Devin The Dude, Hevin Spacy, DJ Dayta
The Almighty Moon Tower Inn
September 19, 2015

In light of the recent uproar about a certain unwelcoming Midtown locale, we find ourselves asking: Where can we go to just chill, hang out, drink and maybe eat a bite or two? Sure, there are still some worthwhile spots in Montrose, and the 300 block of Main Street is in the middle of a revitalization, but still, we long for something more. That void is filled in the form of the Almighty Moon Tower Inn, which this past Saturday celebrated its five-year anniversary on the 3000 block of Canal Street in the heart of the East End.


Before becoming Moon Tower, this location was a burger shack and then a short-lived Mexican restaurant. I remember visiting the walls behind the main building back in my urban-exploration and graffiti-hunting days. And then, five years ago, when I still had time to ride my bike, Moon Tower opened. It was always a cool spot to stop into after a ride, a place that didn't care about dress code and had a wall full of beer choices. Sitting under the stars and in the shadow of downtown while we ate delicious hot dogs and burgers and chugged cold suds is akin to paradise in this hot, humid, beautiful city. And the AYCE crawfish boils during the season were simply divine!


Although the location did close for renovations for about a year, it returned as strong as ever. The line and wait for beer and food was fairly long this past Saturday evening, but as the sign on the wall says: "This ain't fast food! Shut up and wait!" The conversations were eclectic, from weed to Power Rangers, tattoos to photography, favorite Street Fighter moves to art shows. That's part of the charm here...young or old(er), fixie rider or BMW owner, black or white or in between, there is no judgment or hatred at the Moon Tower, and plenty of friendly people.



The picnic tables were packed as the crowd waited patiently for Devin The Dude. Opening act DJ Dayta of the Almighty Krackernuttz filled the air with his spectacular brand of track selections, from Geto Boys to Future, Tribe Called Quest to UGK. Dayta prides himself on reading the crowd and delivering the perfect mix. If you haven't partied with DJ Dayta in H-Town, Dallas or L.A., I'd recommend you do so ASAP. Catch him on Thursdays at Boondocks, Fridays at Hotel Zaza and this Saturday for A Really Kool Party at Fox Hollow.


Another dude who recently made it from H-Town to Cali just like Robert Horry is Lucas Gorham, formerly of Grandfather Child. He was on Saturday's bill as Hevin Spacy, whose act is a mix of DJing, guitar playing, and singing rap and R&B covers with the help of his trusty talk-box voice manipulator; think T-Pain with a Fender. Hearing him sing Ghost Town DJ's "My Boo" or Ginuwine's "Pony" is serendipitously entertaining and creative.

The sound permit for the night was scheduled until 10 p.m., so the time for Devin had finally arrived. The crowd, modest but lively, gathered around to bask in the amusing, smoke-filled lyrics and hooks that The Dude is known to deliver. Always one to cheer up even the hardest of G's, Devin has a special manner about him. This is a different type of reality rap, removed from the bling and the extravagance, focused instead on navigating through daily life one day and blunt at a time. From dealing with crooked cops and unreliable cars to lost supplies of personal stashes, Devin is rap's everyman, your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.
"Never give up on yourself" he prescribed. "Every day is a new day!" Dayta then drops the needle on "Anythang," and the crowd vibes with the smoothness of the track. The H-Town rapper continues his therapy session with "Do What U Wanna Do," urging his fans to strive and live by "staying away from the bullshit, and keep doing whatever you want with your life!" Of course, the hits of "Boo Boo'n," "Lacville '79" and "What a Job" satisfied the crowd. Sharing blunts with the crowd and grinning ear to ear, Devin completely communicated his adoration for his fans as they sang, rapped and smoked along to the show.
This event was cool, unpretentious and totally Houston. About as perfect as Moon Tower itself.


When he's not roaming around the city in search of tacos and graffiti, Marco points his camera lens toward the vibrant Houston music scene and beyond. You can follow his adventures on Instagram: @MarcoFromHouston.