Grand Stafford Theater

Cody Canada & The Departed w/ Uncle Lucius & Foxtrot Uniform
2013-11-21 21:00 - 23:55 (America/Chicago) | TX
CODY CANADA & THE DEPARTEDCody Canada was 16 years old when he made his way from Yukon to Stillwater, Oklahoma. He had been searching for some inspiration; a place to call home musically. What he found was a creative nirvana of musicians who were generating the music that would stay with him for the rest of his life. “It was like the greatest place on earth, “ Cody recalls. “I met Tom Skinner, Scott Evans, Bob Childers, Jimmy LaFave, the Red Dirt Rangers and they were all playing this really, really good music. It was kind of in that same vibe as the Allman Brothers and The Band. But what came out of it was really diverse. There were more country acts like Jason Boland. The All American Rejects were the rock guys. Then you had the whole Red Dirt hippie thing…I didn’t even know what Red Dirt was until somebody told me. I got turned on to it all and it’s stayed with me ever since.”
During the 15 years that Canada was front man for Cross Canadian Ragweed, he successfully tapped into those influences on each of their nine albums. Four of those nine charted on Billboard’s Top 10 Country Albums over the course of the years, thousands of albums were sold and the band played to sell out crowds across the country helping to spread “red dirt” music. But the one thing that Canada wanted to do in honor of his musical heartland never came to fruition…until now.
In the wake of Cross Canadian Ragweed’s decision to part ways, Cody resurfaced with an armament of musicians and a mission in mind. With his long time Ragweed band mate, Jeremy Plato (bass) the two made a seamless transition into the world of The Departed, as in ‘Cody Canada and The Departed”. “We kicked around several ideas for names,“ Canada said. “We’re all from different bands and we wanted something to sound like we came from different places. The Departed was right on the money.” Along with Canada and Plato, The Departed rounds out with Seth James on guitar (Seth James Band, Ray Wylie Hubbard), Steve Littleton on B3 organ and keys (Live Oak Decline, Stoney LaRue & the Arsenals, Medicine Show) and Dave Bowen on drums (Stoney LaRue, Bleu Edmondson, Dale Watson).
Because they have traveled in the same circles for years, the band members are all familiar with each other and familiar with each other’s style of playing. More than likely they’ve all played on the same stage at one time or another already. It’s this familiarity with each other that made their first project so uncomplicated. Although The Departed is writing and will record original material, the band’s first priority was getting into the studio and cutting the Oklahoma tribute album that Cody had been wanting to do for years. The result is This Is Indian Land, The Departed’s debut album set for release this spring.
This Is Indian Land is a 15-track deep “buffet of really kick-ass Okie songs,” Canada states. He jokingly says “It might sound like originals because not many people have ever heard these songs”. But in fact, the album is loaded with well-known selections like Kevin Welch’s “Kickin’ Back in Amsterdam” and “True Love Never Dies”, JJ Cale’s “If You’re Ever in Oklahoma” and Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Leon Russell’s “Home Sweet Oklahoma”.
Of course there were a few tracks picked for more personal reasons. Cody notes, “’The Ballad of Rosalie’ (Randy Pease) was the first song I ever heard in Stillwater. ‘Little Rain Will Do’ (Greg Jacobs) is just an awesome historical song I’ve been wanting to record since the first time I heard it. Randy Crouch’s ‘Face On Mars’ really kind of frightened us. A lot of people wanted us to do it but we didn’t know what to do with it. We sat there for a whole day trying to get it arranged and find a groove for it. We made it happen and it’s one of my favorites on the album”.
This Is Indian Land was recorded at Yellow Dog Studios in Austin, TX. As if the album content and inspiration weren’t Oklahoma enough for The Departed, Yellow Dog Studios and owner Dave Percefull got their start in Tulsa. “It really kind of tied it all together,” Cody says. “I walked in and saw all the pictures of these Stillwater guys hanging on the wall and thought ‘Man, this is exactly where this album needs to be cut”.
Cody Canada & The Departed is already making waves on the road. With the recording of the album behind them and a brand new year in front, the band has hit the road like only professionals know how to do. As excited as they are about their gigs, they are taking it all very seriously. “It’s funny because with Ragweed we got to a point where we didn’t have to practice. We were playing so many shows we could just get up there and do the tunes, right? Well now it’s a new band playing new songs so we’ve got to learn everything, get our game together and practice. It’s a whole lot of fun. I can’t sleep at night. It keeps me awake, not from worry but from excitement. We’re just ready to tear it up.”Cody Canada & The Departed on Facebook | Cody Canada & The Departed on Twitter | Official Website
UNLCE LUCIUSUncle Lucius takes Rock and Roll from its deep roots and pushes it onward, putting their own honest interpretation on the essential elements of R & B, Blues, and Country. They pride their live show as a sacred and energetic experience, with a belief that this is still the truest form of communication with their fans. All four members grew up in different parts of Texas, each finding their own way to Austin in an attempt to pursue music full time. The band includes Kevin Galloway on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Hal Vorpahl on bass, Mike Carpenter on lead guitar and vocals, and Josh Greco on drums and percussion. Uncle Lucius can usually be found on the highways and back streets of the U.S., playing renowned venues like B.B. King’s in NYC, to the Maple Leaf in New Orleans, to back home in Austin, TX at Threadgill’s World Headquarters, The Continental Club, and Antone’s.Uncle Lucius on Facebook | Uncle Lucius on Twitter | Official Website
FOXTROT UNIFORMBand members always seemed to leave, so it only seemed right that Kenny Uptain and Kelly Test (Cooder Graw, Polyphonic Spree) turned their band into a duo. After being thrown out of country bands, and losing their best bud of a bass player to the working world, they decided to go the route of the 2 piece rock and roll band. After recording their first full length album, “Huj! Huj! Hajrah!” in the living room of Test, and playing close to 200 shows their first year, the two felt the need to expand. In September of 2012 the duo became a trio with the addition of Dallas musician Zack Busby (Slow Roosevelt, The Burden Brothers, Descender). Adding many layers and depth to the band’s already full sound, Zack plays the parts you might find yourself humming instinctively. In January of 2013 the group has seemingly filled out their lineup with the addition of Fort Worth area songstress, Katie Robertson. Keep an eye and an ear out for this newly structured, always evolving Texas band.Foxtrot Uniform on Facebook | Foxtrot Uniform on Twitter | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. The March Divide w/ The Feeble Contenders & Ottoman Turks (duo set)
2013-11-20 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
Doors open at 6PM for Happy Hour ($2.50 wells and domestics) and music starts at 8pm. Get there early, beat the cover ($5 starts at 8pm), get some great drinks & enjoy live music with us!
THE MARCH DIVIDE“In the six years since ending The Conversation and beginning The March Divide, I had written a lot of songs,” says San Antonio-based Jared Putnam about the down period that followed years on the road with his popular Emo-era touring band. “When I decided to start working on an album, I had a really difficult time just figuring out where to start.”
Eventually, Putnam issued Music for Film, the debut album by The March Divide, in February of 2013, and it was readily apparent that half a dozen years away had not taken a toll on his songwriting chops. Called “impressively hooky” by American Songwriter, Austin’s NPR affiliate KUTX simply stated, “This album kicks butt.”
The album, which showed off Putnam’s love of The Promise Ring, Cursive, and Elliott Smith, spawned the singles “Still Analog,” which popular vinyl lovers website The Vinyl District said could be its “proverbial theme song,” and “Jose Cuervo” which racked up thousands of Soundcloud streams and coverage from Under The Radar for its moving slice-of-life video. One fan plainly commented, “How this song is not more popular is beyond me.”
“Music for Film was the first album that I produced myself, and it was a pain in the ass!” Putnam jokes. Undeterred, Putnam is moving forward quickly, and has issued an EP follow-up to Music for Film, the appropriately titled “Music for Television” on July 9th, 2013 once again through Dead Letter Records.
Putnam will also continue the touring that he eased back into as interest in The March Divide grew. It’s something he approaches with caution, considering his previous life experiences with being on the road.
“All of that time on tour wrecked my personal life,” Putnam explains of his time in The Conversation. “It was coming out in the worst way when I would perform, but as I started The March Divide, the void from not playing was just too big to ignore. These days, I’m not the road warrior that I used to be, but I’m playing a lot. I love playing, and I can’t wait to build up to the schedule that I used to keep.”
Putnam is also now performing more and more with a full band. “I’m still doing solo shows and tours, but we have grown into a band,” he says. The March Divide’s live show now includes Mike Hernandez on drums who has been performing with Putnam in his various musical incarnations for more than 15 years, and Jeremy Brooks on bass, a former member of the now defunct Furthest From The Star, a popular band around Texas.
About the song selection on “Music for Television,” Putnam explains, “Every album I’d done in the past was approached with a concept, but when I began recording Music for Film, I had songs coming from all over the place. So, I sent them all to my trusted mix engineer, John Glover, and he decided how to split the tracks up between the two releases. Essentially, it’s one big piece of work, and I’m proud of it all.”
The first single from “Music for Television” is “So It Goes,” which Putnam initially intended as a sweet pop song, but drummer Hernandez had different ideas. “When I got together with Mike,” Putnam recounts, “he came in beating the shit out of his drums and I felt like I had completely misinterpreted my own song!”
Of the story behind the catchy tune, reminiscent of early-era REM and The Cure, Putnam is coy. “I’d rather not get into the specifics of what the song is about, but I’ll say that it only took one stupid decision by somebody to completely change the course of my life. But, so it goes, right?”
“Music for Television,” the follow-up EP to The March Divide’s debut album Music for Film, will be released on July 9, 2013 on Dead Letter Records. The March Divide will continue touring throughout 2013.The March Divide on Facebook | The March Divide on Twitter | Official Website
THE FEEBLE CONTENDERSThe Feeble Contenders are a rock and roll band from Texas.The Feeble Contenders on Facebook
OTTOMAN TURKSOttoman Turks is a Dallas/Bryan/College Station-based four piece that was formed at the beginning of 2010 out of the ashes of a former band. Somebody had written a few songs, so we all got together and figured them out somewhat and then we played two shows without knowing what we were doing. They went well enough, so we figured we’d continue.
Over the years we have gained and lost a couple members, but the core of the group, and the sound we hope to cultivate, have remained essentially the same. A mixture of rough and rowdy blues, fast train songs and sad country ballads, with some skewed jazz and doo wop thrown in.
We have been repeatedly praised for our energetic live shows, which is where we have our most fun. The songs we write are largely built for the stage, and we prefer to showcase them that way. We appeal to a large array of audiences, and have played shows that reflect that – from biker parties by the Brazos to a grocery store opening in a Dallas suburb (that one was a weird one).Ottoman Turks on Facebook

SOLD OUT: Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors w/ David Ramirez & Penny and Sparrow
2013-11-17 19:30 - 23:55 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
THIS CONCERT HAS SOLD OUT. NO MORE TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ONLINE OR AT THE DOOR.

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORSDrew Holcomb and The Neighbors are Drew Holcomb (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Ellie Holcomb (vocals, guitars), Nathan Dugger (guitar, keys), and Rich Brinsfield (bass). Since releasing his first solo album, 2005’s Washed In Blue, Drew has established himself as a formidable indie act, selling more than 85,000 records, playing more than 1,500 live dates, selling out headline shows, and touring alongside such varied acts as The Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams, Los Lobos, Needtobreathe, Susan Tedeschi, North Mississippi Allstars, and others. Good Light, Drew’s fourth studio album, was released on 2/26/13 and debuited #84 on the Billboard Top 200, their highest chart debut to date. The music video for the first single, “Good Light”, has been featured on VH1, CMT Pure, & E! News. The band has had over 40 placements on 10 different networks, including “How I Met Your Mother”, “Criminal Minds”, “Nashville”, “Parenthood”, &“Justified.” They’ve also been featured in USA Today, American Songwriter, Paste, Huffington Post and much more. Good Light showcases his signature brand of singer/songwriter Americana in its finest form yet. “On past albums I was searching for my voice, both literally and figuratively,” explains Drew. “I co-wrote a lot of songs, peppered the music with too many influences, and let too many other voices in my head.” With this album, Drew dedicated himself to the process of songwriting, stripping away extra layers, ridding himself of past boundaries and expectations. He wrote more than 40 songs for Good Light, mostly alone on his 1934 Gibson Archtop, eventually whittling the selections down to a final 12 tracks. Recorded live at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Good Light arrives shortly following Drew’s 30th birthday and the birth of his first child, daughter Emmylou, with wife and bandmate Ellie Holcomb. “This album perfectly tells the story of this new stage in my life,” explains Drew. “I think about my daughter every time I sing the title track, how I want to sing it over her when she is old enough to start understanding the world of truth and consequence… Each of us has a story, and it’s the only one we can tell. With this album I’m telling my story.”Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors on Facebook | Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors on Twitter | Official Website
DAVID RAMIREZA man and his guitar…honest, unfiltered and true. In a landscape filled with Top 40 beats and harmonizing folk groups, a lone singer-songwriter definitely has his work cut out for him. But David Ramirez isn’t looking to top the charts. He just wants to tell the truth.
“I grew up on 90’s alternative radio. It was fun and easy. Then in college someone gave me a Ryan Adams record, which led me to discover artists like Bob Dylan. From those guys I learned about the power of words and melody and their ability to affect change in people. That honesty made me want to connect with people through music”.
Being just as drawn to artists like Dylan and Adams as he is to The National and Arcade Fire is perhaps what draws both young college crowds and folk traditionalists to his live shows. In 2012, Ramirez played over 175 shows in theaters, clubs, bars and listening rooms from Burlington, VT to San Diego, CA. A Fall 2012 co-headline tour with Noah Gundersen saw many sell-out shows and grew his loyal fan base. “I’ve been humbled by the response I’ve received from people. Not only do they come to a show or two but they seem to be in it for the long haul. Touring can be tough, but knowing that people around the country are excited to be a part of my music brings so much joy and meaning to the miles”.
Ramirez’s career has spanned 2 full lengths and 3 EP’s. His 2012 independently released album, Apologies debuted at #2 on iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts and #23 on Billboard Folk, garnering praise from The New York Times, American Songwriter and PASTE. Hometown magazine Austin Monthly calls Ramirez “one of Americana’s great undiscovered songwriters…” His latest release is The Rooster EP. Produced in 6 days by Ramirez and Danny Reisch (Shearwater, Okkervill River, White Denim), the 5 songs explore new sounds and test the limits of the folk/singer-songwriter genre. “The songs themselves are still rooted in folk, but I wanted to experiment with different sounds and textures. It’s subtle but it’s strong”.
David Ramirez knows no luxury. All he needs is an acoustic guitar and the words in his mouth to share his story. One that is honest, unfiltered and true.
David Ramirez on Facebook | David Ramirez on Twitter | Official Website
PENNY AND SPARROW

Penny & Sparrow are a compelling Austin band with a stripped down return-to-basics mentality that yields extraordinary sonic results. They (Kyle and Andy) understand you don’t need gimmicks to make beautiful music that cuts you to the core and woos you to keep their tunes on repeat for days on end. They write music that effortlessly draws you in with their rich harmonies and deep, moving lyrics that are intimate and relational in nature reminiscent of Bon Iver and The Swell Season. They write music they would want to listen to….and that basic recipe is working for everyone.
Penny and Sparrow on Facebook | Penny and Sparrow on Twitter | Official Website

Songs of the Fall w/ Daniel Gonzales
2013-11-16 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
SONGS OF THE FALLIn the digital age we live in, music is still the one thing that can grip and infect us with raw energy and emotional passion that we can’t easily find in our modern, static society. Songs of the Fall, comprised of Stetson Adkisson and Cia Cherryholmes, is a Nashville based Americana duo with a love of music and communicating it to people on a very personal, relatable level.
“Whether touring as just an acoustic duo or with a full band, we love playing and singing our songs for people. We try to write about the things that move us and hope the realness of the songs carries across to the audience. The greatest compliment we can receive is someone telling us a song touched them or made them weep or that it was their story. Life is rough, and we all want that one song we can rock out or cry along to”. -Cia
“People have asked, why the name ‘Songs of the Fall’? The way we see it, the story of mankind is all about falling–From the original fall of man, the tottering steps we take as a child, to growing up and falling in love, into temptations, and in and out of luck. Life is about the fall and how we keep learning and growing, and those are the things worth singing about”. -Stetson
Stetson Adkisson- vocals, guitar
Stetson, 29, began singing and writing songs in college and played the singer-songwriter circuit throughout the west before teaming up with Cia to start Songs of the Fall. Born and raised in CO, he now lives in Nashville.
Cia Cherryholmes- vocals, banjo, bouzouki
Cia, 28, began playing music at the age of 15, has toured internationally, and has 5 Grammy nominations for her previous works. Originally
from L.A., she now resides in Nashville, TN.
Cia Cherryholmes was a part of the bluegrass band Cherryholmes with her parents & siblings. Cherryholmes was the recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainers of the Year award for 2005 and were nominated again in 2007. Other accolades include Grammy nominations in 2006, 2007, and 2008 for Best Bluegrass Album. Cherryholmes has released seven albums since 2001. The first three albums were released independently; the next four were released on Skaggs Family Records. The family band disbanded in 2011 and Cia started Songs of the Fall that same year.
Songs of the Fall on Facebook | Songs of the Fall on Twitter | Official Website
DANIEL GONZALESDaniel Gonzales is a singer/songwriter out of Dallas, TX currently living in College Station. You can usually find him playing around town with soothing melodies and smooth song writing, this is an up-and-coming artist to keep an eye out for.Daniel Gonzales on Facebook

Voices For Children Benefit Concert feat. Del Castillo
2013-11-15 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
VOICES FOR CHILDREN

Voices For Children, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to children in our community, through the use of highly trained volunteers as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). VFC is dedicated to the safety and needs of the children we serve.

Voices for Children of the Brazos Valley on Facebook | Official Website
DEL CASTILLO

DEL CASTILLO began as a CD project for family back in the winter of 2000 and has become a symbol of the cross-cultural power of music with their eclectic blend of Flamenco, Rock, Latin, Blues, and World music.
Between the release of their first CD, Brothers of the Castle back in 2001, to their 2006 release, Brotherhood, Del Castillo has received an astonishing 18 awards including SXSW/Austin Music “Album of the Year” Awards for Vida (2002) and Brotherhood (2006), “Band of the Year (2003)”, ASCAP’S “Best Independent Group of the Year (2005)”, and Austin Music Pundits “Best Live Act (2004)”.
Rolling Stone calls Del Castillo “tumbling brilliance on nylon-string classical guitars” with “eruptions of technique and taste (that) conjure images of Eddie Van Halen fronting early Santana (with an assist from the Gipsy Kings).“
Film Director Robert Rodriguez attended a Del Castillo concert in 2002 and a great friendship developed between the two. Rodriguez then enlisted the group to contribute music to the soundtracks of his movies, such as “Spy Kids 3D”, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”,“Sin City”, and “GRINDHOUSE”, and perform with him at the premieres.
Rodriguez was so impressed with Del Castillo that he wanted to record with them, so together, they formed CHINGON and recorded an amazing electric rendition of the Mexican classic song, “Malaguena Salerosa”. Quentin Tarantino loved it so much that he re-did the ending sequence of “Kill Bill Vol. II” to fit the song into his movie.
By 2004, Del Castillo was touring nationwide across the country playing with such diverse acts as Styx, Los Lonely Boys, Ozomatli, Don Henley, Los Lobos, and Willie Nelson and continued tour non-stop through 2006. They have performed at three of Willie Nelson’s 4th Of July Picnics, and at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and they have made numerous national and local TV appearances.
Willie Nelson enjoyed Del Castillo so much that he re-recorded his song “I Never Cared For You” with the group (which is included on Del Castillo’s Brotherhood CD) and calls it “his favorite version”. Nelson has become a good friend of the band as well and the two look forward to touring together again soon.
During 2008, the band began playing major festivals all over the country and even Canada and widening its audience at a much more rapid rate. At California’s famous Strawberry Music Festival, they were deemed the highlight of the festival and broke the merchandise sales record. Immediately after their incendiary debut performance at the Vancouver Folk Festival in Canada, they were selected to play the headlining stage for 2009.
Rick and Mark del Castillo were recently selected in December 2008, by Gibson Global, to be two of only about SIX guitarists in the world to launch their new state-of the-art Dark Fire Gibson Les Paul guitar line.
The band continues to tour throughout the country, thriving on performing live and building new audiences, and songwriting and recording are a priority during breaks in their tour schedule.

Del Castillo on Facebook | Del Castillo on Twitter | Official Website

The Damn Quails w/ Chris King and The Liberators & Joe Teichman (full band)
2013-11-14 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
THE DAMN QUAILS

The rich sounds of soul, blues, country, folk, and a little bit of rock are all accounted for in a cohesive mixture that digests smoothly, like a dose of high quality opiates hitting the bloodstream.
Described as a young band with old souls, The Damn Quails are a combined effort between singer/songwriters Gabriel Marshall and Bryon White, proud saplings of Oklahoma’s opulent music vegetation. Understanding the caliber of songwriters that are indigenous to this particular part of the country is the only thing that makes a debut release this good seem plausible.
Having been exposed to local storytellers like Tom Skinner, Mike McClure and Gene Collier, both Bryon and Gabe sank their roots into songwriting early on and remained close to that art while earning their music chops on stage indulging in music styles that ran the spectrum. It’s a very lucky thing for anyone who considers himself a music aficionado that Bryon and Gabe would emerge from the same stompin’ grounds and eventually come stool–to-stool in a highly respected ritual among writers known as the Song Swap.
It was in this survival of the fittest setting where two songwriters, both equally fierce in measure, would set into motion a pairing that resonates a lifetime of compatibility despite its level of humble beginnings. Backed by the ‘Quail Philharmonic,” the live show spills off the stage with a pooled sound that makes veteran performers stand up and take notice, and on any given night the philharmonic fills to include some of their peers from other bands. After all, the jam is what it is really all about and Bryon admits that they have never performed a song the same way twice.
The Damn Quails debut studio release appropriately titled DOWN THE HATCH will shell out on October 25th, 2011 on 598 Recordings. The threading together of their individual songs meant they had to find just the right producer who could bring two solid talents together as a team, and they found it in the veteran combo of Mike McClure and Joe Hardy.
McClure’s reputation as a songwriter and musician is of legendary standing, having had admirable success both as a front man for The Great Divide and as a solo artist. His innate talents and knowledge of music has made him a highly sought after producer in the Indie circuit with producing/recording credits that include Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours, Stoney LaRue, Johnny Cooper, Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P Nunn and Lloyd Maines.
Hardy currently runs Billy Gibbons’ Foam Box Studio and has recorded everyone from ZZ Top to The Replacements to Steve Earle.
The enormity of talent combined in this debut release is staggering. From the first sweet sounds of harmonica and fiddle on “Better Place To Stop” to the airy essence of “Mary” to the lonesome call of “California,” The Damn Quails deliver one of the most solid performances of any freshmen album you will ever hear.
The Damn Quails on Facebook | The Damn Quails on Twitter | Official Website
CHRIS KING & THE LIBERATORSBorn in East Texas then transplanted & raised in a tiny South Texas town, Chris King is an honest songwriter who places the subjects of his songs in the middle of heartbreak, moonlight, alcohol, Cadillacs, hope, dance halls, & thunderstorms… all with as much gallop or yawn as he can muster. With a new voice in Texas music, Chris King’s first full-length record, “1983”, will be released January 15, 2013.Chris King on Facebook | Chris King on Twitter | Official Website
JOE TEICHMAN (full band)
Joe Teichman is a singer-songwriter based out of College Station, TX, a very pivotal view for the up and coming music scene in the state. Joe has been playing for the past four years and is nowhere near through. He has had many full band shows around College Station with the “Cool Arrows” but also many acoustic shows consisting of himself and mandolin player, John Terry, traveling the state to cities and towns such as, Dallas, Plano, Dripping Springs, Johnson City, Breckenridge, Austin, Georgetown and even Lampasas, TX. Dates are being added so come catch a show and let’s have a good time!
Joe Teichman on Facebook | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. Emily Herring w/ Nathan Wells & Anna Stockdale
2013-11-13 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
Doors open at 6PM for Happy Hour ($2.50 wells and domestics) and music starts at 8pm. Get there early, beat the cover (starts at 8pm), get some great drinks & enjoy live music with us!
EMILY HERRING “If it ain’t worth saying, it ain’t worth singin.” Emily Herring is a born and bred Texan, with a Marty Robbins yodel and an outlaw sound as big and varied as the state from which she hails. She is equally a player and a lyricist, with influences of traditional country, Tejano, western swing, and southern blues. It is her voice, however, that sets her apart from the rest. Emily pulls no punches. Hers is hard-hitting-no-frills country, sung with a distinctive twang.

During her three US tours, Emily played in venues all over the country including the Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinatti, The Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans, and Folk Alliance. She played music for ten years in Portland, OR, before moving back to Texas in 2010 to be closer to the heart of the country music she lives for. She currently lives in San Marcos, where she plays all over the Hill Country as a solo act, and with her band Emily Herring and Henpecked.

In turns dazzling and stark, “Your Mistake” is a love letter and a warning, a honkytonk when the lights come up, the ring of the last change in your pocket as you spend it on the only beautiful girl in town. Herring’s songs are poetry, wrought with pedal steel, dobro, telecaster, a careful reverence, and an honest eye. Stretching across Texas and the new West, the songs on this album recall the last fifty years of country music in a sound all their own.Emily Herring on Facebook | Official Website
NATHAN WELLS
Nathan Wells is the frontman of local band Ottoman Turks and also plays and sings solo as an up-and-coming singer/songwriter in Bryan/College Station.
ANNA STOCKDALE
Anna is a senior at Texas A&M and a new up-and-coming singer/songwriter in Bryan/College Station. She’s been playing guitar for about 10 years, and just started seriously writing and playing this past summer. Come listen and check out new talent this town has to provide!

