THU 8/25
Fans of serious fretboard pyrotechnics won't want to miss this. Austin ax-wielder Eric Johnson is an international legend, employing a wide and deep stylistic palette from country-picking to exploratory jazz to brain-bending space rock, all of which he'll be showing off this week at Club V. By rights, Johnson should be guitar-deity enough for any one night, but his opening act is none other than Adrian Belew. Known for throttling otherworldly sounds out of his guitar, from rhino-charge aggression to nearly tactile soundscapes, Belew had his first major gig with Frank Zappa, and he was featured prominently on the 1979 Sheik Yerbouti album. Belew also played with David Bowie before Stevie Ray Vaughan was even a twinkle in the Thin White Duke's eye, sprayed mind-bending breakdowns all over "Crosseyed and Painless" for Talking Heads, and lent his fuzztone freak-outs to Laurie Anderson's Mister Heartbreak. All this in addition to his work with King Crimson, wherein he spent years going head-to-head with cerebral mastermind Robert Fripp. Taken together, Johnson and Belew may provide the only guitar-hero showcase you'll need to attend all year. 8 p.m. Thursday, August 25. Verizon Wireless Theater, 520 Texas. For information, call 713-230-1666 or visit www.verizonwirelesstheater.com. $23 to $26. -- Scott Faingold
Courtesy of Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew
Courtesy of Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Alazraqui
Vance Johnson
Romeo and Juliet
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Needle Exchange
Take a Sunday Spin with the KPFT Fall Music Series
SUN 8/28
Though best known musically for their blues and Texas-centric programs, KPFT/90.1 FM also has an impressive roster of mixmasters and turntablists. "Sunday Spin: DJs in the Park" will feature familiar names from those shows spinning live, including DJs from Damage Control(hip-hop), GenerAsian Radio(Hindi, bhangra, Arabic), Reprogram Radio (dance/punk), and Soular Grooves (soul/acid jazz). DJ Sun (named Houston PressMusic Awards 2005 Best DJ) and Press contributor Matt Sonzala are also among those who'll man the decks. "We wanted to showcase the diversity within the DJ and underground music culture," says event coordinator Gina Rodriguez-Miller, "and provide a way for listeners to put a face to the voice." Check out the hot wax (the show is outdoors in the middle of the afternoon) from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, August 28. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Drive. For information, call 713-526-4000 or visit www.kpft.org. Free. -- Bob Ruggiero
A Good Impression
Reno 911's Deputy James Oswaldo Garcia is a racist, sexist Mexican-American cop who seems more like a mall security guard than a real police officer. And he's played perfectly by Carlos Alazraqui. The actor-comedian flawlessly executes head-scratching lines like "Criminals are the vomit of society, and we are the sawdust." Though Alazraqui voices characters in kiddie shows like SpongeBob SquarePants and Fairly Odd Parents, there's nothing G-rated about his impression-filled stand-up routine. The cunning linguist takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, August 25; and 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27. Laff Stop, 1952 West Gray. For tickets, call 713-524-2333 or visit www.laffstop.com. $18.50 to $21.50. -- Steven Devadanam
Hot Teen Love
The melodrama, the deep sighs, the heavy petting -- Romeo and Juliet really is the perfect summer teen love story. What could be more entertaining than horny adolescents, family feuds and teen suicide? 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through September 10; 3 p.m. Sundays through September 3. 17011 Bamwood. For tickets, call 281-587-1020 or visit www.acetheatre.org. $10 to $12. -- Steven Devadanam
