Beyond the great local shows and national acts in town this summer, what’s happening beyond our borders? Get a wild hair, follow one of your favorite local bands to a date across the state, and take in some tourist sites while you’re at it. Get in, loser. We’re going touring.
Memorial Weekend
If you’re longing for some great Cajun food and can spend your upcoming four-day weekend for Memorial Day in NOLA, catch up with North Texas’ DJ Dogstyle while you’re there. He will be spinning vinyl with special guest E Maxmillion at Soul Rotisserie, an event full of funk, soul, classic R&B, modern tunes, and more, at the Dew Drop (2836 Lasalle St, New Orleans, Louisiana, 504- 948-3002).
June & July Out of Town
You can always count on Cut Throat Finches for a good time. Their recent album release party at a skating rink looked epic. Follow them this summer to some Texas shows, including a free one on a back porch under a water tower ’neath a blanket of stars at Central Provisions (223 FM 480, Center Point, 830-634-3663) with Landon Lloyd Miller 7pm Sat, Jun 28.
But if you really wanna get away, you can find Cut Throat in Colorado at the Ouray Riverside Resort (1804 N Main St, Ouray, Colorado, 970-325- 4523) on Tue, Jul 23. This place has a trading post with all the supplies you need on-site, so just enjoy your stay at the cabins or the inn and have some barbecue, hear live music at the on-site Smokehouse restaurant, and take a dip in the hot springs pool. For particulars like pricing and where the afterparty bonfire might be, keep an eye on CutThroatFinches.com.
Willie’s Annual Picnic Is Where Again?
For the first time ever, the Red-Headed Stranger’s annual Independence Day throwdown will not be in Texas. Oh, it’s happening — in New Jersey. Willie is on tour, after all, in support of his new album, The Border, that’s out Fri, May 31, and with almost daily dates across the country as part of the touring Outlaw Music Festival — with Bob Dylan, Robert Plant/Allison Krauss, and more — my guess is that the Camden, New Jersey, stop on Thu, Jul 4, was unavoidable. Someone on the Outlaws’ press team posted that Camden sits near the birthplace of our nation, a.k.a. Philly, which it does, implying that we should all be cool with it. Well, do we have a choice?
You know how when a hard-rock tour makes its way to North Texas and magically is renamed the BFD Festival by KEGL? This is that. Just like every other show of the Outlaws tour, the Fourth of July one in Joisey also includes Mavis Staples and the great Maren Morris (A-town in the hizzouse!) and is at 3pm at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (1 Harbour Blvd, Camden, Fucking New Jersey, 856-365-1300). Tickets start at $55 at LiveNation.com.
August Out of Town
Along with the Flying Pig Festival in Mineral Wells Sat, Jun 14, and the show at the Dosey Doe Big Barn in the Woodlands Sat, Jun 22, Tejas Brothers have a big August ahead of them. After playing at San Marcos Plaza Park for Summer in the Park Thu, Aug 8, their next big-ticket show is the 8750’ BBQ & Music Fest in Red River, New Mexico (100 E Main St, Red River, New Mexico, 575-414-8887) Fri, Aug 16.
This three-day festival includes cooking competitions and live music each evening Fri-Sun at the historic Motherlode Saloon on the festival grounds. Our local boys will be joined by a couple other 817’ers, namely Josh Weathers and Jack Barksdale. Marquee acts Ray Wylie Hubbard, Mickey & The Motorcars, Uncle Lucius, Dale Watson, and more round out the bill. Tickets start at $39 at 8750Festival.com.
Labor Day Weekend
The lake that The Toadies would like you to walk around “tonight” will be Monument Lake in Colorado come end of August. Along with camping, fishing, and hiking at Monument Lake Resort (4789 CO-12, Weston, Colorado, 719-680-0580 ), which is situated on 368 acres in the Sangre de Cristo mountains (part of the Rocky Mountain range), enjoy three days of music from 25 artists at the Caveman Music Festival 10am-midnight Fri-Sun, Aug 30-Sep 1.
On Friday, the main stage features Kurt Vile & The Violators, with Band of Heathens, Drayton Harley, Buffalo Hunt, and The Toadies, with Estin & The 86ed and Sun Jr. on the side stage. On the main stage Saturday, Red Clay Strays with The Droptines, Red Shahan, Uncle Lucius, and Emily Wolfe will play, plus Kade Hoffman, Midnight River Choir, Aaron Raitiere, and Erick Willis, who will play the side stage. Then on Sunday, The Wallflowers headline with Jamestown Revival, Taddy Porter, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Sir Woman on the main stage and Riddy Arman, Tony Kamel, Pasadena, and Charlie Shafter on the side. Daily passes are $119.99, and three-day passes are $219.99 at CavemanMusicFestival.com.
If you’re road-tripping it there, you should camp on the grounds. The promoters suggest that those coming in by air fly into Colorado Springs or Denver. “And if the tent life isn’t for you, we have lodging options available, too!”
Lots of hot concerts — local and otherwise — will keep us cool this summer. Read about a few of them in our Melting Faces article here.