Free Press Summer Fest 2012

Mar 5, 2012 by Eggs

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! The fine folks behind Houston’s annual music soirée, Free Press Summer Fest, have finally dropped the full line-up, and boy is it a doozy. Leading this year’s list of bands are bluegrass roots rockers The Avett Brothers, famed rapper and dope smoker Snoop Dogg, Texas country legend and equally famous dope smoker Willie Nelson, DJ extraordinaire Afrojack, bass heavy funksters Primus and a return from 2010 headliner The Flaming Lips who will be performing Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety. I’m pretty sure no-one saw such a strong list of entertainers heading to Eleanor Tinsley Park come June, but Omar, Jagi and all the other fine folks that work for both Free Press Houston and Pegstar have truly outdone themselves for their fourth year of the festival. Also playing the multiple stages over the course of June 2nd and 3rd are The Descendents, Major Lazer, Young The Giant, Portugal. The Man, Morris Day & The (mutha fuckin’) Time, Best Coast, Two Door Cinema Club, Turquoise Jeep, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Robert Ellis and a whole heaping helping of more great bands.

Check out the full kick-ass line-up after the jump!

read more

Reptar @ Fitzgerald’s

Mar 1, 2012 by Eggs

Last week, I headed up to Fitzgerald’s just in time to catch a headlining set from Athens, GA based indie dance group Reptar. They first came on to my radar last summer when I heard the lead single from their debut EP Oblangle Fizz Y’all, “Stuck In My ID.” They had that same Foster The People sound, but something told me I wouldn’t grow old of them immediately like I did with FtP. They came through Houston a few times in the past year, but I never had the chance to see them until I headed up to Fitz that night. I walked in right in time for “ID,” and danced my way through the entire rest of their set. They played their entire EP, as well as a host of new songs from their upcoming first full length LP, Body Faucet, set for a May 2012 release. While I’m not in love with the new album’s title, I’m certainly enamored with the content that will be released come May. They finished the set with a super high energy new track called “Sweet Sipping Soda” that left the crowd screaming for more, while not moving an inch away from the stage. They came back out for another tune, but you could tell they saved “Soda” for the end as the encore song didn’t carry near the energy as it did. While it seems as if the encore is slowly dying away in this day and age, this night they definitely deserved the call back.

I took a video of “Sweet Sipping Soda,” and a bunch more photos which you can find after the jump.

read more

The Mountain Goats @ Fitzgerald’s

Jan 24, 2012 by Eggs

It had been a long time since the last time John Darnielle had stepped foot in Houston, some 6 years ago when The Mountain Goats played at Mary Jane’s Fat Cat, a former Houston staple that has long since been closed. That was very apparent throughout their Friday night headlining show at Fitzgerald’s when Darnielle mentioned numerous times how sorry he was for denying Houston an appearance. He more than made up for it that night, though, as he brought an unbridled energy throughout the entire set.

Read all about the show and check out some photos after the jump.

read more

Langhorne Slim @ Fitzgerald’s

Jan 23, 2012 by Eggs

It’s been a pretty great 2012 for live music in Houston, but last week had to have been the best week yet. One of the main reasons was because of Langhorne Slim‘s long awaited return to Houston last Wednesday. With my parents in tow, we headed towards Fitzgerald’s to catch a rousing set from the Pennsylvania native. The downstairs crowd was thick enough to warrant energy from the band, but wasn’t as packed as I’ve seen it which made for better sight lines and less of a muddy tone to the sound. Opening his set with “Cinderella” from his latest LP Be Set Free, he continued throughout the entire show with constant high energy, even during the slower songs. The crowd was really into it, especially with songs like “Rebel Side Of Heaven,” “Hello Sunshine,” “Spinning Compass,” “Back To The Wild,” and particularly during “Worries” which has found a great deal of popularity with its inclusion in a recent, highly played insurance commercial. Closing the show with a rambunctious version of “And If It’s True,” that was highlighted by a ripping banjo solo mid song, Langhorne Slim and co. left the crowd sweaty and in need of more. Unfortunately we didn’t get anymore, but with the good turnout, and what seemed like good sales at the merch table, I’m sure it wont be long before we see him again.

I took a bunch of pictures while dancing along, and also captured “And If It’s True” on video – check them out after the jump.

read more