Christopher Smith Gonzalez

Musical Festival to feature nine bands

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:30:00 CDT

Country acts are in abundance this weekend in Galveston County and leading the two stepping charge is League Citys 58th annual Texas Music Festival and Village Fair. The festival kicks off tonight and will feature nine bands in two days with Nashvilles Easton Corbin headlining Saturday night.

Now if Corbin is your kind of country then thats fine but if you want to catch some real Texas Country then check out Micky and the Motorcars on Friday night.

Brothers Micky and Gary Braun, the younger brothers of the Braun brothers in Reckless Kelly, bring plenty of swagger and energy to their shows. Music runs in the Braun family. The brothers grew up in the Whitecloud Mountains in Idaho playing instruments and eventually played in a band with their dad, Muzzie Braun.

They should be well worth checking out.

Here are some of shows across the county this weekend:

Galveston

Friday

For some country music in Galveston check out Kevin Anthony will be at MOD Coffeehouse at 7 p.m. The Electric Soul Band will be at Crows Cantina at 9 p.m. strawberryJam will be at Yaga's at 8 p.m.

Southbound will be at Captain Jacks Beach Bar from 5 to 9 p.m. The Line Up will be at B. Jiggers at 9:30 p.m. Dana Cooper will be at The Old Quarter Acoustic Café with Jorge Palomarez opening.

The Last Soul Clan will be at the The Loading Dock at 9 p.m.

Saturday

The Line Up will be at B. Jiggers at 9:30 p.m. The Zach Tate will be at the The Loading Dock at 9 p.m. Marty Monte's Magazine will be at Crows Cantina at 4 p.m.

Texas City country band Sam Navarro and the Lonestar Devils will be at Saengerfest Park on 23rd and the Strand in Galveston from 6 to 9 p.m.

Denovo will be at The Beach Hut from 3 to 7 p.m. James Pardo will be Woody's Beach Bar from 3 to 7 p.m. Coming from Stillwater, Oklahoma, No Justice will be at Yaga's at 10:30 p.m.

The Old Quarter Acoustic Café will host the 6th Annual Galveston Island Humane Society Benefit featuring David Fahl, Leslie Krafka and Matt Pelz.

Mainland

Friday

The Red Cap Band will be at the Redfish Roadhousein Hitchcock at 8 p.m. The Westron Brown Band will be at Dempseys Sports Pub in League City.

The Revelators will play at 6 p.m. at Centennial Park Pavilion, 2200 South Friendswood Drive in Friendswood, followed by Mike Reed at 7 p.m. Six Gun Keys will play at the 517 Bar, 3401 Gulf Freeway in Dickinson, at 9 p.m.

League Citys Music Festival and Village Fair will feature Rosehill at 7 p.m., Honeybrowne at 8 p.m. and Mickey and the Motorcars hit the stage at 10 p.m.

Saturday

Myrna Sanders will be at Bayview Duck in Bacliff at 8 p.m. The Mighty Orq will be at Katie's in Bacliff at 10 p.m. Billy Bourbon will be at The Palapa Bar in Kemah at 3 p.m.

Flipside will be at Zone 504 Sports Bar in Kemah at 9:30 p.m.

Kevin Anthony will be playing his country and cajun tunes at Pod-Zu's Crawfish Shed in Texas City at 7 p.m. Gary Helms will be at Shenanigan's in Texas City at 7 p.m.

Houston reggae rockers Footpie will be at Dempsey's in League City at 8 p.m.

The final day of music at League Citys Music Festival and Village Fair will feature the Brison Bursey Band, the Justin Grant Band, Ziggy Moonshine, the Junior Gordon Band, John Slaughter, and finally Easton Corbin will headline.

Texas singer makes his way back to Galveston

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:00:00 CDT

There will be an interesting show/book release this weekend when Richard Dobson takes the stage at the Old Quarter Acoustic Café on Saturday. Dobson, originally from Tyler, has knocked about quite a bit. A long time singer-songwriter who played with Townes Van Zandt in the 1970s and has cut numerous albums, Dobson spent some time as a roughneck out of Galveston.

He lives in Switzerland now but is back touting his memoir Pleasure of the High Rhine: A Texas Singer in Exile.

The book is a travel-music-fishing memoir, it tells a story of inter-cultural love, adventures on the road, and making a new life by a storied river in old Europe according to Dobsons website. He takes the stage about 9 p.m. and if you are interested in songwriting and story telling this would be a good night to make your way down to the Café.

