Happening recently on porches in Houston: Good Folk Music
January 16, 2016 1:06 AM Subscribe
Houston is this strange mix of obscene wealth and obscene poverty and obscene humidity and big medicine and bayous and Louisiana food and TexMex food and Asian food and I don't know what all, it's this staggeringly humongous economic powerhouse that also has a great art scene somehow, and a really rich singer-songwriter community, too. Two of these Houston singer-songwriters -- Charles Bryant and Sara Van Buskirk -- it seems they sing on porches sometimes, with mourning doves cooing and traffic sounds and train sounds and just any other thing you'd hear on a porch.
So a friend of mine sent me the link to "Kiss The Sun" by Charles Bryant and it pretty much blew me out of my shoes, and that led to nosing around a bit to find some more porch music of his, and *that* led to my finding Sara Van Buskirk, another Houston singer/songwriter who has this nice thing happening on porches also.
Charles Bryant "Kiss The Sun"
Sara Van Buskirk "Trainwreck"
Charles Bryant "The Nursing Home"
Sara Van Buskirk "Happy For Now"
Charles Bryant "Just Kill 'Em All "
Sara Van Buskirk "Light Me Up"
​bonus:
Charles Bryant / James Wilhite "Just Kill 'Em All"
(Okay, so this one is not on a porch, and the vocal lost in the mix some, but Bryant and Wilhite climb into this song like it's a taxi that they ride in right to the place in my heart where the happy is.)
So a friend of mine sent me the link to "Kiss The Sun" by Charles Bryant and it pretty much blew me out of my shoes, and that led to nosing around a bit to find some more porch music of his, and *that* led to my finding Sara Van Buskirk, another Houston singer/songwriter who has this nice thing happening on porches also.
Charles Bryant "Kiss The Sun"
Sara Van Buskirk "Trainwreck"
Charles Bryant "The Nursing Home"
Sara Van Buskirk "Happy For Now"
Charles Bryant "Just Kill 'Em All "
Sara Van Buskirk "Light Me Up"
​bonus:
Charles Bryant / James Wilhite "Just Kill 'Em All"
(Okay, so this one is not on a porch, and the vocal lost in the mix some, but Bryant and Wilhite climb into this song like it's a taxi that they ride in right to the place in my heart where the happy is.)
... oh it also floods like a sonofabitch, so be careful there.
posted by leotrotsky at 4:07 AM on January 16, 2016
posted by leotrotsky at 4:07 AM on January 16, 2016
I haven't hit the links yet, but yeah, other than the insanely oppressive heat, Houston has its qualities. It's the suburban hellscape that rings Houston proper for 50 miles in every direction that make the place weird. If you could scoop Houston up from loop 610 inwards & plop it down somewhere with a reasonable climate, you would have a perfectly fine mid-sized city.
Even some of the burbs have their qualities. I have played blues gigs out Telephone Road (the Steve Earle song is 100% accurate) & the Johnson Space Center is a thing. Hempstead used to actually be a ways from Houston proper, & there was a barbecue joint there called Swann's back in the 70's which was one of my first food-related religious experiences.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:19 AM on January 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
Even some of the burbs have their qualities. I have played blues gigs out Telephone Road (the Steve Earle song is 100% accurate) & the Johnson Space Center is a thing. Hempstead used to actually be a ways from Houston proper, & there was a barbecue joint there called Swann's back in the 70's which was one of my first food-related religious experiences.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:19 AM on January 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
Great finds. My family's from not far out of Houston. There are some great things about the region. It's got its own character. I know people run it down because of development and badly planned infrastructure, but if you take yourself out of the downtown CBD the region has positives.
This is a different region, but porch music is definitely in a revival. Somerville, MA, has an annual event called Porchfest, where bands of all genres play on porches around the city. It's a wonderful thing - you take some drinks and wander from house to house, standing or dancing or or sitting in a yard or driveway and listening to a range of new bands.
posted by Miko at 7:46 AM on January 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
This is a different region, but porch music is definitely in a revival. Somerville, MA, has an annual event called Porchfest, where bands of all genres play on porches around the city. It's a wonderful thing - you take some drinks and wander from house to house, standing or dancing or or sitting in a yard or driveway and listening to a range of new bands.
posted by Miko at 7:46 AM on January 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'm 85% certain that Sara is the sibling of some boys who were in my Boy Scout troop.
