Scoring Texas

Seeing a concert by the Gourds is one of those quintessential experiences that every Texas music fan should have at least once, like dancing to a fiddle tune at Gruene Hall or seeing Willie on the Fourth of July. Over 10 years, seven proper albums and countless concerts, they've proven themselves one of the best bands to ever come out of our state, not to mention the rightful heirs to the funky Lone Star legacy of Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm. If you don't believe me, simply pick any Gourds album (my favorite is Ghosts of Hallelujah...or Dem's Good Beeble...or Bolsa de Agua...or Stadium Blitzer...or Cow, Fish, Fowl or Pig) and go for a drive on any backroad in Texas. Their music is simply the perfect soundtrack, whether you're winding your way through the East Texas Piney Woods, the plains of North Texas or the mountains of Big Bend. Friday they'll take the stage at the Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., headlining a bill with Fort Worth frat-rocker Phil Pritchett and the Two High String Band. Tickets are $14 for general admission, $18 for reserved seating. The show starts promptly at 8 p.m. Visit granada-theater.com.
Fri., May 25, 8 p.m.