From the cold and rainy weather on Friday and Saturday to the bright, sunny, and warm Sunday, Austin Parks Foundation once again drew thousands of music lovers to Austin City Limits Music Festival. Nothing could keep away the fans swarming to see their favorite artists. Young kids were dragging their parents into Austin Kiddie Limits to see Imagination Movers, teens were mobbing the stage to see Lizzo and Childish Gambino, and adults were lounging in yard chairs to see the Cure and Guns and Roses. Zilker Metropolitan Park was buzzing with activity throughout all three days, with bands loading in first thing in the morning, to crews packing up the stages late Sunday night. Fans filled the park from the moment the gates opened at eleven each morning, eager to beat the lines at the sponsored experiences such as the Uber Rewards Lounge or Tito’s Party in the Shack. Stages sprung to life at 11:45 and at any point in the day music could be heard from no fewer than 2 stages at a time.
Wonza Johnson as “Melchior” and the Cast of the Theatre Under The Stars production of Spring Awakening. Photo by Melissa Taylor.
By Harrison Lorenzen
Duncan Sheik combined forces with Steven Sater to take a late 19th-century play about teen angst and sexual frustration turn it on its head. Combining rock music with an 1891 play by German author Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening has crowds humming along to the beautiful music before realizing the dark natures of the songs they’re hearing and characters they are watching.
On stage now at the Hobby Center for the Arts, Theater Under the Stars Houston brings audiences an incredibly well-crafted performance of Spring Awakening. Striking a great balance between new and old, with an industrial backdrop and rock lighting contrasting period-style costumes and set pieces, TUTS has once again brought their best to the Houston theater scene. With some of the best talent from near and far, the cast is phenomenal both vocally and dramatically. From the heart-racing rock songs to the heart-wrenching ballads, there is not a weak point throughout the entire performance. Every member of the cast is incredibly talented and almost every character, both major and minor, gets a chance to showcase their vocal ability with a solo. The voices layer into beautifully haunting melodies and carry home the messages presented by Sater. The design of the show is precise and integrated. The set consists of an industrial scaffolding backdrop featuring the band on one side and various cast members scattered on the second story catwalk throughout the show, as well as a wood-paneled office suspended high above the right side of the stage. The contrasting steel and wood marks the sharp contrast between the modern music and the historic, conservative story. The lights further progress this contrast by lighting each scene with traditional amber washes, but switching to flashy, neon effects during the musical numbers. In all aspects, TUTS production of Spring Awakening is phenomenal and a must-see. Spring Awakening is on stage at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts through October 20th. For more information visit TUTS.org.
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Enjoy the melodious and also foot-tapping Bollywood tracks by *Shaan*!! The Bollywood singer Shaan - Live in Concert at the 2019 Diwali (Festival of Lights) Celebration in Houston. What: Shaan Concert / 2019 Diwali Mela (Festival) When: Saturday October 12, 5 - 10PM Where: 1000 West Oaks Mall, Houston, TX 77082 Enjoy the biggest Indian Festival Diwali in Houston, with Indian Bazaar, Indian Vegetarian Food Booths, Kid Rides, Indian Dance and Songs, Giveaways, Fireworks and much more. Bring your children, neighbors and friends and enjoy the rich Indian culture and live music here in Houston. For tickets and more info visit HoustonDiwali dot com
This past weekend, I got the chance to see Crumb at the Satellite Bar. This show came after the rain & flooding in Houston that was reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey; earlier, the venue crew had to literally mop floodwaters out of their space in order to prepare for the show. I Understandably, there was a delay before doors opened. As I watched the sun set in pastels that appeared inspired by the soft aesthetics of the band’s EPs. From the line outside the space, we heard Crumb and the openers’ sound checks; vocalist Lila Ramani’s voice lilting “check check check check check….” to the tune of Locket.
Soon after doors opened, Shormey of Chesapeake, VA played the first set of the night. Evidently a fan of Crumb herself as she chose a Crumb longsleeve to wear to her show, Shormey came prepared with a dreamy yet danceable set of lo-fi R&B grooves. As the set went on, she got more and more comfortable and lit up the stage with a bright smile & fun dance moves. Word from the crowd to sum up her set: “she’s so cute!”
