BOT Blog

Wednesday at noon, Eggs and I will be flying to Chicago, where we'll be scooped up by Toast and whisked off (in, I'm told, a very crowded car) to the Rothbury Festival in Michigan. A Wal-Mart run along the way is inevitable, and we might even stop in Grand Rapids to check out the 'Kick the McGee' festival pre-party at The Intersection. Then it's off to the village of Rothbury (population 416) for several days of music, camping, camraderie, and shenanigans.

After several circular conversations regarding the best way to assign show reviews, Eggs took a cue from fantasy football and suggested we do a snake draft. Nerdy? Yes. Effective? Absolutely. There were a few surprises too - I certainly wouldn't have imagined that it would unfold the way it did.

View the round-by-round action and info about our Rothbury coverage after the jump

Friday, June 27 found Eggs and me at one of our favorite Houston venues, Last Concert Cafe. We walked through the restaurant and into the outdoor stage area to find the majority of the picnic tables arranged in two long lines. Rows of people neatly perched on the benches while hula hoopers took advantage of the empty space in the middle. But musical guests South Austin Jug Band were the main focus, and they adroitly fulfilled our expectations.

Continue reading after the jump

Johnny James Qualley and A.P. Hill of Oakhurst

It is now officially summer! That is great news to most, but in particular, for music lovers. With one 2008 festival already under the BOT crew's belts, I have found it quite hard to motivate myself to get out to our local venues and hot spots to catch some of the excellent acts that are coming through the area. With Rothbury merely days away, it seems meek to spend my time on anything else knowing that I will soon see some of the most amazing acts to grace the stage all in one location. Then I realized how uncouth it would be of me to neglect my roots. Once I heard that Oakhurst was coming to Lincoln, my Friday evening plans were set in stone. They were at Wakarusa, but unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, were enjoyed mainly through the eyes of other festivalgoers.

Read more after the jump!

Prior to Jay-Z's headlining set at Glastonbury, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher had some not-so-kind words to say about the Brooklyn MC, and hip-hop as a whole. Jay-Z basically said piss off, and went ahead with the "controversial" set as planned. He opened his set with a cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" which had him strumming a guitar and taking lead vocals. Maybe it was one last punch from the HOVA, or maybe he was just recognizing them as British rock royalty. I'm gonna go with my first guess.

So Noel, I know you all had some hits 10 or more years ago, but instead of knocking Jigga for headlining this storied festival, try creating some new, relevant "guitar music" with Oasis so that Michael Eavis might invite you back.

Also, how can you not love "99 Problems" mashed with "Back In Black"!?

Islands
Walter's On Washington played host to Montreal-bred indie rock group Islands with support from MC AWOL One. We were there to sweat through the performances of both of these groups.

Keep reading "Islands, Awol One @ Walter's On Washington" after the jump

Dear Mr. West,

Earlier this week, I read your response to the criticism you've been receiving with regards to this year's Bonnaroo, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say: Dude, wtf?

Prior to this incident, I was fairly certain that I couldn't possibly like your persona less. But you've somehow managed to surprise me and even surpass my expectations for your behavior. That's quite an accomplishment!

Please don't misinterpret this as merely a hate letter, however. I do have respect for your work and the different dimensions you've fearlessly added to the hip-hop realm. I really loved The College Dropout, and I own The College Graduate and Graduation. But I must admit that soon after the release of your second album, the mere mention of your name began to leave a sour taste in my mouth. You suddenly exploded in the media, and I was perpetually left wondering why you felt the need to behave like a bratty, self-absorbed 5-year-old douchebag.

Continue reading An Open Letter to Kanye West

Photo by metalhazetc

Recommended shows in the Houston area:

Thu Jun 26
Matt & Kim, The Death Set, Team Robespierre, Reggie Watts, and Jonah Ray at Walter's On Washington
Show starts around 9; tickets are $10.

Greyhounds at The Continental Club
Show starts at 10; tickets are $10.

Fri Jun 27
Her Space Holiday with Lymbyc System at Walter's On Washington
Show starts at 9; tickets are $12.

South Austin Jug Band at Last Concert Cafe
Show starts at 10; tickets are $10.

Sat Jun 28
Stone Temple Pilots with Black Francis (Frank Black of the Pixies) at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Show starts at 8; tickets are $29.50/$49.50.

Music Makes Change Benefit at Avant Garden featuring performances by Young Mammals, The Mathletes, Earnie Banks, The Wild Moccasins, News On The March, The Holly Hall and The Eastern Sea.
Show starts at 7; tickets are $10.

Sun Jun 29
The Defenestration Unit at Discovery Green
Show starts at 1 pm; tickets are FREE!

Oakhurst
What’s up my Lincoln folks? This Friday, Oakhurst out of Denver, CO will be taking the stage at Knickerbockers thanks to Rad Kadillac Productions. For those of you who have yet to hear of these guys, they have been pickin’ up much steam as they tour extensively throughout the U.S. as well as Europe, hitting up several bars and theaters as well as the festival scene. Their fusion of bluegrass and folk tunes with classic rock n’ roll numbers has earned them respect wherever they go. In support of Oakhurst is a local bluegrass group out of Lincoln by the name of Triggertown, who are also quite a delight. If you are a regular to Knickerbockers, you know what to expect, but to those of you who are not, particularly for bluegrass shows, plan on a sweaty, jam-packed night full of excitement. Tickets are only $8 at the door for this act that is sure to please a variety of music fans. Show's at 9:30pm. See you there!

The Roots stopped by Houston on the last leg of their tour to play for a sold-out audience at Warehouse Live. We were there to take it all in.

Keep reading "The Roots @ Warehouse Live" after the jump

On Saturday, July 14, the Orange Show invited guests to relax amid the monument's citrusy wackiness and soak up the benga indie rock stylings of Extra Golden. This performance was the latest in the Orange Show's excellent series spotlighting musical performers from an array of backgrounds.

Review, photos, and video after the jump