The Grateful Dead

Last Night: The Black Crowes at House of Blues

The Black Crowes House of Blues April 26, 2013 Over the past nearly quarter-century, Chris Robinson's lyrics have shown no lack of religious imagery. Angels and devils exist side by side in the lines of his notebook, and various jubilees among congregations go off with fiery fervor. Not surprising, ... More >>

The Best Shows at SXSW This Year

This year Rocks Off and DC-9 at Night, the music blog at our sister paper Dallas Observer, teamed up to bring you only the choicest moments from last week's SXSW madness. John Fogerty: Creedence Clearwater Revival survivor John Fogerty gets overlooked as a riff-happy rocker, with most people concen ... More >>

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators & 10 Early Texas Psych Bands You Should Know

Forty-six years ago today, rock and roll got a hell of a lot weirder in the state of Texas. On Nov. 30, 1966, Austin garage band The 13th Floor Elevators released their The Psychedelic Sounds Of album on Houston's International Artists label. Powered by the raw, fluttering classic "You're Gonna Miss ... More >>

5 Great Songs by Psy Besides “Gangnam Style”

No Fences: Garth Brooks & the Fuzzy Math of 10 Mega-Concerts

Fifteen years ago this week, the greatest country music artist of all time, Garth Brooks, made history by playing a free concert to a massive crowd in New York's Central Park. Now, not just anybody gets to play Central Park, but Brooks had the megawatt stroke in the entertainment biz back then to ma ... More >>

The 10 Greatest Summer Concerts I Never Saw

Well, kids, summer has arrived. If you have ever noticed, all the good concerts seem to come during the summer -- with May being more like a pre-show. My parents, when I was younger, took me to many concerts at some of these venues, mainly Contemporary Christian concerts. I myself had only been to ... More >>

Last Night: The Gourds at Discovery Green

The Gourds Discovery Green June 14, 2012 I have lost count of how many Gourds shows I have seen over the years. I doubt I have seen any other band live more times than this one. But I never realized how much children loved the Gourds until Thursday at Discovery Green. Man, these kids loved the Gou ... More >>

Gregg Allman's Cross To Bear: Not Gonna Catch the Midnight Writer

My Cross to Bear By Gregg Allman with Alan Light William Morrow, 400 pp., $27.99 If there were a classic-rocker version of the TV show Survivor, Gregg Allman would surely be one of the last contestants on the island, perhaps engaging in stealth coconut-bombing wars with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton ... More >>

Warren Haynes, A "Man In Motion"

​Warren Haynes has one of the ultimate guitar player resumes, having played for years with the Allman Brothers, many tours with the Grateful Dead and offshoot Bob Weir and Friends as well as his own wildly popular jam band Govt. Mule. He's also toured with Dave Matthews. Haynes comes to town ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: David Cordua of Americas, On His Role as Executive Chef and Favorite Eats Around Town

Photo by Mai PhamExecutive Chef David Cordua, in the kitchen at Americas River Oaks​Yesterday, we talked to Executive Chef David Cordua, of The Cordua Group, about growing up in the kitchen and culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. You can read about it here. Today we'll talk to him about what he ... More >>

Josefus, Houston's First Metal Band, Reuniting Saturday

Photos courtesy of jam280.comJosefus live at U of H, March 1970​When Lonesome, Onry and Mean moved to the Bayou City in 1968, it wasn't long before we stumbled upon what would become our favorite local band of that period: Josefus. They were known for playing free shows that would last a coupl ... More >>

Top 5 Cool Summer Snacks

Photo by John SuhStar Snow Ice shaved ice​Houston is notorious for its summers: unbearable heat making the mercury climb to the upper nineties and even hundreds, humidity that leaves you drenched in sweat in the two minutes it takes you to go from door to car. And don't forget all the third de ... More >>

Greatfully Delicious

The owner is eccentric and the tacos fabulous at this laid-back new spot.

