Live Music San Antonio

The Duality of Cowboy’s Dancehall

amusicme sa — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:39 +0000

The name maybe misleading, however, Cowboy’s has a lot more to offer than just country music. Don’t believe us, see for yourself…

The contrast between new music and country music @ Cowboy’s Dancehall

-HLM, MK, FEW

Halloween Panic

amusicme sa — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:52:32 +0000

As enticing as all the costume contests and big cash prizes were here at the bars in SA, I have to say, “No, San Antonio I refuse to have Halloween without good, quality live music.

So, I took my “hairy banana-hammock guy” fat suit to Austin. Went and saw Widespread Panic at Austin Music Hall… awesome set. The stage was set up with a huge, sparkling backdrop of a town-square/castle-like setting with a ghoulish pipe-organ that spewed out smoke. They played covers from Nirvana, ZZ Top and the Meat Puppets.

Almost everyone had a costume and I think I may have seen one of the most disturbing ones yet. At first all I saw was a guy in a black shirt with a little boy stuffed doll’s arms wrapped around his waist (head strategically placed right in front of his crotch). At first we didn’t see the priestly white strip in his collar and we thought, “Wow, that is probably one of the most effed- up costumes I’ve ever seen!” But then we saw the white and some how it made it ok. Haha, geez what is this world coming to?

Bands from “the middle”

amusicme sa — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:47:11 +0000

There are the bands that are “mainstream” and top the charts or have a large, widespread following. And then there are the “underground,” lesser known bands that may or may not have a following. But, what do you call the bands that are in the middle? They’re known, but not by everyone. They may have made it on the charts, but not the top. Or, if they have made it to the top it was once or short-lived.

I’ve been trying to pin-point and articulate the ills of the San Antonio scene since I’ve been here. Perhaps an under representation of these bands from the middle may be a factor.

I was thinking about what I said in an earlier post about how SA caters to very specific tastes and genres which ends up limiting variety in the music mix. So there’s two things missing: variety involving both genre and… band awareness? or popularity/following? (I’m not really sure what to call it, my brain is clouded with marketing terms from this semester’s over saturation of marketing classes)

I’m getting a feeling though that the SA music scene may be coming around. Not only will a band from “the middle” be coming to town on November 8th but an Indie/Electronic one at that! You’ve probably heard of them, if you haven’t actually heard them.

The Seattle-born band, Minus the Bear has been around since the early 2000′s and will be at the White Rabbit a week from today. They’re on tour right now and are going to perform in Dallas and

Here’s My Proposition San Antonio

amusicme sa — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:40:56 +0000

While San Antonio does have live music, and there are the occasional BIG shows, I feel that the opportunities for such concerts is really lacking in comparison to their counterpart, Austin, the live music capital of the world. This is evident because in order to really satisfy my musical tastes, I find myself having to outsource to other cities, primarily Austin, because San Antonio just doesn’t have the amount or type of concerts that appeal to my interests.

Mike Posner @ ACL...come to San Antonio Mike!

This might be a bit narcissistic, but because of this, I feel San Antonio needs to have some sort of music festival similar to that of ACL just on a smaller scale. Since San Antonio already has a concert scene with a diverse range of music genres, I was thinking each stage would be associated with a particular genre in order to bring together different fans and give these fans the opportunity to expand upon their own music tastes and perhaps be introduced to different groups. For example, one would be a country stage, another a Electo-House stage, another stage Jazz, ect… This supposed festival would be 2 days and be meant to serve as a complementary supplement to ACL, not a competitor. The festival would just be in the spring instead of the fall, like ACL, so that the Austin and San Antonio music communities would have 2 main music festivals to enjoy every year, each during different seasons and only a short distance away from each other. So San Antonio what are you waiting for….jump on the bandwagon and join the enlightened music movement!

