Yes that is the longest post title of all time, but in a case such as this where there is a technical headliner but the openers were as good/better than the headliners, then I have to give everyone their due. Hence, the first concert post of 2009 is also the longest post title in DBF history. Anyway, we got to see some homegrown Texas bands rock it out for the peeps, and also got to create yet another Beer Wall of Power.

The Beer Wall of Power was first created at the Snow Patrol/Augustana show at Granada over 2 years ago, but it is kind of a Granada tradition of trying to create the longest wall of beer bottles possible along the wall of the Granada. This time however, we were in the middle so we improvised one on the ledge in the middle. We will not be denied. Our next chance will be at Lykke Li so get ready.

When we arrived at the Granada PVC Street Gang was on. I didn’t (and still really don’t) know anything about these guys, but I have to say they were giving it 110% and they were rocking out in epic fashion. They were pretty good and a good way to kick off the night. I don’t know much about them, but if they are opening a show you go to it would certainly be worth it to go early and catch them.

Next up was Boxing Lesson (pictured above) from Austin. I have been aware of these guys for a little while, had listened to their album and liked it OK, but when I saw they were rolling through town I was curious to check out how they sound live, and man they were pretty damn good. The songs on the album are generally pretty good, but they sometimes maybe lack a little punch or edge but when they take the songs to the stage they really make them shine. They take every perfect opportunity to further explore a bridge or a solo and really flesh it and rock it out. I was a big fan of the way they translated their sound live because it is the basic framework of the songs on the album but they show great improvisation and ability to bring something extra out of them live. I also was very jealous of his sweet Jaguar. Daigle and I were debating about whether the lead guitarist Paul looked like Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) from the great Lost. With the lighting in there he looked a lot like him, and I was remarking that he should have come out and introduced themselves as DriveSHAFT as a joke. Anyway, they rocked, and they were great. Very impressive and I highly recommend you check these guys out if you get a chance (they will be at SXSW in a few months).

What Made Milwaukee Famous was on next, also hailing from Austin. Daigle and I had seen these guys briefly on Sunday morning for Lollapalooza, and they were ok. Good but unremarkable there, but we saw them too briefly and they were better here. They are one of those bands that I like even though I wasn’t totally blown away with their set, but they put on a damn solid show here again. They played for quite a while, basically a co-headlining kind of set. They also seemed to hold the best songs for the end of the set, as it kind of started out a little flat but they hit some real home runs towards the end of the set. These guys are also very much worth your time to check out at SXSW in March. Daigle and I also spent a while trying to decide who the lead singer looked like (my vote: Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, Daigle strongly disagreed).

Last up was Black Tie Dynasty, hailing from Funkytown USA (Fort Worth). These guys were pretty good too, but I was wholly unfamiliar with their stuff beforehand, unlike the prior two bands. They put on a pretty good show despite the fedora, and the lead guitarist gyrating around like crazy on stage. They certainly had the kids going pretty well there in the Granada, as by this point it had filled up pretty well in the middle and the reserved seating on the side kind of remained semi-empty.

All in all a great slice of Texas indie bands hitting the Granada for this one, got to see some good up and comers. I have certainly been made a believer of the Boxing Lesson after this and I will be curious to see where they go from here. Certainly check them (as well as WMMF) out at SXSW. WMMF doesn’t have any current listed dates, but Boxing Lesson has a few (some with WMMF).

Here are Boxing Lesson’s upcoming tour dates (in addition to SXSW):

Jan 30 – Rudyards – Houston,TX
Jan 31 – Cactus Records (instore) – Houston,TX
Feb 4 Replay Lounge Lawrence,KS
Feb 5 The Record Bar Kansas City,MO
Feb 8 Snug Harbor Charlotte,NC
Feb 9 Local 506 Chapel Hill,NC
Feb 11 Tasty World Athens,GA
Feb 12 The Handle Bar Pensacola,FL
Feb 13 Circle Bar New Orleans,LA
Feb 26 – Stubbs – Austin,TX
April 11 Meridian Houston, TX w/WMMF
May 2 Pecan Street Festival (Main Stage) Austin,TX

Boxing Lesson – Dark Side Of The Moog – From Wild Streaks & Windy Days
Boxing Lesson – Wild Streaks & Windy Days – From Wild Streaks & Windy Days
What Made Milwaukee Famous – Hellodrama – From Trying to Never Catch Up

Check out all our past Concert Reviews here on the Concert Review Archives page!