He Is Legend w/ Fever Dreamer, The News Can Wait, Least of These & Electric Astronaut
2013-11-12 19:30 - 23:55 | TX
Tickets for this concert can be purchased here.
Third String Productions presents:
HE IS LEGEND

“Odd, intriguing and dangerous with a hint of sexy…” is how Schuylar Croom describes the name and nature of his new album, “Suck Out The Poison.” He and cohorts Steve Bache, Adam Tanhouz and Matt Williams – known as He Is Legend – have been “running with lies” for some time now. Croom is able to spin these so-called “lies” into the intricate stories that comprise this sophomore album. Akin to a collection of Fairy Tales, with titles like “Attack of the Dungeon Witch,” “The Widow of Magnolia” and “Goldie’s Torn Locks,” the songs on “Suck Out The Poison” paint fanciful pictures and children of all ages will come to believe Croom’s Southern-Fried tall tales.
Twenty six months straight on the road will do some strange things to your head. The act of waving goodbye to family, friends, significant others, and even a bed of your own, can have you seeing things that aren’t there. And in their place you may begin to find yourself living in an alternate universe, one that exists solely inside your mind. You may even begin to find a strange sense of refuge in fairy tale landscapes of epic battles, enchanted forests, evil maidens, and the emerald eyes of a voodoo princess. Just ask Schuylar Croom, front man for He Is Legend. He’ll tell you what it’s like.
“The world that exists on the road is as real as anything in my imagination,” Croom confesses. “What’s the difference between a story about a man living inside a woman’s head and the fleeting events of everyday life on tour? The visions I see in these songs are pictures of my home–the road. Losing all you know of comfort and reality is what this record is about. It’s not just a collection of songs, but a visit to my abode, my dwelling place. And in that dwelling place you may find a man with flowers growing out of his hands, or you might find a widow mourning the loss of her sailor husband–who has just been devoured by a whale while at sea. Whether it’s a witch who stole the moon or a wife that was made from a corpse, every song is a methodical, magical, mystical masterpiece.”
The act of sucking out the poison is a myth, a fairy tale that will get you killed. But it’s also a fascinating, fictitious picture of redemption. Your friend, your love, is bitten by a serpent, inflicting a fatal wound. In order to save them you have to place yourself on the wound, tasting the serum, to save their life. It is a both vile and virile act, much like the sophomore release from this North Carolina quintet. Dirty, disgusting at times, but always an alluring and fascinating picture. You are drawn to it, even though maybe you shouldn’t be.
Consider the guilty pleasure of the opening track “Dixie Wolf (The Seduction Of).” Aberrant guitar dissonance rides the lightning of off-kilter drumbeats. The instruments seem to pull in one direction, while Schuylar pulls in another. A tense melody floats over the mayhem, making you feel at odds with everything He Is Legend is throwing at you. But maybe that’s the point. Croom bellows, I am the villain to you, you are the princess to me. And I got you where I want you…If I cannot have you darling, no one will. This fairy tale is ending. Rest in pieces. Dark. Disconcerting. Disastrous. Such is the case with this entire sophomore work.
“We pride ourselves in being the most random band in the universe. There is no one concept, no one rule to how we do things. We don’t agree on anything besides the music we write. Why take yourself seriously if you are in a rock band? I can’t even believe that people pay money to watch us make fools out of ourselves onstage. But still, we want everyone to come to the show and never know what to expect, besides knowing they will have a great time. This time around though, we are way more satisfied with the music we have written. I think people will come to the shows and do a little more than just swing their arms and do karate kicks.”
Perhaps the overriding theme here is depth. Beyond the thin veneer of entertainment lies a successful reach to further recesses of motivation and influence. HIL have no interest in playing the “scene” game. They are unashamed about pulling from such influences as Pantera and Sevendust. The record is as much of a nu-metal barrage as it is a southern rock avalanche. The band has made a decision that they don’t want to be pigeonholed as hardcore, or metalcore, or screamo, just because they play heavy music. And they are to be commended for this courage. This is beyond lip rings and black hair dye.
“It takes a lot for us to pull from any current influences. I love Rob Zombie, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave. I love true storytellers that can put out any kind of record that they want and it sells just because the music is good. We draw so much from the records of our childhood here. The Melvins, Neurosis, Foo Fighters, Nirvana. We wanted to pull from as many different places as possible.”
Consider the fact that this band has toured with everyone from Atreyu to Story Of The Year to Eighteen Visions to Every Time I Die to hardcore favorites Norma Jean. Their debut disk has scanned over 40,000 copies. Not bad for a band of pirates who just want to sail the open seas and loot all in their path. Still, there is so much more on the horizon for He Is Legend, with the advent of Suck Out the Poison. But they don’t want to be the largest band in the world as the only end. Ultimately, they just want to have fun and let whatever comes, come.
That goal takes commitment to something more lofty than sales…
Not unlike the stories in the lyrics themselves, there is something inside all of this that is tangible. Something you can grab a hold of, a picture that is worth more than a thousand words. And to capture these pictures in the layout, the band gave one song away to each of twelve different artists to create a package concept. Each picture is a painting, a drawing of what each artist sees in each song. The result is a collage of depictions that can’t help but take you somewhere. But where?
“When I was growing up I was in a strict Baptist environment where things like vampires and monsters were taboo. Somewhere along the way I was drawn to fixate on those things and have come to explore them, more in my subconscious mind than anywhere else. Not to say that evil is a resting place, but I think in coming to confront loss, hurt, heartache–the dark things of the rock n’ roll experience–you effectively disarm them. There is hope here, but you have to weed through all the painful things to get there. Loss is the hardest thing you can go through emotionally, and that is a large part of what has influenced this album. We have lived on the road for two years as an unbelievable fairy tale. After awhile you just naturally become a part of that fairy tale.”
He Is Legend on Facebook | He Is Legend on Twitter
FEVER DREAMER

With an eerie undertone, Fever Dreamer brings a new feel to the Rock genre. Though they give a slightly dark feel to their music, they drench every song with catchy rhythms and melodies which stand out most unique. The band instantly draws you in with their new pitch only to keep you hooked by the depth found in their lyrics. Each song is written as if it is its own separate story. Fever Dreamer is a new breed in the genre and definitely deserves a listen!
Fever Dreamer on Facebook | Fever Dreamer on Twitter
THE NEWS CAN WAIT

The News Can Wait is a rock/Experimental-Punk band from Dallas, TX. With the combined influence of hardcore, experimental, punk, and ambient styles of music; The News Can Wait has created something unique and fitting to the message underlining their very project: that message being the real-life, first-hand march of one’s existence. Whether The News Can Wait is shouting about making progress or the struggles that come along with pursuing that progress, the message portrays a rational acceptance and declaration of taking control of one’s life and the awareness manifested in doing so.
Within the name itself, The News Can Wait supports a message of liberation, priority, and assertion. When one is capable of prioritizing what can and cannot wait, this liberates them into the world with a focus. The News Can Wait’s focus in this case is the liberation of the people through the individual’s grasp of their own lives. Rather than waiting for life to take place in front of one’s eyes, the message is about asserting oneself as an individual who takes action, makes priority, and has awareness of what’s going on.
The News Can Wait on Facebook | Official Website
LEAST OF THESE

Least of These consists of 4 young men from the DFW area in Texas, who simply want to know Christ more deeply. Their goal as a band is to spread the gospel throughout the nations and love others in doing so. They are a band set on writing honest, passionate, and heartfelt lyrics put to music that is equally as passionate. Least of These is a band that doesn’t try to fit in a mold, but writes whatever is put on their hearts no matter what the sound is. Christ is the main reason this band exists and He gets all the glory.
“This EP, More Than Conquerors, is a passionate collection of songs put together by an extremely talented group of four guys based out of Denton, Texas….Each song has an incredibly heartfelt message and meaning which makes the album feel inspired, not only by the ideas of the writer, but by the voice of our Almighty God speaking straight to the songwriter…This album is a great one if you like indie rock with meaningful passionate lyrics. Even though this is only a seven track EP, in some ways it feels like the perfect amount of music. But it also in other ways doesn’t feel like enough. It has a really kind of bittersweet ending which left me feeling satisfied. I definitely recommend checking out this band and album.” – Cimarron Hatch – Indie Vision Music
“Overall this is a great debut from Least of These. They have crafted some very creative and enjoyable indie rock. These guys have a lot of talent, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next. For this being their very first album, I am looking forward to what they come up with in the future. Least of These have created a strong debut album that is well worth your time to check out.” – Joshua Clark –
Least of These on Facebook | Least of These on Twitter
ELECTRIC ASTRONAUT
Electric Astronaut is a rock band from College Station formed from the ashes of well-known locals, BonnieBlue and Legacy Fails.
Electric Astronaut on Facebook

Homebrew Live feat. Myra Maybelle w/ Outlaws to Kings, Anxious Fate & Predominant Mortification
2013-11-09 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
Tickets $5 available at the door the day of the concert.
MYRA MAYBELLEWe all come from a long line of musicianship. Will and Camo were formerly members of Behold the Great Throne. After BTGT departed ways Will,cam, and former guitar play of sea of wolves luca, decided to launch a new project with no limits. Night after night the booze clanked the walls shaked and and music littered the air. We had minor set backs, but we shook them off and rose out of the ashes and found the Norwegian pancake-c lo green, and former Transcend before Azalia bassist Michael Brammer, to form what you would call powerhouse band “Myra Maybelle”. Music is love. Friendship is key. And family is everything.Myra Maybelle on Facebook
OUTLAWS TO KINGS
Outlaws to Kings is a metal/post hardcore band from Copperas Cove, TX.
Outlaws to Kings on Facebook
ANXIOUS FATEAnxious Fate is a metal band from Bryan/College Station, TX
Anxious Fate on Facebook
PREDOMINANT MORTIFICATIONStarted around August of 2006 as a one man band. But shortly after starting, Cody obtained a full band. Only one recording of these days exist as a demo. After dealing with line up change after line up change, Ryan Moss and Johnny McKenna joined the band in 2007. Not long afterwards, both Ryan and Johnny left the band. Neither were from hard feelings. Since the departure of 2 members, Cody went on to tour and play shows as a one man band. Toured with such bands as VITAL REMAINS and Deterioration. In November of 2009, Bloodgurgled Suffocation, the band’s first full length, was released. Things slowed down in 2010 because Cody started to finish school. In 2011, Cody started re-recording older songs and writing new songs. With a new sound that will crush faces, worldwide.Predominant Mortification on Facebook

Shinyribs (Kevin Russell from The Gourds) w/ The Washers
2013-11-08 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
SHINYRIBSShinyribs Russell is known as the front man of the Austin TX musical combo, The Gourds. Born in Beaumont TX, raised in The Church Of Christ he found his calling in biker bars of Louisiana at the tender age of seventeen playing a hybrid of loud country blues rock and psychedelic swamp jangle for the grumpy ingrates congregated there. His regionally notorious band, The Picket Line Coyotes did the college faux chitlin circuit until their demise in the early 90’s. The Gourds formed in 1994 and have become a favorite of the Americana/Hippie Jam/Genre Bending scenes of the last 20 years. Russell in a fit of antsy and wanderlust began performing solo shows under the pseudonym Shinyribs as early as 2006. The name was given to him by a transient in return for a meal of BBQ Russell provided to her. After playing a monthly show in Houston for the last two years he has honed Shinyribs into one of the most interesting roots music experiences around. Stylistically it pulls from the spectrums of great American music; Country, Gospel, Funk and a dollop of poetry in the middle of it all. Shinyribs is not afraid to shake his ass either. And many attend shows just for the dancing. A revolving line up of Austin talent has evolved into the current top notch band; Gourd drummer, Keith Langford, Cerebral Pony Bass man Jeff Brown and Kentucky Fried Keyboard Whiz Winfield Cheek. After garnering fans with his debut record, 2010’s Well After Awhile (ninemilerecords) the sophomore effort is due out this spring. Look for it in Mid-April on ninemilerecords as well.Shinyribs on Facebook | Official Website
THE WASHERSOut of the quiet prairie lands of Texas’ Gulf Coast, there is a murmur that is gradually getting louder. Amidst the stirring is the recognizable tone of crunchy single-coil pickups and a Gibson J-45 against the backdrop of a walking bass line and the crashing of cymbals. If one listens close enough, they will find the epicenter of the ruckus in East Bernard, Texas– a small town more known for kolaches and polka than loud and rowdy Americana music. A band known as The Washers are the makers of the noise, which some consider a new breed of Americana. Though not reinventing the wheel, it’s the slight variations from the others in the Texas Music scene that make this small-town band notable. With all of the standard elements typically seen on the stages across Texas, including Justin Wade Wilcox picking rhythm guitar and banjo, Rio Tripiano on lead guitar and harmonica, Matt Kopycinski thumping away on bass, Mike Faltysek keeping time on the drums, and Todd Janik strumming the acoustic parts, one of the unique elements of their dynamic live show is the fact that the four in front share the vocal spotlight. In addition to a different lead singer on seemingly every song, the four singers constantly shift their roles to create beautiful, complex harmonies. With a little bit of folk, a dash of good old rock ‘n roll, and a whole lot of country, The Washers are hitting the pavement with both feet running, trying to spark a fire in the Texas Music scene.The Washers on Facebook | The Washers on Twitter | Official Website

Featherface 7" Vinyl Release Show w/ New York City Queens & Should've Been Cowboys
2013-11-07 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
FEATHERFACEFeatherface is a band from Houston, Texas that has quickly gained a reputation for its energetic live performances and over-the-top, divergent approach to pop music.
Following up their debut LP ‘Actual Magic’ with relentless touring and appearances at several prominent music festivals, including Free Press Summer Fest and Index Fest, Featherface is continuing to evolve with the release of two new singles on 7” vinyl this October.
“Featherface does the near-impossible-in my book, at least-by taking loose-limbed, organic, all-over-the-map psych-rock and marrying it to full-on, wide-grinning, right-in-your-ear arena-pop. And, against all odds, making it work amazingly, awesomely well in the process.”
– Space City Rock
“[It Comes Electric]…bursts with youthful energy, a lush and varied sound, smart arrangements, and some damn catchy songs”
-Free Press Houston
“Out of nowhere these guys came out with an album that is honestly undeniably one of the best albums of the year.”
– Indie Houston
“Guitars occasionally peal out toward faraway corners, or organ notes will shudder against thin metal walls, adding a textural richness to Featherface’s adventurous sound.”
– We All Make Music
‘It Comes Electric’ named “5/5” in IMR Magazine’s best rated albums of 2011.Featherface on Facebook | Featherface on Twitter | Official Website
NEW YORK CITY QUEENSNew York City Queens is a Houston based Indie/Pop band formed in the spring of 2011 around their debut album, ‘Somewhere Different, Something New.’ Blending influences that range from early pop to contemporary modern rock, NYCQ has solidified a signature sound on their sophomore release, ‘Burn Out Like Roman Candles.’ The Queens are currently booked for an east coast tour to and from their upcoming official CMJ performance.
“The Queens mash together pretty much every type of pop imaginable, from surf-pop riffage to jangly, Elliott Smith-esque folk to ’70s-retro power pop (which brings to mind The Push Kings, for me) to shimmery dreampop to head-nodding, upbeat New Wave, and heat it up ’til it all melts and intermingles and mixes, coming out a candy-colored, thoroughly great pop-rock amalgam that’s just about impossible for a pop-song fanatic like myself to resist.
Some bands take years to hit their stride — these five kids apparently only needed 10 months or so. My hat’s off to y’all.” – Jeremy Hart, Space City RockThe New York City Queens on Facebook | The New York City Queens on Twitter | Official Website
Should’ve Been CowboysShould’ve Been Cowboys is a 4-man rock band based out of College Station, TX.Should’ve Been Cowboys on Facebook | Should’ve Been Cowboys on Twitter | Official Website

The Rocky Horror Picture Show by the shadow cast of Cepheid Variable
2013-11-01 23:00 - 23:55 | TX
This event will sell out. 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.

