Holy shit, Sherlock, we have a busy musical Thursday evening on our hands! If you can't find a quality show to go to tonight, then you're not a real fan of music.
Lucero, Robert Ellis & The Boys and Somebody's Darling at Club Dada
Club
Dada is booking some terrific shows since coming back to life, and this
triple-bill certainly follows the trend. Memphis' Lucero seems to come
to our area fairly often, but has recently been saddled with way
inconvenient set times. Hopefully, tonight's show will run on schedule
as Lucero's country-punk is oftentimes a revelatory experience,
especially before 1 a.m. Houston's Robert Ellis and our own Somebody's
Darling add a more traditional country vibe to this terrifically
talented line-up.
Collin Herring, These Mad Dogs of Glory and Whiskey Folk Ramblers at Lola's Saloon in Fort Worth
Since
moving to Austin a couple of years back, Fort Worth native Collin
Herring plays our area far too infrequently. How Herring has not become a
major figure in alt-country circles is beyond comprehension; sure, his
2009 effort, Ocho, was a bit of a downer, but 2005's The Other Side of
Kindness remains high on the list of top local releases of the past
decade. No fooling. Plus, Whiskey Folk Ramblers are opening, and any
chance to catch them on a bill is alone worth the trip to Cowtown.
Norma Jean, Impending Doom, Of Legends, A Tragedy at Hand and Crown The Empire at The Door
Anytime
a metal band's name is inspired by Marilyn Monroe, you got to either
question the band's true metal mojo or give the guys credit for extra
chutzpah. In Norma Jean's case, it's probably best to go with the latter,
as the quintet from Georgia definitely rocks hard and heavy. Although
the band has been through quite a few members, the current line-up has
no problem playing those mathcore gems from 2005's Oh God, the
Aftermath. Also on this hefty bill is California's Impending Doom, an
interesting quartet that plies its craft in the oxymoronic Christian
deathcore subgenre. In any case, tonight's show looks to be a loud and
lengthy experience for those metal heads as well as missionaries. A special bonus: It's one of your first chances to catch a live show from Of Legends, the new metal project from the otherwise pop-obsessed brain of The Secret Handshake's Luis Dubuc.
Mojo Nixon & The Toadliquors at All Good Café
Singer-songwriter-comedian
Mojo Nixon has been doing his psychobilly, pop culture parody act for so
long, that even a song as great as "Don Henley Must Die" can come across as
dated. That said, Nixon is normally at his best in front of a sweaty
crowd who are as inebriated as the performer himself. And, after a few
cold ones, I'm sure the humor in songs such as "Destroy All Lawyers" and
"Put a Sex Mo-Sheen in the White House" will quickly become apparent.
Marnie Stern and Tera Melos at Sons of Hermann Hall
Guitarist
Marnie Stern has garnered acclaim for her impressive technique.
However, Stern is no one-trick pony. Her experimental indie rock
shows a compositional flair that eludes many technically proficient
guitarists. Stern's eponymously titled third effort was released last
year and contained some of the most coherent songwriting of her career.
Definitely an acquired taste, Stern's challenging music doesn't make for
easy listening, but music that is truly worthwhile rarely does so.
Civil Twilight, Eyes Around and The Netherfriends at The Loft
Chris Parker and Chelsea Upton have already this week shared with you their thoughts on Civil Twilight's melodic offerings. Check Parker's take in the print edition or Upton's just now on the blog if you still haven't figured out why people might be excited for this show. But, really, as an added bonus, you should get to this show early to check out the Netherfriends. Joey Kendall, of Mount Righteous fame, sure thinks so. He just emails the office with a plea for people to see this show. Writes Kendall: "It would kill me to see this band play to an empty room ever again in North Texas. They played here a week ago and floored us. I'm not shitting you. Every single person there bought a record. That's why I begged them to come back through on their way up to Arkansas." Don't let Joey down, people!