Up on the mainland you can catch some good Texas Country acts at the 4th annual Tails and Tunes Fishing Tournament. The tournament and music festival runs Friday and Saturday at the Galveston County Fair Grounds, 10 Jack Brooks Parkway in Hitchcock. You can see Bleu Edmondson headlining on the first night and Cory Morrow on Saturday.

Here are some of the other shows going on this weekend.

Galveston

Friday

Austin-based bluegrass and country singer Brennen Leigh will be at the Old Quarter Acoustic Café with Noel McKay opening at 8 p.m. The Blue Moon Rock Band will be at the Loading Dock at 9:30 p.m.

Houston alt-rock band Days Drive will be at Float Patio and Pool Bar at 8 p.m. Crows Cantina will feature Houston variety band Yelba at 9 p.m.

Radio London, which features Galveston Countys own Rufus Crowder, will be at the Holiday Inns B. Jiggers at about 9:30 p.m.

Saturday

If you are in the mood for some reggae then check out Soulfiya & The Black Lung Crew at Captain Jacks Beach Bar at 4 p.m. The Grand 1984 Opera House will host Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez with Special Guest Vikki Carr at 8 p.m. Get tickets here

For some country rock check out Ray T and The City Crew at Woodys Bar from 3 to 7 p.m. The Tomz Katz Band will be at Bobbies House of Spirits from 4 to 8 p.m. and then at Crows Cantina from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Marty Monte's Magazine will be at Crows Cantina from 4 to 8 p.m. Boo Shaaf will be poolside at the Hilton, 5400 Seawall Boulevard, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Mainland

Friday

Marty Monte's Magazine will be at the Green Parrot Bar & Grill, 2233 Bayshore Dr in San Leon. At the Galveston County Fair Grounds, Kathy Ross will open for Blue Edmondson at the Tails and Tunes festival. Ross takes the stage at 5:30 p.m. followed by Blue Edmondson at 9 p.m.

In League City, you can catch Soulfiya & The Black Lung Crew at Hugh & Jeffs Car Wash & Grill, 1232 FM 646. The Galveston reggae band hits the stage about 9 p.m.

Robin Kirby will bring the folk, Americana music to the Bayview Duck in Bacliff, 3131 Highway 146, starting at 8 p.m. Boo Shaaf is about to release a new CD. The official release party is not till May 10 but hell be at Baachus Wine Bar in League City from 7 to 11 p.m. tonight.

Saturday

The Ezra Charles Band will play the Redfish Roadhouse in Hitchcock. The popular piano blues band starts at 3 to 7 p.m.

The Tails and Tunes festival features a long line up on Saturday. The Curtis Poullard Zydeco Band starts it off at 11 a.m. followed by Bri Bagwell at 2 p.m., Kyle Bennett at 4 p.m., Cody Johnson at 7 p.m. and Cory Morrow at 9 p.m.

I had a lot of fun listening to the Paul Ramirez Band last week. This Saturday you can this blues and rock band at Katies in Bacliff at 9 p.m. Country musician Ty Phillips will be at Shenanigans, 820 34th Street N in Texas City, at 9 p.m.

Bryan Shayne will be at the 146 Roadhouse in Bacliff. Jeremy Bradshaw will play Jackies Brickhouse in Kemah at 2 p.m.

If I didnt list your bands show send me an email at chris.gonzalez@gmail.com or post the information in a comment below.

Blues and Rockabilly in the music line up

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:00:00 CDT

There is plenty of live music to choose from this Friday and Saturday. I ended up getting sick last weekend, so I didnt make it out to any shows in the county. Hopefully I can make up for it in the next couple of days.

If you are in the mid-county, you should check out the Paul Ramirez Band Saturday at Redfish Roadhouse in Hitchcock from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m for some killer blues/rock/funk/country/whatever sounds good. The trio is out of Houston and has a Wednesday night residency at The Continental Club. Along with the good tunes, the Redfish Roadhouse is also hosting a fundraiser for Habitat for Horses today and tomorrow.

On Friday night, Crows Cantina looks like the place if you are into rockabilly and blues. Houston based Snits Dog & Pony Show will take the stage at 9 p.m.

Let me know what show you recommend. If I didnt list a show worth catching, leave the info in the comment section below. Also, feel free to send in pictures from shows you catch this weekend and any recommendations you might have. Ill add them in the next blog post.

Here are just some of the shows tonight and tomorrow:

In Galveston, Fridays line up includes Texas City rock group Blue Moon Rock Band at Captian Jacks Beach Bar at 5 p.m. Later that evening Matt ORourke from Las Angeles will play at the beach bar. ORourke hits the stage at 9 p.m. Snits Dog & Pony Show will be at Crows Cantina at 9 p.m. Stephen Bishop at Riptide Surf Bar at 9 p.m.

