(Update: The lineup for the Rad Rich Bash on Satuday has changed).
Ok, so this weekend Greenday, The Killers, Jimmy Eat World and Destiny’s Child are all in town yadda yadda. But here’s what you should do instead:

Friday
God’s Temple of Family Deliverance, Those Peabodies, Cherry Valance, and Sharks and Sailors @ Mary Jane’s Fat Cat
What to say about this show other than it will be champs.
$6 18+

Domokos + Friends Full Moon Birthday Bash @ Super Happy Fun Land
(Insert slapping or whiskey spilling drink joke here. Follow-up with reference to Choose Your Own Adventure series of teen novels. Close with allusion to the fact that adr was also kind of a dick and he is glad he and Dom worked things out.) Featuring music by Mr. Oblivious, Dakota Building, The Bareknuckle Knockouts and perennial favorite Rusted Shut. Incidental music by Ioman and Lil Dime.

Oh, and please pray for my father if you are the praying type; he’s having some work done on his heart Friday. Thanks.

Saturday
Rad Rich’s Rock and Roll Revue’s 3rd Annual Backyard Birthday Back to School Bash @ Fitzgerald’s
Rad Rich is a Houston institution. He’s on the air, he’s in the bars (never drinking, though) and he’s even occasionally on the stage. And this weekend, he’s throwing a party to hopefully kick summer in the ass hard enough to usher in Autumn. In addition to the music, there will be food, home brew by CCSD, raffles for skateboards and other stuff, and giveaways (the new Vice is the animal issue, btw). This strictly daytime affair (1-6:30pm) benefits KPFT and The People of Color Conference.

“Ugh, Fitz” - yeah, I know. But for me, not having been there since a Japanic show, I think this hallowed hall of high school hot topic rock is worth the occasional visit to see if my favorite graffiti is still in all the places I scribbled it. Band Line Up:
1:30 Hellbound Hurst
2:00 Something Fierce
2:30 The Techtonics
3:00 Pride kills
3:30 Cipher
4:00 Bareknuckle knockout
4:30 Lux panthers
5:00 JW Americana
5:30 metatron
6:00 Que

Oh, And Can You Say Bonus? If you get too drunk at Fitz and have to stick around to sober up, did you know that Saturday night not ONE but TWO 2005 Houston Press Award Winners will be playing upstairs that night? Yep. Sevrin and Lone Star Porn Star. Stick around and see who has the better screen print banner. Or don’t, actually. Onion Creek is right up the street and you’ll have had your semi-annual Fitz fix by then.

Helping Houston’s Homeless Benefit @ The Proletariat
Saturday is the day of festivals, it seems. So, after you’ve won a skateboard and read the latest Vice, head (or skate) on over to The Proletariat and tell those panhandlers along the way to FUCK RIGHT OFF CAUSE I’M GOING TO GO ROCK OUT SO YOU CAN SIT HERE AND WE’LL GET SOME RELIEF TO YOU SOON! NOW I’M GOING TO POUND THESE SPARKS SO DON’T YOU WORRY CAUSE LATER TONIGHT WE’LL GET SOME CASH TO YOU TO TAKE THE BUS TO CLEVELAND FOR YOUR SICK COUSIN OR GET GAS FOR YOUR CAR TO GET TO YOUR PAROLE OFFICER IN TIME OR TAKE THE LIGHTRAIL OR WHATEVER THE DIX IT IS THIS TIME.

Seriously, I would feel better recommending this if I could pick and choose which homeless people get the benefit, but I’m like that with every charity, so what else is new. However, as the lineup is pretty good, even if all you’re doing is freeing up more funds for glue huffing, I’d prolly go to check out old favs and some I haven’t seen before:
Virginia Plain
Leah Sari
Permanent Daylight
meowcifer
Mansion
Studemont Project
The Watermarks

In addition to the music, you are encouraged to bring back packs, socks, hats, gloves and blankets AND ONLY back packs, socks, hats, gloves and blankets. Seriously, they’d don’t want canned food so please don’t bring any.
$5 21+ starts at 6pm

The NeverEnding Story @ River Oaks Theater
Don’t be a turd, you know you are tempted to go see this. Plus, I bet when you were a kid it didn’t mean anything that it was a Wolfgang Peterson Film. See? Heeh? More important a film than you thought, eh?
Show starts @ Midnight.