A fairly busy Thursday night with some fine local acts showing their stuff all over the area.
Crushed Stars at La Grange
Crushed Stars consists of
soft-spoken, local singer-songwriter Todd Gautreau and whoever he
decides to work with at a given time. On the just released Convalescing in Braille,
Crushed Stars' fifth effort, Gautreau decided to employ the services of
producer John Congleton and drummer Jeff Ryan. Both were inspired
choices as Braille is, by far, the liveliest set of songs Gautreau has
even conceived. In the past, Gautreau has made some beautiful music that
was so atmospheric it almost floated away before a listener could
digest it. According to Gautreau, tonight's show features the
best line up Crushed Stars has ever used. I sincerely hope he's right -- Gautreau's music deserves wider recognition.
The Demigs, Tiger Tooth & Paw and Manned Missles at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton
Denton's
The Demigs used to get a fair share of flack for looking and sounding
like The Pixies, but Chris Demiglio and crew have come a long way since
those early Frank Black comparisons. The band's sophomore effort, Cities
Can Wait, is just about to hit the streets and features a much more
textured sound than the fractured noise of the past. A song like
"Sophisticates and Sedatives" would have sounded completely out of place
on an earlier release, but now comes off as perfectly suited to the
band's matured vibe. Growing older and wiser, Chris Demig may well be
hitting his songwriting stride.
Geistheistler, Final Club, Kampfgrounds and A Smile Full of Ale at Hailey's Club in Denton
Four
Denton acts that all raise a hell of a ruckus merge onto a lengthy bill
that is guaranteed to bring a smile and a headache to anyone brave
enough to attend. Although Geistheistler headlines, Final Club may well
be the best band on this particular evening. Check out "Surfing with the
Devil" from Final Club for some cool, indie noise.
J. Charles and Corey Howe at Bar Belmont
The DC9-sponsored free Thursday night concert series at Oak Cliff's Belmont Hotel continues tonight as two Manhandler Booking acts share the stage, backed by the capable Danny Crelin on pedal steel. J. Charles fronts the Lucero-owing J. Charles and The Train Robbers -- the same backing band, more or less, that Howe refers to as his Dead Flowers. Tonight, they both ditch the backing band in favor of more acoustic fodder.
Cowboys From Hell Paso and Hillbilly Orchestra at Trees
Cowboys
From Hell Paso is actually one of the few tribute acts that has the
blessings of the band to which they play tribute. Yup: Pantera's
own Vinnie Paul digs them and has given them his stamp of approval. So that should be enough for most Pantera fans. Besides, what
else does a metal head have to do on a Thursday night?