Twitter Dumbness: Trent Cantrell, Former Lufkin City Planner, Resigns After Sour Tweets About Town

Even if you really, really hate the town whose government is signing your paychecks, you might want to keep those thoughts to yourself. If you absolutely must Tweet your opinions on the matter, only let your friends see 'em. Former Lufkin city planner Trent Cantrell didn't take those precautions, an ... More >>

FAIL: Motown Scam Artists, Musicians Unions, Iron Fences

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn Gray​Unions Are Basically Legalized Mafia: Sarah Chang, a gorgeous and talented young violinist, tried to perform a recital in Detroit this week. Unfortunately for her, the classical music unions happen to be on strike in Detroit. Chang was probably not even ... More >>

Top Eight Bands That Sound Best When You're Drunk

​Some bands are great no matter what state you're in; some are terrible regardless of whether or not you could pass a breathalyzer test. Some bands, however, exist in a curious in-between zone, where what was merely decent, average or even uninteresting becomes enthralling with the simple addi ... More >>

Aftermath: Patti Smith, Not Quite As Mythic As Her Music, At U of H

Eric Hester/ photos courtesy of Voices Breaking Boundaries​Have you ever gone to see an artist, but then wished you hadn't? Not because of a bad performance, but just because the real-life person didn't fit so neatly into the tiny box you'd made for them in your brain? That's how Aftermath felt ab ... More >>

Dan O'Bannon, R.I.P. (Yes, You Know His Work)

​Dan O'Bannon passed away yesterday. Who? You may be asking, like the ignorant hipsters you are. O'Bannon got his start writing the screenplay and designing the F/X for Dark Star, one of John Carpenter's first movies. Doesn't ring a bell? He also worked on the computer effects for a little art-ho ... More >>

ACL 2009 Day One: Aftermath

Photo by Mark C. AustinSchool of Seven Bells​Before we start discussing the great music we heard yesterday, we would like to take time to thank the Gods Of Rock for blessing Day One of the Austin City Limits Festival (ACL) 2009 with an amazing afternoon and evening of weather. Anyone who has ... More >>

The Forgotten Festival

The 1969 Texas International Pop Festival

Capsule Art Reviews: "Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988-2008," "Carlos Runcie-Tanaka: Fragmento," "Detritus," "No Zoning: Artists Engage Houston"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988-2008", "Carlos Runcie-Tanaka: Fragmento", "Detritus", "No Zoning: Artists Engage Houston"

Dirty, Dirty Hippies Were the Least Odious of Woodstock's Many Shameful Legacies

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, as if you needed us to remind you. Documentaries, feature films, tours and boxed CD sets have been rolling out all summer in order to wring still more cash from the corpses of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and - to a lesser extent - Country Joe McD ... More >>

Merle Haggard

Bob Dylan: Together Through Life

Get Lit: I Hate New Music: The Classic Rock Manifesto by Dave Thompson

If productivity alone conferred greatness, then flinty rock scribbler Dave Thompson would be the Trollope of pop-culture quick reads. I Hate New Music is the latest of over 100 titles this insta-book wizard has blinked into being. And dig the intro penned by the legendary Richard Meltzer, the Big Ba ... More >>

Classic Rock Corner: The Greatest Band Logos of All Time, Part 2

An early example of rock art... We're back to reveal the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the cappo di tutti cappi of classic-rock band logos evah! And when we say "greatest," we look for a combination of things including memorability, longevity, graphic design, influence and appearances. ... More >>

The Top 10 Reissues of 2008

[Note: This is the first in a series of articles that constitute Village Voice Media's year-end music package. The others - pop, indie-rock, dance mixes, Latin, country, alt-country/Americana, metal, rap/hip-hop and special graphics breaking down the year in charts and 2008's worst lyrics - will be ... More >>

The Cardinals

Welcome to Never Ever Land

Cary Winscott 1970-2008

Aftermath: Valient Thorr and Early Man at Rudyard's

Gatemouth Brown Needs a Gravestone

Like a Rolling Stone: The Strange Life of a Tribute Band, by Steven Kurutz

Last Night: Over the Rhine at the Mucky Duck

Get Lit: Ronnie, by Ron Wood

Under the Volcano

Ducking Humberto at Under the Volcano

Don't Fear the Reaper

The annual return of the Greil Marcus Rock Death Meter

RIP, Syd. And RIP, 'Cid.

A psychedelic pioneer and the drug that helped do him in are both sorely missed

Letters to the Editor

The Whole Truth?

Inside Al-Jazeera, journalists tell a familiar story unfamiliarly

The Whole Package

Medicine Show is packed with talent, youth, and charm

Jerry Lightfoot's Band of Wonder with Vince Welnick and Carolyn Wonderland

Texistentialism (Self-released)

Shtick and Move

How Low Can You Go?

Dish

Press Picks

Everything Festival

Critic's Choice

All Bottled Up

Sounds for the Long Haul