Category: Uncategorized

When JT Mudd and Brad Dale began their musical experiment in 2006, they probably didn’t consider that they would one day be sharing stages with acts like New Order, SBTRKT, Phoenix, Passion Pit, Pretty Lights, Big Boi, Neon Indian, Toro y Moi, and Marina & the Diamonds. Lo and behold, they have. Ishi has long passed the gauntlet of festival validation, playing SXSW, Meltdown Music Festival, Wicker Park Festival, etc. to great audience and critical acclaim. In 2010, the release of Ishi’s critically acclaimed freshman album “Through the Trees”  won awards from the Dallas Observer for Best New Act & Best Electronic/Dance Act. The sophomore album, “Digital Wounds,” was released in the spring of 2013 with the goal of creating a mental dance party experience for the listener. This expectation is met with literally every track on the album. It never stops. Ishi never stops. The only thing better than the imagined disco lights, feather boas, crazy-cool glowing sunglasses, and nonstop jig action is the real thing.

You can’t pass up an Ishi show. You just can’t. Seriously, just look at this:

Ishi is the physical manifestation of everything you wish you could be all of the time. No inhibitions, the energy of pure methamphetamine, glow paint, bitchin’ lights, bitcin’ attire, and bitchin’ music. Ishi exists in a realm free of insecurities, thus the goal of their live shows is to take the audience to that realm with them. There’s no need to waste time by comparing them to other Soul, Funk, Folk/Electro, Techno/House groups that draw inspiration from Muskogee Creek Indian heritage, so I won’t go there. What is important to talk about is how much fun a live Ishi show is.  Every time this dynamic duo hits a stage, they do everything in their power to exert an “entirely unique environment of mysticism, awareness, love and acceptance.” It’s Woodstock, neon, and synthesizers in a blender set to “Dance.” Ishi is an unparalleled experience, and a must-see for everyone. Be there Friday the 28th!

Doors @ 8:00 pm

$10.00 tickets available at the door and online

By: Dylan Huddleston

photo from http://www.ishimusic.com/

 

 

Back in 2008 at a small Nashville campfire, homeschool met public school, two sisters met two brothers, folk vocals met rock licks, and a band was forged over the flame. The Vespers are what you get when worlds collide (properly). Composed of sisters Callie and Phoebe Cryar, and brothers Taylor and Bruno Jones, The Vespers are quite the hand: two pair of two very different suits, all led by an ace-high passion for music making. From a young age, Callie and Phoebe have been synchronizing spirit and voice. They first started singing professionally around the age of 8 and 9, and around the age of 13 years old, Callie and Phoebe performed in a children’s chorus on a Dolly Parton collaboration album. The Joneses, both ex-members of southern-rock trio Fuel to the Fire, grew up under the influence of their dad’s record collection. What you get when you mix the Cryar’s and the Joneses is what you get when you mix peanut butter and chocolate: some people don’t like it, but other people (like me) enjoy it so much that they smear it on their faces. Evidence of this perfect concoction litters the group’s latest album “The Fourth Wall,” especially so on songs such as “Got No Friends,” a rabble-rousing folk cut with just enough grit to necessitate some floss afterwards. The Vespers are performers first, writing most of their songs while on the road and playing them at shows long before debuting them on records. “The Fourth Wall” is an album that exemplifies that showmanship, as Phoebe puts it, “What we were trying to do is break that fourth wall down. Just with the way we interact with the audience. That (term) really struck a chord with us.” As for the creative process behind writing and playing shows, she goes on to say that the band is “Just doing what comes naturally.” All natural, homegrown music. The Vespers have noted many artists that they enjoy listening to, but they tend to stray from taking anything away from their favorite acts, “We try not to feed back on anything that anyone else is doing creatively, that’s the integrity of our music is our sound. We can’t help but have that sound. It’s just what happens when we get together.” You can’t deny The Vespers of their originality, for one, because they won’t let you. The Cryars and the Joneses have remained steadfastly independent thus far, staying in creative control, and it has worked out well. “The Fourth Wall” came to be out of a successful Kickstarter campaign that reached its goal of $15,000, and much of their current popularity has been garnered simply by word of mouth and playing shows wherever they can. As Callie elegantly puts it: “We want to avoid selling out and signing away business control just in order for us to be famous, basically. We kinda want to get to where we can have some success and at the same time have our own independence, too.”

