Main Street Block Party

Jan 26, 2012 by Eggs

The second annual Main Street Block Party is set to take place this Saturday, January 28, at what is informally known as “The Island.” Featuring a slew of bands playing across six different venues at Main and Alabama streets in Houston, Block Party will be the place to be all day. What Made Milwaukee Famous will make a rare Houston appearance, or rather a rare appearance for them at all these days. The rest of the line-up mainly consists of an upcoming wealth of Houston-based talent as well as some regional acts that’ve been gaining steam as of late. B L A C K I E, Tax The Wolf, Caddywhompus, Empress Hotel, The League Of Extraordinary G’s, The Handshake, Bang Bangz, The Prairie Cadets and The Literary Greats are all set to perform, as well as a ton of other great, upcoming bands.

I had the best of times at last year’s event which I was also shooting for the Houston Press. Check out my shots of the bands from 2011′s Block Party here and of the crowds here. Before that, though, check out the full line-up, including set times after the jump.

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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.

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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.

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