Westheimer Block Party In Review - October 11, 2008

Saturday, October 11, 2008 found us at another edition of the Free Press Houston's Westheimer Block Party. The free event, which takes place at venues near the intersection of Westheimer (natch) and Taft, featured the most jam-packed lineup we've seen thus far. The last several Block Parties we've attended have been blessed with lovely weather (the only exception I can think of involved the rained-out April 2006 date, which was rescheduled for the end of May), and Saturday's edition continued the streak of good luck.

Read the Westheimer Block Party recap after the jump

Our day got off to a hectic start. BOT friends Check Other planned on stopping by our apartment before their noon set at the Mango's indoor stage. They made it to the front of our building, but never came in. Why? Well, let's just say that it involved keys locked in the car and a cleaning lady who came to the rescue by generously breaking one of the windows. Unfortunately, the hip-hoppers' bad luck didn't end there - they never got to play their set due to equipment issues. Disappointment was clear in their countenances and in those of the fans and friends who had come to support them. Next time, guys.

While we were still milling around with Check O, trying to figure out if there was a way to salvage the situation, Swans Will Attack, the band scheduled to pull coffee set duty at the Mango's outdoor stage, began playing. As always, the crowd was sparse for the first set of the day, but the music soon began drawing more fans to the various stages. Eggs ran over to the Helio's outdoor stage to check out Hueman, then returned to the Mango's parking lot in time for the Wild Moccasins' set.

Eggs and I have been fans of Wild Moccasins since we first saw them open for The Dodos back in March. (In fact, that show - which also featured Silje Nes on the bill - made it onto both of our lists for top shows of the first half of 2008.) Without a doubt, the Moccasins are one of my favorite bands to emerge in the Houston music scene in the past few years. Their talent and the enthusiasm they pack into their live shows is irresistibly infectious. That said, their block party set wasn't the best I've seen from them, though I think it had more to do with the sound at the Mango's outdoor stage than anything else. I had similar feelings about every band that I saw on that stage; perhaps I just wasn't standing in a sonically optimal spot? The sound bleed was definitely worse on this stage than any other, which certainly didn't help. At any rate, the Moccasins were still as energetic and fun to watch as I've come to expect. (And they were even better the following Monday, when they opened for Margot & the Nuclear So and So's at the Mink. More on that soon.)

We left near the end of the Moccasins' set to catch a bit of Kam's performance at the Helio's outdoor stage. Her regular band had apparently been unable to make it to the block party, so The Umbrella Man swooped in to her rescue at the last minute. Her set didn't include the original material that she'd planned on presenting, but she made the most of her allotted time and killed it on the vocals.

Next, we wandered over to the Austin Layne Hotel stage in anticipation of D.R.U.M.'s set. The hotel was a law firm in its not-too-distant past and had never played host to a block party stage before. Though the set-up was initially a bit off-putting, I'd have to say that the sound at this 'venue' was the best of all the stages. Plus, the bathrooms weren't scary! Always gotta love that. Anyway, Eggs and I are closeted quasi-hippies, so we always welcome the relaxed grooves of world beat/reggae outfit D.R.U.M. Their bongo player wasn't present, and we missed the extra pop that he adds to their sound, but overall it was an enjoyable mid-afternoon set.

After D.R.U.M., we opted to take advantage of the proximity of our apartment and walked the three or so blocks to escape the heat and also check on Check O's vehicle. After relaxing for about an hour, we headed back to take in the Sideshow Tramps outside of Helio's. As expected, the Tramps commanded one of the largest audiences of the day. They wasted no time getting down to business, cranking out rollicking crowd-pleasing get-down tunes. Uncle Tick (aka Geoffrey Muller) had backed Kam alongside Umbrella Man earlier in the day, and she returned the favor with a guest spot on a rousing version of "John the Revelator." To end the set, the band invited fans to join them onstage while they played through a rowdy cover of "Hound Dog." Party time shenanigans ensued. Hey, if the stage doesn't look like it's about to collapse, you're not at a Tramps show.

I can't remember exactly why, but next we wandered inside Numbers, where an MC duo backed by a DJ were beginning their set. According to the stage guide, the group scheduled to perform at that time were called Dirty N Nasty, but I can't seem to locate any information about them to verify this. Whoever they were, they weren't half bad. The DJ's beats were fresh and catchy, and the MCs contributed some nice flows. During a song they introduced as "Fake," a random dude joined them onstage and installed himself as a back-up dancer. During the next couple of songs, other fans followed his lead, making for an amusing demonstration of hipster dance moves.

Eggs was irresistibly attracted to their name, so next we headed over to check out Tha Fucking Transmissions outside Helio's. Their style of hard-hitting rap-rock isn't really my thing, but they were entertaining and got the audience moving.