There you have it. No gimmicks. Straight up Nashville, hemmed by the angelic Cryar harmonies and starched to the riff by the Joneses. The Vespers have come a long way since 2008, and they’ve done it without losing sight of who they are or the importance of putting on a damn good show. Check out The Vespers this Thursday the 27th!

Doors @ 8:00 pm

$8.00 tickets available at the door and online

By: Dylan Huddleston

photos courtesy of www.thevespersband.com

Blue Bear is an indie/folk band from Austin, Texas. Not just another indie/rock band from Austin, Texas however. Comprised of six members: Jeremy Holmsley, Casey Arthur, Khoury Moore, Jared Shaw, Daniel Cole, and Reno Tandy, Blue Bear has a “warm yet urgent vibe,” combining rockabilly licks with Americana-esque harmonies. At any given time during a Blue Bear set, there will be 3-6 guitars rattling off respective renditions of the melody at hand. This depth soothes while it volumizes, like a nice cucumber-based conditioner, I guess. Made with the finest indie rock roots side of the Mississippi, a dash of Fleet Fox, and a cup of future promise, Blue Bear will leave your scalp feeling refreshed and invigorated.

 

Joining Blue Bear are special guests Walker Lukens and his five-piece backing band: The Sidearms. Lukens released his most recent album, Devoted, in April 2013. Since then, he’s been hitting the show circuit with The Sidearms and making a big buzz on the way, sharing stages with big names like Band of Horses. While bridging the gap between indie rock and indie pop, and with full support from The Sidearms, Walker Lukens is at full potential in concert settings. Confident yet graceful, bold yet breezy, Lukens is guaranteed to make you feel some kind of way. Come see a show.

 

 

Thursday February 20, 2014

Doors @ 8:00 pm

$5.00 tickets available online and at the door

By: Dylan Huddleston

This week is a big week for the Grand Stafford Theater, so with the power invested in me as intern, (which actually renders me powerless) I am unofficially officially declaring this week as: “The Big Week.” Tickets for the following events are available online and at the door unless otherwise noted.

THE WEEKS W/ RANCH GHOST, THE DOCS & CHIEF SCOUT • February 12, 2014

In two months, The Weeks will release their Serpents and Snakes Records debut album, “Dear Bo Jackson,” to the world. In two months and one day, the world will be drastically different. Kids are going to start growing their hair out, drinking 40 oz malt liquors in the forest, and dancing around like wet noodles. Baseball games will begin with the singing of the World anthem, “To Kingdom Come” by The Band. Top fashion designers will put their names on trucker hats and pastel button-ups. New World Order will reign supreme, and The Weeks will sit atop it all. To be honest, I can’t freakin’ wait. The Weeks are a band of amazing energy and presence, and I would be happy to serve them. You can catch a glimpse of the Southern Rock future this Wednesday!

photo courtesy of The Rolling Stone

Doors @ 8:00 pm
Tickets: $8.00

 

EL TEN ELEVEN W/ BRONZE WHALE • February 13, 2014

When you hear El Ten Eleven through headphones, you are taken on a musical magic carpet ride. The sheer musical talent of this four-to-eight-piece progressive rock band seems to jump out from the speakers and massage your temples with its weird anthropomorphic-soundwave fingers. When you see El Ten Eleven perform, you punch yourself in the face because you realize that this maverick of melody known as a band is a straight up power duo. That’s it. Two guys. Granted, with the amount of pedals on stage, it’s not hard to understand where the variety of sound comes from. What doesn’t make sense is how the hell two guys and three instruments can make such good music. It’s hard for most people to express themselves with words, but El Ten Eleven creates music of incredible depth, enriched by the convictions of their very souls and vibrant to the core. These guys are nothing short of amazing off stage, but on stage is a damned phenomenon the likes of Haley’s comet. With 12 years of self-produced records, their songs featured on countless TV shows/commercials/movies, and theater shows, it speaks volumes to their humility that members Kristian Dunn and Tim Fogarty are still playing intimate show settings. Watch magic happen Thursday night.

