Bayou Music Center
Houston, Texas
June 22nd, 2023
By Krystie Shirley
Late last week, Houstonians were presented with yet another impressive lineup at Bayou Music Center featuring Dirty Heads, Yelawolf, G. Love And The Special Sauce, and Tropadelic. All having their own unique sounds to them, it was obvious it was going to be a fun night for fans conjoining together in a packed out venue. If you know anything about Dirty Heads, you should already know that this was going to be a show with plenty of beer flowing, joints being passed around like candy, and everyone having a kick-ass time. I was super stoked to be there and experience it all through my lens.
Unfortunately upon arrival I was dealing with Photo pass issues which caused me to miss 90% of opening band Tropadelic’s set which was a huge bummer because I was really looking forward to being able to capture their stylish selfs.. But hey, it happens, and that’s typically the life of a music journalist but I was luckily able to hear their last song as I was walking into the venue and was extremely impressed. Their sound was so groovy and their vocals were literally on point. It definitely sucks that I wasn’t able to hear more but I’m glad I was able to at least catch a tiny bit of their performance.
Next up we were greeted with the lovely presence of G. Love And The Special Sauce, originating from Philadelphia, PA. Is it me, or does Phili come up with some of the most talented bands or what? Is everyone living in Phili a secretive music genius?
Anyways, That’s how i felt once i heard these guys, pure genius musicians. They are a 3-man-band and definitely know how to make a whole lot of noise. I was intrigued the moment they joined the stage. Their music reminded me of something you would unwind after a long day of work with a glass of wine while cooking dinner, or could easily go with backyard summer swim parties. It was clean, refreshing, and just overall tight. These guys really know how to flow their music to each other in a way, if that makes sense.. You could also see they were extremely happy to be there. All smiling from ear to ear and just simply jamming out with each other. Overall their set was really nice. I really dig their whole vibe.
My main excitement for the night was being able to see iconic American rapper, Yelawolf. I remember listening to him while I was in highschool so it was a pretty sweet moment for me and I was extremely excited to be able to photograph him as well, even though the photographers were kicked out of the photo pit within half of the first song, for whatever reason, I was still able to catch some super dope photos of him. His stage presence was actually pretty cool with a front end of an old chevy truck with beaming bright headlights where his sidekick Dj sat at the back of while Yelawolf (real name Michael Atha) was standing on top during most of the set.
I have to admit though, I wasn’t extremely impressed like I was hoping I’d be with his performance but maybe it just wasn’t the best night for him, who knows. His die-hard fans in the crowd loved it though, they were all jamming out along with him the entire time. I will also say he was good at entertaining everyone throughout his performance, with crowd surfing himself, talking about meth, and with a pretty damn good mini cover of Pantera’s ”Walk”. Overall it was a good time, I selfishly was hoping he would cover my favorite song of his “Till Its Gone” but he ran out of time and was unfortunately cut short causing him to have to skip it completely as his last song.
Finally it was time for the performance that almost everyone was looking forward to seeing, the MF Dirty Heads! Where do I even start with these insanely talented individuals? As most are aware, Dirty Heads consist of a whopping five member crew, all with their own unique skills that plays a huge part in making the one of a kind sound of Dirty Heads. Their Stage presence was also very interesting, almost completely filling the whole stage with pirate-y boat themed aesthetics with banners, barrels, rope, and everything in between. Giving off that perfect abstract of icelandic reggae vibes. No wonder there was so much Mary Jane filling the venue, I mean, how could you not want to toke up with some Dirty Heads?
Playing a vast majority of their catalog including “Medusa”, “That’s All I Need”, “El Dorado”, and more, the fans were overcome with energy and excitement. There wasn’t one single human in that crowd that wasn’t enjoying themselves. It was literally a party in a way. These dudes really know how to be entertainers, they were jumping all over the place from each side of the stage and just simply jamming their hearts out. It was truly a blast to be able to witness. I’m actually quite surprised Dirty Heads are still not playing bugger gigs and bigger venues yet. Their talent is real and raw, and overall just a damn good show to partake in. Ending the night with encores “Sloths Revenge” and “Island Glow”, Dirty Heads made it one hell of a night to remember. I will continue to catch these guys when they hit my side of the world, it seems each time I see them they get even more better than the time before. So I’m telling yall, if they come to your city, catch one of their shows… trust me, you won’t regret it. Even if that style of music isn’t your type, go in with an open mind and I guarantee you, you’ll leave that show as a fan… and might be a little high.
Photo Gallery : G Love And Special Sauce – Bayou Music Center (06.22.2023)
Photo Gallery : Dirty Heads – Bayou Music Center (06.22.2023)