Following Shormey was Divino Niño, a four-member indie rock band from Chicago. Their sound has been described as psychedelic, in a similar vein to Crumb; but unique in the way that they intricately blend 60’s psychedelia with Latin American influences & bilingual lyrics and much more. Their set was punctuated by vocalist Camilo Medina’s fun personality & eccentric antics during their set.
Crumb’s music, for me, is best for early mornings and late nights, but their soothing psych rock with jazzy touches is perfect in any moment. When they finally came out to play out in the backyard area of the venue, the main lights shut off with just a shadowy grey to light the stage; and the audience was almost entranced as the initial chords of “Cracking” began. The opening track set a precedent for intimacy, introspection and personal engagement with the music, which was evident in both the artists and the audience. The simple stage setup, with just the lighting and occasional projections behind the band, lent to the focus on the music and the experience.
But there was no sense of disconnect or pretentiousness between the band and the audience; the band took breaks between songs to check in, ask how everyone was doing after the earlier torrential rain & flooding and even made sure they got a selfie with the crowd. Throughout the set, a lone Whataburger cup occupied center stage as evidence that Crumb had taken part in the local Houston cuisine.
If I were to name my favorite moment during the show, it would be this: while for most of Crumb’s set he coolly hung back behind his keyboard, keyboardist and saxophonist Brian Aronow came to the front on two separate occasions to play a fantastic saxophone solo, and I had the fortune of being directly in the front both times it happened.
Crumb seemed to be able to bend time; the set seemed longer than it was, as it was so immersive, but you wanted it to go on forever. After Crumb left the stage, the crowd chanted for an encore. The band obliged and finished with a final farewell before heading out to greet fans. Seeing Crumb live was a great experience and totally worth every moment.
1 - better oblivion community center - s/t - dead oceans 2 - weyes blood - titanic rising - sub pop 3 - national, the - i am easy to find - 4ad 4 - homeshake - helium - sinderlyn 5 - pup - morbid stuff - rise 6 - karen o & dangermouse - lux prima - lux prima 7 - kishi bashi - omoiyari - joyful noise 8 - grapetooth - grapetooth - polyvinyl 9 - frankie & the witch fingers - zam - greenway 10 - durand jones & the indicators - american love call - dead oceans 11 - jandek - london thursday - corwood 12 - sneaks - highway hypnosis - merge 13 - cass mccombs - tip of the sphere - anti 14 - ex hex - it's real - merge 15 - bells atlas - the mystic - tender loving empire 16 - black midi - schlagenheim - rough trade 17 - gauche - a people's history of gauche - merge 18 - green dome - thinking in stitches - case study 19 - seakid mollusk - s/t - s/r 20 - methyl ethel - triage - 4ad 21 - mountain goats, the - in league with dragons - merge 22 - baroness - gold & grey - abraxan hymns 23 - hot chip - a bathful of ecstasy - domino 24 - cfm - soundtrack to an empty room - in the red 25 - dreams - no one defeats us - astralwerks 26 - deerhunter - why hasn't everything already disappeared? - 4ad 27 - cochemea - all my relations - daptone 28 - efrim manuel menuck and kevin doria - are sing sinck, sing - constellation 29 - tacocat - this mess is a place - sub pop 30 - charly bliss - young enough - barsuk 31 - woods, jamila - legacy! legacy! - jagjaguwar 32 - local natives - violet street - loma vista 33 - kitamura, emerson - the countryside is great - em 34 - my brightest diamond - a million and one - rhyme & reason 35 - 7fo - ryu no nukegara - em
Duncan Sheik combined forces with Steven Sater to take a late 19th-century play about teen angst and sexual frustration turn it on its head. Combining rock music with an 1891 play by German author Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening has crowds humming along to the beautiful music before realizing the dark natures of the songs they’re hearing and characters they are watching.
![Crumb, Divino Niño & Shormey [9/20/19]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bVVpvKppgFpQEmel6gqU5YRjuSj2HwJZUNbeyyveFcgHLOVmiKAa9jQXtcjzSPIFkhASU0DzUxMoeONX7kHrZG6eoXTOQnDZlvddAFjK4zTwDrxVn2NhR6TAczbDZ8yOHag172t4)
