BUD LIGHT STAGE
Washington & Silver Street
Zydeco Dots (3 p.m.)
Nominated In: Best Zydeco
If you are a zydeco fan in Houston, you already know about the Zydeco Dots. Since 1987, they have ruled the small but fervently followed genre in town, winning an absolutely embarrassing number of awards with their combination of Creole rhythms and lively onstage antics. Now that Weird Al has come and gone, only one accordion is king in the Bayou City. Make sure you pick up their latest album, Never Walked Away. Jef With One F
Runaway Sun (4 p.m.)
Nominated In: Best Blues
The past year has been a heady one for Runaway Sun and lead singer Andrew Karnavas. The band released a new LP, The Bridge, last fall to citywide acclaim and played some dates on the East Coast, including an in-store gig at a Best Buy in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Karnavas turned in the solo set Film Noir in April, with help from Geoffrey Muller and Nick Gaitan. The band is now tweaking new material before beginning demo work on a second disc, possibly coming this winter. Craig Hlavaty
Sideshow Tramps (5 p.m.)
Nominated In: Best Roots-Rock/Americana, Best Miscellaneous Instrument (Geoffrey Muller, musical saw/banjo)
We could tell you that the Sideshow Tramps sound like what might have happened if The Band had waltzed away from Winterland in '76, made a brief pit stop in NoLa to kidnap a handful of second-line musicians, then spent a few years hanging out on general-store porches deep in the Ozarks before banding up with a bunch of perpetually drunken gypsies on a musical quest for enlightenment. Unfortunately, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense until you actually hear it, but the Tramps want nothing more than to show you the light. Nicholas L. Hall
Trae Tha Truth (6 p.m.)
Nominated In: Special Guest
Over the past four years, Trae Tha Truth has been incredibly busy. Besides being awarded his own city-sanctioned day and battling one of the most powerful hip-hop radio stations in the South head-on, he released one classic album (Restless), one very good album (Life Goes On), several solid mixtapes (The Incredible Truth is the best) and has featured on countless other artists' tracks. Add his most recent successes — an MTV nomination for 2010 Breakout Artist; a recent Houston Press cover story — and it's clear to see his name has become the default answer in the "Which Houston Rapper Will Break Big Next?" debate. Shea Serrano
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights (7:30 p.m.)
Nominated In: Special Guest
On their album Pardon Me, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights turn everything up to 11 over 11 new tracks. The Lights preach loud Southern rock with a vaguely metal crunge; just imagine AC/DC jamming with Skynyrd and you get the idea. (Or maybe even a more feral Black Crowes.) The album's title cut and "Young & Free" have a hip-swiveling, swaggering raunch to them, too. Craig Hlavaty
Matt & Kim (9 p.m.)
Nominated In: Special Guest
Hyper-indie duo Matt & Kim hail from Brooklyn, and are best known for 2009 hit single "Daylight," which you no doubt heard all last summer and fall. It's three minutes of pop-rock bliss and one of the catchiest singles of the past five years. Keyboardist Matt Johnson and ferocious drummer Kim Schifino have a reputation for a hellaciously energetic live show. One day before hitting Houston, the duo plays Lollapalooza in Chicago with the Black Keys, the Strokes and other heavyweights. Craig Hlavaty
_____________________
THE DRAKE
1902 Washington
Ozeal (2 p.m.)
Nominated In: Best Male Vocals, Best R&B/Funk/Soul, Best Bassist (Rob Frias), Best Drummer (Mike Duncan), Best Keyboards (Brandon Herron)
Ozeal first hit the Houston music scene in 2008, and immediately made a name for himself with an electrifying combination of weapons-grade funk, heavenly soul and an intelligently crafted flow, all girdled by a slick and dirty R&B undercurrent. He fortifies this already potent punch with rock muscle, pop sheen and a buzzy current of electronica. This willingness to treat his audiences (and his albums) like the lab of a sonic mad scientist has brought about a reputation as the most dynamic live act in the city, equal parts performance art and basement show. Nicholas L. Hall
Kristine Mills (2:55 p.m.)
Nominated In: Local Musician of the Year, Best Female Vocals, Best Songwriter, Best Jazz
It's near impossible to pick apart Kristine Mills, the blond-haired, green-eyed jazz-singing dynamo who went on a musical tear this past year, earning herself nominations for Best Jazz, Best Songwriter, Best Female Vocalist and Musician of the Year. Her voice is unimpeachable, and onstage she traipses back and forth between playful patter and unabashed allure. Her knack for crafting layered and meaningful lyrics has grown by bounds as well, coming to fruition on last year's Brazilian-laced album Bossanovafied. Shea Serrano
Robert Ellis & the Boys (3:50 p.m.)
Nominated In: Best Country
Robert Ellis's songs tell his fans a lot about the singer-songwriter, most of which he himself says he would never talk about in conversation. Whether that's a marketing move or simply the truth, Ellis's music takes listeners on a journey into the psyche of a good ol' Southern boy who deals with day-to-day triumphs and tribulations just like the rest of us. Of course, since it's a shade of country, the lyrics are a bit more about tribulations than triumphs. But whether dark folk music or big classic country, all his music is relatable in a genuine way. Matthew Keever
