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San Antonio Spring Shows Worth Checking Out

With spring already here and summer fast approaching, the concert market will be packed with a multitude of shows for all audiences. Here is a small, immediate, and personal guide to what I think are the hot tickets before summer comes through.

 

Taco Fest (April 14, La Villita Historic Arts Village)

The Maverick Music Festival is dead this year and its replacement is the Taco Fest, which will occupy the grounds of the vibrant La Villita. The day will be alive with over 30 taco vendors and multiple stages featuring over 20 national, regional, and local acts with hard-hitting favorites such as Pinata Protest, Girl In A Coma, and Femina-X. San Antonio loves its music and tacos, so why not partake in both at once?

 

The Soft Moon (April 21, Paper Tiger)

Oakland darkwave band The Soft Moon brings their industrial post-punk to the small room of the Paper Tiger in support of their excellent fourth album, Criminal, and that is just the perfect intimacy needed for a band like them. Mixing pummeling post-punk rhythms, austere guitar riffs, and a bleak haze of distortion, The Soft Moon are one the most promising underground bands of their kind. Fans of The Downward Spiral-era Nine Inch Nails would rejoice in their sounds.

 

Fredstock (April 22, San Antonio College)

Fredstock became an official Fiesta event this year and will feature an eclectic lineup from the likes of Hickoids, Los #3 Dinners, and King Pelican to name a few. The event is put together by music business students of the college in preparation for work in the world of the music industry. There will be food, beer, and fun for whole family and the best part? It’s a free event!

 

Zoé (April 26, Aztec Theater)

Mexican alternative rock band Zoé will bring their Zoé 2018 tour to the elegant Aztec Theater for what is guaranteed to be a promising evening. Popular in their home country of Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries, the band found success in the states through positive word of mouth which helped them notice on American radio stations. Their devout followers ensure they are a force to be reckoned with. They are not to be missed.

 

Depeche Mode (May 27, AT&T Center)

37 years and 14 albums in, iconic synth-pop idols Depeche Mode have not missed a beat and will bring its music to the masses on a limited run of their wildly popular Global Spirit Tour, continuing their support of 2017’s critically acclaimed album, Spirit. Last making an appearance in the Alamo City during 2005’s Touring The Angel spectacle, the band remains fresh and exciting and they promise to deliver all the hits we know and love plus “deep cut” material, rounding out their full catalog with a bit of something for everyone to have a black celebration with.

 

Peter Hook & The Light (May 30, Paper Tiger)

While Joy Division may be long gone in the physical (but never our hearts), founding member and bassist Peter Hook and his band continues to honor the legacy of both Joy Division and the eventual continuation New Order, playing extended sets of each. Returning to San Antonio for the second time after a very positive reception two years ago, the band will be supporting themselves and carry on the music that was vital to one of the most important punk movements ever witnessed. Ian Curtis would be proud.

 

A Place To Bury Strangers (June 3, Paper Tiger)

If you like your punk loud, atmospheric and shoegaze-y, look no further than A Place To Bury Strangers. The Brooklyn noise rockers have earned high praise worldwide for their heavy, raw, and ambient wall of sound combined with frenetic live shows which often end with virtually every instrument onstage being destroyed. Not only can they pack any room they headline, they have also opened for big names like Nine Inch Nails, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and The Black Angels to rave reviews. Touring in support of their fifth album, Pinned, APTBS continue to defy conventions. Bring earplugs (strongly recommended!)

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