Doors @ 8:00 pm
Tickets: $10.00

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW BY THE SHADOW CAST OF CEPHEID VARIABLE• February 14, 2014

You could spend your Valentine’s evening hopelessly romantic-ing with wine and dine and chocolate and teddy’s and blah, or you could spend it with Riff Raff, Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the shadow cast of Texas A&M’s very own Cepheid Variable. What better way to celebrate the beheading of St. Valentine than pelvic thrusting into the night in a room full of drag?! Everyone’s a character in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, come join in the fun with the shadow cast in acting out of the most influential international cult movies of the last century. Strongly encouraged to buy tickets in advance. (Strongly encouraged to come fully dressed up in costume! Prop bags will be sold at the venue by Cepheid Variable, if you bring your own props, DO NOT BRING: liquids, food or candles (open flames). This film is rated R, not suitable for under 18.)

Doors @ 10:00 pm
Tickets: $5.00

MATTHEW MAYFIELD W/ DANIEL GONZALES • February 15, 2014

Matthew Mayfield’s infatuation with “songs, swagger and spectacle” began at 11 years old. His Superman was Jimmy Page, his Batman was Stevie Ray. 8 years later, he dropped out of school to pursue a life on the road with nothing but a guitar and some licks. In 2005, a record deal with Epic taught Mayfield what he really wanted.
After turning in his contract for a DIY deal with self, he began to reconstruct his vision. By the end of 2010, he had self-produced and released 7 EP’s, had a song featured on Grey’s Anatomy, and had topped the iTunes singer/songwriter chart more than once. It’s been a ride for Matthew. He’s driven and he’s ridden, but he’s never ceased to pine for something more. Join Matthew Mayfield in finding himself Saturday night.

Doors @ 8:00 pm
Tickets: $8.00

THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR W/ THE TONTONS & OTIS THE DESTROYER
• February 16, 2014

In 2011 The Bright Light Social Hour won Band of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year, Best Bass Guitar, Best Keyboards, and Best Record Producer at the SXSW Austin Music Awards. Are you excited yet? You should be. The Bright Light Social Hour is an explosion of rock’n’roll everytime they hit the stage. As a focused and mature band, they know how to build a house up before they bring it down. They also opened for Aerosmith one time, which is pretty badass IMO. The Stafford stage is set to be graced by The Bright Light Social Hour, as well as special guests The Tontons. Asli Omar, Tom Nguyen, Adam and Justin Martinez make up what is undoubtedly one of the most unique and pleasing sounds this side of the Nacogdoches. Plus, they’re from the land of the players and pimps, so you know it’s real.

Doors @ 7:00 pm
Tickets: $10.00

 

by: Dylan Huddleston

With six musicians from six different backgrounds of music, Fear and Wonder is ready to show the world of post-hardcore how far they’ve come in so little time. Formed in October of 2012, after each member left their previous bands due to creative differences, the sextet metal band has been fueled by train-engine publicity garnering over 7,000 likes on their music video, “Like A Movie,” four days after it’s release. Fear and Wonder is influenced by many well-known metal bands of the last decade, acts such as: A Day to Remember, Parkway Drive, Pierce the Veil, Asking Alexandria, etc. In a sub-genre so saturated with cookie-cutter bands, Fear and Wonder is a breath of fresh air. As frontman Albert Gonzales puts it, “We are different in that we add a lot more electronic/digital arrangements to our music than most of those bands. We want to take everything we do to the next level.”

