Jan 26-29, 2006
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Staff Picks
Thursday
Clap! Clap! The Lemurs, Pompeii, The Unbearables
Emo’s
Clap! Clap! is one of Austin’s most fun live bands. They bring the dance-rock with, you guessed it, plenty of clapping, while the Lemurs make indie-pop that’s both delightfully chaotic and carefully calculated. Meanwhile, Pompeii features a cello player, and The Unbearables like to name songs after girls.
—Lucas Del Pico
The Meat Purveyors
The Continental Club
If bluegrass got super drunk and rammed its IROC-Z into a 16-wheeler full of cocaine bound for Los Angeles, it might sound a bit like Austin’s own Meat Purveyors. Supporting will be Drakkar Sauna (an old-timey country duo from Lawrence, Kansas) and Tom Heinl (an Oregonian writer of songs about mobile homes, among other things).
—Kate Guillemette
Friday
Explosions in the Sky, the Octopus Project, A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Emo’s
It’s not surprising that this show sold out as quickly as it did. Explosions in the Sky and the Octopus Project go together better than peanut butter and jelly, while A Hawk and a Hacksaw is the latest project from Jeremy Barnes, best known as drummer for Neutral Milk Hotel. If you don’t already have a ticket, sweet-talking the lovely Emo’s bouncers may be your only way in.
—LD
Saturday
Paramount’s Original LaserSpectacular featuring the Music of Pink Floyd
Austin Music Hall
Back before short attention spans, it only took rock ‘n’ roll and some pretty lights to keep those young ’uns entertained. But after 18 years of touring and continuous technological updates, Paramount’s LaserSpectacular promises to be even more mind-blowing than the laser shows your hippie parents went to.
—LD
Sunday
Scarface
Antones
According to a recent Chris Rock interview in Rolling Stone magazine, Scarface is one of the three best rappers of all-time.
Let the magnitude of that statement sink in for a second. From Rakim to Kanye, from Biggie to Pac, from Big L to Slim Shady, hip-hop has produced some absolutely insane figureheads with penchants for crafting words.
Yet it’s tough to dispute Rock’s claim even though Scarface has been in the national spotlight only three times: laying down the most gut-wrenchingly honest verse on Jay-Z’s “Dynasty” album, the dark video for “Smile” (featuring 2pac) and his unforgettable presence on the Office Space Soundtrack.
He did it before T.I., Lil’ Flip or any other southern player, and he is still the undisputed King of the South.
Look for his repertoire to cover stand outs from his solo albums like 2001’s The Fix and to touch on the influential Geto Boys years.
—Ramon Ramirez