Violent Femmes - Houston 2019

Violent Femmes brought their stripped-down punk and folk-rock sound to the House of Blues in Houston on May 10, 2019, sharing the bill with fellow punk veterans X. The concert came during a busy stretch of the Femmes' 2019 touring schedule, just before the release of Hotel Last Resort.

The Houston show had the feel of a reunion for fans who had grown up with the band's strange combination of acoustic instrumentation, nervous energy, and brutally direct songwriting. Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie, and drummer John Sparrow delivered a set that moved quickly between older favorites and newer material.

The performance opened with “This Free Ride,” followed by “Memory,” “Look Like That,” “Good For/At Nothing,” and “Love Love Love Love Love.” The band then moved into “Prove My Love,” “Promise,” and “Another Chorus,” mixing songs from throughout its career.

The big songs arrived relatively early. “Blister in the Sun” and “Kiss Off” were among the moments that immediately transformed the famously talkative House of Blues crowd into a mass sing-along. The Houston Press noted that the venue was packed, with those two songs standing out as especially effective crowd-stoppers.

The set also gave Houston fans a preview of Hotel Last Resort, which was scheduled for release that summer. “Not Ok” and “Another Chorus” represented the newer direction while fitting naturally alongside the band's older material.

The second half featured “Jesus Walking on the Water,” “Color Me Once,” “Hallowed Ground,” “I'm Nothing,” “Gimme the Car,” “Black Girls,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” and “American Music.” “Gone Daddy Gone” was another major highlight, with Brian Ritchie's xylophone work providing one of the most recognizable sounds in the entire Violent Femmes catalog.

The encore was particularly fun, beginning with “God Bless America” before moving into “I'm Not Gonna Cry” and “Add It Up.” The latter was exactly the kind of chaotic, high-energy closer that made the Femmes such an effective live band.

Having X on the same bill made the evening even better. Both bands had emerged from the early American punk scene but developed radically different sounds, with X bringing a harder West Coast attack and Violent Femmes relying on acoustic instruments, unconventional rhythms, and Gano's unmistakable voice.

The Houston concert demonstrated why Violent Femmes have remained such a durable live act. They don't need elaborate production or a massive stage. A few instruments, great songs, and an audience that knows every word are enough. At the House of Blues in 2019, the band delivered exactly that—and the packed room proved that the songs still had plenty of life left in them.