League Citys own Denovo will be at the M&M Restaurant and Bar at 7 p.m. The John Evans Band will hold down the stage at the Old Quarter Acoustic Café starting around 9 p.m. Rapture will be at B. Jiggers Lounge. The Line Up will be at Yagas Café at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Saturday, you can find Kevin Anderson and Brandon McDermott, from the Brandon McDermott band, along with James Sturrock, will be at the Old Quarter Acoustic Café starting at 8 p.m. The E.Nicole Band will be at The Loading Dock at 9:30 p.m.

Hunter McKithan & The Offenders will play at Woodys at 8 p.m.

Hard working Marty Montes Magazine will be at Crows Cantina at 4 p.m. Later in the evening, the Spiny Norman Band, a five piece party band out of Houston, will be bringing the tunes at Crows Cantina.

On the mainland, catch Myrna Sanders at Bayview Duck in Bacliff at 8 p.m. Friday. Loud Love will be at Crazy Alans Swamp Shack at 7 p.m., while Pee Wee Bowen will be at T Bone Toms in Kemah at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, The Relics will be at Katies in Bacliff at 9 p.m. The Paul Ramirez Band will be at Redfish Roadhouse in Hitchcock at 1 p.m. In their second show in as many days, Denovo will be at Bacchus Wine Bar in League City at 8 p.m.

Miss the 80s? The check out That 80z Band at the Kemah Boardwalk at 7 p.m. Billy Bourbon at Palapas in Kemah at 3 p.m. followed by Shaun Michael at 6 p.m. at Palapas in Kemah. Jeremy Bradshaw will be at Crazy Alans Swamp Shack in Kemah at 2 p.m. Clinton Ashley will be at Tequila Mias in Kemah at 7 p.m. The Navigators will be at T Bone Toms in Kemah at 7 p.m.

In case you missed Marty Montes Magazine Saturday afternoon in Galveston, you can catch them at 9 p.m. at the R&R Sportsbar in Friendswood.

Checking this weekends music lineup

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:30:00 CDT

Last weekend was jam-packed with live music. This weekend is looking pretty good, as well.

I was only able to make it to the Turnpike Troubadours show last Friday (more on that lower in the post) but I heard the Kemah Crawfish Festival. Their three days of boiled crawfish and music was also a blast.

The live music continues at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo with the Red Cap Band and Wayne Toups tonight and Jarrod Birmingham on Saturday night. Check out Fridays Entertainment section in The Daily News to learn a little more about the Red Cap Band. The three guys in the band all have their roots in Santa Fe. Their music is what you imagine listening to as you drive through a small town in the afternoon with the windows down.

Here is a quick run down of some of the live music across the county:

In Galveston, the Old Quarter Acoustic Café is featuring Seth Walker Friday night. Its a CD release party for Walkers newest album Time Can Change. Saturday night, Saxophonist Evelyn Rubio will be playing with Al Staehely, former Spirit bassist, and John Staehely from Jo Jo Gunne.

Music on the island is really kicking up as the weather gets nicer. The Loading Dock will mix Galveston reggae, Soulfiya & The Black Lung Crew, with Friendswood rock, SunDrunk, on Friday night.

Friday night, you can also catch Starr Jernigan Band at Crows, rock, blues and country cover band Flip Side at B. Jiggers and reggae with Cassette Tape at Yagas.

Saturday lineups include Gary Helms brining some country music to Melrose Pub, the Tony Vega Band at Crows Cantina, League Citys Threadbelly at The Beach Hut at 3 p.m., Aaron Navarro Band over at Woodys Bar at 3 p.m. and Pirate Radio, a rock band out of San Francisco, will be at Yagas around 10:30 p.m.

A couple of bars in Texas City have country music on the bill. Shenanigans will have Push Water Band Friday night and Zack Stokes & Company on Saturday. Diamond Jims Country Saloon will feature Bryan Shayne on Friday night and Cheyenne on Saturday.

There is plenty to see and hear in the North County as well. Katies bar in Bacliff, which boasts live music every night of the week, will have Mitch Jacobs Band on Friday and Leonard Low Down Brown on Saturday. If youre looking for music in Friendswood, look up R&R Sports Bar for some dance rock tunes from Madigan on Friday and some classic rock from Five O- on Saturday. The Crypt Alive will bring the metal to Centennial Park in Friendswood.

