Summer Fest gives Houston exposure to local music as well as more popular bands like the Flaming Lips. | Keon Michael Arjmandi/The Daily Cougar
Over the weekend, Free Press Houston hosted its second annual Summer Fest in Eleanor Tinsley Park, and the event was, without a doubt, amazing in every sense of the word.
Houston is well known for being a worker-bee oriented kind of city, more of a hometown for 9-to-5ers than hip youngsters (or young hipsters, I guess). And Austin is Texas’ party city as well as where, all the cool stuff is, right? I disagree, but for years this has been the general consensus of the young people here.
But Houston proved something to itself, its young citizens and music lovers nationwide last weekend: we can be hip, too. And we can make it to work on Monday after the party is over.
Summer Fest, which played host to over 50 local and national artists, brought (what we assume was) the largest crowd ever to gather at Eleanor Tinsely Park. Since its inception last summer, the festival has grown exponentially and managed to book such well-known acts as Girl Talk and The Flaming Lips, who headlined on Saturday and Sunday night, respectively.
I may not be the biggest fan of Girl Talk – for God’s sake, the guys catchphrase is, “I’m not a DJ.” – but the guy can definitely pull a crowd, and if this is what Houstonians want to see, I say bring more Girl Talks. For as much as I didn’t enjoy the mashup artist, I thoroughly enjoyed every other aspect of the festival, including The Flaming Lips and all their weird, abstract imagery.
A bevy of local artists including Fat Tony, B L A C K I E, Wild Moccasins, Golden Axe and The Manichean all delivered noteworthy performances, and out-of-towners, both well-known and under the radar, did too. Some of us think that, given the festival’s growth and success in only two years, Houstonians may have their very own version of Austin City Limits on their hands soon. And who would complain? Not I, and not the city of Houston, either.
“The city of Houston really got behind us,” said Omar Afra, the events coordinator and owner of Free Press Houston, from the stage. “Anyone have someone from Austin sleeping on their couch?”
At this point, the crowd erupted. This weekend really was proof that Houstonians want and are willing to pay for music festivals. And all this in a town that is seen by so many as missing a soul and a music scene? Take that, doubters.
Even The Flaming Lips, who hadn’t headlined a show in Houston in 10 years, were impressed.
“It was nothing personal,” the Lips’ lead singer Wayne Coyne said to the crowd. “But we promise we won’t wait that long to come back again.”
All in all, this weekend made it clear that the city of Houston does indeed have a soul, a soft spot for arts, entertainment and fun and a young fan base that will hop on board even the craziest of ideas. Five years ago, the idea of something like Summer Fest was seen as impossible. Three days ago, our city did the impossible.
If you weren’t there, don’t miss it next year.
