PAST RECOMMENDED SHOWS:
11/06/04 @ Carousel Lounge
Subset, Hurricane Lamps
No frills rock & roll from local trio Subset and D.C.’s the Hurricane Lamps.
05/06/04 @ Beerland
Gentfest warms up for Ladyfest with the Chapters’ infectious bop and Subset’s stellar pop.
04/09/04 @ Red Eyed FlyPower Pop Spring Fling
The line between timeless and dated is fine indeed, but Austin’s
Golden Apples fall into the former camp with their high-energy bursts of classic pop. Following them at this Power Pop Spring Fling is
Sparkwood, who veers boldly close to "dated" with their Partridge Family-goes-Elephant 6 harmonies. Headliners
Subset (featuring
Chronicle proofreader Mark Fagan on drums) brings the sugar, too, but watch out for the devastation they wreaked at the Porchlight Pop Fest at SXSW. Bombs away!
Alice Rose opens.
MICHAEL CHAMY
03/13/04 @ The ParishGuided by Voices Hoot Nite
This has gotten out of hand. Even Bob Pollard knows about the GBV Hoot Night now, and at last weekend’s La Zona Rosa show he promised to attend in 2005. With or without Bob, there will be copious indie rock anthems belted out by the likes of Moonlight Towers, Subset, Bedbug, Centro-matic’s Will Johnson, the Pretty Please’s Carrie Clark, and several local all-star jams. Before, after, and in between is the world premiere of the new GBV album,
Half-Smiles for the Decomposed. Audience participation is not only encouraged, it’s inescapable.
MICHAEL CHAMY
02/20/04 @ Gallery Lombardi
Subset, the Chapters
Tight Spot’s driving pop wizards Subset celebrate Chronicle proofreader James Renovitch’s birthday, 9:30pm, followed by the Chapters. It's a Chron-for-all, featuring proofreader Mark Fagan (Subset drummer) and advertising exec Bobby Cheatam (Chapters keyboardist). And iF you'RE lucky, maybE someBody will bE nicE enough to hand you a bRew.
10/18/03 @ Gallery LombardiSubset Cd Release
Plagued by costly bar tabs and ever-increasing cover charges? Problem solved. Subset have the "Bottled Solution" as they unveil their long-awaited sophomore strike,
Dueling Devotions, featuring the recorded debut of the trio’s locally loved ode to empty bottles. Free beer is a key component of the equation, as the $5 cover nets all you can drink. Subset’s frequent partners-in-crime Fivehead shore up this rockfest, located at 910 W. Third next to Tambaleo, the site of the old Electric Lounge. Opening is Benko, the new pop project of Golden Arm Trio bassist Erik Grostic, featuring Sarah Norris on vibes and Graham Reynolds on drums.
MICHAEL CHAMY
09/04/03 @ Emo'sTight Spot Turns 2 1/2
Chuck Stephens and Tight Spot Records are midway through the terrible twos, celebrating the Austin label’s 2 1/2-year birthday tonight (Thursday). The real terrible twos, in this case, are Fivehead and Subset, guiding lights of Austin’s indie-rock coalition. Both are gearing up for sophomore releases on Tight Spot that promise to be late-night party favorites for years to come. For Fivehead, it’s been an interminable wait since 1999’s
It’s Not All Good and It’s Not Right On. The new
Guests of the Nation, due in January, documents the majestic melding of Beaty Wilson’s feel-good tunesmithery with John Hunt’s frank and fiery uphill battles with life. Subset, meanwhile, achieves a similar balance on the brand-new
Dueling Devotions, in stores Oct. 7. Beer-suds philosopher Nathan Fish adds his craggly snarl to
Chronicle webmaster Lindsey Simon’s melodic pop algebra. With these twin towers as well as a forthcoming Bedbug EP and press work for various local bands, expect to see less of Chuck Stephens as he gets intimate with his South Austin office/room. Buy the man a drink. He’ll need one. Subset headlines, and Fivehead and Bedbug open, followed by D.C.’s Lake Superior (ex-Grey Matter, Track Star).
MICHAEL CHAMY
03/11/03 @ MercuryGBV Hoot Nite
"Someone tell me why, I act like a fool when things don’t go my way ..." This is it, the unofficial opening night of SXSW, the GBV Hoot Nite at the Mercury. Come see Austin’s indie rock finest – Fivehead, Prescott Curlywolf, Grand Champeen, Dismukes, Bedbug, Subset, Blued, and more – in various permutations, paying homage to Guided by Voices patron saint Robert Pollard and his 999 would-be hit anthems. Expect lots of random stage-jumping, drooling, slurring of lyrics, and frothing at the mouth. Don’t expect any leftover beer tickets. Show at 8pm.
MICHAEL CHAMY
