Live Music Recommended

edited by Raoul Hernandez

MACEO PARKER

Antone's, Thursday 8

The scene might have been from a movie: 3am at a still-packed Antone's, the house was a-rockin', and a voice in the crowd yelled "Blow your horn, Maceo!" Maceo Parker, best known as one of James Brown's Famous Flames, was pumpin' a snaky jungle rhythm of smoky sax funk that had people dancing on the bar, dancing in the aisles, dancing in the bathrooms, dancing out the door. Hell, it makes me dance just thinking about that night. It happened last August. It will happen again Thursday. - Margaret Moser

GALS PANIC, CONTRADICKS, MAIDS OF GRAVITY

Liberty Lunch, Friday 2

Mostly I went to see Steven Soderbergh's The Underneath to see Gals Panic. And Emo's - or whatever it was called in the movie. Oh, and maybe Cowboy Mouth. And some friends. And... Gals Panic. Nice going guys. Same with the new CD, I Think We Need Helicopters. We need more crazed ska to break up the all-punk bills. With this CD, and a movie on the ol' resume, this Austin quartet could be pulling "Recommendeds" in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Boise in no time. Contradicks support, and L.A. trio Maids of Gravity open with psychedelic rock.

STRETFORD, STARFISH, THRUSH HERMITS

Electric Lounge, Friday 2

Man, can it really be? After all this time? Even though I'm holding it, I don't believe it. The mythical, magical, mystical - fabled - STRETFORD CD! Yes, folks and it can be yours. Mr. Carl Normal will be more than glad to sell you one. After all, it's his pogo-happy pop songs played at punk speeds that he's selling you. Live, that is. On Crossing the Line the accent is more on New Wavish British pop. Check 'em both out. Starfish just slam it home with the their wall of blissful noise, and Thrush Hermits are four lads from Nova Scotia who fancy themselves Hüsker Dü bullying the guys in XTC around. Could be good.

JOE CARR & ALAN MUNDE

Waterloo Ice House 6th, Friday 2

Dallas bluegrass guitarist Joe Carr is one mean blur of fingers on his own, but when you throw him together with banjo player Alan Munde, you'd better have a fire extinguisher ready to put out the brush fires. Their set on Friday concentrates on material from their forthcoming Flying Fish release Windy Days and Dusty Skies, which finds the two exploring Texas-style Western traditions.

JOAN OSBOURNE, KRIS MCKAY

Continental Club, Saturday 3

Sheryl Crow clone (three times fast!). Sheryl Crow clone. Sheryl Crow clone. Well, maybe the voice is better, deeper. And perhaps the groove is harder, more Liz Phair than Eagles. Certainly, I prefer her new one Relish to Crow's The Tuesday Night Music Club. Crow never wrote "Let's Just Get Naked" or "Man in the Long Black Coat" (that would be Dylan - good cover, though). Ex-hooters Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman are all over this album, and if they're Osbourne's backing band, this'll be a good one. Even if they aren't, Osbourne is gonna go places. Be at this one.

ALL, ALLIGATOR GUN, GOMEZ

Emo's, Sunday 4

June is punk rock month. Oops. No wait, that's not right. Jazz! Jazz. Yes, that's the one. That's right. Wait... Why is a jazz band playing Emo's? Wait... Interscope isn't a jazz label. Oh, oh, oh. All isn't a jazz band, it's punk. That really obnoxious stuff. Yuck. Icky. What's all this about four SoCal boys moving to Missouri. They started as the Descendents in '78, and then Greg Ginn released their records? Does that mean anything? I'm so confused. Alligator Gun? That doesn't sound like jazz. And Gomez? He's the gardener, right?

CLARKSVILLE JAZZ FEST

Oasis Cantina/Cedar St., Sunday 4/Monday 5

June is Jazz month, and that means for the next eight days the Clarksville-West End Jazz and Arts Festival will be bopping. On Sunday, things get under at the Oasis Cantina out on Lake Travis, where sunset means Dallas' Tom Braxton & No Compromise, Houston skinbeater Sebastian "Bu" Whittaker & the Creators, and Austin jazz vocalist Connie Kirk's All-Stars. The following night at Cedar St., happy hour finds the Martin Banks Quartet, singer Hope Morgan, and the Frederick Sanders Trio. Two strong bills. For a complete listing of the week's events see "Dancing About Architecture."

NO USE FOR A NAME, BO BUD GREENE

Liberty Lunch, Monday 5

Fat Mike is leaving NOFX. You read it here first. See, radio is playing No Use For a Name's "Soulmate" from [[exclamdown]]Leche Con Carne! Leche's on Fat Wreck Chords - Fat Mike's label. Get it? Yep, and I figure if this NorCal quartet sells their sugar- coated Ramones gallop (their cover of Marley's "Redemption Song" kills me) like the Offspring sold their 12 singles, then Fat Mike will pull a Brett Gurewitz (hello Epitaph, goodbye Bad Religion), and ditch NOFX... bo bud greene opens.

MARTIN BANKS

Regents Plaza, Tuesday 6

The Austin Downtown Management Organization has been sponsoring free outdoor noontime concerts every Tuesday at Regents Plaza since April. This week - because, y'know, "June is Jazz Month" - Martin Banks blows up a storm, and few in Austin are a jazz as the esteemed Mr. Banks. Blow your horn, Martin. Blow your horn.

MYRA MANES

Blue Flamingo, Wednesday 7

Myra Manes are scary. Their music is one long soundtrack to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Maniacal vocals over chainsaw frenzy guitars. There's no real place to hide at the Blue Flamingo. They'll see you. They'll cut you. Bring a body bag. Sap and a third band, Snuggles, fill out the evening.


ALSO PLAYING

Friday: Dixie Chicks, Broken Spoke

Saturday: Ed Hall, Barkmarket, Emo's; Sonia Dada, Gourds, Earthpig, Electric Lounge; Beto y Los Fairlanes, Symphony Square

Sunday: John Mills Trio, Manuel's

Monday: Breedlove, Antone's

Tuesday: Half Japanese, June of 44, Emo's

Wednesday: Asylum St. Spankers, Austin Outhouse

Thursday: Hal Ketchum, Backyard