Tonight: Damien Jurado + Franz Nicolay + listenlisten + Square & Compass + Say Hi + More

Holy shit, y’all — what the hell happened to tonight? It’s a Wednesday (March 16th), but it sure looks like a Friday ’round town.

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to point fingers at all of it; there’s just too damn much. That said, there are a couple of standouts, notably the Damien Jurado show at The Mink, which also features the awesomely-mustachioed Franz Nicolay. I saw the latter back when he was playing with The Hold Steady (never solo, sorry), and he was entertaining as hell, even then, and the former is an amazing, amazing performer who won over the wife so much that she went out and bought me three of the guys albums for my next birthday. Smart, wistful, sometimes bitter as hell indie-folk in the best possible way.

And speaking of folk-ish things, there’s the ever-awesome {listenlisten}, who’re playing up at the Houston House of Creeps tonight, along with Binary Marketing Show & Spirit Family Reunion. Not familiar with the other two, but listenlisten have been jaw-droppingly great each and every time I’ve seen/heard ’em, no lie. They’re the kind of band where I really, truly can’t figure out how the hell they do what they do, and I mean that as a compliment.

Other stuff, other stuff — a slew of good bands playing at Mango’s & Avant Garden tonight, including {Muhammad Ali} & {Square and Compass} (who I owe an email; sorry, you guys, been swamped…). Oh, and while I haven’t heard the latest from Say Hi, in the not-so-distant past I’ve been bowled over by his sleepy, hazy, yet still desperate-sounding electro-indie-pop.

Whole pile below:

Damien Jurado/Viva Voce/David Dondero/Franz Nicolay @ The Mink
listenlisten/Binary Marketing Show/Spirit Family Reunion @ Houston House of Creeps
Japanther/Muhammad Ali/Daikaju/GRRRL Parts/Best Legs/Square & Compass/Corners/Clock Pole/Howler/Bryan Messina/Brock Mc Rock @ Mango’s/Avant Garden
Say Hi/Blair/Yellow Ostrich @ Fitzgerald’s
OMD @ House of Blues
The Fleshtones/Ivan Jillian @ The Continental Club
Menomena/Megafaun @ Warehouse Live
Franz Nicolay @ Cactus Music (5:30PM)
SXSW Overflow Fest, featuring Secret Society In Smaller Lies, Naked Gods, Invisible Hand, Greymarket, Luster, Columboid, & Spirit Family Reunion @ Super Happy Fun Land