The Toadies
In 1993, after being noticed by Interscope Records on the strength of their debut EP Pleather, Texas post-grunge rock band the Toadies began recording their debut full- length. The album, named Rubberneck for its pervasive sense of disaster watching, would prove to be one of the most enduring and definitive rock albums of the 1990s. For every bit of adulation heaped upon the platinum-selling Rubberneck by fans and critics alike, there has been just as much ire and confusion surrounding some of the album’s dark and seemingly nefarious lyrical content.—James Courtney
You can catch the Toadies performing Rubberneck tonight in its entirety at Josabi’s. In the mean time, check Vaden Todd Lewis’ solo performance of Rubberneck‘s Possum Kingdom live in the Current garage.
When: Thursday, May 8, 6:30pm
Venue: Josabis
Address: 17200 State Hwy 16
Phone: (210) 372-9100
Web Site: josabis.frontgaketickets.com
Price: $25-$30
T-Pain
When Kanye West picked up Antares Audio Technologies’ auto-tune feature as an actual instrument on 808s & Heartbreak and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, T-Pain’s auto-tune-soaked career plummeted about as fast as you can say M. Night Shyamalan. First employed on Cher’s 1998 single “Believe,” auto-tune became T-Pain’s signature sound on club-centric bangers like “Buy You a Drink,” “I’m In Love With a Stripper,” and later, the self-parodying “I’m On a Boat.” Though he ate some critical and popular shit—see Jay Z’s “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)”—for relying on the plugin as his crutch, thanks to a recent New Yorker profile, T-Pain can be called an engineer of 21st Century party-pop, the man who introduced a new, malleable toy to Top 40. With his 2014 effort, the sincerely titled Stoicville: The Phoenix, T-Pain dropped his bad Mad Hatter hat, but proudly maintained the auto-tune to make his rise back on the charts. With Young Dro and Major Money.
When: Thursday, May 8, 9:30pm
Venue: El Fuerte
Address: 7011 San Pedro
Phone: (210) 584-2431
Web Site: http://tpaindro.eventbrite.com
Price: $15-$60
Ultimate 80’s Tour
Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” On the other hand, Bow Wow Wow—one-third of that famed and universally-agreed-upon trinity of ultimate ’80s bands—argues, “I want candy. I want candy. I want candy.” To put it another way, if you go see Bow Wow Wow (as in, original bass player Leigh Gorman and a lineup of musicians hired in 2012), Gene Loves Jezebel (the one headed by Michael Aston, not the competing version featuring twin brother Jay), and Missing Persons (former Playboy Bunny/front-woman Dale Bozzio minus the original group that included former husband and Frank Zappa drummer Terry Bozzio—no word as to whether “Punky’s Whips” was cited in the divorce) play “the hits” and you’re drunk and your shoes still get wet, do you really give a shit?—Jeremy Martin
When: Saturday, May 10, 7pm
Venue: Backstage Live
Address: 1305 E Houston
City: San Antonio
Phone: (210) 782-2817
Web Site: http://www.backstagelivesa.com/
Price: $15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMICD3aMZpw
Hyperbubble CD Release Double Feature
In their first set, Hyperbubble will perform their entire Drastic Cinematic album, synchronized to scenes from Film Noir and Sci Fi classics. In the second set, Hyperbubble will debut all-new music from their forthcoming movie soundtrack Attack of the Titans, also backed by synchronized video.
When: Saturday, May 10, 8:30pm
Venue: To reserve a seat and get the address, message facebook.com/WolvertonHomeConcerts
or call 210 473 9062.
Price: $10
Holy Wave
With their 2012 debut Knife Hits, Austin’s Holy Wave dropped the best drug reference as an album name since Spacemen 3’s Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs to. With their follow-up, 2014’s Relax, Holy Wave returned with a clarity to their psychedelic visions, drenched in reverb but unclouded in their harmonies. The lovechild of Lou Reed and Brian Wilson, Holy Wave are the soundtrack to those psychedelic beach days.
When: Sunday, May 11, 7pm
Venue: Hi-Tones
Address: 621 E Dewey
Web Site: facebook.com/pages/hi-tones
Price: $3
This article appears in May 7-13, 2014.