Saturday night I met some friends for margaritas at El Gran Malo to celebrate Cinco de Mayo (if you live in Houston, check it out - they have an awesome drink menu, plus really interesting infused tequilas. The blueberry jalapeno marg is pictured above.), then headed over to Fitzgerald's to see Houston indie darlings, Wild Moccasins.
I don't always have a lot of faith in local music in my hometown. I just don't think Houston is a local-friendly city when it comes to music. (Seriously, how many sustained local Houston bands - or venues for that matter, save Fitz - can you name?) Most local shows I find myself at have a niche audience - there's very specific people who turn up to see very specific bands (guilty) again and again. And even then, it seems like the audiences are constantly changing or people are just there for something to do with their nights. Read: the excitement for live music is usually lacking.
But Saturday night's Wild Moccasins crowd put that all to shame and restored my faith just a little bit. The first time I saw the band more than a year ago, they filled the entire upstairs at Fitz and while they were good...it's taken me 16 months to go back to see them. That night didn't create a lasting impression.
Not this time around. Saturday's show was a bit more low key in terms of audience turn out, but the fans were dedicated to enjoying a live show. The moment a band member set foot on stage to simply tune guitars or drop set lists, camera flashes started popping from the front row and their fans - mostly kids a good 10 years younger than me - started cheering or yelling "I love you [insert band member name here]!" It made me smile and remember what it was like to be 18 and thrilled to be that close to the music.
And when the band finally started their set, the entire place turned into one gigantic dance party (one I even found myself giving in to halfway through). For every ounce of energy to band showed on stage during their hour-long set, their fans gave back to them tenfold.
Truth be told, I'd never seen that happen with a local band in Houston. I was impressed. And not just with the kids, with the band as well. Though some of the vocal were a bit drowned out, their upbeat synth-pop music made me want to dance off the infused tequila drinks from earlier in the evening until the sun came up. Above all, it just felt good to be in a room full of people all there because of their love for a single band - it's something I've been missing since the start of the year.
The best part for all you non-Houston folks? Wild Moccasins is heading out on tour starting this Wednesday in Indiana. Click here for tour dates.
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