Weekender

By DL and FP.

FRIDAY

Denton VS Dallas: DJ G/Yeah Def/OPS/Teamwork VS Sober/Killtron/Genova/Tommy L33 Jon3s (Hailey's): Man, I'm always up for a good "Dallas VS Denton" debate. Nothing more mature than that. Anyways, this is a good idea, and though I'd like to see the same concept executed with live bands, well, I actually wouldn't, since that's a little more lop-sided of a contest, unfortunately.(DL)

Black Friday with Keith P (Fallout Lounge): Anthony Stanford will be also be performing.

The Naptime Shake/Glen Farris (Bryan Street Tavern): Busy weekend for The Naptime Shake, as they will be playing multiple shows promoting their new release, Blood And Panic.

The Goldfish Girls (Absinthe)

No Thanks Fest 3: Ecocide//Cleric/Vorvadoss/Chest Pain/Creeping Jeans (Ex members of Pools)/Violent Messiah/Skurge/Stull/Releaser/Life Erased/Rotundus/Baring Teeth/Coin Return/Serows/Doom Siren/Geezus Krust ((Emory Texas: From Dallas- 30 East To Greenville, TX, 69 South To Emory, Right On 19 South (1 Mile), Right At The No Thanks Sign, Follow Signs To Parking. Call (214)287-2510 for more info): It's pretty remarkable that the No Thanks Fest is in its third year. I was skeptical about people showing up to this when I heard about the first one, but that's the thing about punk, metal, and hardcore fans: they're dedicated. Nobody's bitching about the drink specials or parking here; instead you have avid supporters willing to drive to the middle of nowhere and set up camp to watch mostly local bands play.

One of the non-local groups actually has DFW members that are now based in Austin, so this is the closest they have come to playing the Metroplex. Power violence act, Chest Pain, features members of Angry Businessmen and various other hardcore acts that have long broken-up. They recently got a great write-up on the Terminal Escape tape blog, which included a review of a live appearance from the group's recent West Coast tour, as well as a download link to their cassette at the end of the post. If you check out the comments section, you can also download the group's side of the split 7-inch they did with fellow Austinites, Naw Dude.

Note: This lineup changed significantly since the show was first announced, but I believe this is accurate or close to it. Geezus Krust was added pretty late as openers. Bring necessities, camping equipment, and donations. Free food provided by The Phoenix Project. Festival starts at 8 PM. (DL)

SATURDAY

Phillip Glass Ensemble: Dracula Live (Margot And Bill Winspear Opera House, located at 2403 Flora Street in Dallas): There is at least one good Halloween show put on by the "patron set" every year, and this looks to be the one to beat in 2009. Can you believe Phil Glass is about to be seventy three? (DL)

Lo Fi Chorus/Naptime Shake (Lee Harvey's): This is an early afternoon show, with Naptime Shake going on at 4 PM. This "Dog Day Afternoon" benefit is fifteen dollars, which will get you two free drinks and entry to see the show, however the money goes to the Humane Society of Dallas County.(DL)

Tiesto/Harvard Bass/Detloff (Palladium)

Whoa!Coder/Kashioboy/Blixaboy/Yeah Def (Rubber Gloves)

Kinky Friedman (The Ranch at Las Colinas located at 857 West Highway 114 in Irving)


Red Faced Laughter/Eat Avery's Bones/Fuck Facts/The Numerators (Majestic Dwelling Of Doom): A lineup that seems right out of the Secret Headquarters Calendar circa 2007, and that's not a knock on any aspect of this show. Glad to see Lubbock's Numerators getting some attention from Fader, of all places, as I had mentioned recently, and though I like their newest recordings, it's their rather involved live show that's not to be missed, where they playfully assault the audience while tearing through a set of noise punk, Ipod rap, weird instrumentals; basically everything people who think they have "taste" hate. Fuck Facts is a new band which includes Eat Avery's Bones bassist, Meggie Hilkert, and hopefully she'll be handling some of the vocals, since the one time I have ever heard her sing with her other group left the audience wishing she would do it more.(DL)

Black Heart Procession/The Mumlers/Seryn (Hailey's): One of the great things about going to college is meeting other people via band T-shirts. During my freshman year of university I believed this to be the best way to meet friends and influence people. One day in Government class I wore one of the many Sonic Youth t-shirts in my wardrobe. "Hey, nice shirt dude" I hear from behind me. I turn around with hushed anticipation. I could tell the questioner had the same idea as myself, only he was wearing a Black Heart Procession shirt. I being the honest person that I am regretfully told him that I had never heard of BHP. "Ah man I'll burn you a CD, it will speak to you" and then proceeded to lazily high five me. The next day he brought me a blank CD, letting me know it was a "best of mix" and that he had also included some tracks from his own band. Joy! With mind wide opened I put the CD in and approached the music but it all sounded like one long moody uninspired bummer fest. And of course I couldn't tell where this guy's band started and Black Heart Procession ended. All I know is that it couldn't end quick enough.

So why tell this story other than to inform you I am at least partially college educated and I befriend people based on musical preference? It is to drive home the point that they BHP are painfully bland. Let's take a sampling of song titles from their most recent release. "Drugs", "Rats", "Heaven and Hell" and "Suicide." Not very imaginative, are we? The music is somewhat reminiscent of The Birthday Party, but dropped into a vat of molasses. Where Cave and Co. were able to embrace the dark, demonic side of human nature and transform it into art, BHP seem only capable of isolating the darkness and crying about it.

I would like Black Heart Procession much more if they had no lyrics and/or singer. The music is moody and brooding without drifting off into the self indulgence that rock n' roll journal-keepers often do. But man those lyrics are lame. As I am sure most of you do, I consider myself a misanthrope and enjoy indulging in the cathartic art of fellow lonesome travellers. But you still gotta have some pizazz, which BHP have none of. The tried and true topics of depression, loneliness and death are all explored with the same boring syntax we have heard many times before in the annals of indie rock. Maybe if there were more personality, or personal resonance in the lyrics, it would work, but the broad brush strokes of destitution just don't resonate with me. They weren't even creative enough to name their first few albums. Or perhaps they were just ripping off the equally brooding but far superior Red House Painters. So what happened the next day in Government class? I wore an Of Montreal shirt and sat at the front of the class. (FP)

SUNDAY


Fall Park Party with Luke Sardello/Brett Johnson/Mike Chapman/Mike Constantino/David Lewis (Samuell Grand Park located at 6012 E Grand Avenue in Dallas)