Not a bad selection of shows this Tuesday evening.
Band of Heathens, Deadman and Charlie Shafter & the Gnomes at the Granada Theater
Austin's
Band of Heathens seems to make it to our area quite often, but not too
frequently to wear out their roots rock welcome. Containing a trio of top
notch singers/songwriters, these Heathens seemingly have an endless
supply of quality material. The band's 2009 sophomore effort, One Foot
in the Ether, featured track after track of prime Americana -- songs that
Steve Earle would be proud to call his own. Appealing to an interesting
cross section of rock and country fans, the Band of Heathens might well
prove to be the act that successfully straddles the rock and country
fence, a feat that has eluded so many others. Dallas' Deadman and
Denton's Charlie Shafter add even more meat to this crowded bill of
hard-hitting roots music. Should be a great night to tip back a few cold
ones.
Better Than Ezra and Big Sam's Funky Nation at the House of Blues
Back
in the day (in this case, the mid '90s), the alt-rock trio known as
Better Than Ezra played the Dallas area so often, many folks assumed
they were a local band. But once the single "Good" achieved such quick
and startling success, people found out that Better Than Ezra actually hailed
from New Orleans. Geography aside, it's rather remarkable that the band
is around these days at all. Kevin Griffin and crew survived a series of
lawsuits and major label snafus that would have sunk most bands for
good. But, here we are, nearing 2011, and there's talk of a new album. And
the band sounds as good as ever. Sure, it's kitschy pop rock with
hummable melodies and average lyrics, but at least Better Than Ezra is
one band that always knew its strengths and limitations.
Center Divider and Dim Locater at Dan's Silverleaf
Center
Divider is a New York City-based atmospheric outfit with ties to our own
Telegraph Canyon. And, though the sound features a hint of alt-country, New
York is probably the better locale for the spacey dirges of Center
Divider. Dim Locater, meanwhile, is the moniker for Denton's Will Kapinos.
Kapinos has been involved in numerous area bands including Jet Screamer
and Spitfire Tumbleweeds. His bluesy country wail is better suited to
the cozy confines of Dan's than Center Divider's, so be sure to get there early to catch his performance, too.