Grand Stafford Theater & Cepheid Variable present:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show by the shadow cast of Cepheid Variable

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 British musical comedy horror film and an adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show, a musical stage play, book, music, and lyrics by Richard O’Brien. Directed by Jim Sharman from a screenplay by Sharman and O’Brien, the production is a humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s through early 1970s.
Still in limited release nearly four decades after its premiere, it has the longest-running theatrical release in film history. It gained notoriety as a midnight movie in 1977 when audiences began participating with the film in theaters. The film has a large international cult following and is one of the most well-known and financially successful midnight movies of all time. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
THE CAST: CEPHEID VARIABLECe· phe· id var· i· a· ble (1) Function: noun Date: circa 1903 any of a class of pulsating stars whose very regular light variations are related directly to their intrinsic luminosities and whose apparent luminosities are used to estimate distances in astronomy. Ce· phe· id var· i· a· ble (2) Function: programming Date: circa 1969 any of a group of Texas A&M students whose very irregular activities are related directly to their love of science fiction, fantasy, or horror and whose luminous abilities are used to coordinate outlandish programs. Cepheid Variable stands as a Texas A&M Student Organization devoted to the support and promotion of all things science fiction, fantasy, horror, science, and technology, and the support of the community that grows around them through an atmosphere of acceptance and kinship. Cepheid Variable seeks to promote creativity, enrich imagination, and build active learning opportunities through a variety of educational programs, demonstrations, and presentations.
For more information about the play, film adaptation, audience participation, what to expect and videos to learn the dances visit The Official Fan Club Website for The Rock Horror Picture Show.

For more information on Cepheid Variable and their shadow cast visit Cepheid Variable’s Facebook Page
This film & performance may not be suitable for all audience and all ages. This film is rated R. Minors to be accompanied by an adult.

FREE First Friday Concert feat. Sons of Fathers
2013-11-01 20:00 | TX
Grand Stafford Theater presents: Free First Friday Concert Series
Sons of FathersTrends and styles may change in music, but there are just some things that are timeless…like songwriting from the heart with ear-catching melodies and rich harmony vocals. The team of David Beck (a stage name as his real name is David Whitbeck) and Paul Cauthen has created Sons of Fathers, a band with a soaring, original sound that belies their young age. They have been compared to the Avett Brothers, The Byrds, and The Everly Brothers, albeit with an infusion of Texas grease. Beck and Cauthen came together when each was working on a solo project in San Marcos, Texas. Though the two had met casually, a chance encounter at Thompson’s Island in a park on the Blanco River led them to join forces. Paul remembers, “I was walking in with my guitar and my writing notebook and Dave was walking out with his guitar and book.” As soon as the Texans starting writing and singing together, they realized that they had found something special. “We knocked out an incredible number of songs in two days,” says Paul. Singing together came just as easily. “It’s the weirdest thing. The harmony is the last thing we worry about. We just fall into sockets of harmony naturally,” says Paul. Originally called Beck & Cauthen, the group received a letter from representatives of Beck (the artist who performed ‘Odelay’ and ‘Mellow Gold’). “We had used the phrase ‘Sons of Fathers’ long before we wrote the song and we have changed the band name. It was a sign for us to change the name to something that included the whole band, not just a duo. We are all in this together and we all play a role.” Augmented with Regan Schmidt on guitar and lap steel and Dees Stribling on drums, the band functions as an organic unit. Sons of Fathers is an especially appropriate name as Beck and Cauthen’s heritage has helped make them who they are. Cauthen, a native of Tyler, Texas, began singing in the church at the age of seven and learning guitar from his grandfather, a preacher. He says, “Granddad was a hell of a musician. He chose the Church of Christ instead of the church of rock and roll. I remember learning to sing harmonies in the bathtub at six years old in Tyler, Texas.” Paul now has a tattoo of his grandfather’s signature on his arm and says that his grandfather influences his sense of spirituality to this day. Beck was raised in San Marcos, Texas, the son of Bill Whitbeck, a respected and renowned touring musician. “It was a different lifestyle for a young son. Dad was always on the road for business. We’ve learned from what our fathers and grandfathers have done and put those lessons into our lives,” he reflects. The band also has tremendous respect for their matriarchs, having written the poignant song “Mother Dear.” David says, “We have really similar mothers, working hard every day, sacrificing for her kids.” Paul is also grateful, saying, “We both had solid rocks for moms. They were always there.” As they worked up their original compositions, they began to include finely tuned elements from their live show, incorporating tight Everly-esque harmonies and high energy live arrangements. In the spring of 2011, the band ventured into the studio in the hill country town of Doss, Texas. David says, “Being up there focused us and cleared our minds.” Legendary producer Lloyd Maines joined them to co-produce their debut album. “Lloyd put the old soul way of doing things on our record, made sure everything was flowing,” says David. For a new band, they have accomplished much in a short period of time. Most notably, they made their live radio debut on WXPN’s Free at Noon series in August, 2011, a rare event for a new band without a record out. WXPN’s Bruce Warren said, “Their rich vocal harmonies are nothing short of moving.” They have also played at the legendary Gruene Hall. Soon, the music of Sons of Fathers will not only be timeless, but a timely reminder of how great music can be.Sons of Fathers on Facebook | Sons of Fathers on Twitter | Official Website

First Friday Magic & Illusion Show: Spectacular!
2013-11-01 17:00 - 19:00 | TX
Spectacular
Spectacular is a magic and illusion stage show featuring the magic of Cameron Rivers, extraordinaire. The stage show features illusions of all sorts including slight-of-hand, prop magic, and large-scale illusions.
Big Red Drum Entertainment presents a brand-new entertainment venture sure to provide a night of fun-filled memories.
Presenting, Spectacular featuring the magic and illusions of Cameron Rivers. Cameron is a Professional Illusionist who has entertained crowds from Dallas/Ft. Worth to California to Houston and many stops all over the U.S. and Texas in between. He has held many residencies at Renaissance Fairs and Festivals, as well as providing private shows for close to a decade now. Always practicing his craft, Cameron has studied magic, juggling, card tricks, slight-of-hand, large-scale illusions and many forms of entertainment over the years. He is always adding new facets to his toolbox. He was also a founding member of the Aggie Order of Illusionists at Texas A&M University. He still serves as a very active former member and a mentor at the National level for the chapter.
This show is produced to give the audience member every possible advantage in enjoying a full-scale illusion stage show. Cameron has a way of presenting his craft to the audience that makes guests feel involved from curtain up til the last trick has been performed. Audience participation is a must! You will be fully entranced by the magic going on all around you.
The show will start at 5 pm every First Friday at Grand Stafford Theater. From 5-6 pm there will be a cocktail hour featuring many talented magicians performing up-close floor magic. Rope tricks, cups and balls, juggling, rings, and table magic are just some of the many skills that might be on display.
If you can’t make it right at 5 pm, DON”T WORRY! You can still make the stage show. Cameron Rivers will take the stage at 6:15 every performance to perform a full scale illusion Spectacular featuring large scale illusions you will find in many Vegas-style magic shows.
Spectacular is sure to become a popular addition to the monthly attractions at First Fridays in Downtown Bryan, TX. We hope you will consider enjoying a night of magic with us. Its going to be a night you will not forget and want to experience again, we promise.
Tickets will be available at the door. Adults are $8. Children 6-12 are $5.
Community support for endeavors such as this are a must. If you’d like to see more attractions like these, please get out on First Friday and enjoy the show.
Spectacular on Facebook | Official Website

10 Years w/ Kyng, All Hail The Yeti, The Last Place You Look & Saint Carmen
2013-10-31 19:30 - 23:55 | TX
Tickets for this concert can be purchased here.
Grand Stafford Theater, Din Productions, Rock Signal Productions & Rock 103.9 present:
10 YEARS

After a year and a half on the road touring 2010’s Feeding The Wolves, 10 Years reached a turning point. It was time to move forward and take full control of their career by launching their own label, Palehorse Records. In addition, the band decided to self-produce their fourth album, Minus the Machine, at drummer/guitarist Brian Vodinh’s Kashmir Recording.
Splitting up with a major label after five years was “a very scary step to take,” Hasek admits. “It’s like breaking up with a longtime girlfriend. You’re used to the motions, but when it becomes stale and unhappy, you need to move on and get energy back into your life. There was no anger on either side. We just painlessly parted ways.”
Working together as a band for the first time since writing the Gold-selling album The Autumn Effect helped 10 Years go back to their roots, without label-enforced pressure to create a radio-friendly “hit,” and free to experiment with the hard rock sounds that lie at the core of their music. “Our true fans who buy the albums, not just the singles, understand that our singles, for the most part, misrepresent the entire album,” says Hasek. “As a band, we like to explore more and go a little left of center with song structures. We wanted to create an album that has no boundaries, and where we didn’t have to make every song ‘three minutes and 30 seconds’ for a label to approve it. There’s a fine line with that, of course, and we’re very aware of it. We all grew up on rock music, and as many albums as we’ve written, the way we’ve written them, it’s ingrained in us to work within a time frame that fits radio. There are definitely songs that work well for that, but as a whole, we wanted this album to represent a journey in a sense.”
This chapter of 10 Years began in 2001, when Hasek took over as vocalist. Three years later they released their independent album, Killing All That Holds You, featuring the groundbreaking single “Wasteland,” which led to their signing with Universal Records. “That song was created in 2001 or 2002,” says Hasek. “We weren’t seeking to write a smash single. We were just writing music.” The Autumn Effect (2005) led to widespread radio and video play, a fiercely loyal fan base, and tours with heavyweights like Linkin Park, Korn and the Deftones. When their sophomore effort, Division, was released in 2008, 10 Years had cemented their place as one of hard rock’s top contenders and most sought-after live bands. Still, says Hasek, despite the success, “it all came to a head” with the band’s 3rd major label release, Feeding The Wolves. “When you feel like you’re being told to go through motions and jump through hoops, it takes the heart out of it,” he says. “We know that we need a hit and we understand that it’s important. However, as musicians, we’re not a band that says, ‘We’re going to make a hit.’ It’s better to do what comes naturally and then figure out the after-effect.”
With that in mind, 10 Years created their most powerful songs to date for Minus The Machine, with Hasek again relying on personal experiences for his lyrics. “Everyone asks about my inspiration for lyrics, and the best thing I can give them is a very generic answer: life,” he says. “Life is the experience — it’s everything you go through: the ups, the downs. I tend to gravitate more toward the therapy method. I’m not great at writing happy pop songs. So, I usually get the negative emotions out through music. As a person, I’m very happy and thankful for my life, but when it comes to lyrics, it’s therapy for me.”
One thing that won’t change is 10 Years’ connection with their fans. With the release of Minus The Machine, the band is looking forward to hitting the road, performing in close contact with their dedicated audience. “After the last touring cycle, we realized where we should strive to be, and that’s to be totally fine in the club environment,” says Hasek. “We don’t plan to chase after arena rock or amphitheaters. If things like that happen, then so be it, but we live and die by the loyalty of the club audiences. Our fans are loyal. They travel with us, and they want us to be loyal to ourselves. That’s what keeps them coming back. What we tried to do on this album is really give them what they want and what they need because they’ve been so good to us through the ups and downs of our career.”
“First and foremost, when it’s all said and done, we’re proud of this album in its entirety,” he says. “That speaks volumes to us because we’re our own worst critics. We pick everything apart. An album is your child, it’s your baby, and you know it better than anyone. To sit back and be 100 percent proud of what we’ve accomplished is so gratifying, and we think everything else will fall into place. We hope that everyone will enjoy what we’ve tried to do.”
10 Years on Facebook | 10 Years on Twitter | Official Website
KYNG

