FRI 8/27
With a name as shamelessly self-explanatory as the Intoxicated Dance Party, little more in the way of description would seem to be in order -- except, of course, for who's gonna be on the bill. Austin mash-up artist DJ Jester the Filipino Fist will be doing what he does, which means deliberately forcing disparate but familiar sounds together so they ricochet off each other and, incidentally, your cerebral cortex. Mash-up is one of the most exciting (and least legally justifiable) offshoots of DJ culture -- extrapolating from the sorts of rude juxtapositions that were commonplace in deejaying before Flo and Eddie sued De La Soul for uncredited sampling. The Houstonian turntablistas in Soviet Army Chorus are a bit more traditional, but that's not saying much. Call them Trotsky to Jester's Stalin. Or don't -- nobody'll be able to hear you anyway. Hyperkinetic and hypereclectic, these guys are likely to ride the faders back and forth between indie rock, electro-dance, hip-hop and whatever else rings their individual and collective bells at any particular moment. It's all part of a burgeoning outlaw aesthetic, a sort of musical analog to Tarantino-style cinematic mix 'n' match. These guys have little regard for the musical border patrol. DJs Witnes and Ceeplus are also on the bill. 9 p.m. Friday, August 27. 411 Westheimer. For information, call 713-526-4648 or visit www.heliosrising.org. $5. -- Scott Faingold
The Big Top's Monopolowa Madras
Twice in one week, my car had been towed. I was starting to think it was an omen. "Screw it," I said to myself. "They built a train down Main Street for a reason." We arrived at Shoeshine Charlie's Big Top Lounge (3712 Main, 713-529-9899) one Wednesday just after the music started. Jimmy James was hosting his Acoustic Carousel songwriter night, and none other than the lovely Miss Kim Carson was pickin' away and singing her N'awlins heart out. I had a taste for vodka that would make my ex-mother-in-law proud, so I wasted no time in ordering a madras. I'd never tried Monopolowa vodka, so for shirts and Googles I ordered it with that. The music was homegrown and happening, and after the sixth or seventh round, Mando Saenz egged me on to play "Streets of Baltimore." I couldn't even remember the first verse, much less my mother's maiden name, but I got up there just the same. Three hours later, the bottle of vodka was in the garbage can, and I had embarrassed myself for the umpteenth time. To top off the evening, after I left, I wandered around the streets of Houston looking for my damn car!
2 ounces Monopolowa vodka
Splash of cranberry juice
Splash of orange juice
Take an old-fashioned glass, or any glass that isn't waiting in line for the
dishwasher, and fill it with ice. Measure out the booze and pop in your favorite
Texas music CD. Fill the bathtub with bubbles. Disrobe like you live in a glass
house. Refill three times an hour, or until your alarm clock goes off. --
J.W. Crooker
Blood Love
SAT 8/28
Leave it to the madcap thespians of Mildred's Umbrella to flip the traditional fund-raiser on its ear. Seeking funds for an upcoming production of Dracula, they're holding a noir soiree, complete with tarot readings and a scholarly lecture on blood and sex. Italian vittles by Prego and bluesy tunes by Mercy Jenkins are also promised -- not to mention select scenes from Mac Wellman's version of the Bram Stoker classic. "It makes Dracula represent the sexual liberation of Victorian women," says troupe member Jennifer Decker. So dark, so sexy, so Mildred's Umbrella. 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, August 28. 1415 Bar and Grill, 1415 California. For information, call 832-418-0973. $20. -- Keith Plocek
Free Spin
THU 8/26
You've got your table, your needle, tons of LPs, new cans, Adidas zip-up and even a fresh new do. Now you're all set to vault over DJ Sun and Sean Carnahan and become Houston's next big DJ. One problem: You've got no place to spin. Get your humble beginnings at Taft Street Coffee. On the last Thursday of each month, spinster wannabes can wax at Open Tables, part of the coffee shop's Caffeine Thursdays. With any luck, your beats will win over the generally laid-back crowd -- but do 'em a favor anyway and leave the Wham! at home. 7 p.m. Thursday, August 26. 2115 Taft. For information, call 713-522-3533 or visit www.taftstreetcoffee.com. Free. -- Steven Devadanam