Horse Bitch Brings Their Apology Tour to The Lonesome Rose
This past Thursday night was filled with good times and absolute chaos over at The Lonesome Rose, the oldest honky-tonk venue on St. Mary’s Strip. Horse Bitch—yes, you read that band name right—rolled through San Antonio on a chariot of fire as part of their trek across the Southwest, bringing their signature blend of honky-tonk and folk-punk alongside songs about sci-fi, vampires, robots, Harry Potter, and that dang landlord! San Antonio’s own math rock/emo band Roshii and indie rock band C’lovers joined them as local support, and I’m sure I speak for everyone in attendance when I say how much we’re eagerly waiting to see more from all of these bands!
Roshii has been gaining momentum since the release of their latest EP, Disc Golf Honeymoon, and it was exciting to see how well their music complimented the night’s headliner. They kicked off the night with "Lifeboats," and it didn’t take long for people to get out of their seats and start moving to the band’s bouncy guitar rhythms, bassist Joey Patiño’s beefy bass tones, and guitarist Fran Acevedo’s intricate guitar solo outro. The five-piece charmed the crowd with songs such as “Disc Golf Honeymoon” and “Dear Mark” and even performed a new song called “Red Eyes.” Roshii not only sang and performed their hearts out but also showed that they genuinely love playing music together.
Singer JJ Herron cracked jokes about the meanings of songs, hyped everyone up for Horse Bitch and C’lovers, and even got the crowd to crouch down for the final buildup of “Boats, Boats, Boats” before they exploded into a frenzy of psychedelic guitar tapping as the crowd sang back, “And we’re all in a boat, and it’s leaving. But we don’t have our vests, so we’re drowning." I highly recommend them if you’re a fan of having fun and bands such as TTNG and Minus the Bear.
As the honky-tonk continued to fill with fans, tunes such as “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac and “The Chair” by George Strait kept the vibe going as Horse Bitch knocked out their song check, striking curiosity for what was to unfold as violinist Olivia Shaw and steel guitarist Caleb Amelunke took the stage. This was their first time touring through Texas, and they were determined to leave a lasting impression through their unpredictable stage presence and out-of-pocket lyrics.
The Denver riot crew knew exactly how to work the crowd, delivering one of the rowdiest performances I’ve ever seen at the Lonesome Rose. “Mountain Climbing” had everyone Irish dancing and laughing when guitarist/vocalist Riley Merino changed the lyrics to claim that he is Victor Wembanyama, while “Pirate Ride" started the night’s first mosh pit. Beneath the song’s dark humor lies a story about coping with grief through a post-tragedy trip to Disneyland, only to spend three hours waiting to ride the Pirates of the Carribean ride. My favorite part of their set was the on stage chemistry they had with one another. It felt like we were watching lifelong friends hang out and sing songs together by the way they moshed around the stage and threw random objects at each other.
Throughout the set, guitarist/vocalist David Knodle showed love to Roshii and C’lovers and shared how awesome it’s been to throw back some Mexican lagers while watching the palm trees sway on their first trip to Texas, receiving many cheers and chants to try some of San Antonio’s iconic tacos. They played a new song that set the room ablaze, with steel guitarist Caleb gliding the pedal steel and eventually, and literally, climbing on top of each member as Olivia and David played their instruments back-to-back. The set ended with “A Song About The Vampire," leaving the crowd smiling ear to ear and chanting for an encore. Those who were not familiar with their music before the show left with new music for their playlists.
C’lovers, the indie rock band quickly rising through San Antonio's music scene, absolutely rocked the house with gentle, drifting guitar riffs, introspective lyrics, and a sound that reminded me of bands like Cage the Elephant, Pavement, and The Paper Kites. Frontman Charlie Flight, bassist Callie, guitarist Menko Kimm, and drummer Stephan Estrada moved seamlessly between slow, atmospheric moments and heavy-hitting songs such as “Kaleidoscope Eyes” and“Silly Puddy Heart,” with cheers growing louder after each song.
Callie also gave a memorable shoutout to her fan-fiction page, Lady Gaga Chainsaw Dress, which received a giant pop from the crowd before Charlie joked, “Wow! The fan fiction was mentioned before the band name. We truly do make music to honor the fan fiction, though.”Stephan, who previously played drums for local legends Chasing the Night, rounded out the group’s sound with a powerful sense of depth and experience. During one of the set’s most intimate moments, Charlie stepped into the crowd for an up close breakdown, pouring his heart into every strum. Judging by the audience’s response, the future is bright for C’lovers.
The Apology Tour continues with three final dates in Austin, TX! Catch Horse Bitch for a night of folk-punk chaos while you still can. They’ll be releasing new music soon, but for now checkout their “UVA” album, out now on all streaming platforms!