Sound and the Fury
So long, Suzy Bravo Suzy Bravo, Chicana soul sister number one (and frontwoman for the eponymously named group), sings here for the last time on Saturday, July 17 at Taco Land. Backed by bluesy guitar riffs courtesy of the ever-versatile Eddie Hernandez (Sexto Sol), and with a style and sound reminiscent of Mick Jagger's strut or Tina Turner's soulful rasp, Bravo's tough-yet-feminine poise and he-done-me-wrong lyrics provided a welcomed contrast to the testosterone-and-adrenaline-driven acts that often shared the same stage with her group. San Antonio's loss will be Austin's gain: after pondering a possible move to Memphis or the West Coast, Bravo is headed north on I-35 come fall.
Me comprendes, Mendez? No need to head north to Austin to catch Cafe Tacuba this week; the iconoclastic quartet headline a show on Sunday, July 18 at Planeta Bar-Rio. Joining them are Control Machete, a band that represents the best of the burgeoning hybrid, hodgepodge genre known as urban Latino. Their combination of live instrumentation (trumpet, bass), digitized samples and effects, hard-edged lyrics and growling vocals convey both determination and desperation, sentidos as relevant to their Chicano cousins as they are to their Mexicano siblings. Alt-rocker Ely Guerra opens the show.
Boogie man benefit Omar and the Howlers' Casbeers show on Friday, July 16 comes at a particularly trying time for frontman Omar Dykes. His wife Lyn, 44, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the mounting medical bills exceed the family's insurance coverage. In a show of solidarity for the veteran swamp-rocker, legendary blues haven Antones (213 W. 5th Street, Austin) will host "A Hand for the Boogie Man," an all-star benefit show including Los Lonely Boys, Guy Forsyth, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Stephen Bruton, and others. The show is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21. Those who can't attend the show, but would like to offer help can send donations to the following address: Lyn Dykes' Fund, P.O. Box 162045, Austin, TX 78716. Compiled by Alejandro Pérez and Gilbert Garcia
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