Tonight (Friday) is the nationwide release of Bandslam, the tween comedy starring Vanessa Hudgens, Lisa Kudrow, and Aly Michalka that features a cameo performance by Fort Worth’s The Burning Hotels*. There’s a screening tonight at the Hulen Movie Tavern (4920 S Hulen St, 817-546-7091) at 6:10. The band will be there. Buy them a beer. And maybe a cheeseburger. Later in the night, the band will be at Lola’s Saloon-Stockyards (105 W. Exchange Ave., 817-386-5600), performing with The Lemurs and Pretty Black Chains and celebrating the release of “Austin’s Birthday,” the first single off the Hoteliers’ forthcoming album and the best indie-pop song you’ve yet to hear. Tix for the show are $6-9.
* Two interesting remixes of “Stuck in the Middle,” the song performed by the Hotels in the movie and that is on the soundtrack, are available on the band’s MySpace page (along with the regular, non-remixed version, of course).
There are two big shows on Monday. Which one you go to says a lot about who you are.
At 1919 Hemphill (817-920-9665), you have Dozal Brothers, some outfit called Spelling Bee, San Francisco’s Casy & Brian, and Fort Worth/Austin’s Best Fwends, whose geeky-synthy magic is nicely exhibited here. And here.
On the flip side of the ol’ proverbial coin, Red Dirt rock ’n’ roller Joey Green and his band will celebrate the release of their new album, Whatever Lady?!, with Arlington’s Bobby Duncan and San Marcos’ Judd Jordan, at Spencer’s Corner* (6861C Green Oaks Dr, 817-652-6090).
In a perfect, truly subversive world, Best Fwends and Green would be playing a show together, but …
On Sunday at the Palladium Ballroom (1135 S Lamar St, Dallas, 972-343-2444), MTV2’s Headbangers’ Ball and Serious XM Radio will present Dean Guitars Ride For Dime 5, with appearances by Ace Frehley (KISS) and Vinnie Paul (Pantera), plus members of Stained, Type O Negative, Shinedown, and others. Proceeds benefit Covenant House, Little Kids Rock, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, charities of interest to the event’s namesake, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott.
* Spencer’s stage, which is frequently graced by young women in bikinis and by all manner of karaoke artists, will be occupied on Saturday by Stella Rose, one of Fort Worth’s most progressive hard-rock outfits. Weird collaboration. Cool. But weird.
On a barely related note, Austin City Limits Music Festival is offering unknown bands a chance to play the festival (Oct. 2-4), whose headliners include Kings of Leon, The Walkmen, Coheed and Cambria, Lily Allen, and John Legend, among several others. The Sound and the Jury (S&J) is a virtual battle of the bands. Competitors can upload their music here and must encourage votes from fans. The top 100 vote-getters will proceed to the next round. “Industry judges” will narrow the list down to the top 20. Public voting will begin again to determine the top five. A live Battle of the Bands will then take place at Antone’s, a live music staple in Austin, and the winner will play the Dell Stage at 11:45 a.m. ACL tells us that last year’s winner, The Steps, “have since gone on to release an album and go on tour.” Wow. Maybe they’ve had lunch, too 😉 Just kidding. Good for The Steps. And for ACL. Anyway, give ’er a shot. Why the hell not.
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