February 11, 2014 7:00 pm
Doors: 6:00 pm
Tickets available online and @ the door

By: Dylan Huddleston

Picture, if you will, the year is 2007. You and two of your friends from college have been playing in a band together for about one year, and you’ve secured a spot on the lineup at South by Southwest, amongst over 1,400 other acts. At the show, you open for a group of five bands, and a whopping seven people are in attendance for your set. No sweat, right? Everybody’s gotta start somewhere. After the show, BAM, freakin’ Jerry Harrison (guitarist and keyboardist for the Talking Heads) is all up in your grill offering to produce your first LP at his personal studio in California. The LP drops in 2008 to critical acclaim. After some more touring and maturing, your band is awarded: Best New Band, Song of the Year, Best Rock Band, Bass Player of the Year, and Producer of the Year all at the 2009 Austin Music Awards. Now it’s 2014, and you’re playing at the one and only Grand Stafford Theater in Bryan, Texas. Okay, admittedly, maybe things didn’t haven’t happened quite that quickly or easily for The Black and White Years, but, aside from the five years not mentioned above, the details ring true (sorry, you’re not actually in an awesome band, but it’s fun to pretend.)

The Black and White Years were formed by Scott Butler, Landon Thompson and John Aldridge in 2006. Since then, they’ve been joined by official drummer: Billy Potts, played hundreds of shows, established a decent fan base, and built up a discography exemplifying the meaning of quality over quantity. Surprisingly, despite their hard-earned success, The Black and White Years are still struggling to find their niche in the musical world. This is due in part to what Houston Press has deemed “a lack of touring and production over the last few years have somewhat held them back,” which is also a probable explanation for the gap in between releases of studio material.

Last month marked the end of a four year long material absence from The Black and White Years, which is to say that their new album, “Strange Figurines” (released Jan. 21, 2014) is the first we’ve heard from the group since 2010’s “Patterns.” “Strange Figurines” delves farther into The Black and White Years’ affluence for the past than any previous LP. Synthesizers (funky and grimy alike,) dark sunglasses, dancing, probably cocaine, and the velvety soothe of Butler’s vocals all coalesce into a project that can’t be described in just black and white. Think soft purples, mellow yellows, orange euphoria, and glimpses of the whole color spectrum instantaneously. It seems as though The Black and White Years are inching out of the comfort zone, little by little, with each track. And it’s working out fantastically. This electronic-pop-punk concoction is here to stay, or get bigger, and it looks like the only route from here on out is up.

Come experience The Black and White Years and songs from their new LP, “Strange Figurines,” this Saturday at the Grand Stafford!
Doors @ 8 p.m.
$10 tickets available online and at the door!
By: Dylan Huddleston

Tumblin’ down from the heights of the Sawtooth Mountains, Micky and The Motorcars hit the Stafford stage Thursday night to commence their Texas tour. Led by frontman Micky Braun and his guitarist brother Gary Braun, The Motorcars are coming to kick up some grade-A Americana dust. Music is just part of the brothers’ blood, as it has been for the last few generations of Brauns. Micky and Gary make up half of the Brauns brothers; their older siblings, Willy and Cody Braun, head the increasingly popular and genre-similar band: Reckless Kelly, who just so happened to edge out Jay-Z and Metallica for a Grammy award in Best Record Package last month. Collectively, Micky, Gary, Willy and Cody have been performing on stages since before they were teenagers. At a young age, all four brothers toured the nation playing alongside their father, Muzzie Braun, in his family Texas Swing band. Muzzie showed the boys what road life was like, touring across the nation and even appearing with them on stage at The Grand Ol’ Opry and twice on The Tonight Show. Given a work ethic twice the size that most people have before they were even allowed to drive, it’s no surprise that the Braun brothers have come so far with their respective musical accolades today. Micky and The Motorcars have been touring Candada, the UK, and the states consistently for the past eleven years, averaging about 200 shows per year (which, by my calculations, is about 2 gazillion shows in the last decade, but I’m no mathlete.) In any case, it’s blatantly obvious that this five piece country rock band knows how to play. They’ve seen numerous records hit the Top Ten singles mark on the Texas Music Chart, and even spent an amazing seven months on the Americana Chart. Micky Braun handles most of the songwriting (brilliantly, at that), but it is the seemingly endless talent and ambition of the group as a whole that has given them a sound all their own and paved the way for a legion of fans worldwide. The two Braun brothers are joined by guitarist Dustin Schaefer, bassist Joe Fladger, and drummer Bobby Paugh. Each member has brought their own musical background and influence into the mix. You can literally hear the accent of rock’n’roll, electric blues, jazz, and even a little soul in their music. Toss in some country, a dash of folk, wrap it up, package it, and find it tied up in an Americana-sewn bow right in front of your very eyes this Thursday at the Grand Stafford Theater.