Singer songwriter Andy Gullahorn will sit down for an up-close and personal show as part of the San Benave Concert Series at the Ted Akers Event Center in League City.

Like I said earlier, the Turnpike Troubadours show was a blast. They put on a really fun show and Kyle Nix on the fiddle was on fire.

Also impressive was lead singer Evan Felkers ability to change a broken guitar string in the middle of a song while continuing to sing! I and some new friends, Justin and Michael from Houston-ish, were very impressed.

The band mixed their new songs, Before the Devil Knows Were Dead and Wrecked, off their upcoming CD with songs off their previous albums. The best part of the night was probably when they played 7&7 followed by Devil Knows Were Dead.

Look for my review of their new album, Goodbye Normal Street, in the next few weeks.

Ill probably be at the Red Cap Band show this Friday. Where are you planning on going? Im sure I missed some shows going on so post the info in the comment section below or send me an email at chris.gonzalez@gmail.com.

Down in Galveston County

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:00:00 CDT

Theres been a lot of adjusting to do since moving to Galveston County from Austin. So, in an effort to settle into my new home, Ive been trying to plug into the live music scene in county.

In Austin, youd practically run into a musician or a live music venue on just about every block. Finding live music here has been a little more challenging. Its always a thrill when I walk up on a thumping bass line and a wailing guitar.

This is my first blog post in a series chronicling my search for live music in the county. Its a good time to start. There is so much live music across the county this weekend, its hard to know where to begin.

I typically prefer small bars and honky-tonks to large venues, but there is no getting around the amazing music line-ups at the county rodeo and two festivals during the next few days.

Starting up north, the Kemah Crawfish Festival will have two stages jam-packed with musicians. The Houston Blues Society has put together the line up for one of the stages. The second stage will feature zydeco and country.

$2 a pound crawfish, blues, zydeco, and Texas Johnny Brown how could it get any better?

If you are down in Galveston and looking for some island themed music, then check out the first Ja-Ga Reggae Festival celebrating Jamaicas 50th anniversary. The Jamaica Foundation of Houston is organizing the free festival along Harborside Drive on the lots from 20th Street to 22nd Street.

The party kicks of Friday night with a VIP party and continues through Sunday with live reggae music each day. See the Jamaica Foundation site for more information.

And, if you are in a boot scootin mood, Id recommend making your way to this years Galveston County Fair and Rodeo. Whiskey Myers and Turnpike Troubadours play Friday night and the Josh Abbott Band hits the stage Saturday. If you are into Texas Country, that line up should have you putting on your cowboy boots and buttoning up your favorite pearl snap.

Related Blog: Country, Tejano acts open Fair and Rodeo

Im still trying to decide what festival Im going to hit on what night, but more than likely Ill be at the fair and rodeo Friday for the Turnpike Troubadours show. The Troubadours are coming out with a new CD soon, Good Bye Normal Street, out May 8. Check out this Pogues influenced song on the new album Before the Devil Knows Were Dead.

The Troubadours put on a great show, but there is plenty to choose from with so much music this weekend.

What shows are you going to this weekend?

Feel free to comment below or hit me up with an email at chris.gonzalez@gmail.com with information on other shows and bands playing in the area.

Sinbad rocks out at Island Music Galveston

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:40:00 CDT

Sinbad is in town for a show at The Grand Opera House tonight at 8 p.m. but it turns out the comedian was able to fit in a quick music lesson earlier today. Island Music Galveston, a music store located at 407 25th Street in Galveston, posted a video on Youtube of Sinbad rocking along as local musician Walker Dearman plays Bill Withers song Use Me.

Recap: League City's 50th birthday party

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:43:00 CDT

League Citys celebration of its 50th anniversary continued last Saturday with a gala at South Shore Harbour Resort. The affair featured the Ezra Charles Band, the Fuzion Contemporary Dance Company, a choir group from the Clear Creek school district and it brought together old and new residents of League City.

Many past mayors and council members were there as well as many of the citys current leaders, said city spokeswoman Kristi Wyatt.

If you missed the gala, Wyatt said there are still more events coming up this year. There is an interdenominational Thanksgiving service being planned for later in the year. A time capsule is also being worked on and will be buried later this year to be reopened in 2037. If you want to be part of the time capsule follow the contact information at the citys website.

Wyatt also said the city will be collecting and sharing peoples stories and memoires of League City throughout the year.

If you missed the nights fun here is a chance to catch up. The first person speaking on video is state Rep. Larry Taylor, Wyatt said.