On a warm Saturday evening in early May, a throng of music-loving Houstonians made their way to Midtown for the first local music festival of the summer months.
As if any of us needed additional incentive to visit The Island, Madness On Main Street was as fun as a refresher course before Free Press Summer Fest could be. The alcohol flowed among old friends; musicians played their music for longtime fans while hoping to impress new ones; and at least one rowdy attendee was thrown out, prompting applause from the crowd behind the Continental Club.
Early in the evening, Def Perception displayed a youthful tenacity and lyrical prowess that was a breath of fresh air for lovers of ’90s-era hip hop. The Continental Club was nowhere near capacity during the set, but that didn’t stop the rapper and his live band from bringing their A-game.
Galveston native Robert Kuhn performed shortly afterward, bringing an island feel to the swampy evening as his raspy vocals carried into the evening. Nathan Quick and crew brought the ruckus after Kuhn’s set, performing older gems, tunes from his latest album and a few unreleased songs with ease despite a few technical hiccups during their performance.
As dusk approached, Chase Hamblin reminded fans that he’s still got it after all these years, bringing his ’60s-era pop-rock and catchy hooks to form, and ending his set by walking offstage, hopping onto a table and serenading fans with “Bye Bye.”
Meanwhile, inside of the Continental Club, the Beans were bringing the house down with yet another raw performance. Half of the crowd was caught up it, while the others were glued to their smartphones, checking for an update on the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
As is usually the case with music festivals, I didn’t get to watch every act I had planned to see. But I ended up discovering a few new acts and hearing plenty about the ones I missed, so there’s always next time. (Despite missing Moji’s performance, theirs was the performance I heard the most about all evening.)
And with summer in full swing, there should be plenty of these things to attend.
More photos on the next page.
Like what you read? Or are we missing something? We’d love for you to join our team.
ROCKS OFF’S GREATEST HITS
The Ask Willie D Archives The Houston Music Bucket List Houston’s 10 Best Dive Bars Remember the Astrodome for the Concerts, Too How Not to Behave at a Houston Concert
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2015.