KYNG the southern California hard rock trio, originated in January of 2008 in Los Angeles. Singer/songwriter Eddie Veliz bassist, Tony Castaneda and drummer Pepe Clarke Magana, after years of working off and on with each other on various projects, decided to propagate the idea of a band that would closer fulfill their musical desires. Within months of sessioning the three were sold on the chemistry and shortly after that went into the studio to record their debut album. The sound they realized was exactly what they had sought after, a unique and universally appealing combination of heavy and captivating concepts, channeling influences from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin to the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. “We wanted a band that could stand alongside anything in the scene, have the ability to crossover seamlessly and still bridge who we are.” KYNG’s versatile approach of a sweet devastation bleeds from an artistic drive toward a momentum described as “California Heavy”. Their evolution will undoubtedly blaze a trail that redefines what is expected and defines the giants they will become. The Los Angeles based trio, hailing from LA and parts of Mexico, is as unique in spirit as their sound. Reminiscent at times of the metal and hard rock of the late 1970’s in style and musical collection, with a presentation that is totally heavy, classic and modern-day all at once, they are sure to refresh the Active Rock and Metal landscapes of today and tomorrow. As drummer Pepe Clarke Magaña puts it, “I think we’re doing stuff, or a combination of stuff that has been done before, in a way it’s never been done before.” Their sound on Trampled Sun easily provokes the question, “Is that really just 3 dudes?” The pipes on Eddie Veliz reminiscent of Cornell is his early days, the thunder brought by Pepe Clarke Magaña on the drums and the rolling rhythms brought by bassist Tony Castañeda have KYNG meant for great things.
Kyng on Facebook | Kyng on Twitter | Official Website
ALL HAIL THE YETI

All Hail The Yeti are the band that turned their back on their Hollywood homes and are better for it. It wasn’t a matter of wanting to walk away from the lights and smog that permeate the false dreams and suburban malaise of their environs – it was necessary.
“We’ve managed to prevail through all the bullshit,” says frontman Connor Garritty. “I have seen too many great metal bands die here. We had to set our sights elsewhere. People always said it’s better to be a big fish in a small lake. I disagree. It’s best to be the biggest fish in the biggest lake!
AHTY are drowned in whiskey, campfire smoke, and blues of the ugliest kind. It’s the product of a wild beast of a band that’s evolved into a force to be reckoned with. Not that AHTY’s evolution was quick or calculated. Since coming together in 2006, the brainchild of Canadian vocalist and tattoo artist Connor Garritty, and guitarist K.J Duval. All Hail The Yeti earned a local following with their swampy, chaotic guitar tone and Garritty’s “look ‘em dead in the eyes” stage demeanor.
“Just about anything that you could think of has happened during our shows,” says the frontman. “Blood, vomit, spit, fights, laughter, broken bones, split skulls, stage diving, girls stripping, drug induced, alcohol-fueled mayhem.”
An EP titled “Trees On Fire With Songs OF Blood,” was released in 2010. It began to satiate local fans with live favorites like “Deep Creek”. With the band eschewing the Hollywood haunts and regular shows with their local kin for higher profile show with the likes of Times of Grace, Soulfly, Fear Factory, and Suicide Silence. It has become clear that All Hail The Yeti had grown into much more than a “local” band.
Without waiting for the “industry” to take notice of what their audience already knew, All Hail The Yeti entered the studio to record their debut full length, with producers Tommy Decker and Mike Sarkisyan in late 2011. The results prove that AHTY has learned to master the riff and make it feel as good as it is savage. While the likes of “Suicide Woods” is lean and mean, “After The Great Fire” verges on an epic journey, it’s churning vocal melody courtesy of bassist Nick Diltz, proves that AHTY have yet to show all of their creative cards.
Now with their line-up rounded out by guitarist Craw NeQuent, All Hail The Yeti are ready to take over the world with no intention of turning back.
How would Connor Garritty describe just what the hell All Hail The Yeti is about? “The best way to describe our sound is to capture how it makes each individual feel,” says the frontman. “Our songs touch on topics of death, life, love, love lost, the paranormal, crypto zoology, mythical creatures, partying, etc. It’s tough to describe our sound with one sentence.” It is left up to each listener to decide what AHTY has unleashed on him or her.
Enter The Yeti. The band that turned its back on the world, and made a name for itself in the process.
All Hail The Yeti on Facebook | All Hail The Yeti on Twitter | Official Website
THE LAST PLACE YOU LOOKthelastplaceyoulook is an American rock band that formed in Houston, Texas. Their debut extended play, The Lies We Tell Ourselves, was released on May 30, 2006. This was followed up with the debut of their first full-length album See The Light Inside You, on January 29, 2009, which featured singles ”Don’t Make It So Easy” and ”Band to Save Me”. In December 2011, the band released a music video and single of “Do You Hear?” a cover of the Christmas song “Do You Hear What I Hear?”. A third as-yet untitled album is currently in production with the first single expected to be “Rip It Out.”The Last Place You Look on Facebook | The Last Place You Look on Twitter | Official Website
SAINT CARMENSaint Carmen is a hard rock band with a modern sound and face-melting intensity; A new breed of ‘mainstream’ rock that knows no limits. Things started kicking off when the band found it’s current line-up in September 2012. With Avery Krueger on lead vocals/guitar, Dylan Cash shredding out the lead guitar, Buck Blackerby on bass, and Jake Bellamy smashing the skins and singing the back-up, Saint Carmen was built on a recipe for a hellacious wall of rockin’ sound.Saint Carmen on Facebook | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. The Shakedown w/ Wes Taylor & Friends
2013-10-30 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
Doors open at 6PM for Happy Hour ($2 wells and domestics) and music starts at 8pm. Get there early, beat the cover (starts at 8pm), get some great drinks & enjoy live music with us!
THE SHAKEDOWN

The Shakedown has been hard at work lately. The band produced and released a self-titled EP in Sept. 2011 which, within the year, had SOLD OUT.
Now they’ve teamed with acclaimed producer/engineer Dylan Ely (Linkin Park, All American Rejects, Against Me!) of The Loop Studios to record their debut, full-length album released Sept. 2013. Lead single “Close To Me” has led the charge on regional radio and online with a new music video.
The Shake Down have paid their dues performing regularly around Texas, working their way to the top of the heap. They even were voted Corpus Christi’s “Hottest Band to Watch” their first year together.
People often ask if the band digs on the likes of Kings of Leon or Black Keys, two groups that draw most comparisons. And, hey, they jam too. But The Shake Down make it all their own.
This South Texas band got going early 2010 after three musicians from different rock groups wrote songs together based off the music they love and bands they admire. The members’ unique musical backgrounds meld to create a catchy / soulful / hard-rocking sound that grabs your attention while the girls head for the dance floor.
The Shake Down describe their sound as “Southern Alternative” with a touch of that “Rolling Stones” soul.
Songs like “Never Coming Down” a fast-paced rollicking jam that repeats the mantra – “I’m so high, I’m never coming down!” or tracks like “Dirty Mind,” a nasty blues song that coaxes listeners into slow, soulful moves.
The band hearkens to the classic days of Rock N’ Roll when you needed a melody that stuck and a great riff to match.
When they aren’t hard at work on new songs, you can find members hanging with friends around a late night beach bonfire or surfing on the coast in the Texas sun.
Look for The Shake Down touring across the country FALL 2013 behind their debut album “Hold On,” which is already generating buzz on music blogs and regional radio.
The Shakedown on Facebook
Wes Taylor & FriendsWes Taylor is a local musician/songwriter/worship leader that was born and raised right here in the heart of the Brazos Valley. For the past 6 years Wes has been actively involved in the Bryan/College Station music scene and has expressed his love for music through songwriting, performing, leading worship, running live sound, and working as an audio engineer in the area. Since 2009, Wes has written, recorded, and produced three albums with brother Josh Taylor at their home studio in Bryan, TX. The past couple years has brought about a lot of new music along with a 5 piece blues/rock band that have hopes to fully return to the secular music world and quickly develop into a well known group in the area.Wes Taylor on Facebook

Nonpoint & Unearth w/ My Ticket Home, In The Trench, Myra Maybelle & Shattered Sun
2013-10-28 18:30 - 23:55 | TX
Tickets for this concert can be purchased here.
Come and Take It Productions presents:
NONPOINT

The band continues to deliver unique, uncompromising, and undeniable hard rock on its self-titled ninth studio album and first for Razor & Tie. Weathering lineup changes, label shifts, and other trials and tribulations, founding members Elias Soriano [vocals] and Robb Rivera [drums] regrouped with fresh blood—Dave Lizzio [guitar], Adam Wolosyzn [bass], and Rasheed Thomas [guitar]—and captured pure fire this time around. Now, you might just get burned if you’re in their way…
In the spring of 2012, Nonpoint experienced something of a rebirth. After touring heavily behind Miracle, they underwent a creative overhaul with the addition of Lizzio, Wolosyzn, and Thomas. At the same time, Rivera stresses that preserving the outfit’s initial integrity proved paramount to songwriting.
“Basically, we wanted to go back to where we came from,” he affirms. “Take our first four albums, throw them in a blender, and this is what you get. Elias wrote some of his deepest lyrics and spit rage in the booth. When it came to the guitars, Dave and Rasheed brought in genuine technical talent. It’s old school with some new flavors.”
Soriano adds, “We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. Dealing with lawyers and losing members, the last year was obviously very difficult. I also had just become a father around the same time. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about.”
In order to transfer that energy to tape, they enlisted the talents of Grammy Award-nominated producer Johnny K [Disturbed, Staind, Megadeth] for the first time. They holed up in his Groovemaster Recording Studios in February 2012 and emerged with 12 of the most raw and real songs of their 15-year career. Johnny pushed them to expand their patented sound, while simultaneously sticking to their guns.
“He challenged each of us instrumentally,” Rivera elaborates. “He brought out anger and angst that we haven’t felt in a long time. We’re known as a live act, and he paid attention to that fact. We built this on the road. This record sounds like war coming out of the speakers.”
The first single “Left For You” slides from an intense riff into a hypnotic verse punctuated by an infectious chorus. Produced and mixed by Brian Virtue [30 Seconds to Mars, Chevelle] in Nashville, it’s immediately explosive. Lyrically, the singer doesn’t hold anything back either.
“It’s about that moment where being discreet or cordial gets thrown out the window,” he reveals. “You realize you’re fighting for a relationship—whether it’s romantic, business, or social—that you don’t really want anymore. You say fuck it and never revisit that friendship again.”
Nonpoint opened up the floodgates to the album by unleashing one of its heaviest tracks, “I Said It,” as a free download their Facebook page in the summer of 2012. The fans responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, welcoming the onslaught. Showcasing dynamic vocal delivery and a groove-driven stomp, it’s perfect for the pit.
“We set the DNA of the record with that song,” the vocalist smiles. “It’s very aggressive and in-your-face. You can think of it as ‘Bullet with a Name 2012’. It’s a good old fashioned Nonpoint song you can bang in the gym.” As a whole, the album feels like a declaration for the band. They’ve never given up, and it’s not even an option. This is who they are, and they’re making music which reflects their spirit.
“It’s a fresh start for us,” Soriano states. “We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there’s life again. You can hear it musically. We’re not going anywhere.”
In addition, they remain one of the most consistent and incendiary live acts on the scene. Having shared the stage with everyone from Sevendust and Stone Sour to Papa Roach and Buckcherry as well as appearing at festivals such as OZZfest and the UK’s Download, each performance stands out as an experience their fan base fervently follows.
The quintet also inked a deal with Razor & Tie in 2011, setting the stage for this next phase. “It was the most natural thing,” says Rivera. “They have an incredible team, and they sought us out. We’re experienced to begin this chapter together.”
Over the course of their nine previous releases, Nonpoint sold over 750,000 albums in North America alone. In addition to fan favorites like “What a Day” and “Circles”, their biggest radio hit to date “Bullet With a Name” reached #22 on the Mainstream Rock Charts and was featured in the hit video game WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 as well as the 2007 film The Condemned. Meanwhile, their cover of Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” was the theme song for the film Miami Vice and hit the Mainstream Rock Charts.
At the end of the day, Rivera wants to give back via the music. “We try to help people through our art,” he exclaims. “So many kids have connected to our songs over the years, and they’ve supported us unconditionally. We fought through so much, and we never gave up. I hope they get a positive message from this album.”
Soriano concludes, “It doesn’t feel like we have some kind of goal. It feels like we have a purpose, which is to put out hopeful music. When this process started, a fuse got lit. We’re not stopping until it all burns.” Their flame will only rise higher.
Nonpoint on Facebook | Official Website
UNEARTH

