Tuesday evening brings a couple of decent triple-bills and a tandem of sensitive singer-songwriters to our area for your musical enjoyment. Which is as good an excuse as any to leave the house tonight.
Blind Guardian, Seven Kingdoms and Holy Grail at Trees
Germany's Blind Guardian has been around since the early 1980s and is
often cited as one of the most influential Euro speed metal acts.
Typically overblown, the music of Hansi Kürsch and crew is said to be
inspired by the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King. And that
may well be, but that doesn't make it any less bombastic. In general, The Euros just
seem to take this shit to another level and Blind Guardian in no
exception. The band's most recent effort, At the Edge of Time, is a
confused and convoluting mess of progressive metal that I'm sure is
being quoted by a teenager in Berlin at this very moment. Florida's
Seven Kingdoms and California's Holy Grail will certainly add to the
epic nature of this bloated bill.
Jay Brannan and Eric Himan at The Loft
Now residing in New York City, singer-songwriter Jay Brannan actually
spent his early years in and around Houston. And there is a hint of
Americana is the guy's emotionally packed folk-pop songs. Brannan is
often compared to people like Ani DiFranco and Liz Phair, and, yeah, Brannan's
voice might be as effeminate as either of those fine ladies. The dude just
wears his sensitivity on his sleeve. You can head that much on songs such as "Christmas Really
Sucks" and "Half Boyfriend," for sure. But the guy's got an interesting world
view: Not too many men would admit to striving for the sound of "the
angry, sad woman." But Branna does. Tulsa's Eric Himan will open the show with his own,
piano-based tales of romantic woe.
Mini Mansions, Man Factory and New Fumes at The Cavern
Mini Mansions is the side project of Queens of the Stone Age bassist
Michael Shuman, and the Mansions' hip psychedelic vibe is miles from what
some listeners might expect. Shuman's trio mines Revolver-era Beatles
to create a fresh take on an old sound. Arlington's Street Fighter-obsessed Man Factory and
Dallas' own New Fumes should provide able support for a show that reeks
of indie coolness. As a matter of fact, New Fumes' main man Daniel
Huffman may be the most talented guy in the venue on this particular
evening.