On our way back to Numbers, we stopped by Mango's to listen to the Riff Tiffs for awhile. We'd caught a few of their songs when they opened for Colour Revolt and Snowden back in June and had liked what we'd heard. Our experience with them at the block party served to increase our positive feelings about the band. At times their experimental prog-rock recalled Explosions in the Sky with vocals layered on top. They employ engaging melodies that easily hook audiences, as evidenced by the size of the crowd crammed into the Mango's parking lot. I still felt like the sound on this stage was off, so hopefully I get the chance to experience them through better speakers soon.

Spain Colored Orange were playing the same time slot at Numbers' outdoor stage, so we left about halfway through the Riff Tiffs and headed over. I've been attempting to see SCO for the last year or so, but conflicts have cropped up each time they played a show. So after the long period of anticipation, I was pleased to find that I liked them even more than I'd expected to. Vocalist/pianist Gilbert Alfaro's voice sounded strikingly good live, and the band's instrumental work was equally impressive. Their constant genre-shifting from song to song kept their sound fresh, at times exploding into psychedelic brassy funk, then slowing it down for a slinkier song. I loved their set and am thrilled that I finally had the opportunity to see them live. It certainly won't be the last.

While I chatted with a friend on Numbers' patio, Eggs hopped off to snap some shots of Come See My Dead Person. A short while later, he came running back in to notify us of the Cop Warmth/B L A C K I E guerrilla set taking place in the La Strada parking lot. We made the short jaunt over just in time to catch the destructive ending of their secret show. 'Intense' and 'noisy' are probably the two best words to describe what we witnessed - it was almost cathartic just to watch them beating the crap out of their instruments. The spectacle certainly made for some of Eggs' most amusing photos of the day.

When the destruction ended, we returned to Numbers to catch the rest of Come See My Dead Person's set. They proved to be another genre-bending band, churning out ska-tinged dance-friendly numbers, then slowing it down to meander into folk territory. For the most part, though, they kept the audience moving. There seemed to be a loyal fanbase present - many audience members were singing along with the band. I'd stumbled into the final song of CSMDP's set at the last block party and had been impressed by the energy they projected into the crowd; I was sorely disappointed that I'd missed the rest of their set. Saturday's block party set made up for my blunder and then some.

We stopped by the tiny Mango's indoor stage to see a bit of Austin-based indie folk band The Eastern Sea. One of our friends felt that guitarist Matthew Philip Hines' vocals were too Conor Oberst-ish for her liking; though I can see some similarities in style, I felt that the band added their own unique touches and created a sound singularly their own. The passion behind the lyrics clearly shines in a live setting.

We moved on to meet a friend at The Tontons' show outside Helio's. This band has been rapidly generating buzz since releasing their debut EP, and rightfully so. Frontwoman Asli Omar has a stunningly sultry voice and commanding stage presence - it really is hard to look away from her when she's performing. I actually loved that the last song of their set was instrumental; Asli's absence from the stage turned the focus on her bandmates and made it clear that their talent matches hers. The Tontons are definitely a band to watch - from the conversations I overheard on our way out, they gained quite a few new fans on Saturday.

We decided to finish the night off at the Austin Layne Hotel with listenlisten followed by Buxton. After a random appearance by Hurricane Ike Bear, listenlisten got started. We didn't have much prior knowledge of this band, but they'd come highly recommended by a few friends. Their smooth, organic folk is simple and dense and lovely and dark all at the same time. Throw in singer Ben Godfrey's nuanced vocals, and you've got a captivating show.

While Buxton was setting up, we giggled at the shopping cart rave taking place in front of the hotel. For Eggs and me, Buxton were sort of the centerpiece of the block party. To say that we're fans is a bit of an understatement...'obsessed' might be a more accurate term. Their first full-length, A Family Light, is one of the best damn debuts I've ever heard, ever. Seriously, if you're reading this thinking I'm full of crap, you need to go get yourself a copy.

At the block party, Buxton played through a phenomenal set featuring familiar favorites from A Family Light as well as a few new songs that will be included on an upcoming album. They were all self-deprecating with regard to the new material, but they had no reason to be. Vocalist/guitarist Sergio Trevino is a truly gifted songwriter with a distinctive voice, and bandmates Chris Wise (bass), Jason Willis (guitar/mandolin) and Justin Terrell (drums) ain't no slouches either. In fact, there simply isn't a weak member in the band. Each is clearly skilled on his respective instrument(s) and they all seem comfortable onstage. Even more than that, they actually seem to have fun performing. I loved the whole set, but what particularly stands out in my memory is the crowd singalong during "Mane of Gold." It's good to know that I'm not the only one smitten with Buxton.

After Buxton, we opted to skip the aftershows in favor of taking our tired feet home. I'd already drank enough to be in hugging-band-members mode (never a good sign), so it was probably necessary for me to remove myself before making a complete ass of myself.

I have to say that I think this was the best Westheimer Block Party yet. Big thanks to Free Press Houston, who always do a great job of organizing and running the event.

Other Block Party coverage:
BOT Photos
BOT Videos

Free Press Houston recap with photos
Space City Rock review
Houstonist review

--Cereal