Raise a glass for Thee Southmore House and another for the Prolee

My Band Outside the Prolee

PLF at Southmore House

In one week we've gotten the news of the Grim Reaper visiting Southmore House in the form of boorish cops at the behest of townhouse owners and then turning around and making a date with the Proletariat in the form of METRO. I'm guessing that to the majority of Houston this doesn't mean much. In fact, I'm going to be a complete utter asshole and suggest that to most Houstonians art and culture are these delicate things meant to be seen and admired in a very respectable or palatable manner or that culture is only what the chamber of commerce deems tourist-worthy in the Museum "District" and the Theatre "District". That kind of thing makes me feel like I'm in that episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations where he visits Puerto Rico and endures a tourist trap where he's served a grotesque Piña Colada concoction.

Most people I'm going to guess don't think of the stinky lowly art of the music club. The possibility that some kids could be creating and expressing something artistic through volume, sweat, and noise just doesn't register. I'm here to tell you it is and that places like The Proletariat and Southmore House say a lot more about Houston culturally than a traveling Monet exhibit at the MFA or listening to the symphony play Strauss.* This is our music - the musical aerobatics of The Jonx, Blades, or Sharks & Sailors; the garagey mess of the Guilloteens, Something Fierce or Alarma; the noisy beauty of John Muzak, A Pink Cloud, or Indian Jewelry , The clever pop of Hearts of Animals, The Dimes, or The Mathletes; the earthiness of Jana Hunter, Bright Men of Learning, or Jenny Westbury; The nervous aggression of Insect Warfare, Los Desmadre, or Cop Warmth; or any other possible genre and subgenre you care to dream up. Our house of worship serves $3 Lone Stars and while the man can shut it down, just remember, for every Jim Casey there is always a Tom Joad waiting in the wings.

I'll see you at the Proletariat next week!

Photos by Rosa Guerrero
Its Official: The Proletariat has a date with Metro's Bulldozers on Skyline Network

*This is not to suggest that there is any problem with symphonic music or paintings at a museum. I like them too in fact one thing I used to like to do after playing a loud rock show years ago was to drive back towards the Francisco's Rehearsal Studio listening to classical music juxtaposed against the barren downtown streets at 4 am. The only thing I'm just saying there's more to art than just that.