-HLM

Bounce High, Bounce Low

amusicme sa — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:40:06 +0000

This is exactly what I was doing as Mstrkrft played their popular song, B.O.U.N.C.E. last night. I saw the Canadian group perform in Austin, Texas @ the Republic on the eve of Halloween. I’ve only recently heard their music, after my roommate saw them at the Treasure Island music festival in October and raved about their show. But I guess you could saw my obsession was catalyzed last night seeing them live, which adds a bit of an enhanced musical experience in comparison to Youtube, just a bit though…

My View @ Mstrkrft

The 2 DJ’s, Jesse F. Keeler and Al-P, were full of energy worked the crowd, all the while swigging Crown Royal amongst spinning some amazing music, quite badass I dare say. The mood amongst the concert attendees was of pure excitement. The show’s visual elements, such as the laser light show and the costumes, given it was the eve of Halloween, added a very different experience that perpetuated the crowd’s response to the beats they were dropping. This isn’t their first show in Austin, they played @ SXSW in 2008 as well, but this is the first Mstrkrft performance I’ve attended, but it definitely will not be the last.

The group is a duo, native to Canada, that plays Electo/House music and remixes a lot of their songs with other popular artists such as Justice, Wolfmother and Bloc Party.

Freya with Jesse F. Keeler (1/2 of Mstrkrft) after the show

They recently have played at Cochella and Treasure Island music festivals, and lucky for me, last night in Austin. The highlight of my night, and maybe life, was after the show when my 3 friends and I actually met Jesse F. Keeler. He left a great first impression. Why can’t everyday of my life be this cool?

-HLM

Following Alice’s Example

amusicme sa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:52:55 +0000

Intrigued by the promise of music euphoria just on the other side of the White Rabbit’s doors, I indulged my inner curiosity for the 10/23/09 Kate Voegele concert, and took the plunge in hopes of finding my own musical wonderland.

The show did live up to my expectations, Kate Voegele had a ton of energy and the synergy of the crowd, along with the lighting, really enhanced my expeirence, although a few drinks didn’t hurt either…

Although the White Rabbit is located right by the Trinity University campus, I was surprised that few college students attended (besides my roommate whom I dragged out). Rather, the diverse demographics crowding in front of the stage were a refreshing representation of the San Antonio public, that oftentimes fails to reach my perception since I live in a bit of a bubble. There were older women, tattooed dudes, one or two straigt-edged business men, and a meglage of races. The “risk” I took in coming to this show really had a far greater effect, for it broadened my perception of the San Antonio masses, which is a ever-growing entity due to low unemployment rates.

This being said, such a diverse and large demographic deserves an equally diverse and large live music scene. In the future, will the San Antonio music industry be able to deliver with a success story, like Austin, so close by? As a San Antonio resident, I can only hope that this proves to be a reality and not just a dream.

-HLM

Enter at your own risk…

amusicme sa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:02:11 +0000

If you have ever driven on N. St. Mary’s, chances are, you’ve passed the White Rabbit. Sporting a dodgy, Alice-in-Wonderlandesque facade, it probably surprises some that music fans around the San Antonio area actually frequent this local under-ground venue at all.

The White Rabbit in Daylight

But once inside the “rabbit hole”, it becomes apparent why there IS such a collective fan following as different tastes converge with a true appreciation for variety and talent. It’s not about the physical appearance, rather the importance and appreciation of the music itself and the variety of concerts offered on a daily level. These two aspects appeal to a wide range of fans who forgo interior luxury for a more authentic music experience that has them coming back for more.

Grace of Terror Show

They have a band to satisfy the music tastes of almost anyone, so whether you are going to see a local metal band or a more mainstream group (such as LMFAO on 12/19/09), follow Alice’s example and chuck preconceived stigmas aside, in order to enter a wonderland of music housed within the confines of the White Rabbit’s “sketchy” exterior. The only “risk” taken is admonishing prior stereotypes, which ultimately allow the music to encompass you in a way so powerful that leaves you wondering, was that euphoria even real?

-HLM

Fatty…no-show-up…kin?

amusicme sa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:49:26 +0000

Last night I was pretty stoked about going to Rebar to see Fatty Lumpkin. BUT to my dismay, no Fatty.

