Email Author Craig Hlavaty

Awards

• 2012 - Best of the West/First Amendment Funding, Inc., published February 10, 2011

  "Getting Past the Bouncer"

• 2009 - Lone Star Awards

  "Metallica at Toyota"

More

2009 Stories by Craig Hlavaty

• ZZ Top, Aerosmith Hit Woodlands July 17

  published Apr 14, 2009

  Monday morning, word came down from Aerosmith and ZZ Top's respective camps, via Billboard, that the two boogie-rocking bands are teaming up for a massive world tour. After some digging, Rocks O... More >>

• Mogwai

  published April 16, 2009

  The elegiac, altogether soul-shaking Mogwai has kept audiences stirred for two decades of critically lauded post-rock shimmer. "I'm Jim Morrison,... More >>

• Tonight: Trapt at Scout Bar

  published Apr 13, 2009

  What's amazing about bands like Bay Area quartet Trapt is how many of them are lurking out there in the musical ether. Each major city has to have about a dozen or so of them, with varying names p... More >>

• Tonight: Gavin DeGraw at House of Blues

  published Apr 10, 2009

  Since 2003's catchy as hell folk-grunge single "I Don't Want To Be" hit America's ears, Gavin DeGraw has been firmly implanted on pop radio. Routinely lumped in with the John Mayers and Jason Mraz... More >>

• Saturday: KTRU's Free Outdoor Show with Ted Leo and More

  published Apr 10, 2009

  We hope we have some gas left in our metaphorical tanks for Saturday's "KTRU Outdoor Show." Between SXSW and Westheimer Block Party still waking us up at night like PTSD-plagued soldiers, our festiva... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Fozzy Bear on 'Shrooms: "Gooby" Hits Theaters Next Week at WorldFest

  published Apr 09, 2009

  We don't know what the folks at the upcoming WorldFest Houston Film Festival are loading their pipes with, but judging by the trailer for "Gooby", one the festival's official selections, we really wan... More >>

• Can't Get It Out of My Head: Anya Marina's "Whatever You Like"

  published Apr 09, 2009

  So in addition to not being able to get T.I's "Whatever You Like" outta our skulls since last fall, here comes blonde pixie Anya Marina's sultry acoustic version of the hip-hop hit. Marina is based ... More >>

• Glenn Beck Takes a Break From the Economy; Talks with Marcus Luttrell, Former SEAL Who Chased Down Men Accused of Shooting His Yellow Lab

  published Apr 09, 2009

  If you have been listening to right-wing pundit Glenn Beck's daily syndicated radio show on 740 AM KTRH in the mornings or watching his Fox News Channel TV show in the evenings, no doubt you have hear... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Houston Remembers Kurt Cobain, 15 Years Postmortem

  published Apr 08, 2009

  Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of a Seattle electrician discovering the dead body of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain in a small room above the musician's garage. The man who busted indie and p... More >>

• Tonight: MDC at Walter's on Washington

  published Apr 07, 2009

  Early 80's hardcore punk would have been a tad empty without Austin's Millions Of Dead Cops (or MDC for short). Singer Dave Dictor was one of the first sexually ambigious - as outlined on "America... More >>

• Seattle's KEXP Loves Our Hungry Villagers

  published Apr 03, 2009

  The fruits of Hungry Villagers' labors have seemingly paid off. Today, while perusing the concert industry website livedaily.com, we saw the Houston indie-pop group has today's free download of the d... More >>

• Mango's Becomes Full-Time Music Venue Next Weekend

  published Apr 02, 2009

  The Houston scene has another music venue in the mix, as Mango's Cafe on Westheimer has its grand opening next Friday with a huge show headlined by the Sideshow Tramps. Took 'em that long to&... More >>

• Notsuoh to Become "Scout Bar Main"

  published Apr 01, 2009

  In a move long telegraphed but never consummated, Notsuoh owner Jim Pirtle has reportedly made good on his threats to sell the venerable downtown hipster haunt, but not to a greedy developer l... More >>

• Balaclavas, Future Blondes

  published April 2, 2009

  We stayed alive and in one piece, albeit a broken piece, long enough to catch Balaclavas' SXSW showcase last month. What we saw floored us... More >>

• Marilyn Manson Reminds Us Where He's From

  published Mar 31, 2009

  We hope we aren't in the minority here at Rocks Off in saying that Marilyn Manson is the last living active rock star. True, Jagger and Bowie are still kicking around, but no one ignites tempers... More >>

• Maynard James Keenan, Rock's Most Unusual Winemaker

  published Mar 26, 2009

  Maynard Keenan has to be one of the most enigmatic and musically schizophrenic men in rock. A soldier in the U.S. Army in the '80s, Keenan did a four-year tour of duty and then entered civilian life.... More >>

• 10th Grade Cutie Makes Good on Power-Ballad Promise

  published Mar 24, 2009

  Fresh off harassing teen metal bands and Lemmy-fying suburban ice cream shops, Friendswood freak-punks 10th Grade Cutie booked time in a San Antonio studio for a demo session. This new track... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  SXSW: Balaclavas at the Independent

  published Mar 23, 2009

  Who says Aftermath ain't rock n' rollr On the way to see Houston's own Balaclavas at the Independent to debut new stuff off the soon-to-be released Roman Holiday, I abruptly hit a curb with bicycle.... More >>

• SXSW: Rachel Ray at Maggie Mae's

  published Mar 21, 2009

  We valiantly attended the Rachael Ray party at Maggie Mae's on Sixth, braving free food curate by the talk show host and Rose's Mojitos by the gallon. Hometown boy Bob Schneider opened the show upst... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  SXSW: Born Free

  published Mar 21, 2009

  Tight economies ain't gotta slow anyone down. SXSW is chock full of free shows and most importantly, FREE BOOZE. Yes, anyone of legal age can literally walk into some shows and guzzle to their dark he... More >>

• SXSW: Kylesa at Red 7

  published Mar 21, 2009

  Aftermath's favorite kind of shows are the ones where people end up on the floor or skating on beer. This was Kylesa last running through material from the new epic Static Tensions at Red 7 with lead ... More >>

• SXSW: Kurt Vile and Keys N Krates at the Music Gym

  published Mar 21, 2009

  We once again crossed the big ol' road to hit up the Music Gym to see Kurt Vile and Keys N Krates. Since we hit town, we have found the most satisfaction out of this venue, with it's relaxed and wholl... More >>

• SXSW: The Sonics at Emo's

  published Mar 21, 2009

  Last night we stood in line for nearly an hour to catch Seattle garage legends the Sonics at Emo's. The five-piece group were pioneers, ultimately influencing everyone from the Replacements to the Aus... More >>

• SXSW: Beware of Drunken Scotsmen

  published Mar 20, 2009

  This drunken Scotsman accosted me as I was waiting in line for the Oak Ridge Boys Thursday afternoon. He seemingly just wanted to love on someone, including yours truly. He went down the line hugging ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  SXSW: Working Out At The Music Gym

  published Mar 20, 2009

  At 1 a.m. Thursday (aka this morning), we peddled under IH-35 to the Music Gym to catch some Psychedelic Horseshit inside. Their fractured and jagged lo-fi pop is a schizophrenic mash of freak-folk an... More >>