After an awe-inspiring 15 years of blazing trails and dominating stages, Unearth is now institutionalized as a relentless force in heavy metal, standing the test of time with consistently triumphant creative output, tireless road warrior resilience, Blue Collar style workmanship and a resolute determination to deliver the goods.
Like Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Testament and Anthrax before them, Unearth emerged as part of a burgeoning revolution in heavy music but continued to maintain their relevance and mastery of their craft. They’ve resisted and prevailed against changing trends, subcultural fashions and the way music is obtained and distributed with their credibility, integrity and unique persona intact.
The men of Unearth – longtime members Trevor Phipps (vocals), Buz McGrath and Ken Susi (guitars), John “Slo” Maggard (bass)– are proven “lifers.” In just a couple of short years, drummer Nick Pierce has proven his commitment as well. They have put the furtherance of uncompromising heavy music at the forefront of their career goals. Unearth perseveres, conquers and continues to achieve.
Harnessing the punishing groove of Pantera, the melodic majesty of the New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal, the fist-pumping anthemic power of traditional metal and the gritty realness of early ‘90s Metalcore and Noisecore, Unearth offers a unique take on what was already a thrilling recipe. The Massachusetts based quintet stood tall beside their peers in the so-called New Wave of American Heavy Metal (a category that includes their friends and contemporaries in Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, Shadows Fall and All That Remains) even as they refined themselves into a timeless outfit independent of metal subgenres.
The astounding quality of Unearth’s music has never wavered and only continues to shine through the overly crowded landscape, like a beacon to their fans. The early rumblings of Unearth’s debut full-length, The Stings of Conscience (2001), as well as the EPs that bookended that release, were followed by albums that became classic, defining landmarks in the past decade of underground metal.
The Oncoming Storm (2004), a devastating benchmark many of this generation still discuss with the same devotional awe as albums by The Big 4; III: In the Eyes of Fire (2006), which cracked the Billboard Top 40 with 22,000 in sales during its first week; The March (2008), a conceptually driven opus awarded a 4 “K” review in Kerrang!; and the enduringly awesome new chapter that was Darkness in the Light (2011), which broke into the Billboard’s Hard Rock Top 10 and was hailed by the international press, all comprise a pristine metallic catalog.
Unearth have made most of their albums with Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (August Burns Red, Underoath, A Day To Remember) and worked with the legendary Terry Date (Pantera, Deftones, Soundgarden) as well. Ken Susi is an accomplished producer/mixer in his own right, having worked with The Contortionist and Seemless (among others) and on Unearth records, as well.
With roughly 500,000 in worldwide sales, Unearth’s continued staying power has also hinged on their highly interactive and toweringly heavy live performances. Over the course of a relentlessly impressive career, Unearth have played amphitheaters, sheds, theaters, halls and clubs with a diverse group of bands that includes Slipknot, Slayer, Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, All That Remains, DevilDriver, Dimmu Borgir, Gwar and Whitechapel. They’ve appeared at prestigious festivals like Download in the UK, Germany’s With Full Force and Wacken, Belgium’s Graspop, Hellfest in France and Japan’s Loud Park.
They’ve traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, South America, Europe, Russia and all over Asia. They’ve toured as part of Rockstar Mayhem, Ozzfest (twice), Europe’s Never Say Die, Metal Hammer’s Defenders of the Faith Tour, Australia’s Soundwave (twice), Europe’s Persistence Tour (twice), Sounds Of The Underground and MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball: The Tour as well as multiple headlining runs. Much of that live energy was captured on the Alive from the Apocalypse DVD, which went gold in Canada and debuted at #13 in the US. The Unearth historical legacy was examined in the documentary portion of the DVD.
With an average age still well behind the genre-forefathers and legends ahead of them, Unearth are committed to collaborating on uncharted new heights within their music. No sellout, no experimental adventurousness and no letdown for their extremely dedicated fans on the horizon. Newly partnered with eOne (North America), Century Media (Europe), 3 Wise (Australia) and Howling Bull (Japan) Unearth will always steadily maintain and powerfully proclaim their allegiance to the lifestyle, the ethos and the community of heavy metal, both now and forever.
Unearth on Facebook | Official Website
MY TICKET HOME

My Ticket Home is an American metalcore band formed in 2008 from Columbus, Ohio. They have released two EPs and two full lengths.
My Ticket Home on Facebook | Official Website
IN THE TRENCH

In The Trench has established a reputation, not only for their original and exceptionally tight style, but for putting together one of the most exciting live performances you will find anywhere.
Vocalist Stephen Harding, and guitarists Jarrod Cook and Michael Giroux, welcome the addition of bassist Seneca Homeyer (Zero And Falling) and drummer Mark McBride (Red Team Go, Miphix, Emura).
Their self-titled debut album (2009) shares similarities with their new material (release date TBA). However, the unmistakable improvement in songwriting, vocals, and musicianship in general, brings with it a somewhat more refined, and intense flavor. Brutal screams, crushing power-grooves, and chainsaw guitar riffs are now accompanied by sharper, more dynamic transitions and multi-layered screaming & singing vocals.
In The Trench on Facebook | Official Website
MYRA MAYBELLE

We are Myra Maybelle from College Station/Bryan, Texas. There have been many ups and downs, member changes after member changes, and we are still here to entertain and have a blast. All of the members are from previous bands and have been playing for a long time. Camron Newell (Behold the Great Throne), William Anderson (Behold the Great Throne), Michael Brammer (Transcend Before Azalea, Alcoholocaust) and Ryan Gaines from a couple different bands from up north. We love what we do and wont stop. Come check us out live and be sure to have a good time!
Myra Maybelle on Facebook
SHATTERED SUN
Shattered Sun is a metalcore band from the small town of Alice Texas, Formed in 2011, Their style is heavy/thrash metal with incredible guitar riffs, vocal distortions and that magnetic raw appeal that allows them to create that maximum effect with every song, every time. They can sound brutal at times, but yet they have their melodic side to them. This can only be accomplished through talent and intelligence. They know what their audience wants to hear and they give it to them 100%.. They have the right lineup to deliver the brutal, yet melodic music that sets us apart from other bands. They take their live shows to another level by bringing enormous amounts of force and energy to any and every stage they perform on.
Shattered Sun on Facebook

First Annual Downtown Bryan Zombie Ball & Pub Crawl
2013-10-26 19:00 - 23:55 | TX
First Annual Downtown Bryan Zombie Ball & Pub Crawl
Nine downtown Bryan businesses are participating in the First Annual Downtown Bryan Zombie Ball & Pub Crawl this October 26th, 2013. Guided pub crawls will begin at 7pm departing from Grand Stafford Theater (106 S Main St) every 30mins. Bring your group of friends and enjoy a night filled with one-night-only drink specials and creepy drinks at each bar, costume contests, activities at each bar you visit, a live concert, a drag queen show and so much more!
Each bar will host their own costume contest at 11pm to pick their representative to compete in the Crowning Costume Contest at Grand Stafford Theater at midnight for the reigning Zombie King & Queen of 2013. Tickets to participate in the Zombie Pub Crawl and the Zombie Ball and have access to the photo booth, zombification station and all the great drink specials and activities at each venue are $5. Get yours now!
More details and fun activities coming soon!
Participating bars & venues:
Downtown Uncorked
Grand Stafford Theater
Halo
La Salle Hotel
Murphy’s Law
Papa Perez
Revolution Cafe & Bar
The Proudest Monkey
The Village Cafe

Grupo Fantasma w/ Este Vato
2013-10-25 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
GRUPO FANTASMA

Grupo Fantasma has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre and has continually defied expectations to create one of the most unique musical voices to come out of the United States in the last decade. In 2011 they garnered further acclaim by winning a Grammy (their second such nomination) for their self-produced release El Existential on Nat Geo Music which the Wall Street Journal called “Latin music both new and traditional…vibrant fusions that transcend easy classification.” In 2012 they continued to tour the globe with club and festival dates and spring/summer 2013 will bring their next studio release produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Steve Berlin of Los Lobos as well as a live DVD / album package recorded in their hometown of Austin, Texas.
“Grupo Fantasma is in their own unique place in modern musical culture so I was overwhelmed when asked to produce their upcoming release” says Berlin. “No band around is as authentic and at the same time utterly groundbreaking in so many idioms, not to mention deadly on stage with some of the best arrangements and players around. I think this album will have a solid chance to redefine the entire genre yet again for the current and next generation.”
The band’s incendiary live show, declared by NPR as “seamless whenever and wherever they’re on stage” has brought the band to major festivals and venues internationally including Bonnaroo, North Sea Jazz Festival and Lowlands in the Netherlands, Kennedy Center, London’s O2 Arena, Montreal Jazz Festival, WOMEX, Tempo Latino (France) as well as two tours to Kuwait and Iraq to entertain US troops. Their diverse spectrum of rabid and devoted fans such as Rodney Anonymous from the Dead Milkmen and Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival speaks to the ensemble’s universal appeal beyond just Latin or world music fans. In addition, they have worked or recorded with Prince, Fania All-Stars pianist Larry Harlow, Maceo Parker, Sheila-E, Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets, Ruben Ramos, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan and cult-hero Daniel Johnston.
Grupo Fantasma is a nice piece musical collective formed in 2000 in Austin, Texas consisting of Jose Galeano (timbales, vocals), Kino Esparza (vocals, hand percussion), Beto Martinez (guitar), Greg Gonzalez (bass), John Speice (drums), Matthew “Sweet Lou” Holmes (congas), Gilbert Elorreaga (trumpet), Josh Levy (baritone saxophone) and Mark “Speedy” Gonzales (trombone).
Grupo Fantasma on Facebook | Grupo Fantasma on Twitter | Official Website
Este Vato

Este Vato is an original eight-piece Latin-Fusion group from Austin, TX formed in early-2008 by brothers Rocky and Oscar Reyna. EV includes: Rene Chavez, Ricardo Lara, Feliciano ‘Chano’ Lopez, Frank ‘FAAR’ Ramirez,Rocky Reyna, Oscar Reyna, Rey Treviño and Dave Farris.
EV‘s sound can be described as a blend of English and Spanish lyrics with many styles from Cumbia to Rock to Hip-Hop to Reggae and everything in between. EV calls this sound “Latin-Fusion” and credits its member’s vast musical tastes, experiences and contributions as the key to its originality.
The rhythm section, Rocky Reyna (bass), Oscar Reyna (guitar) and Frank ‘FAAR’ Ramirez (drums), come from families with tremendous musical backgrounds which provide the solid foundation that EV‘s sound is built on. Feliciano ‘Chano’ Lopez contributes his ability to combine English and Spanish lyrics with an arsenal of intricate rhymes that define his political views and life struggles, while Rey Treviño adds turntables, electronic samples and sound effects to the mix. Ricardo Lara brings his talent and experience as a Singer/Songwriter to the band’s lineup by showcasing his eclectic style and powerful voice. Newest members,Rene Chavez & Dave Farris provide an electrifying additional guitar and percussionist that ties the band’s sound together.
Este Vato on Facebook | Este Vato on Twitter | Official Website

Alpha Rev w/ Quiet Company & The Reynolds Number
2013-10-24 20:45 - 23:55 | TX
ALPHA REV
“I want the band to mark a moment in time, to celebrate the being of something new;
The light at the end of the tunnel, the first step toward revealing something that needs to be seen,” says singer-songwriter Casey McPherson of Alpha Rev. Following the Triple A Radio success of New Morning (2010), the band’s third album Bloom (March 19, 2013 on Kirtland Records) is a set of personally transformative and redemptive songs, born in the spirit of creative expansion, and a mandate to blossom and grow.
“To bloom implies something beautiful is going to happen, but it’s a process—just like our own journeys,” says McPherson.
“Casey and I met when we were really young, and have been playing music with each other off and on over the past 13 years,” explains guitarist Zak Loy. “That growth comes across in the music the group is creating now,” he says. Rooted in lyrical wisdom, the more recent addition of drummer Tabber Millard—trained by master percussionists—is credited for the band’s contemporary tribal rhythms. “Tabber means drummer boy in Arabic and his life revolves around this gift he has,” says McPherson. Newest Alpha Rev addition Jeff Bryant rounds out the band, playing pedal steel, piano, organ, and bass.
With a glistening rock sound that is at once fragile and tough, Bloom picks up threads from the past while it takes a big bite into the eternal here and now. Drawing from the wellspring of American history, the grandeur of its landscape, and life’s sweet and tragic mysteries, McPherson leans into his personal challenges as well as the wages of the 21st Century and emerges with a triumphant statement on the ways in which music can serve as a constant source of strength and inspiration.
The shimmering, hymn-like “Sing Loud” – created with songwriter/producer Jamie Kenney (“He’s cut from the same stone I am,” says McPherson) – confronts a failing relationship, “But with the belief that you’re going to experience freedom again,” McPherson explains.
Love and death informs the heart-wrenching “Lexington,” based on actual historical love letters from Civil War soldiers to their wives and families. “The amount of pain they were in to be away from those they loved while their lives were at stake was incredible,” says McPherson.
“’Black Sky,’ is about dealing with losing everything you have from a fire. ‘Lonely Man,’ is about losing your family from working too much and ‘When You Gonna Run,’ is about losing the ability to look good in front of somebody,” he says.
“Alpha Rev is a collective of musicians,” explains McPherson, “Once you join, you’re never really gone.” On Bloom, Alex Dunlap holds down the bass, while Brian Batch (violin, viola) and Dave Wiley (cello) serve as the band’s string section. The players were joined in the studio by a longtime friend of McPherson’s, Dwight Baker (Brandi Carlile, Bob Schneider); he oversaw the project in his Austin studio. Producer Jamie Kenney (Marc Broussard) also worked with the band for two songs on Bloom. “Austin is a great city that takes care of musicians; it helps foster ideas and creativity,” says McPherson. Producer Jamie Kenney (Marc Broussard) also worked with the band for two songs on Bloom.
Since his beginnings in Jackson, Texas, where he was classically trained on piano, McPherson has traveled the distance: Working in a recording studio by age 16, at 17 he was touring overseas as a keyboard player; at 19 he formed Endochine, its name translating from its Latin and Greek roots as “to explode from within.” Turning once again to ancient alphabets for his band’s handle, “Alpha Rev is a combination of the Greek word for the beginning, and the incredible Latin prefix rev, as in revolve, revolt, reveal,” he says. The band’s Hollywood Records debut, New Morning (produced by David Kahne) rose to #3 on the Triple A chart, reaching an audience 40 million listeners-strong. The title song and “Phoenix Burn” also entered the charts.
Yet while scaling his own dreams, McPherson lost both his father and brother to suicide. Forming in 2005, Alpha Rev, became a vehicle to grapple with the outpouring of grief that results from losses of that magnitude. Today, McPherson helps others who’ve lost family to depression and suicide as a volunteer spokesperson for the National Institute of Mental Health organization, Mental Health America of Texas [http://mhatexas.org].
“Music changes people,” says McPherson. “We’re trying to find happiness in music as opposed to self-destruction,” he says. “It’s my desire, and has always been to be a part of our group, that we make each other better musicians, we make each other better men, we challenge each other, we fight and we forgive. Everybody in the band has really adopted that ideal,” says McPherson. “Alpha Rev is more than a band name—it’s a motto.”Alpha Rev on Facebook | Alpha Rev on Twitter | Official Website
QUIET COMPANYTaylor Muse sang those words in 2011 and the time has certainly come for his anthemic Austin pop-rock band. Formed in 2005 Muse (guitar/vocals) and his bandmates have spent much of the last year in increasingly rarefied air; playing late night talk shows (Carson Daly), performing at the Austin City Limits Festival, setting a record crowd for radio station KGSR’s Blues On The Green outdoor concert series, recording a session in the original studio of the iconic “Austin City Limits” television show, winning a record- shattering 10 Austin Music Awards and receiving glowing reviews for the late-2011 release We Are All Where We Belong. Mixed by legendary engineer Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, U2, The Cure), We Are All Where We Belong is a startlingly personal album that finds Muse – backed by Tommy Blank (Guitar), Matt Parmenter (Bass), Jeff Weathers (Drums) and Cody Ackors (Trombone) – growing up and questioning the religious beliefs that underpinned the band’s early work. The album’s gut-punch honesty is presented on a foundation of expansive arrangements that build to anthemic choruses; songs that shift from moments of hushed intimacy to full-on explosions. “It is easily the most personal thing I’ve ever written,” Muse said. “It is, essentially, a break up record, only the romance that’s ending was between myself and religion.” That thematic break from past releases – 2009’s “Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon” and 2010’s “Songs For Staying In” – is bridged by the band’s songwriting ear for ambitious melodies like Death Cab For Cutie or Arcade Fire, with Pedro The Lion’s soulful honesty mixed in. Quiet Company’s explosive live show is notable both for the sheer energy of the band and the fact that each member is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, making it a much simpler task to bring their complex studio arrangements to the stage in a fresh, exciting way. Ever prolific, while the band works its way into a heavier touring schedule, they’re also in the process of writing and recording an EP of songs written for Muse’s daughter, as well as their next full length record.Quiet Company on Facebook | Quiet Company on Twitter | Official Website
THE REYNOLDS NUMBERFormed in early 2011, The Reynolds Number is an Austin based quintet that has discovered a very unique blend of melodic rock and roll. Since their conception, the band has toured around Texas in support of their upcoming EP, set to be released in November of 2011. With Josh Atkins and Chris Soltani on guitars, Gabriel Elpers on bass, and Om Shankar on keys/vocals, the band has crafted its niche in the Austin music scene by using choral guitar harmonies, thumping bass, intricate percussion, and powerful vocal melodies to captivate the crowd. Their upcoming record, “For November”, is a seven track CD that truly shows the bands diverse musical influences, and its true soul, telling a story of a man simply trying to find his way again. With the record being on the brink of release, The Reynolds Number simply hopes that those listening will find some inspiration in their words and melodies.The Reynolds Number on Facebook | The Reynolds Number on Twitter | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. Deer Vibes
2013-10-23 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
Doors open at 6PM for Happy Hour ($2 wells and domestics) and music starts at 8pm. Get there early, beat the cover (starts at 8pm), get some great drinks & enjoy live music with us!
DEER VIBES“To refer to Deer Vibes as a band would be selling them short. Hailing from San Antonio, TX, Deer Vibes might be better described as a miniature indie rock orchestra..” “Anchored by the ambitious songwriting of frontman Mikey Vibe, Deer Vibes exhibits a musical and emotional depth that belies their young age. Since forming in 2008, Deer Vibes have been spreading their brand of indie rock gospel all over Texas, flooring audiences with their mesmerizing live shows and sharing the stage with the likes of Minus the Bear, Maps & Atlases, Owen, This Will Destroy You, Tera Melos, The Honorary Title, Good Old War, The Octopus Project, El Ten Eleven, Maserati, and Dignan. Their self-released debut EP, Ventura, has been turning heads amongst fans and critics alike. Currently, they are touring heavily through Texas while working on material for their forthcoming full length album.”
– Ross Ingram
Star Dot Star RecordsDeer Vibes on Facebook | Official Website

Homebrew Live feat. Wellborn Road w/ Hellsouth, Saint Carmen & Downfall Rising
2013-10-19 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
Rock 103.9 and Lone Star Metal present Homebrew Live featuring local and regional rock & metal.
Tickets for this show will be available at the door only for $5.
WELLBORN ROADEstablished 2005, Wellborn Road has carved its name as one of the heavy weights in the Texas hard rock and metal scene. The band was formed in College Station, Texas. Their debut album “Home” proved to be an uncompromised, raw, and unique record. The band is currently jamming everywhere possible and working on their sophomore album.Wellborn Road on Facebook | Official Website
HELLSOUTHHellSouth is a Houston metal band with influences from country, blues and rock bringing in an eclectic sound to their music.Hellsouth on Facebook | Official Website
SAINT CARMENSaint Carmen is a hard rock band with a modern sound and face-melting intensity; A new breed of ‘mainstream’ rock that knows no limits. Things started kicking off when the band found it’s current line-up in September 2012. With Avery Krueger on lead vocals/guitar, Dylan Cash shredding out the lead guitar, Buck Blackerby on bass, and Jake Bellamy smashing the skins and singing the back-up, Saint Carmen was built on a recipe for a hellacious wall of rockin’ sound.Saint Carmen on Facebook | Official Website
DOWNFALL RISINGDownfall Rising is a female fronted modern rock band hailing from east Texas. The bands vocalist, Rachel Peloquin has been referred to as possibly having “the most powerful voice in Rock music today” by the Indie Music Review. The band also consists of guitarists Aaron Hillin, and Greg Wenrich, Stephen Rushing on bass and Tyler Lewing on drums.
Downfall Rising’s sound is instantly recognizable and their music combines pure, genuine emotion with attitude, pain and pleasure. The band instantly got the attention of 8 time Grammy award winner, Bil VornDick who signed on to produce their first self-titled EP released in March of 2013.
Downfall Rising is quickly taking the south by surprise. Their “spot on” live performances are earning them a loyal fan base and garnering the attention of local media everywhere they perform. The band has been sharing the stage with national acts and rocking prominent venues such as the House Of Blues and various festivals.
The band recently performed at the Dallas stop of the “Making Of Rockstars” reality TV show series with Machina (featuring former members of Evanescence) and they currently have 3 singles receiving airplay in various radio markets around the US.
Downfall Rising recently re-entered the studio to begin recording their second EP with Charlie Ray of Digital Services. A live video and concept video is also in the works as the band continues to play shows throughout the region.Downfall Rising on Facebook | Official Website

Haywood reunion concert w/ Whiskey Shivers & Hello Wheels
2013-10-18 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
HAYWOOD
Haywood came together in the Fall of 1996, in College Station, TX. With no more intent than to have a great time with a large group of friends, Brandon Elam and Stephen Sandlin put pen to paper. Kris Arnold and Craig Hoenes filled in the danceable foundations, and the percussion stylings of Chris Huntley and Chris Ginsbach settled down on top. What resulted was an outstanding mix of melody, fun, and a heartfelt exploration of life. Music that makes you want to move… and laugh a little, too.
The next 8 years flew by. Three CDs, one EP, plenty of local praise, and the ability to regularly pull in 1000+ person crowds, helped Haywood make a name around College Station and Houston. Haywood was named Band of the Year, got radio airplay, and was generally considered one of the best live shows around town. As members moved on, the shows slowed, but everyone has remained involved. Brandon Elam has pushed The Literary Greats to success on the Houston music landscape, and Chris Ginsbach has helped plant the seeds of a flourishing Jazz and arts scene in Midland, TX.
While things may have changed over the last few years, the purpose of the band remains. Have a great time, and bring the crowd along for the ride. We’re excited to be back together, and share it with some friends.
Brandon Elam – Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
Stephen Sandlin – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Kris Arnold – Bass Guitar
Craig Hoenes – Drums
Chris Huntley – Percussion
Chris Ginsbach – Percussion
Brendan Anthony – Fiddle
Russel Willis – Drums
Haywood on Facebook | Official Website
WHISKEY SHIVERS

Hatched in the twilight months of ought nine, these five young men came from all corners of the US looking to do one thing: knock the dust off roots music.
A freewheelin’, trashgrassin’, folk tornado, the Whiskey Shivers take traditional instrumentation, soak it in gasoline and send it into outer space. Breakneck speeds, killer grooves and impeccable musicianship: it’s enough to make Bill Monroe himself do a double-take as he spins in his grave.
With upright bass, fiddle, washboard, banjo, guitar, and reasonably priced merchandise, Whiskey Shivers adds a fine layer of grit on top of the hard-driving rhythms of traditional bluegrass. They’ve been called everything from “trashgrass” to “hardcore roots” to “crazy-assed redneck music” — whatever the words, the meaning is the same: Whiskey Shivers brings the house down.
Whiskey Shivers on Facebook | Official Website
HELLO WHEELS

We sing the songs we write with the power of four-part harmony. We all write the songs. We all sing them together.

We thump. We pluck. We strum. We strike.

We stomp. And the people do to.
Hello Wheels is the collaboration of four singers and songwriters. Matt Bradshaw(Keys, Trumpet, Harmonica), Nick Garza(Banjo), John Shaw(Upright Bass), and Peter Shults(Guitar) came together in 2009 to create a unique brand of harmony driven, percussive music they call stomp-folk. With one EP, Baby John the Fox, a split 7-inch with contemporaries Whiskey Shivers called Friends Do Things Together, and their debut full-length record underway with Wild Child producer Alex Peterson, the band stands poised to have a big year as they spread their original take on Americana throughout Texas and the rest of the nation.
Hello Wheels on Facebook | Official Website

Rob Baird w/ Chris King and The Liberators & Nick Verzosa and The Noble Union
2013-10-17 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
ROB BAIRDRob Baird will be the first one to tell you that he hasn’t always been 100%, shall we say, forthright as a songwriter. Back in college (not too terribly long ago), he recorded an album that he has since “completely buried” — primarily, he says, because back then, “I just wasn’t writing about anything that really meant anything to me.” His next album, 2010’s Blue Eyed Angels (which he considers his proper debut), was a fair deal closer to his heart, but even then he was still an artist in search of himself. Songs like “Could Have Been My Baby,” “Blue Eyed Angels” and especially “Fade Away” all demonstrated that he was ultra-confident in the hooks department and talented enough to sound like he knew what he was doing, but Baird himself was still not entirely convinced. By striking contrast, one listen to his new album, the aptly titled I Swear It’s the Truth, and it’s clear that Baird has not only found his sincere artistic identity, but grabbed his sense of purpose by the wheel and pushed pedal to the metal. “I’m moving like the wind through the trees, like a train on a track, there ain’t no stopping me,” he declares on the opening “Dreams and Gasoline. “Let the wheels spin free.” “I just think it’s a really honest record, and it’s kind of the only record that I knew how to make at this point,” says Baird. “‘I’ll swear it’s the truth’ is how I feel about all of these songs. I’ve definitely felt this way in the past three or four years, and I feel like this is a pretty strong collection of songs representing where I am now and what I’m trying to do, whether it’s for better or worse. “I’ve really spent a lot of time trying to perfect my writing, or at least trying to figure out who I am and convey that better in my songs, and trying to perfect the live show, because I want to be around for awhile,” he continues. “I just want longevity. If it takes a long time to figure out how to get enough fans to be able to tour the country and stay out there, then that’s fine. Because if it’s just going to be a flash-in-the-pan kind of deal, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth doing.”Rob Baird on Facebook | Rob Baird on Twitter | Official Website
CHRIS KING & THE LIBERATORSBorn in East Texas then transplanted & raised in a tiny South Texas town, Chris King is an honest songwriter who places the subjects of his songs in the middle of heartbreak, moonlight, alcohol, Cadillacs, hope, dance halls, & thunderstorms… all with as much gallop or yawn as he can muster. With a new voice in Texas music, Chris King’s first full-length record, “1983”, will be released January 15, 2013.Chris King on Facebook | Chris King on Twitter | Official Website
NICK VERZOSA AND THE NOBLE UNIONNVNU was the 1st winner of the Thirsty Throwdown Battle of the Bands Competition held over 3 months in the historic Ft. Worth Stockyards during the summer of 2012.
They competed with 12 bands selected from the venue’s top draws over the previous 2 years for over $12,000 in cash and prizes including the recording, mixing, mastering and manufacturing of the first “Live at Thirsty Armadillo” record.
The album was engineered and produced by Lubbock music man, Jon Taylor, and the band’s frontman/singer/songwriter, Nick Verzosa at Mount Vernon Studios in Lubbock, TX.
Staunchly independent, Nick has proven to be that necessary mix of pure talent, hard work and personality required to dig deep roots into the always competitive Texas music market and shows the ability to spread his branches outside the state lines as well. Averaging 4 shows a week is nothing uncommon for he and his 4 piece band of talented musicians as they continue to impress and entertain a constantly growing fan-base. His strong belief in working hard for what you want is self-evident in his road-warrior mentality, still finding time to vigilantly hone his songwriting craft, what he would tell you is his true passion.Nick Verzosa & The Noble Union on Facebook

Big Texas Nights feat. Tyler Darby & King and Nation (formerly The Twenty Sevens)
2013-10-16 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
Tickets for this event are $5 at the door starting at 8pm.
Happy Hour and Southern Star pint night starts at 6pm, get there early and beat the cover!
Tyler Darby
Tyler Darby and his band is a new, up-and-coming band from Bryan/College Station picking up some steam in the last few months having played around town constantly and participating in various events on campus.
Tyler Darby on Facebook
King and Nation
King and Nation (formerly The Twenty Sevens) are a new indie/alt rock band from College Station gearing up to play venues in Austin already and MSC Town Hall’s Battle of the Bands on campus to compete for the best band in town.
King and Nation on Facebook

Musicians Jam
2013-10-14 18:30 - 22:00 | TX
This group of musicians was created by the music-loving minds behind the newest live music venue in the area, Grand Stafford Theater. It’s for the people who share our passion for music and culture.
Bryan-College Station has a live music scene on the the verge of changing the musical landscape of Texas. Outstanding artists have been moving through our area for many years. Some come from out-of-town and some are grown right here in the Brazos Valley. It is our hope that we can bring the professionals of the music industry in the area together to continue to push, drive and amplify the bond of those on the stage and behind the music.
As a result of individuals building these relationships with one another, the music culture of Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley will abound when the community sees the creativity that comes from our own backyard.
Grand Stafford Theater is here to help tell the nation about the vibrant music culture that is alive and well right here in the heart of Texas.
We ask you to attend our jam and networking sessions regularly and meet new people in the area who share a common interest. Let’s make Bryan-College Station area a place where music is known and remembered.

