Houston - Rocks Off - You Should’ve Been There: Wild Moccasins and Sabra Laval at Boondocks

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You Should’ve Been There: Wild Moccasins and Sabra Laval at Boondocks

By Dusti Rhodes in Live Shots, You Should've Been There

Tuesday, Feb. 19 2008 @ 1:43PM

I honestly feel like I, and everyone else at Boondocks last night, cheated the Wild Moccasins and Sabra Laval: We should have paid to see the show. Including local and touring acts, it was one of the best I’ve seen so far this year, and I saw Shat last Thursday at Rudz. (It’s not easy to top a guy wearing a dildo helmet and singing hardcore.)

I have to send a shout out to Ruthie Rodriguez at The Daily Cougar for her article about the Wild Moccasins, which led me to the quintet, who switch from pop to country-tinged rock with the energy you’d expect to see from a group of under-20s.

This band is easily a Best New Act contender for any music award showcase in Houston this year. From first beat, which the drummer clapped out while standing on his seat, to last, these kids didn’t let up. The dating-duo of Zahira Gutierrez and Cody Swann laid down some of the, well, cutest harmonies over the swinging guitar, bass and drum work of Andrew Lee, Nicholas Cody and Andrew Ortiz, respectively. If you’re looking to see a show as impressive as it is fun, Young Mammals and Something Fierce-style, check out the Moccasins’ next show, March 21 at Walter’s. But for now, check out the video below.

But if the Wild Moccasins are the Best New Act, then opener Sabra Laval is definitely in the running for Best Female Vocalist. Seriously, Laval’s “Sorry If I Made You Blue” will haunt me for the next couple of months. If I ever woke up to Patsy Cline’s ghost singing to me, aside from being totally awesome, I imagine it would sound like Laval. Her entrancing lullabies quieted the small crowd with hints of Cat Power, Feist and Fiona Apple.

Sadly, Laval’s next show (thus far) is at April’s Westheimer Block Party, but that gives you plenty of time to make sure you’re there. I’ll be willing to bet you’ll see me there somewhere waiting for “Sorry If I Made You Blue” and “Until It’s Gone.” But for now, like with the Moccasins, you can be enchanted from your computer with a video of Laval’s performance as well. – Dusti Rhodes

The Wild Moccasins: