by Frank Soto

Was it worth it? Was my Skeletor action figure worth giving up for Toy Drive this past friday? Most definitely! Not only did the kiddos get an awesome toy, the kind that taught me to be man, but I got a show that was much more than I expected. Ok, so the one drawback was the setup. Shows were lined up back to back– one downstairs immediately followed by one upstairs. Me not being in the best of shape and a smoker, it kinda sucked. Plus, the downstairs room at the Mink has about the same acoustics as the inside of a metal shoebox. But that aside, the show was a very merry feast of rock n’ roll, and by the end, even the most reserved indiehoustonians were gyrating and sweating buckets to Buxton.

A name to suit the sound, Giant Princess was just that, GIANT! The room was packed, and there’s something about being blasted with 110 decibels of “Fun Machine” as you inhale the bouquet of deodorants and lack thereof that really really gets me going. Watch out for these guys; I am making the prediction now. They will be the new big thing in 2010.

Quickly upstairs! Death By Texas is a band I had never heard before Friday night, but was one of the reasons I was more-than-ok with having parted with my dear friend Skeletor. Melodic yet dirty music with spazmatically sexual vocals. Simply put, Death By Texas impregnated me with their music baby.

Onto what we have now confirmed to be Baby Jesus’ favorite band, The American Sharks. With the true spirit of the season, singer and guitarist Mike Hardin made sure to point out their set list of all Christmas music was written by them for Baby Jesus and Santa. Then they proceeded to play their brand of post-punk that’s like mainlining adrenaline into your cochlear nerve.

If your arms and legs lacked the abitlity to move what would you do? Well… if you were B L A C K I E you would put on a show with so much bass and so much energy that you wouldn’t need no stinkin arms and legs, because the audience would be both. B L A C K I E never had to move a muscle as the crowd took him from the floor to pressed against the ceiling and from one side of the room to the other as he pounded the crowd with cutting lyrics and walls of bass.

Buxton, a folk rock band (heavy on the rock) closed out the Toy Drive. The crowd was so pumped up after 11 great sets that everyone, everyone was shaking their good thang to Jason Willis’s mandolin.

Brett Taylor, Paleo, Elaine Greer , Wild Mocassins, Riff Tiffs (with their new bassist Tom from the Ton Tons), News on the March and Wicked Poseur also all put on great sets. A bunch of kids out there are going to have a better Christmas because of you guys. Check out our photos.

Photos by Joe Ortiz

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