#notontopicpreciselybutnotofftopiceither
posted by radicalawyer at 7:47 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
#notontopicpreciselybutnotofftopiceither
posted by radicalawyer at 7:47 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Her voice is so expressive. I'll look for more of her work.
posted by Miko at 7:49 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Miko at 7:49 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
These videos are really nice, especially with the birds and quiet neighborhood noises in the background.
I have friends that play Porchfest in Somerville on their porch every year! Some time I have to go up there to see it for myself.
My family moved from New York to Houston for two years when I was in middle school and I literally cried myself to sleep every night. My parents were worried enough about me that they sent me to stay for the summer with friends back home. I was so happy when we moved back!
I visited Houston again as a grownup and it was so much better than I remembered, especially the area around the De Menil museum, which is really great. Good things I remember though: KPFT, summer day trips to the beach, the Houston Arboretum.
posted by maggiemaggie at 8:18 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
I have friends that play Porchfest in Somerville on their porch every year! Some time I have to go up there to see it for myself.
My family moved from New York to Houston for two years when I was in middle school and I literally cried myself to sleep every night. My parents were worried enough about me that they sent me to stay for the summer with friends back home. I was so happy when we moved back!
I visited Houston again as a grownup and it was so much better than I remembered, especially the area around the De Menil museum, which is really great. Good things I remember though: KPFT, summer day trips to the beach, the Houston Arboretum.
posted by maggiemaggie at 8:18 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
especially with the birds and quiet neighborhood noises
In one of the videos, behind Sara, is a lush green tree tossing in the humid wind. That sight made me instantly sooo TX-sick.
posted by Miko at 8:52 AM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
In one of the videos, behind Sara, is a lush green tree tossing in the humid wind. That sight made me instantly sooo TX-sick.
posted by Miko at 8:52 AM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
At first glance I read '...happening on Porsches...' and imagined an acoustic duo riding around the streets of Houston on the hood of a convertible 911, trying not to slide off while they play their songs..
posted by Bartonius at 8:56 AM on January 16, 2016
posted by Bartonius at 8:56 AM on January 16, 2016
Sigh... I want a porch... Apartment living does my soul no good.
posted by downtohisturtles at 9:17 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by downtohisturtles at 9:17 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Makes me miss my front porch in the Heights. I love Austin, but I miss Houston.
posted by immlass at 9:47 AM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by immlass at 9:47 AM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
I grew up in Houston in the late 70's and found inspiration and refuge at Anderson Fair near Montrose. As for the town, I have lots of good friends and memories but I don't miss the politics and I sure don't miss the traffic.
posted by jabo at 10:00 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by jabo at 10:00 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
McGonigel's Mucky Duck always has interesting artists along this line.
Also what's the best way to financially support these two? I found Sandcastles by Charles Bryant and The Place Where You Are by Sara Van Buskirk on Amazon but are there other better ways?
posted by beaning at 10:20 AM on January 16, 2016
Also what's the best way to financially support these two? I found Sandcastles by Charles Bryant and The Place Where You Are by Sara Van Buskirk on Amazon but are there other better ways?
posted by beaning at 10:20 AM on January 16, 2016
DJ Screw, RIP
posted by Joseph Gurl at 2:48 PM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Joseph Gurl at 2:48 PM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Houston didn't forget DJ Screw, Joseph Gurl.
Blues and soul, zydeco, hip hop, country...Houston has a really interesting musical tradition.
posted by librarylis at 4:38 PM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Blues and soul, zydeco, hip hop, country...Houston has a really interesting musical tradition.
posted by librarylis at 4:38 PM on January 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
This is so wonderful. Having just moved to Houston from SF a few months ago, it warms my heart to see that initial description of my new city. In fact, it will help in describing this strange land to my friends back home. And, I enjoy the linked music as well. The Texas front porch is a beautiful thing.
posted by puellaeterna at 7:47 PM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by puellaeterna at 7:47 PM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Hey I know Charles! He is one of the nicest people in the world. Emotionally he really puts it out there in a way that's almost uncomfortable at first, but then it's just so open and loving and REAL. It's something else. I don't know how to really describe it, but it's pretty beautiful to be around.
I'm an H-town native and I love the music scene here. It's crazy diverse and that comes through. If you're visiting catching a show at Anderson Fair really is great. There's a documentary about it that is available on Amazon (I think).
posted by dog food sugar at 8:29 AM on January 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm an H-town native and I love the music scene here. It's crazy diverse and that comes through. If you're visiting catching a show at Anderson Fair really is great. There's a documentary about it that is available on Amazon (I think).
posted by dog food sugar at 8:29 AM on January 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by leotrotsky at 4:05 AM on January 16, 2016 [8 favorites]