Bayou City

Stay Gold: The Best of the Week

Third Time's the Charm: Run the Jewels bump Revention Music Center Thursday behind Run the Jewels 3.
Third Time's the Charm: Run the Jewels bump Revention Music Center Thursday behind Run the Jewels 3. Photo Courtesy of the Paradigm Agency
Things are starting to feel like the year is beginning to wrap up. Several big fall tours are making their way through town, so there are plenty of reasons to make it out of your house this week. Performances from Run the Jewels, Car Seat Headrest, Chris Tucker and Youth Code will all be here, while locals D. Kosmo, football, etc., and Dead to the World help fill in the gaps. Houston, this is how you can navigate the next seven days.

Tonight, the garage-tinged blues of New Orleans' Benjamin Booker will be at White Oak Music Hall downstairs. This guy is full of energy, his tunes are retro in the good way, and his latest release, this year's Witness, is pretty amazing. Bluesy Brooklyn duo She Keeps Bees will be on as support and opener for the all ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $18 to $22.

At Scout Bar, Bone Thugs N Harmony will be hosting a Hurricane Harvey Benefit show. The Cleveland-based hip-hop group blew up in the '90s with hits like "Tha Crossroads." They've stayed pretty active over the years and their latest release, New Waves, is pretty solid. Houston's Trae Tha Truth will be on as direct support while Boom & the Skywalkers gets the all-ages show started. Doors at 8 p.m.; tickets $30 to $100, the latter being a VIP meet-and-greet.

Thursday,
 massively popular hip-hop duo Run the Jewels comes to Revention Music Center. Killer Mike and El-P have been going strong for years like their lives are at stake, their live shows are always worth catching, and last year's Run The Jewels 3 proves they aren't slowing down. The crazed mike skills of Detroit's Danny Brown will be on as support and opener for the all ages show with Doors at 6 p.m.; tickets $35.

If you just want to party party party, try House of Blues for the good times of Andrew W.K. Easily the man to ask for party etiquette, W.K. has been bringing his insane energy to cities the world over for a long time now, and his last release, 2012's Mother of Mankind, keeps the party going. This is a full-band, all-ages show with no word of openers yet. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets for $20.

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D. Kosmo has got the one-man band blues.
Photo by Violeta Alvarez
The incendiary blues-punk of Arizona's Bob Log III will be on full display over at Walter's. One of the most intriguing acts you'll ever see live, this guy is like an experiment gone wrong; or right, depending how you see it. His latest album, Guitar Party Power, is probably the best album you'll hear this year made by a guy who performs wearing a helmet. Intense Indiana garage-rockers The Cowboys will be on as direct support while Houston one-man band D. Kosmo gets the all ages show started. Doors at 8 p.m.; cover $10.

Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall, Italian five-piece Giuda will wow you with their Sha Na Na-like doo-wop fuzz-rock. Now well-known for their live show, their latest album, Speaks Evil, speaks for itself. Energetic Houston punks The Genzales take support, following the guitar-fueled sounds of Bayou Vimana. Liberty and Justice will open the all-ages show. Doors at 8 p.m.; tickets $12.

Friday on the Lawn at White Oak Music Hall, Alaska's Portugal. The Man. bring their popular sounds to the outdoor venue. These guys call themselves rock, which might be a stretch, but their live shows are always entertaining and new album Woodstock is definitely catchy. The electro-pop of Australia's Cut Copy will be on beforehand while Norwegian rapper Lido opens the all-ages show. Gates at 5 p.m.; tickets $27.50 to $33.

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Blue Chip Prospect: Action Bronson
Photo: Courtesy of Biz3
In the Ballroom at Warehouse Live, welcome rapper Action Bronson. Though he sounds a lot like Ghostface Killah, his live shows are usually entertaining and his latest drop, Blue Chips 7000, is pretty epic. There's no word of openers for the all-ages show yet, but that will likely change. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $35 to $40.

The Heights Theater has the guitar-slinging blues-rock of Austin's Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band. Elder brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie is no slouch around the fretboard himself. His latest release, Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites, is worth lending an ear. The Southern soul of Devon Gifillion will open the all-ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $22 to $34.

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Cameroonian singer Vagabon's latest release is the captivating Infinite Worlds.
Photo by Ebru Yildiz
At Walter's, check out possibly one of the most intriguing and endearing artists you'll hear all week, Cameroon's Vagabon. The singer-songwriter who can also play a slew of instruments creates songs that are simply captivating; her latest release, Infinite Worlds, is like nothing else you've heard, while sounding like so many things at the same time. The intense free-jazz hip-hop of Chicago's Nnamdi Ogbannaya takes direct support while Houston's Pearl Crush opens up the all-ages show. Doors at 8 p.m.; tickets $10 to $13.

