White Oak Music Hall Memorial Day Blowout - Lucero, Title Fight, & The Flaming Lips
Image courtesy of Stubwire
Even though I went strong to a wedding until 1:30 in the morning on Saturday night, and then I went to brunch and hung out by the pool for a couple of hours, when love sends a text message at 5:00ish that says he wants to hang out, even as tired as I might be, I jump at the opportunity. I mustered all the energy I had left knowing that I could artificially inflate my energy level with a red bull as soon as I got to White Oak Music Hall for their Memorial Day Blowout.
First the venue. So I used to go to Fitzgerald’s all the time. I miss that place. I know it’s open again, and bands are playing in there, but it’s not the same. And I’ve read horror stories about the new management that came and went, and came back as well as stories about upgrades that were supposed to have been made, etc. In my opinion it was great the way it was, but I’m a dive bar kind of girl, so I guess I’m not like the rest in my standards of acoustics, seating space, and bathrooms.
Turned into a beautiful summer night at White Oak Music Hall
This was my first venture over to the east side to check out this venue, and not really knowing what to expect, I debated between wedges and flats. I always wore my Chucks to Fitz’s. Thinking that it was going to be flat, and always appreciating a little extra height, I went wedges. As soon as I got inside the gate, I immediately regretted my decision; I will always only ever wear flats or Chucks there into the future. There’s a nice little hill inside the venue. Love said it was like a mini ACL grounds and Woodlands Amphitheater mixed together. I think he's on to something. The two things I don't quite understand: 1) What is the relationship to the Raven Tower, and 2) When is the actual venue building going to be finished?
Now the Music - Lucero, Title Fight, The Flaming Lips
I got there super late, and I walked in while Lucero was already on. I saw Lucero a long time ago around SXSW or ACL time in Austin at La Zona Rosa. I may have seen them one other time. While I enjoy their music if it’s on, it’s not something that I actively seek out. The lead singer’s voice is the voice of someone who partied a little too hard the night before and is now singing, but that’s how it’s supposed to sound. It’s good for summer nights, so it was an appropriate choice for the lineup, but none of us were too focused on the music.
The second to last band was Title Fight. A throwback punk band. I was never deep into the punk rock scene, but I never distanced myself from it either. I’ve been to my fair share of underground shows in houses and seedy bars. I’ve listened to some bands in my day, and while I’ve really enjoyed some of it, the affinity towards it ebbs and flows. That being said, Title Fight is a great punk rock band that I really enjoyed. I thought all of the members slayed on their instruments, and the vocals were great. There were moments when one of the guys was singing and not screaming where his voice would remind me of Maynard’s (TOOL), super melodic. Additionally, It’s good to know punk still lives and the younger generation are carrying the torch of moshing.
And, of course, the grand finale… The Flaming Lips. This is the third time I’ve seen The Flaming Lips. The other two times were at festivals. Once at ACL and once at FPSF. And each time I’ve seen them The Flaming Lips have yet to disappoint. I thought the show was a perfect beginning to summer that in Houston has been saturated, it turned into a truly beautiful evening once the sun went down and there was a cool breeze blowing through the crowd at White Oak Music. Wayne Coyne showed up in proper Wayne Coyne fashion in a silver space suit. The best moments were definitely when he sang from atop Chewbacca’s shoulders wearing an LED technicolor dream coat, and then of course when he rolled over the crowd in a Zorb ball. I was also a fan of the mushrooms and “Fuck Yeah Houston” balloon.
Later That Night…
Love wanted to keep going, and I did too. So we did. Being so close to downtown that’s where we headed, but honestly it was kind of dead, so we bounced around from Dean’s to Notsuoh (or NO TSU OH as it showed up on my bank statement) to Bovine and Barley, finally to Live Sports Bar and grill, which I’d never been to before, but the patio lights and music were enticing me. After I danced for a bit we decided that it was probably best if we got some eats and called it a night. Enter Theo’s.
Even Later That Night…
Theo’s is open 24 hours, so of course it’s a late night fare must some nights. It’s usually either that, BB’s, or Taco Bell, and who wants Taco Bell when you can have a flaming cheese pancake doused in Ouzo followed by a heaping plate of gyro meat and fries or if you go the BB’s route, freaking Chalmette Macaroni.
So that’s where the night ended. As close to a perfect night that I might imagine with love.