Agent Orange at Tulips FTW Wed, Feb 9
I turn 44 this June, and I’m really only bringing this up because seminal SoCal surf-punk band Agent Orange has been around almost as long as I have, having formed in Orange County in 1979. The band’s longevity is astounding, especially given the nihilistic lifestyle endemic to the SoCal punk scene (probably best encapsulated by “Live Fast Die Young,” off Group Sex, the 1980 debut album by Agent Orange contemporaries the Circle Jerks), though the only original Agent Orange member is frontman Mike Palm. Yet for all the years and the lineup changes, Agent Orange still rips, and any punk band that slathered their songs with reverb and double-picking over the past four decades owes Palm and his various collaborators a big thanks. But also, since I’m on this “Goddamn, I’m fucking old” conversational tack, I’d like to point out that if your exposure to this band came from the inclusion of their hit “Bloodstains” on the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 soundtrack, you are probably also kind of old, because that game came out 20 years ago. How about that? Haltom City’s long-running fuzz-rock outfit the Me-Thinks opens the show at Tulips (112 St. Louis St, 817-367-9798), and if I had to guess, I’d say that at least one, if not most, of their members probably bought Agent Orange’s first few albums when they were new. — Steve Steward
Randy Rogers Band at Billy Bob’s Saturday
Besides Agent Orange, this is probably the other “big” show in town this week. Randy Rogers has been doing the Texas Music thing since Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 debuted, and in the intervening 20 years, the San Marcos-by-way-of-Cleburne singer-songwriter has etched his mark on thousands of hearts with his tales of love and heartbreak, tequila, and all the other topics that make country music relevant, no matter where your politics tend to fall. A good song is a good song, and Rogers has a ton of them. He and his band also put on an entertaining show, and catching him at Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plaza, 817-624-7117) is basically the quintessential Randy Rogers Band experience. — S.S.
Or How ’Bout One of these Shows?
Also on Wed, Feb 9, MASS (1002 S Main, 817-707-7774) hosts another edition of singer-songwriter Wayne Floyd’s Weird and Wild Waynesday. Not sure which of Wayne’s buddies will be joining in the festivities, but he always makes it a fun night. Twilite Lounge (212 Lipscomb St, 817-720-5483) has a jazz show on Friday, featuring Dallas saxophonist Daniel Henson’s quartet. Also on Friday, Lola’s Trailer Park (2735 W 5th St, 817-759-9100) hosts veteran country troubadour Guthrie Kennard with prolific songwriter (and words writer) The Matthew Show opening. — S.S.
Contact HearSay at Anthony@FWWeekly.com.
