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Island Reunion

Recently the Houston Press's David Ensminger did two articles on our Rocks Off music blog about the place punk rock and New Wave sprang up in Houston, a scrappy and resilient little club near 59 and Main known alternately as Paradise Island, Rock Island and then simply The Island. It had its good points (the sound) and bad points (the ceiling tended to cave in), and stayed open long enough to welcome R.E.M., Echo & the Bunnymen, Dead Kennedys, Butthole Surfers and a teeming little local scene in its own right. An impressive representation of that scene will gather to remember the Island Saturday at Walters, arguably its closest modern counterpart (sorry, Fitz). A few groups on the bill — MyDolls, and Anarchitex and the Hates especially — have remained more or less active since the Island was open, while hoping to shake off a few more cobwebs are Doomsday Massacre, AK-47, the Degenerates, Bevatron and Gary Yokie.
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Chris Gray has been Music Editor for the Houston Press since 2008. He is the proud father of a Beatles-loving toddler named Oliver.
Contact: Chris Gray