Doors @ 8 p.m.

$10 general admission available at the door and online

By: Dylan Huddleston

 

Stafford faithful, get ready for metal. Deadhorse, the founding members of Houston’s underground metal scene during the late 1980′s are “BACK AGAIN” and ready to cash checks, snap necks, melt faces, and pretty much cause as much musical annihilation as possible, in a good way. Deadhorse is like a tornado made of fire and kick drums, picking up measly pop-punk guitar riffs just to disembowel them, swallow the remains, and regurgitate it into a full on rampage of axe-shredding licks. Actually, forget the tornado and replace it with a live volcano. Or a temperamental three headed dragon with a splinter stuck in its foot. Whatever image of pure metal you can think of, just know that your imagination will never lend full justice to the kind of energy and performance emitted by this legendary thrash metal band from Houston, Texas: land of the players  and pimps undead and damned. These guys are so metal that metal isn’t even a worthy term. “Horsecore” is more like it, wherein “it” is a mix of lightning fast drums, heavy bass, cinderblock riffs, drop-D, and an all-out brutal assault on your cochlea (don’t worry it’s a good thing.) The band is well known for incorporating all things Texas into their music, including traces of good ol’ country music, so really, what’s not to like? All things considered, this isn’t your momma’s metal; this is Texas bred, in-your-face, thrashcore that is 24 years in the making. When you hear it, you can taste the determination that has tailored this group to the likes of “legendary.” Deadhorse hits the stage this Friday along with Lou, Signal Rising, and ASS (accurately self-described as the kind of band you skate a bowl to.) It’s gonna be a heavy night, so come prepared to rock your own spine out of alignment.

Doors open @ 8 p.m.

$12 tickets available now online and at the door.

By: Dylan Huddleston

Hailing from all the way across the pond, Peggy Sue (formerly known as Peggy Sue and the Pirates, also known as Peggy Sue and the Pictures and once referred to as Peggy Sue and Les Triplettes) kicks off their U.S. tour Wednesday night at the Grand Stafford Theater. Composed of singer-guitarists Rosa Slade and Katy Young with the help of drummer Olly Joyce, the indie-pop/folk trio proclaims themselves as “The best thing you’ve ever heard, prepare to wet your pants.”

Is Peggy Sue really worth wetting your pants over? That depends (don’t miss the puns). Have you ever heard two ladies strapped with guitars croon about the considerable heartache of being a superhero (i.e. “The Ballad of Superman”)? Although the claim that they are the “best thing you’ve ever heard” might be a little over the top, Peggy Sue will have you humming along before you even know the words. On stage or off, Peggy Sue refuses to pamper (don’t pun-ish me) their music with gimmicks or clichés. The great thing about front-women Slade and Young is the message they emit in choosing to write songs about Superman, or people who step on snails in the dark, or a cannibalistic lover who thieves body parts. While Peggy Sue adheres to, and improves upon, the indie-folk sound that many have grown to adore in recent years, their subject matter seems to inadvertently declare that you don’t have to be coming from heartbreak or a hurt place when you pick up an acoustic guitar (I’m looking at you, T-Swift).

