Free Press Summer Fest bands making rare stop in Houston
The something-for-everyone approach is fairly standard for summer music festivals, and the Free Press Summer Festival is no different, with its mix of pop, rock, hip-hop, country, electronic and soul....
View ArticleJustin Timberlake, Josh Groban set Houston dates
Two big Toyota Center dates have been announced for late this year. Justin Timberlake will bring his The 20/20 Experience World Tour to town on December 5, with tickets on sale May 13. And Josh Groban...
View ArticleHouston artist featured on ACL poster
As was announced late last night, the performer list for the Austin City Limits Festival has been set, with Muse, Depeche Mode, Lionel Richie and the Cure among the performers. And while there was an...
View ArticleBun B cooks up collaborative FPSF, Blaffer event
Rapper Bun B and chef Philip Speer will create a collaborative performance art piece/breakfast on June 1. Bun’s contribution is being described as “original sound events” , which won’t necessarily be...
View ArticleRandy Travis sues Texas DPS
Following a troubled and embarrassing year in 2012 that included arrests for public intoxication and drunk driving, country music singer Randy Travis sobered up, according to his attorney, and pleaded...
View ArticleDizzee Rascal sends love letter to Houston
British garage rap artist Dizzee Rascal’s new tune is a five-minute ode to Houston. Rascal traveled here from London to shoot a clip for “H-Town” featuring Bun B and Trae tha Truth, who both contribute...
View ArticlePassion Pit to DJ Mkt Bar set
After wrapping its 7:20 p.m. set at the Free Press Summer Festival on June 1, members of pop band Passion Pit will head to Mkt Bar for a special DJ set associated with FPSF. The set will be the first...
View ArticleJoy, sadness at Galacticon
The big draw early at Comicpalooza was Galacticon, the "Battlestar Galactica" convention within a convention, that found dozens of fans dressed in the olive green and khaki colors of the 2000s-era...
View ArticleLegendary bassist talks Iggy, Jandek, Houston
Mike Watt is all about jamming econo, so the bassist will be getting a double dose of action at this weekend’s Free Press Summer Festival. Watt, a founding member of the great ’80s underground rock...
View ArticleFPSF: Buxton, Paul Wall on stage as the Day 1 heats up
It was hot early at the festival, and the scarce shaded areas by the main tent were claimed before the first band, local act the Beans, wrapped its set. Before 1 p.m. a girl had fallen to the ground...
View ArticleFPSF: Reported bust puts damper on Geto Boys show
A much anticipated Geto Boys set was a bit of a letdown after Bushwick Bill failed to show, an absence Willie D attributed to a pot bust from the stage. That made Scarface’s query — “Do we have any...
View ArticleFPSF: Mercury stage a big draw due to local acts
One of festival’s best improvements was the Mercury Stage, which rested under the matrix of freeway ramps by downtown. Nestled at the bottom of a small hill, the stage was a big draw all day largely...
View ArticleFPSF: Mayor Annise Parker introduces Mavis Staples
Mayor Annise Parker appeared on the main stage to thank Free Press Houston for organizing its fifth festival. She also acknowledged Houston’s police and fire departments, her voice breaking briefly as...
View ArticleFPSF: Cat Power’s Chan Marshall seems a bit jittery
Cat Power’s late afternoon set — attended by ex-Houston Texans linebacker Connor Barwin — was divisive. Core fans were thrilled but between her opener, the dirge-y “The Greatest,” and the end of the...
View ArticleFPSF: Gogol Bordello reflects the spirit of the music festival
Gogol Bordello is a great festival band for its energetic music, swelling gypsy punk with chants, big choruses and las and das and other call/response mechanisms. But scratch a little deeper and the...
View ArticleComing to Houston: Dave Chappelle, Franz Ferdinand and more
Comedian Dave Chappelle, whose appearances have been scarce since he shut down his popular sketch-comedy show in 2006, will perform as part of Funny or Die’s Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival,...
View ArticleGeto Boys to play free show
There weren’t many letdowns at this year’s Free Press Summer Festival. But one of the few was a much-anticipated Geto Boys reunion show that didn’t quite happen. While Scarface and Willie D made the...
View ArticleNew shows: Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony has set a Sept. 5 date at the Toyota Center. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Anthony will likely mix old favorites with songs from a forthcoming album due July 23. His single...
View ArticleBobby “Blue” Bland dies
Bobby “Blue” Bland, a colossal figure in R&B and the blues, died Sunday at age 83. His son cited the cause of death as an “ongoing illness.” In a genre of music often associated with great...
View Article
