights from Alto Nido, the San Diego-based Laswell manages a significant tip of his cap to Coldplay and John Mayer without sacrificing his identity entirely in the process. To date however, he’s best known for his maudlin cover of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and for having his ballad “Off I Go” featured on this year’s season finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

Opening the show are Brooklyn up-and-comers Elizabeth & the Catapult, whose debut album Taller Children has them poised to expand their adoring fan base beyond New York’s biggest borough, and propel them into the hearts of the NPR set. The trio is fronted by singer/songwriter/pianist Elizabeth Ziman, a student of the soul and jazz traditions, and whose songs are reminiscent of contemporaries The Bird and the Bee and Regina Spektor. E & the C seem to have their phasers terminally set to “cute,” so expect a healthy dose of whimsy along with their set of self-described baroque pop. Enter for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the show after the jump!

There are few bands currently performing that can't shake Austin the way Spoon can't. Even though most of the band lives elsewhere, their presence lingers on the streets, in the record stores and in the bars.

For those of us interested in literal explosions in the sky augmented by live music modeled after the experience, Saturday night at Stubb's was a treat. Local post-rock heroes Explosions in the Sky rocked the sold-out crowd as fireworks exploded over Lady Bird Lake.

By now you've heard about the three-night-stand Spoon has at Stubb's in July. We're excited about it too; and we're presenting night three along with KVRX (that's July 11). The (somewhat) local heroes will be playing tunes from their rich catalog as well as songs from their forthcoming full-length and new EP Got Nuffin.

If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump. Photos courtesy Eric Uhlir.

Audacious and lovely, Santigold has stepped to the forefront of the electro-rap following amoung us. With somewhat of an identity crisis in media coverage, let the debate be settled. She was originally called Santgold—hence her debut album title—but has officially changed to Santigold. The "o" was dropped after she was sued by film maker by the name of Santo Gold. No biggie, the new moniker more closely resembles her birth name, Santi White, anyway. Formerly the singer of punk band Stiffed, she has waned far away from her ska roots, but holds on to the funkiness and originality.

Austinist is proud to announce a new concert series showcasing local talent, appropriately titled the New Music Discovery Series, and is kicking off its inauguration at Stubb's inside with Ringo Deathstarr and True Widow.

Photos courtesy Pooneh Ghana.