Summertime Suggestions

Summer's almost here...and in addition to all the festivals and special events happening, there are some pretty amazing one off shows and tours making their way to our fair state in the coming months. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, these are just a few high points I see on the horizon...(Not to mention these are the shows I'll be attending in the near future.)

Minus the Bear
with Young the Giant

May 16th - Austin - La Zona Rosa

Why you should go: I caught Minus the Bear at the Filter day party during SXSW in March and was truly impressed with how spot on they sound live. They're signed to Dangerbird Records, which just happens to be one of the only labels that I see eye to eye with musically. They just released their new album "Omni" last week and while it's not for everyone, it's definitely worth a listen.



mewithoutyou

July 16th - Dallas - Prophet Bar

Why you should go: 2 reasons: 1) I've never had a bad time at a mewithoutyou show 2)If you don't use it, you'll lose it...And by "it" I mean live acts coming to play in the musical wasteland formerly known as Dallas.



Silversun Pickups
with Against Me! & The Henry Clay People

July 19th - Austin - Stubbs BBQ
July 20th - Houston - Warehouse Live
July 21st - Dallas - The Palladium Ballroom

Why you should go: Have you heard "Swoon"? Why in the hell would you not want to see if they can pull that off live??? (For the record...they can.)



Robert Plant & The Band of Joy

July 24th - The Woodlands - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 26th - Austin - Stubbs BBQ (SOLD OUT)

Why you should go: 2 reasons. 1) It's Robert Plant 2)The Band of Joy consists of Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Byron House, Marco Giovino and Buddy Miller AKA some of the most talented musicians on the planet. (Sidenote: Robert Plant and The Band of Joy will release their debut album in September. )

Paramore
Honda Civic Tour w/Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory and Kadawatha

September 8th - The Woodlands - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 10th - Dallas - Verizon Theater (Formerly Nokia Theater)

Why you should go: Whether or not people want to admit this, Paramore is here to stay. The band has worked through their growing pains and internal tensions and have come out a stronger, more united front. They've grown leaps and bounds over their last 3 full length albums and show no signs of slowing. While they are still lacking the major airplay and notoriety, Paramore's journey feels a lot like No Doubt version 2.0. Plus, Tegan and Sara put on a great show, or at least they did when I saw them at ACL. Oh, and props to Hayley for getting to tour with her boyfriend's band. (She's dating NFG guitarist Chad Gilbert...in case you were unaware.)

Oh...and for the record, I believe Hayley had the flu when she did this performance. Impressive, no?