Your Friday Plans
Here’s what you’re doing Friday, assuming you’re free — are you free? To rock? As you should be? As the whole world should be? Or do you have to sit it out like a big baby? Waaah, I gotta open tomorrow morning. Waaah, I gotta pay my phone. Waaah, there’s a new Criminal Minds. Waaah, waaah, waaaaah. Shut it. You’re going to this rock show, you’re gonna have fun, and then you’re gonna wake up Saturday morning, put on your business sweatpants, slam a couple of those blue Powerades that might as well be liquid cocaine, and motor through because that’s what young people and the young at heart should be doing with their miserable lives at this, the beginning of the end of the world.
I haven’t been to a big rock show in a while, even before the pandemic (lazy, broke), but I’m happy to say I got my Flickerstick tix. So. I’ll be rocking then! “I like the girls! Who like the pills! The ones that cure! The ones that kill!” Yeeeaaaah, I’ll be rocking for sure. If I’m not dead. Of old age. Or boredom. However, if I were young and/or young at heart, I wouldn’t be doing something stupid Friday, like watching hockey or DoorDashing Freebirds at home again (half my kingdom for a Penguins win and a Monster chicken with barbecue sauce). I’d be offering my ears to Fort Worth rockers Arenda Light, Austin’s Dead Heirs, and rootsy Fort Worth singer-songwriter and all-around nice guy Levi Ray with his full band, the Heartworn, at Lola’s Saloon (2736 W 6th St, 817-759-9100) at 8pm Fri.
Hard-rocking headliners Arenda Light have been busy, releasing three singles with videos over the past six months and working on a fourth that’s due soon. Unlike its predecessors, which were recorded at AudioStyles outside of Austin with Taylor Tatsch (Maren Morris, DJ Shadow, Luke Wade), the new track was laid down at frontman Nick Tittle’s home studio with Mark Randall, a MASS soundguy, manning the boards and running the session. For Arenda Light, releasing new tracks regularly has been working just fine. No need to mess with it now.
“As of now,” said bassist Kris Luther, “there’s no gameplan for a release of consolidated work, just because of the way things have been. I dunno. We’re just trying to have a steady flow of releasing content.”
Will concertgoers hear a Stella Rose song? I ask only because the guy behind Dead Heirs, Stephen Beatty, and Arenda Light drummer Matt Mabe once played together in that super-popular hard-rock Fort Worth outfit and will be sharing the stage Friday. I’m requesting “Christmas Tree” or that “I’m a Ghoooost” song. Someone Facetime it for me. Thanks.
“It’s gonna be a good time,” Luther said. “There’s no reason for this show release-wise. It’s just a show. Good time, fun time. Like it used to be.”
Speaking of fun times, before you go here or anywhere this weekend and beyond, please do us all a favor and get vaccinated if you haven’t already, and, if you are vaxxed but not boosted, go fix that shit. You can basically walk inside any pharmacy, ask for a booster, and a tech will poke you with the good stuff in no time. Omicron is highly contagious, though your chances of catching it and being floored by it or worse go down by a lot if you’re boosted. The more we do to protect the people around us by getting vaxxed and wearing masks now, the better off we’ll all be moving forward. #themoreyouknow *shooting star*
Doors are at 7. Cover is $10. — Anthony Mariani
Your Saturday Plans
I’ve got Saturday night all mapped out for you, too. Fort Worth Fire Beats starts at 7pm with some yoga flow, live painting artists, and artisan vendors. A thunderous drum circle follows, willing you to get moving, and it’s punctuated by fire-prop manipulators with LED devices instead of real fire for this indoor event. There’ll then be a stage show featuring “movement arts of all styles/genres,” Fire Beats says, before psychedelic bass and world music by Scott and guest DJ Dar. A “sensual, sultry-positive show featuring sexy acts too hot for the family-friendly show,” including pole performers, burlesque artists, and more, will put a bow atop the evening at midnight. Tickets for this extravaganza at Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, 817-367-9798) are at Prekindle. — A.M.
Here’s What You’re Doing Sunday
I hate to sound so bossy, but I’ve got to live vicariously through you, or my head and heart will explode. From 6pm to 8pm Sun at The Post at River East (2925 Race St, 817-945-8890), veteran Fort Worth bluesman Guthrie Kennard will perform. All ages welcome. Seating is first come, first served. Cover is 10 dolla. — A.M.
Contact HearSay at Anthony@FWWeekly.com.