On Saturday, head to Cactus for an in-store performance from Houston's Only Beast. Supporting their latest intense album, Again, the trio will more than likely melt other vinyls with their crazed live antics. The all-ages event gets going around 1 p.m., with gratis beer for the adults.

Later on over at Revention Music Center, it's the always unpredictable guitar-based sounds of Ryan Adams. Supporting this year's critically acclaimed LP Prisoner, the often tortured artist is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to live sets. Australia's Middle Kids opens the all-ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $35 to $55.

 If that's not your thing, then over at House of Blues New Orleans' always-entertaining Mutemath will perform. The alt-rock four-piece will be here to perform this year's Play Dead in its entirety. The guitar-based pop-rock of Colony House will be on as direct support, while the soul-pop of Romes will open the all-ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $22.50 to $42.50.

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Mountain Time, featuring Chris Simpson of Mineral, makes their Houston debut at the Big Top on Saturday.
Photo by Courtney Chavanell
The Big Top will host a benefit for victims of Harvey — disclosure: organized by yours truly — when Mountain Time performs in Houston for the first time. The band, featuring Chris Simpson of Mineral, has already won a pretty solid following while performing songs from the Zookeeper catalog as well as new material. The indie goodness of Houston's football, etc. will be on as direct support after Houston Press Singles Club rockers Cool Moon will go on prior. The jangly indie rock of Astragal will open the 21 & up show. Doors at 8 p.m.; $10 cover benefits the Lone Star Beer Disaster Relief Fund.

Warehouse Live hosts Colombian-born pop artist Kali Uchis over in the ballroom. The up-and-coming singer has blown up as of late, with latest single "Nuestro Planeta" helping fuel the flame. Phony PPL opens the all-ages show. Doors at 8 p.m.; this one's long been sold out.

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Chelsea Wolfe puts herself even further out there on this month's Hiss Spun.
Photo by Shaina Hedlund
Downstairs at White Oak Music Hall is the dark electronica of Chelsea Wolfe, who is no slouch when it comes to a live set. Her latest release, Hiss Spun, is a trip even for her. The industrial electronica of Youth Code opens the all-ages show. Doors at 8 p.m.; tickets $18 to $22.

Rockefeller's will have sing-song Houston punk rockers Dead to the World, whose latest, War, is worth checking out. The intense metal of EYEAGAINST will be on beforehand while the hardcore of Texas Massacre will go on prior. Truckstop Assassins open the 21 & up show. Doors at 8 p.m.; $6 cover.

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Seattle's Car Seat Headrest, led by front man Will Barnes, topped several best-of-2016 lists with Teens of Denial.
Photo by Anna Webber/Courtesy of Matador Records
Sunday, swing by House of Blues to catch yet another performance from Austin's Black Angels. These guys perform here enough to get mail here, but their brand of psych-rock is pretty alluring. The Angels' latest, Death Song, is pretty epic, but come early to catch the support band, Seattle's Car Seat Headrest. They rarely make it down here, and Teens of Denial was one of the best albums to drop in 2016. Doors for the all-ages show open at 7 p.m.; tickets $25 to $35.

Monday,
the post-hardcore of Kentucky's Emarosa will be over at Walter's. Call them pop-rock, or really whatever, there's no denying the strength of this band in a live setting. Their latest release, 131 shows off the band at their strongest. New York's A Lot Like Birds will be on hand as direct support while Alabama's Jule Vera opens the all-ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; between $15 to $18.

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L.A.'s Cherry Glazerr glam it up on this year's Apocalipstick.
Photo Courtesy of CAA
Tuesday, try House of Blues for the dance-oriented pop of L.A.'s Foster the People. Known for a fun and lively performance, their new album Sacred Hearts Club definitely keeps the party going. The dream-pop-infused rock of L.A.'s Cherry Glazerr will be on as support and opens the all-ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $35 to $75.

It's hard to believe that a band I had forgotten existed, alt-rockers The Ataris, have actually been around more than 20 years and will be upstairs at White Oak Music Hall. That being said, I was shocked how solid their new album, Silver Turns to Rust, actually is. The pop-punk veterans in The Queers take direct support while leathery Houston punks The Velostacks open the all-ages show. Doors at 7 p.m.; tickets $15 to $19.

That's about all that's happening this week. No matter what you decide to do, please remember that a safe ride home is always your best bet and just an app away.
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David Garrick is a former contributor to the Houston Press. His articles focus primarily on Houston music and Houston music events.