Good Intentions and Pleasant Surprises

Sometimes even the best intentions get put aside – and everything works out just fine. This week was one such time. I fully intended to limit my activities this week, but a turn of events found me out very late Thursday.  Friday morning I thought maybe I should take it easy Friday night because of my late night Thursday and my planned very late night Saturday. Friday night turned out to be an even later night. Sunday was definitely a day of rest! The good news from the weekend is that I have plenty of live music to talk about.

Thursday night I arrived home to discover my internet connection had failed. I had installed a new modem earlier in the week and it was working great – until Thursday evening. I had so much to do I decided it was not a night to call my provider, so I headed for the RME Café. I knew I could use their internet access to upload photos and my blog – while I ate dinner. When I arrived at the RME, I was reminded there was a show upstairs in the Redstone room. Rude Punch was opening for Jon Wayne and the Pain, and I had not yet seen either band. So after my dinner and uploading sessions, I joined a friend upstairs and enjoyed a little reggae.

Brady Jager and Alan Sweet with Rude Punch

Rude Punch is a local trio with a hard-edged funk/reggae sound.  I could hear them playing when I was downstairs working. It’s so hard to sit still when you’re listening to reggae, and Rude Punch is no exception to that. I wonder if these guys realize how hard it is to take photos while dancing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Wayne and the Pain put on an electrifying show

After an intermission while equipment, lights and fog machines were set up, Jon Wayne and the Pain brought their electronic reggae sound to the Redstone Stage, bells, whistles and lasers included.  I don’t know what held my attention more – the electro-reggae music or the light show. In both cases, their show was beyond any mixed reggae performance I’ve seen to date.

 

 

 

 

Day Joy: a pleasant surprise
 

Friday night began with a trip to Rozz-tox, where we were treated to the sounds of Day Joy.  I had read some articles about this band, and the description left me imagining some ethereal electronic orchestra… when in reality their indie rock sound was much more to my liking that I had imagined. We as writers need to be careful about our descriptive terms when it comes to non-mainstream music. I came close to not attending this show due to a writer’s description. And I have to wonder – were others turned away by that article? Rozz-tox wasn’t nearly as busy for a Friday night as I expected.

 

 



Will Hoge Turns the Redstone on it's ear

...And then leaves it with a whisper

And then we were back at the Redstone Room. By the time our little group arrived, Will Hoge was on stage and in full rock mode. This was another show that had an unexpected twist. From things I had read and heard, I was expecting full-on country. Yes, everyone on the stage wore cowboy boots (ok, I couldn’t see the drummer’s feet…), and they looked sort of country/blue collarish… but that show seriously rocked! From Hoge’s vocals to his guitarist’s mad solos, to the bottom end that never quit, this show had it all. They did end the show with an off-stage acoustic encore that included plenty of amazing vocal harmony.

Pieces of Candy acoustic at Barrelhouse

This brought us to our last stop of the night. Yes, we made one last stop – at Barrelhouse 211. Members of the Candymakers (they call themselves Pieces of Candy when they do this) were playing an acoustic set at the Barrelhouse. They squeezed drums, keys and guitar into a tiny space that normally accommodates a solo or duo. But from that tiny space came a big sound as Alan Sweet, Mike Miller, and Nick Vasquez partied with the Barrelhouse crowd. Tom Zick of the Mississippi Misfits sat in on the drums for a few songs. Tom says he just can't say no when someone asks him to play.

I spent most of Saturday night with my 1^st Impression family, but managed to squeeze in some time with the Mississippi Misfits as they played a private party in preparation for their trip to South by Southwest this week.

Speaking of which – I would like to wish the Mississippi Misfits well as they play Friday afternoon at the AMFM Magazine party at Aussie’s Beach Bar in Austin. SXSW is a national festival that celebrates Film, Music, Tech .. and just about everything else. On the music side alone, it is the largest annual gathering of musicians in the United States, with an expected attendance of over 2,200 bands throughout the week at more than 100 venues in Austin. That’s a whole lot of music!

This week:

Wow! It’s St. Patrick’s Day Weekend already!! Next thing you know, we’ll be attending all those outdoor shows we’ve been missing over the winter. I can’t wait! Anyway… due to the party weekend that is before us, here’s a really long list of bands and venues – and I’m certain I’ve missed some.

Friday – The Kelly’s party tradition continues. At Kelly’s Friday: Superfly Samurai, Pitchin’ a Tent, and Dirt Road Rockers. The Rusty Nail has Holly’s Buddies and Just Cuz, Chuck Murphy is at Lancers in Eldridge, and you’ll find Phyllis and the Sharks at Martini’s on the Rock. The 11^th Street Precinct has Justin Morrissey and the Drunken Angels, The Harris Collection is playing Brady Street Pub, and Night Light is at Rustic Ridge. Rascals has Ana Popovic, Leftwich and Shadow Stone are playing RIBCO, and Rozztox has Weight, Hugh Bob and the Hustle, and Donnie Bobb.

Saturday – More Kelly’s:  Chuck Murphy (11:45), Jason Carl (1PM), QC Rock Academy (2:15), Wicked Liz and the Bellyswirls(5:00), North of 40 (6:15), Cosmic (7:30), 3^rd Rail (9:00), and Spatterdash (10:45). Kilkenny’s Party: 3^rd St. Villains (10:00), Painkiller Hotel (2:00) and Mike Hayes (6:00). Barrelhouse 211 has the Candymakers at 12:30, and The Dirt Road Rockers are at Roosters at 11:30. Kavanaugh’s has the Barley House Band and Crossroads.  The Rusty Nail has The Funktastic Five, Gray Wolf is playing at the Greenbriar, and Nervous Rex is partying at King’s Corner. Propaganda is playing Martini’s on the Rock, The Muddy Waters has the Blackstones, and Caught in the Act is at Generations. Corporate Rock is playing the Daiquiri Factory, RIBCO has Up High, and the Dirt Road Rockers are at Mulligans. You’ll find me at Rascals with 1^st Impression.

 

You can find more photos of the shows I attended on my Flickr page HERE