BTHO Breast Cancer Benefit Festival 2013
2013-10-12 17:30 - 23:55 | TX
Tickets for this event are $10 at the door.
F13 Music Presents:
Beat The Hell Outta Breast Cancer Benefit Festival 2013
The very first BEAT THE HELL OUT OF BREAST CANCER FESTIVAL took place on October 6, 2007 and would continue on for four straight years, benefitting local women who were either fighting the deadly disease, or struggling financially from surviving it. Since 2007, the event has continued to grow and has raised thousands of dollars for it’s beneficiaries. After not having a home venue for two years, the festival is back and this year, the proceeds will benefit Janice Arvo, the aunt of Myra Maybelle guitarist, Will Anderson.
Come out and support the cause and let’s make a difference. There will be many great acts on two different stages, and we’re raffling off some cool stuff including a car stereo.
Sponsored by: F13 Music, Grand Door Company, Anderson Family Remodeling, Unleashed MMA, and Mobile Toys
5:30 – ENDEPTH
6:40 – SHOULD’VE BEEN COWBOYS
7:50 – ISONOMIST
9:10 – INSURGENCE
10:30 – MYRA MAYBELLE
11:50 – EVERYONE DIES IN UTAH (Tragic Hero Records)

Sphynx w/ Marmalakes, Major Major Major & Golden Sombrero
2013-10-11 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
SPHYNX

Cory Dennis, Todd Harris, and Aaron Miller’s first glimpse of success came in high school with The El Guapos, an indie-rock outfit that disbanded after three years of packed Austin venues, a capacity performance at the 2009 NAMM SXSW-Underage showcase, and a botched European record deal. While Miller and Harris studied at The University of Texas, Dennis honed his recording and production skills, founding Indie Fort Studios and working with local favorites like Zlam Dunk, Mother Falcon, and Little Lo. The three remained best friends and it wasn’t long before they embarked on another musical project, this time experimenting with pop and electronic music. They called it Sphynx.
Propelled by several Austin artist collectives, Sphynx’s debut single, “Razberry Wine,” was released on two local compilations and picked up by University of Texas radio station, KVRX. Sphynx gained more momentum with the February 2011 release of their debut EP, ‘Human Beast.’ Critics applauded the EP’s “elaborate synth pop,” and proclaimed that “here we’ve got a new breed” who “recycles a bit of history and puts a bit of soul to their songs.” During the summer of 2011, ‘Human Beast’ charted in the top 30 on radio stations in Canada, Alaska, New York, Michigan, Florida, California, Louisiana and Texas. In September of 2011, Sphynx was the featured artist on the website of nationally syndicated radio program, Loveline. The three continued to navigate their way through the world of music and in December of 2011, Sphynx released a full-length version of ‘Human Beast,’ in Japan on Thistime Records (The Posies, Anoraak, College). During SXSW of 2012, Sphynx was named one of the top 10 best new bands in Austin at The Austin Music Awards, presented by The Austin Chronicle. In their SXSW 2012 Awards, Unique Squared named Sphynx the “most shocking wall of sound from a 3-piece” seen at SXSW. Sphynx released their second EP, ‘Pre Wild,’ in October 2012, garnering praise from reputable sites like AOL Spinner, The Burning Ear, and Pop’stache. The band followed the release with a month-long US tour that included 3 dates supporting Tilly and The Wall and a sold out CMJ showcase at Mercury Lounge in Manhattan. In their review of ‘Pre Wild,’ Austin-based music blog, Ovrld, called Sphynx “one of the best pop acts coming out of Austin right now.”
Sphynx’s growing popularity is due in part to their energetic and bizarre live show, which “brings together musical elements of punk and glam rock to create a big sound and a live experience worthy of an arena.” The group has toured the US consistently since late 2011 and have been official performers at SXSW Festival, CMJ Festival, Bunbury Festival, 35 Conferette Festival (35 Denton), Chaos in Tejas, and more. They’ve supported Wavves, Tilly and The Wall, Art vs. Science, Baths, Japanther, Maps and Atlases, Holy Fuck, White Denim, El Ten Eleven, Peelander-Z, and The Octopus Project. Their songs can be heard on independent radio stations around the US and their music video for ‘Sha Dynasty’ has been played in Tower Records stores throughout Japan. Sphynx is currently recording their debut full-length album.
Sphynx on Facebook | Sphynx on Twitter | Official Website
MARMALAKES

MARMALAKES is a rock band from Austin, TX. Dynamic and lyrically-attentive, their songs carry folk-pop sensibilities. Since 2008, they’ve released 3 EPs and a 7-inch.
They have played with Portugal. The Man, Shearwater, and Sondre Lerche and have sold out venues such as The Mohawk Austin, The Parish, and Rockwood Music Hall.Marmalakes on Facebook | Marmalakes on Twitter | Official Website
MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR

MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR is a two piece garage pop band from Austin influenced by the energy and rawness of garage punk bands like Ty Segall and WAVVES with the poppy hooks of power pop bands such as Big Star. Frontman Adrian Sebastian and drummer Andrew Torrey have been playing music together for the past 2 years in Austin, TX. Although originally a 4 piece, Adrian and Andrew decided to take a new direction by arranging their previous sound to adapt to a raw in your face two piece set up.MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR on Facebook
GOLDEN SOMBREROA band from Bryan, College Station, San Antonio, Houston or a garage near you.Golden Sombrero on Facebook

The Band of Heathens CD Release Show w/ Haley Cole & Dillon Myers
2013-10-10 21:00 - 23:55 | TX
THE BAND OF HEATHENS

Since emerging as a favorite new live band out of Austin TX in the late 2000s, the Band of Heathens has toured relentlessly, building a devoted following and landing on some of the finest stages in music. Over three studio albums and hundreds of shows each year, they’ve evolved as a group and broadened their sound.
Their most recent studio album Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son spiked the already potent punch with a dash of jammy psychedelia. And their four-disc, twovolume, live DVD release called the Double Down – Live in Denver (Vol. 1 & 2) features the band’s live variations and extensions of original material mostly from their last two studio albums. The rich and righteous vocal harmonies and legendary live shows that set TBoH apart from the beginning have just gotten better.
In 2012 The Band of Heathens experienced the first lineup change in 4 years with the departure of Colin Brooks, Seth Whitney, and John Chipman. So going forward, songwriting frontmen Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist are complimented by the rhythm section of drummer Richard Millsap, bassist Ryan Bowman and keyboard player Trevor Nealon. With a growing resume of key shows and broadcasts to their credit, (Bonnaroo, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits TV Show and ACL Festival among them), the slightly rejiggered Band of Heathens has never enjoyed so much renown or optimism.
The band got its start in late 2005 when a group of likeminded songwriters established residency gigs on the same night of the week at Momo’s, a club on Austin’s famous Sixth Street. Friendship, sit-ins and harmony jags gelled into something quite rare: a band with multiple front-men, each with enough humility and passion to invest in the larger project. The sum transcended the parts, and very quickly, word spread about TBoH’s special chemistry. The strong voices up front all played a role, whether as leaders or locked together in harmony.
The show’s-the-thing focus led them down a somewhat unorthodox path: launching their recorded career with two live discs, “Live from Momo’s” and “Live at Antone’s”, released in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The Heathens took their time getting their first studio album out, but when that eponymous debut was released in 2008, they proved they could write and record a coherent statement that measured up to their show. They followed relatively quickly with One Foot In The Ether toward the end of 2009. Both shot to the top of the Americana chart and remained there for months, a longevity rare in any format of music.
Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son, released in 2011, stretches further, without breaking faith with the feel and integrity that got the Band of Heathens this far. The positive reaction from fans and critics vindicated the group’s hopes that the album would show growth. Blurt magazine said that “in a crowded roots rock field, (their) diversity sets them apart.” And “it would have been easy for [them] to play it safe on Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son,” said Pittsburgh’s Daily News. “But they decided to tweak their formula a bit and the results are truly memorable.” And American Songwriter ruled it “an album that begs to be listened to from start to finish.”
The Band of Heathens has been honored as Best New Band at the Austin Music Awards, and has been nominated in various categories at the Americana Music Awards over the past few years. The Wall Street Journal’s Jim Fusilli called theirs the best set at South By Southwest 2009. And the rest of the press has been equally effusive: The Dallas Morning News calls them “a must-see show.” Maverick magazine says they’re “magnificent.” For The Chicago Tribune, the band felt “refreshingly different,” and The New York Times called their show at Brooklyn’s Union Hall “hungry, unflagging and lean.”
The Band of Heathens continues to be distinguished by creative collaboration and their epic live shows, which have earned them a strong fan base of folks who appreciate improvisation and a good jam, but crave a great song. And while songwriting and vocal duties are chiefly handled by the guys at the front of the stage, they are decidedly a five man band, benefitting from the equal input of all. It is truly a band that needs to evolve to survive, and the fans have rewarded that growth at every turn.
The Band of Heathens on Facebook | The Band of Heathens on Twitter | Official Website
HALEY COLE

I could tell you where Birch, Texas, is but that would also require you to know where the other two towns are that surround it. Let’s just say it’s not easy to find, which is appropriate because talent like Haley Cole is not easy to find either.

Haley was born into a family full of talent and grew up singing alongside her parents and 3 sisters. By the time she hit 16, she was equipped with a guitar and the determination to make a music career happen for herself. Inspired by the hard work of her blue collar family and instilled with the same ethic, Haley began performing anywhere she could find a microphone. Starting out at local venues, it wasn’t long before she found herself on well-known stages like Hurricane Harry’s, Dosey Doe’s, and the former Texas Hall of Fame. In her short time on the Texas Music Scene, Haley’s incredible voice and clever lyrics and composition has elevated her to opening for the biggest names in the industry such as Drew Womack, Bart Crow, Ryan Beaver, Max Stalling, Brandon Rhyder, The Rankin Twins, Bri Bagwell, Jason Eady, Folk Family Revival, Jason Cassidy, and Mickey and the Motorcars, just to name a few.

Haley’s kind heartedness, fun personality, and love for her fans leave a lasting impression on every stage she plays. Haley dreams of being the next Miranda Lambert, and has every ounce of talent needed to do so, but she is also very humble about her career in music. She says “If I make it, great, if not, at least I can say I gave it my all, but either way I will keep creating honest music for the fans I cherish as long as they continue to listen.”

Haley released her first professional project on February 22, 2013. The seven song self-titled EP, all originally written, is a cornucopia of Country, Americana, and folk with a touch of rock and bluegrass flavors. Her album features Drew Womack, one of the biggest songwriters in country music, on the amazing track “Devil in Disguise” and look out for her forthcoming single “Satisfied” on a radio near you next month. Do yourself a favor and check out Haley Cole’s album on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby.com, Spotify, Facebook, and her website www.haleycoleband.com – because just like Birch, Texas: talent like Haley Cole is hard to find.
Haley Cole on Facebook | Haley Cole on Twitter | Official Website
DILLON MYERS

Dillon Myers is a southern/rock/country/rock singer/songwriter originally from Dallas, TX who has made Aggieland a home for himself in the past few years after spending a year living in town and playing around the area.
Dillon Myers on Facebook

Big Texas Nights feat. The Bigsbys w/ Austin Meade
2013-10-09 20:00 - 23:00 | TX
Doors open at 6PM for Happy Hour ($2 wells and domestics) and music starts at 8pm. Get there early, beat the cover (starts at 8pm), get some great drinks & enjoy live music with us!
THE BIGSBYS

“The best songs come from the people and stories you know best, from the things you’ve experienced.” – Alex Smith

True Story, the new album from The Bigsbys, consists of stories that are all a little bit true.

The Bigsbys play original roots rock music. It’s muddy and blue with a soul-filled center. Gritty, yet easy on the ears… This music is more of a feeling than a product.

The Bigsbys have toured 9 states and counting in support of their True Story album on top of a full-time Texas schedule.

Four guys from East Texas make up The Bigsbys. Alex Smith(Guitar/Lead Vocals) has been writing songs for the better part of a decade. Brad Hobson(Lead Guitar/Vocals) brings a blues-soaked Gibson SG to the group and gives the tunes a sound like no other. Russell McClendon (Bass) lays chunky, funky beats down and Nick Odom is featured on drums. The bands sound is all their own, and their ability to entertain any crowd separates them from the pack of bands touring today.

The bands first studio album “True Story” features 10 original compositions by the band. True Story is available now on ITunes, Amazon and Lonestar Music.
The Bigsbys on Facebook | The Bigsbys on Twitter | Official Website
AUSTIN MEADE
Austin Meade is a young artist who has recently stepped onto the scene. His music is honest and catches a wide range of attention. With classic influences like Croce and Cash as well as many modern Red Dirt and Blues influences such as Cody Canada, Adam Hood and Sean McConnell, you can find Austin’s music somewhere in the middle. Live shows are exciting and keep listeners interested.
Austin Meade on Facebook
