Live Music Now

Houston musicians play a different tune amid sudden venue closures

Just over a week ago, a co-worker joked amidst growing concerns around the spread of COVID 19 — aka coronavirus — if all shows are cancelled, what will you write about?

That joke isn't funny anymore.

Friday, March 6, is a day that many will remember forever. As an abundance of caution, Austin mayor, Steve Adler, shut down South By Southwest, one of the largest music and multimedia gatherings in the country —despite not having a confirmed case of the virus in the city. It left many in the city to wonder, would our biggest music event of the year, RodeoHouston, be next?

Buoyed by Bayou City grit and determination, RodeoHouston soldiered on. Event organizers released a statement that since it didn’t draw nearly as many international guests, that RodeoHouston would continue while working hand-in-hand with local city health officials in addition to instituting widespread sanitation measures throughout the rodeo grounds.

Then, it happened. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo made the announcement on Wednesday, March 11, at a noon press conference making an emergency health declaration, effectively shutting down RodeoHouston for the first time in 87 years. To add to the sober moment, Turner noted that someone that tested positive for the virus had attended cook-off the previous Friday.

As CultureMap reported, the projected economic reach of RodeoHouston was around $391 million in 2019. It was inevitable the other cowboy boot would drop on the rest of the Houston live music scene. Other venues started to close down operations across the local entertainment industry with concert cancellations falling like autumn leaves in a brisk wind.

That didn’t stop The Continental Club from hosting one last party. Local DJ Disko Cowboy performed at the aptly named Doomsday Disco, which, in hindsight, might not have been the best idea ahead of the self-quarantine measures encouraged by governmental agencies only days later.

Unfortunately, what the RodeoHouston closure could not do, the U.S., Texas, and Houston governments did. To put it bluntly, every venue is effectively shut down. With President Trump asking people to limit gatherings to 10 people to slow the spread of COVID-19, there simply is no wiggle room for event spaces to do legitimate business.

But art finds a way in the darkest days. Artists need an outlet to create and perform, and many local acts swiftly stepped up to the plate to replace lost income or simply show solidarity with all those effected by the financial and cultural fallout in Houston.

Indie surf rock and aquatic-themed Swimwear Department announced a “quarantine livestream” concert on March 14 evening via YouTube, in what seems now like a prescient move. World renowned bands are now following suit. Coldplay and John Legend performed via social media channels on March 16 and March 17.

Keith Urban, who was supposed to take the stage at NRG Stadium on March 16, instead livestreamed a performance featuring his wife, Nicole Kidman, on Instagram, a small condolence to fans who had purchased tickets to the Houston show.

Local synth pop duo Space Kiddettes, who have always had a strong online presence, announced they would perform online throughout the week in various ways, including their LiveStream events on Mondays, featuring music, chats with fans, and jams with invited virtual guests. Thursdays will feature a hybrid musical workout called Blood, Sweat, and Tears to promote physical and mental health. As a forecast of what’s likely to come, their cancelled March 26 Abundantly Queer live show at Pearl Bar will be streamed virtually with viewers asked to donate via Venmo with proceeds going directly to Pearl staff. Check out their Instagram and Facebook feeds for more.

Closures be damned, Irish rock act Blaggards planned to virtually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in self-quarantine style from their Facebook channel at 4 pm. They requested viewers donate to the Houston Food Bank.

Even as bands adapt to the new reality, the biggest question right now is how will the Houston music scene recover from this unprecedented shuttering? Not only are venues losing thousands in revenue, but staff and vendors are out of work with no end to the mass closure in sight. Local musicians are out of paid gigs at their usual Houston spots and touring acts postponed any travel until later this year at the earliest.

It's not a debate that music will live on in some incarnation and concerts in Houston will return. The unknown answer is when will that be and how the local landscape will look when it does.

House of Blues has postponed most shows through April.

Photo courtesy of House of Blues Foundation Room

House of Blues has postponed most shows through April.

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Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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