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This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of discovering Texas Music Theater in San Marcos with some friends. There's just something about a hole-in-the-wall type venue located in a historic downtown that completely does it for me. I fell in love with Texas Music Theater because it incorporates all the aspects of my favorite venues into one place. In short, it felt like home, and they were added to my list of top venues in the state.
Of course, the good music didn't hurt the venue's brownie points either. It's funny to think about a year ago, I was bemoaning how pathetic it was I couldn't find any local music to love. Living in Tulsa, it all just fell in my lap but Texas makes your hunt for it - which is part of the fun of discovering new music anyway.
And discover, I have! Of course, they're all Austin bands I've been loving, which takes my Houston cred to about negative 10 trillion since I never had it anyway. (Although FPSF produced a few good Houston acts I'm working on seeing again...) Saturday night gave me the opportunity to revisit two of my latest loves, as well as share my love of Quiet Company with one of my best friends from growing up.
Saints of Valory: I am quickly becoming borderline obsessed with this band. I lucked out seeing them in Houston at the start of the year in a quest to see the much-lauded Soldier Thread. By the third song in their set, I had to have their CD. There is something so completely captivating about Gavin's voice, I just can't stop listening once I start. The best part is they're one of those bands that is great recorded, but it all comes alive live. I could watch them play for hours. (Judging by their dancing Saturday, so could Katie and Lauren.)
The Canvas Waiting: Another band I saw as a byproduct from seeing Courrier and Gatlin Elms a month ago. I really dig the Canvas Waiting. We sat around Saturday evening, debating their sound and never really nailed anything down. I'm kicking myself for not buying their latest album, Chasing Color, which my friend Angela has been in love with since we saw them in May. Luckily they seem to make it to Houston often, so I suppose I'll have my chance again soon.
Quiet Company: If you haven't caught on by now, I really freakin' LOVE this band. Not only did they charm me on Twitter, but their lyrics seem to be exactly what my soul has needed over the last year. I was excited for Saturday because it was my first show since they started playing new music from their album "We Are All Where We Belong" due out in early October. Plus, I could not be more excited about their recent partnership with Grooveshark & Rocket Science. Tons of much-deserved good things happening for these guys, and I can't wait to see what happens as a result. Keep your eyes on their Facebook & Twitter this week - rumor has it their new music video for "Feat & Fallacy, Sitting in a Tree" will be debuting sometime later this week...along with a flood of info about the new album.
Eyes Burn Electric and Suite 709 also played Saturday evening. It was my second time seeing EBE, and...they just don't do it for me. With our drive back to Austin looming and the need for food, we bailed before Suite 709.
I feel like this summer has been kind of slow for music. It usually seems like there's at least a show a week I can't wait to see - esp. living in a place as big as Houston. Whether it's the effect of the economy or the millions of summer festivals sucking all the bands I want to see, I'm not sure. But thank god I finally find some decent local bands to tide me over in the mean time.
with your feeling of a slow summer -- this is something that crops up often in australian media (particularly for people on the east coast like me), the idea of "festival saturation", that we just have too many. and over the course of a summer, we most certainly do have squillions. Melbourne went from one or two major summer festivals and a couple of boutique festivals 10 years ago, to today, where every farm is hosting a boutique festival and there are so many major one-day festivals that they're clamouring for a limited number of international acts willing to make the trek over here.
ReplyDeleteare you finding a similar situation in you gig-going area? i wonder if it's a topic worth pursuing more, because if the the world is, in general, experiencing tough economic times, why a sudden festival boom? and is there a difference between your circumstances and mine, except for the fact that you're hot right now and i'm wearing tights and a wool skirt? :)
anyway, as usual, digging your work. :D
I will GLADLY trade you my sundresses and sandals for tights and a wool skirt. I love cold weather. <3
ReplyDeleteIn the last five years, it seems like festivals have exploded here. I swear, 10 more get added every year and the thing that gets me is its the same chunk of bands playing at every single one. I have friends who want to go to them all, and it's like "Why would I keep going to the same thing over and over?" It's one big homogenized festival experience to me, which completely defeats the purpose!
I have no rhyme or reason for it - perhaps a question for someone better versed in festivals than me. After Austin City Limits last year, I'm out. They're just not my thing - I don't enjoy being crammed into a park with 70,000 other people, not getting to truly hear a band play because you're hearing three others in the background. I'd rather patiently wait for a local show - which is one of the few upsides to festivals. Given the plethora and my proximity to Austin, around ACL and SXSW time I can luck out with seeing bands who get booked in Houston a day or two before or after they play Austin. :)
Perhaps a discussion for Facebook. This makes me miss the message boards. <3