I had never heard of this band from Grapevine, Texas but when I looked around online for information about them they sounded exactly like what I usually look for in live bands: a mix or fusion of funk, blues, and jazz… all “jammed” together, you might say (if you haven’t guessed yet, I’m slightly drawn to jam-bands). They’d performed with other good bands like EOTO and Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle.

So, I was looking at the MySpaces of the bar and of Fatty Lumpkin and they didn’t match up. Rebar’s site said another band was set to perform, Swatchman. I even called to confirm. No offense to Swatchman but I didn’t go to Rebar last night.

Why did they cancel? Maybe they were just in a hurry to get to Darwin’s and the Parish in Austin. That’s where they’re performing tonight (Widespread aftershow). Or, maybe they had some extenuating circumstances beyond my understanding or business. There could have been a misunderstanding between booker and bookee. I guess this might call for more investigation. Perhaps the SA music scene isn’t happening enough for a band from Grapevine (all speculation, of course).

Needless to say I was pretty excited to not outsource my music fix to somewhere other than SA for once. Maybe next time…maybe… next time San Antonio.

I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby

amusicme sa — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:41:03 +0000

Listening to the aforementioned bands coming to the White Rabbit on Halloween has allowed me to come to terms with the fact that, though I’ll never be a teenager again, it feels nice to indulge a little teenage angst once in a while. Bands that issue entire albums concerning high school melodrama seem to do the trick, which is why I’m so excited that the Glamour Kills tour featuring All Time Low, The Fri day Night Boys, Hey Monday and We the Kings at Sunset Station tonight.

I actually quite genuinely like All Time Low, after discovering them on my (high school senior) sister’s ipod the last time I was home. Is this emo/pop/rock/punk(?) the new “boy band” genre? Is 10 Things I Hate About You the new Sixteen Candles? Would I go to Glamour Kills and feel ancient taking out my real ID?
This is a novel feeling, one which as we tread deeper into our twenties and (gasp!) adulthood will probably come rear its ugly head more frequently.

The wonderful thing about music is that it can emotionally transport you to a time, place or feeling associated with a p

articular tune. How many of us have had rocks thrown at our window? A secret crush? Broken heart? The nostalgia, if anything, is reason enough to plunge into a mosh-pit of over-cologned, acne-plagued, hormonal barely-legals.

senior year, student council shot at homecoming... I'm the one extra happy to be standing next to my hot date in blue

FEW

All That Jazz…

amusicme sa — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:11:35 +0000

Prior to moving to San Antonio, I had no idea how prevalent the Jazz music scene was in the area. I guess you could say that I did have my stereotypes of the music topography here, mainly being heavy metal, country, and mariachi, however, those stereotypes quickly began to change after reading a article from the The San Antonio Express. The article by Jim Beal, sparked my interest because it mentions how the international program “Riverwalk Jazz” celebrated 20 years on public radio this past October. This was a surprising, because I did not realize that this genre of music has been popular for two decades and also that it has an international following. So I decided I should educate myself on Jazz in San Antonio.

For starters, Trinity University boasts its own Jazz radio station, KRTU 91.7. In addition San Antonio also hosts Jazz festivals such as Jazz’SALive in September that the Urban Spotlight Blog commented on and the San Antonio Summer Art & Jazz Festival in June. Both of these have a very big following and are popular with not only the locals but fans of other cities and states.

Courtesy of Swig Martini Bar

I myself have never attended either of these two festivals, however, I plan to take baby steps so that perhaps by next June I’ll be front row. The first step I plan to take is going to see live Jazz tonight at Swig Martini Bar on the Riverwalk. Swig is known to have excellent Jazz music every Thursday and Friday. My roommate is a cocktail waitress there and even though she is not a die-hard Jazz fan, she claims that the show is always great and the music an excellent addition to a delicious martini…I’ll have mine shaken and not stirred.

-HLM