Along with the responsibilities of the fall semester comes a variety of live music shows to help all of us procrastinate just a little bit more on the academic front. In an effort to make it easier to fit your favorite bands into your busy schedule, here's a list of the artists — separated by genre — coming to Houston in these next few months.
Alt rock
Sensefield, Hey Mercedes and Damone hit the ground running at The Engine Room tonight. Indie-pop band The New Pornographers plays with The Fighting Type and Modulator at Fat Cat's on Sept. 2.
The Epoxies, The Briefs and The Shocks play at Fat Cat's on Sept. 16.
Two days later, Three Doors Down, Our Lady Peace, and Seether take the stage at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Sept. 18.
The Dandy Warhols are at The Engine Room on the 19th, and The Woodlands plays host to R.E.M. on the 20th. Radiohead brings its distinctive sound, along with Supergrass to The Woodlands on Oct. 1. Legendary rockers Aerosmith and Kiss come to the Pavilion on Oct. 1 with opening band Saliva. Folk rocker Ani DiFranco comes to the Verizon Wireless Theater on October 13.
Pop
Mariah Carey brings her pop vocals to The Woodlands on Thursday. Tom Jones sings at H-Town's Arena Theatre on Sept. 20, and Brian McKnight plays on the same stage the next night. Cher makes her final performance in Houston at The Woodlands on Sept.26. Tony Bennett brings his legendary voice to the Arena Theatre on Nov. 8.
Punk, pop-punk, emo
Pop-punk and emo kids have a lot to look forward to. The Starting Line, Allister, and Home Grown take over the Engine Room on Sept. 14. Two days later, Dashboard Confessional, MxPx, Brand New and Vendetta Red play at the Verizon Wireless Theater. The Engine Room hosts The Juliana Theory, Hopesfall, Count the Stars, and Celebrity for a show with a lot of emotion and a little screaming on the 21st.
The Bouncing Souls and Tsunami Bomb bring a slightly less poppy sound to Fitzgerald's on Oct. 18. Cursive, The Jealous Sound and Still Life hit the stage at Fat Cat's on Nov. 6.
For fans of the harder side of punk, The Exploited, Total Chaos, and Card Cheat come to Fitzgerald's on Sept. 28. The next day, hardcore kids will be happy to know that Poison the Well, Sadows Fall, Avenged Sevenfold and Death by Stereo are playing at Numbers. The Vibrators and The Strap-Onz put their phallic names together with The Visitors for an old-school punk show at Fitzgerald's on Oct. 9.
Fat Cat's plays host to Hot Water Music, A Static Lullaby and These Arms Are Snakes on Nov. 14.
Country
Country aficionados have until Friday to get ready for Clay Walker's show in The Woodlands. Then, on Saturday, Kenny Rogers comes to the Arena Theatre. Four weeks later, on the 27th, The 100.3 KILT Fall Fandango takes over the Woodlands. Pat Green, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Honeybrowne, Django Walker and Cory Morrow are among those playing.
Rap, hip-hop
Rap and hip-hop fans don't have much on the horizon. The Liquid Mix tour comes to The Woodlands on Wednesday, and with it come some of the best rappers to stay just out of the mainstream. N.E.R.D., O-A-R, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Skillz, Slightly Stoopid, Spymob, Jessy Moss, Kelis Borialis and High Speed Scene all come out to spread the lyrical love in two days.
After that, local shows like The Proletariat's Commune Music on Sept. 17, showcasing Citizen Change, The Studemont Project and Spread You Wings is the only way to get your hip-hop fix.
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