Peggy Sue is original. Peggy Sue is unique. Peggy Sue is charming, quirky, genuine, and damn talented. Slade and Young are known for wielding their wittiness like a blade, a weapon reflected by their lyricism and their between-song dialogue while onstage. Adding to the excitement of Peggy Sue at the Stafford, the band will release their highly anticipated third album “Choir of Echoes” on January 28th. Of the record, the band says: “Choir of Echoes is an album about singing. About losing your voice and finding it again. Voices keeping each other company and voices competing for space. The call and response of the kindest and the cruelest words. Choruses. Duets. Whispers and shouts.” As such, the band’s third release is poised to boast the kind of matured goodness that would make even the hippest oenophile relish in delight. “Choir of Echoes” may just be Peggy Sue’s magnum opus, as they have been building upon their sound and flavor since 2005.

In 2012, before beginning work on “Choir of Echoes,” Peggy Sue delivered a Rock’n’roll cover album inspired by the 1963 Kenneth Anger cult-classic film “Scorpio Rising.” On top of that, the band has spent a large majority of the last few years touring the UK and perfecting their stage presence with powerhouse acts such as Kate Nash, Mumford and Sons, The Maccabees, and Jack White. Join us in welcoming Peggy Sue to the States on Wednesday, January 29th at the one and only Grand Stafford Theater! Who knows, it might be the best thing you’ve ever heard! Doors open at 6:00 pm, $5 tickets available now on the Grand Stafford website and at the door on Wednesday!

(Diapers sold separately).

by: Dylan Huddleston

Friday night, Grand Stafford Theater will open its doors once again for the fan-favorite, Driver Friendly, along with their tour-mates, Wild Party. Bryan, Texas is the third stop on the “Texas Takeover” tour: a nine-stop tour spanning the breadth of this great state from El Paso to Houston. The Bryan/College Station area is no stranger to Driver Friendly. If anything, BCS could call itself a very good friend of the band. From shows dating back to 2009 between Driver F and Defacto Productions at the old Stafford Main Street to Texas A&M’s campus, Driver Friendly has become well acquainted with the B/CS crowd and demographic over the past few years.

Given Bryan’s location between Austin, the music capital of the world, and Houston, land of the players and pimps, it only makes sense that bands touring the perimeter of the Texas triangle make stops to play here. However, a Driver Friendly show at the Stafford boasts the kind of energy that cannot be held accountable to geographic coincidence alone. For the band members, Bryan emits an earthly aroma of home. The cult-like following of Driver Friendly fans in BCS is composed of Woodlands High School alumni, friends of the band from Austin, and those who have been super-fans since Driver Friendly’s first album “Chase the White Whale.” Without a doubt, it is the area’s extensive relationship with the band that yields the kind of intimate concert experience that is to be expected every time Driver Friendly sets up their instruments at The Stafford. If you’ve ever been a part of their crowd before, then you know exactly what those expectations are. Triumphant horns, anthemic lyrics, hum-along guitar riffs, ska-dancing, moshing, smiles, laughter, and the not-so-uncommon crowd surf are staples of a concert put on by a band fully comfortable with their stage presence. It’s the same kind of comfortable that makes a Driver Friendly show the epitome of experience guaranteed by Grand Stafford Theater.

After signing with Hopeless records in 2012, touring with Motion City Soundtrack and Reliant K around the country, and playing at Van’s Warped Tour in 2013, Driver Friendly returns to the heart of Bryan, Texas to present themselves at peak condition to a room full of family, friends, and kindred spirits. This tour brings Driver Friendly with friends from San Antonio, Wild Party and local favorites The Feeble Contenders and King & Nation. Don’t miss out, doors open at 8pm and tickets will be available at the door!

Article by: Dylan Huddleston
Photos by: Molly Strehl